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Hey everyone,

I started my freshman year of college this year. Between the move to a different much bigger city, keeping up with the coursework and extracurricular activities, and dealing with being away from my family, I hit a writer's block unlike one I've ever experienced before and stopped writing altogether. This summer, I picked up a simple job, and I'm trying to dive back into writing again. But looking back on my work, I feel like all of it is so bad that it's not worth returning to. This has also been preventing me from trying to brainstorm new ideas because I don't feel like I can execute them in the way that they deserve. I used to love writing (poetry, short stories, fantasy, thrillers) and I still do, but I feel so embarrassed by the old things that it makes me wonder if I should continue.

Have any of you ever lost confidence in your writing? How did you overcome that? How did you grow into a place where you were proud of the content you're creating?

Hello!

I know exactly what you mean. When I started university 2 years ago, I found it difficult to find time to write. Then when I had finally found time, I was so discouraged by my past work that I barely could bring myself to write anyway. It was frustrating.

But, lost confidence doesn't have to last forever. In the end, It was a matter of changing my perspective. Even though I wasn't writing fiction much since I wrote my past works, I still grew in experience.

The fact you and I can look back and see that our writing could be better, proves that we've grown as writers. How you choose to move forward is up to you, but not even your worst piece of writing should be considered a failure. Everytime you string words together, you are developing your skills even further.

Not everything we write is going to be published. But if we stop writing, there'll never be anything to publish.

ahmaria wrote: ↑03 Jul 2018, 13:05 But looking back on my work, I feel like all of it is so bad that it's not worth returning to. This has also been preventing me from trying to brainstorm new ideas because I don't feel like I can execute them in the way that they deserve. I used to love writing (poetry, short stories, fantasy, thrillers) and I still do, but I feel so embarrassed by the old things that it makes me wonder if I should continue.

Have any of you ever lost confidence in your writing? How did you overcome that? How did you grow into a place where you were proud of the content you're creating?

If you don't continue, you won't get better. What you wrote before helped prepare you to write what you will write. Each is an opportunity to improve your craft. Watch a baby learn to walk. Should he or she give up because the early efforts were abysmal?

jgraney8 wrote: ↑04 Jul 2018, 13:54

ahmaria wrote: ↑03 Jul 2018, 13:05 But looking back on my work, I feel like all of it is so bad that it's not worth returning to. This has also been preventing me from trying to brainstorm new ideas because I don't feel like I can execute them in the way that they deserve. I used to love writing (poetry, short stories, fantasy, thrillers) and I still do, but I feel so embarrassed by the old things that it makes me wonder if I should continue.

Have any of you ever lost confidence in your writing? How did you overcome that? How did you grow into a place where you were proud of the content you're creating?

If you don't continue, you won't get better. What you wrote before helped prepare you to write what you will write. Each is an opportunity to improve your craft. Watch a baby learn to walk. Should he or she give up because the early efforts were abysmal?

I agree. Everytime we write, we only get better. I fell into the same trap of feeling my written works were too terrible to continue, but after I changed my perspective to seeing writing as a practiced craft, I found confidence again

I was just about to make a very similar post before seeing yours!
Though I haven’t yet found a way to over come this, I definitely relate to how you are feeling.
As I’m writing, I am often thinking about what people will think about it before the words even leave my head.

I have challenged myself to just keeping writing it all out. All of the good and the bad. All of the original thoughts and the ones that I feel have been over used. I let everything flow and only then do I go back and think about what will work, how people will read it, and truly edit. This has helped me write a few pieces that I’ve felt genuinely proud of again.

I've been in university for three years, writer's block is always a problem for me. I've managed to lose confidence in my writing for a year before picking it up again.

I took a bunch of external writing classes, taking advice from all types of writers. Most of them said, just keep writing. My favorite advice was to, take a break from what you are writing, pick an event from your childhood, and write that out as a story. It'll be a story that no one else could tell better.

I finally figured it all out when a friend was telling me a story of what happened to her, and I could just picture it in my head as a story to tell. It was no longer if I could tell it or not, but I felt like I could tell it the best.

Green tea also helps me a lot. Jasmin green tea specifically.

I like to think of my first draft of anything as just note taking. It’s to figure out who the characters are, where they’re going, and what they’re doing. If it contains a couple flashes of brilliance, great! If not, then don’t worry about it. You’ll probably just end up rewriting the whole thing anyway.

Losing confidence is main phase of your losing dignity. If you ever feel low or losing your confidence at that time don't do it.

To overcome a loss of confidence, I will remember one very important thing. The main reason I write is to have an outlet for the creativity that is in my head. In the end it makes little difference if what I put down on paper (or on the screen) is any good, it is a release. I keep writing and know that the feeling is just that a feeling and not reality. Eventually, the feeling will subside.

I hope you know that you're not alone. I just saw a wonderful post that definitely relates to a loss of confidence. I'm afraid I can't post the link, but in summary, artistic endeavors such as writing have had their original value of being behavioral replaced with a value of monetary and hierarchical gain. That is, it's the difference between expressing and performing. Writing should never become a performance because as soon as it does, it loses its spirit. Writing is allowed to be fun and silly and nonsensical! Free yourself from any bondage to performance and write your truth without comparing to any standards, even your own.