I think it's better to be a better writer than you think. If you think you're a better writer than you are, you'll never survive critiques, especially if they are from writers as good as you think you are.
Rick, that's kind of my thinking on it too(on good days), but I'm also of the mind that becoming a good writer is easier than regaining confidence... definitely conflicted.
S.P., thanks for stopping by. Excellent point (and a mistake I made often early on, regardless of confidence level :)... though the contrarian in me wonders if it's better to throw handfuls and hope you hit the target instead of rarely/never trying because of a lack of confidence.
I agree with Rick. I don't think I'm a very good writer - I just clench to beliefs that hard work pays off and hope for the best. If I thought I was better than I am, I'd have a lot of disappointments coming my way and that's not a fun thing to go through. It's better to be pleasantly surprised.
That's a good point Bane, I've heard a lot of authors talk about sending stuff out early and someone, an agent, editor, whatever, saw some promise in them and now they're published. If you don't have confidence and never try you'll never get published.
I'm of a mind it is better to be a better writer than you think you are. I don't think that necessarily means a total lack of confidence, just a healthy dose of modesty.
Paul, humility's never a bad thing, except when it destroys confidence. And I'm definitely someone who preps for the storm, too... makes the sunshine that much brighter.
SP - it's a fine line to walk, and I feel that it keeps moving.
Renee, that's the hard part for me to figure out... modesty and lack of confidence kind of all blur together for me. That being said, I'd much rather be someone (in all walks of life) who speaks softly and carries a stick (not sure how big) than a trash-talking tree-wielder.
A little of both, depending on the situation. While drafting, I'd rather think I'm better than I am (else I'll never finish). While revising and querying, I'd rather be better than I think I am.
What Bryan said really rings true for me: "You have to understand your faults when you revise. But why let doubts slow you down when you're drafting?" So maybe we need a bit of both depending on where we are in the process?
I dunno...what's behind door #3?
ReplyDeleteI think it's better to be a better writer than you think. If you think you're a better writer than you are, you'll never survive critiques, especially if they are from writers as good as you think you are.
What Rick said, plus if you think you're better than you are you'll send things off before they're ready and never get anywhere.
ReplyDeleteRick, that's kind of my thinking on it too(on good days), but I'm also of the mind that becoming a good writer is easier than regaining confidence... definitely conflicted.
ReplyDeleteS.P., thanks for stopping by. Excellent point (and a mistake I made often early on, regardless of confidence level :)... though the contrarian in me wonders if it's better to throw handfuls and hope you hit the target instead of rarely/never trying because of a lack of confidence.
I agree with Rick. I don't think I'm a very good writer - I just clench to beliefs that hard work pays off and hope for the best. If I thought I was better than I am, I'd have a lot of disappointments coming my way and that's not a fun thing to go through. It's better to be pleasantly surprised.
ReplyDeleteThat's a good point Bane, I've heard a lot of authors talk about sending stuff out early and someone, an agent, editor, whatever, saw some promise in them and now they're published. If you don't have confidence and never try you'll never get published.
ReplyDeleteI'm of a mind it is better to be a better writer than you think you are. I don't think that necessarily means a total lack of confidence, just a healthy dose of modesty.
ReplyDeletePaul, humility's never a bad thing, except when it destroys confidence. And I'm definitely someone who preps for the storm, too... makes the sunshine that much brighter.
ReplyDeleteSP - it's a fine line to walk, and I feel that it keeps moving.
Renee, that's the hard part for me to figure out... modesty and lack of confidence kind of all blur together for me. That being said, I'd much rather be someone (in all walks of life) who speaks softly and carries a stick (not sure how big) than a trash-talking tree-wielder.
A little of both, depending on the situation. While drafting, I'd rather think I'm better than I am (else I'll never finish). While revising and querying, I'd rather be better than I think I am.
ReplyDeleteUnfortunately, I usually get those two mixed up.
What Adam said. You have to understand your faults when you revise. But why let doubts slow you down when you're drafting?
ReplyDeleteWhat Bryan said really rings true for me: "You have to understand your faults when you revise. But why let doubts slow you down when you're drafting?" So maybe we need a bit of both depending on where we are in the process?
ReplyDelete