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It might just be me, but the thing that has given me trouble constantly through all these years while writing is that at some point, I just can't bring myself to like what I've written. I guess it's analogous to how one does not like his or her own voice once it's recorded? But I have been one of those writer who makes significant progress in one sitting and in the next just thinks that it's not "as good" as I was writing it before.

Sometimes, what I think helps the most is the mindset that choosing the correct words, writing the most poetic prose, and being eloquent is not what matters. What matters the most is actually finishing the piece! If I were allowed one advice to inspiring writers, I would just say this: use Kindergarten level language if you have to, write in broken English, use French, or even mix up some pig-latin for all it matters, but just complete the piece. Writing is an iterative process and the biggest hurdle in that process is finishing the first draft. Once you are past that, rest is just reading it a lot and revising until you think that yeah, it doesn't suck after all.

1 comments

> I just can't bring myself to like what I've written.

This speaks directly to the author's point. When we cringe from our own writing, I think it's often one of:

1. We didn't express are true feelings well, so we feel deceitful or inauthentic. This is the vague shame and guilt you feel when you wrote what you thought you were supposed to say but not what you really believe.

2. We did express our true feelings, and we're scared of the vulnerability it creates. When you bare your soul, you lower the shield between you and your audience. You show them exactly where your soft spots are. Any criticism will cut all the more deeply. This is that blushing cringe you feel when realize your heart is laid bare for all to see.

3. How bad (or ineloquent) we are at expressing our true feelings.

4. Maybe our true-feelings are mistaken and we'll come off as a sham (this ties with inferiority complex).

7. ...

I understand that I may have some overlap with the author, but while the author stresses on being genuine with oneself, I stress on actually completing the piece (whether or not genuine) and not worrying about auxiliary stuffs like word choice, rhythm of the writing, eloquence, etc. that can always be improved upon in next iterations.

Inability to express your feelings does not have anything to do with being genuine or honest. The result being convoluted mess of text have zero to do with it bring inauthentic.

Plus, sometimes people can write super dishonest texts they are totally cool with. It is pretty often much much easier to express inauthentic things.