Writers hear voices in their heads. That may sound psychotic, but it’s not: everyone does but most people ignore them. We listen. We listen intently.
When we listen to the wrong voices, it can be damaging to our work … and our psyche. When those voices whisper to us, “you’re not good enough to do this”, “you have nothing new to say”, “this has been said before” we need to hush those voices … or at least turn them around.
Even if it is true that what we’re pursuing has been said before – King Solomon, the wisest man in the Old Testament said, “What has been will be again, what has been done will be done again; there is nothing new under the sun.” (Ecclesiastes 1:9 NIV) – there are always new ways of saying it. Your perspective of a common issue may be something fresh and new. You can also make a point by coming at an issue with satire, as I did in 6 Reasons to Stick with Legacy Publishing.
The “you’re not good enough” accusation may have truth in it. No one (except possibly Harper Lee) nails a best seller with their first novel, but you have to start somewhere. Write. If, when it’s done, it’s no good: lay it aside and write another. Go back to that first one when you’ve gained experience and dissect it; can it be made into something good? If you feel you’re wasting your time, ask yourself, “Can one become an Olympic runner if they demand medals every time they step onto a track?” Training is as important to a writer as it is to an athlete. Those lame stories are not wasted time and effort: they’re training.
So when those voices of dissension whisper their poison in your mind’s ear, if they cannot be ignored, write about them. Use it as a writing exercise by writing your bio: the one that will go on the back of your best-seller, and talk about your humble beginnings and overcoming doubt. Write how you did it, then do it.
