# How Do You Deal With Self-Doubt?



## Sparklight (Jun 22, 2013)

For those of you with aspirations to publish or be published, do you ever get self-doubt and wonder how could you ever compete with the likes of Tolkien or Martin? I don't mean like being famous or financially successful, but I mean being loved and cherished like them or just celebrated as a good writer? I mean do you ever wonder why couldn't that be me? Just your thoughts on this.


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## Falaffel (Jun 22, 2013)

That's an awful way to think.

Positive-thinking and self-confidence in your work usually makes a fairly heavy difference on the outcome.


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## Sparklight (Jun 23, 2013)

I know it's awful, but I just get like that sometimes. I was wondering what do others say or do to encourage themselves to just be the best writer that they can.


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## M. LeRenard (Jun 23, 2013)

Well... honestly, in some ways I'd be more frightened of huge popularity.  The money thing would be fantastic; I'm sure Mr. Martin doesn't think often about his pocketbook these days.  But having a huge fanbase is a LOT of work, assuming of course that you want to keep them happy.  It means turning writing into a full-time career, and this includes doing book-signings, giving talks or speeches, showing up at conventions throughout the year, hosting panels, not to mention keeping up with people on social media or just by scanning through thousands of e-mails every day.  In addition to writing, of course, which you've got to do consistently from then on, both in terms of the type and quality of material you put out, and in terms of how frequently you're expected to put it out.  This is a pressure you get from both your publisher and your fanbase.

So for me, I don't fret about these things because in many ways I'd prefer to stay somewhat low-key.  Yes, I'd love to get published and recognized, and yes I do think it would be bloody awesome if my stuff got popular enough to, say, be turned into a movie or TV show, but that's all something I don't see as being particularly likely anyhow, and I really wouldn't relish the limelight if it did (that's just my personality; dealing with people is hard work for me).  So in the meantime, I'm allowed to just focus on getting better, and this is something I can do in my spare time since there's no money riding on its success.  And that's nice.


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## Conker (Jun 23, 2013)

I remember that the likes of Terry Goodkind, Suzanne Collins, Patrick Rothfuss, Dan Brown, Earnest Cline,  and Stephanie Meyer got books published.

That's all you really need.


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## Sparklight (Jun 23, 2013)

You didn't like the Hunger Games? Just asking.


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## Sparklepaws (Jun 23, 2013)

I've often felt this way, but it's because of these feelings that I was able to progress. They pushed me forward and made me want to be better, so in turn I made myself better.

Nothing is out of reach for you, it's all within your grasp if it's given the proper amount of attention and energy. The reason why we falter is we fear our ability to accomplish things, but in reality it's because we fear them that we never achieve it. Ironic, no?

I do know where you're coming from though, these pitfalls are normal. Sometimes I look at an awesome bit of art or writing and think to myself, "Damn, I could have done that". Then a little voice inside my head chuckles and says, "Ah, but you can" ;3


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## Conker (Jun 23, 2013)

Sparklight said:


> You didn't like the Hunger Games? Just asking.


No. The books are at best mediocre and at worst...well, the third book is some straight up trash. 

Collins doens't handle the first person present perspective all that well, and her books are completely lacking in detail. They also don't seem to know what they are, since they were marketed as action/adventure, but in all cases, the action and adventuring doens't start until well past the halfway point. I was never able to buy into her world or the premise she put forth either.

The first book did some things well, but on the whole, it was nothing special. And then it blew up like most nothing special books do these days when they are marketed well.

I also forgot to add Seth Grahme Smith to that list.


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## dinosaurdammit (Jun 23, 2013)

I think about murdering steve, and i feel instantly better. Imagine killing steve and you will excel.


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## Hewge (Jun 23, 2013)

Dance it out.


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## VengeanceZ (Jun 27, 2013)

The less you think about what other people will think about your work, judge it the less stressed, worried you will be. Just let go, focus completely on the story. Don't worry about anything, just imagine your story, setting, characters. Like a vivid dream, almost like a daydream.

I know a person who could write 10 pages a day. He completely focused his mind on his novel, without any distractions at all and put his mind to work. Simple as that. Although it might be hard for the modern generation or people with anxiety or stress in their lifes, you just got to practice at it. The more you do something consistently the easier it is to do it again and again. This pretty much applies to all things in the universe.


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## Sasya (Jun 27, 2013)

Have you read Tolkien, or just heard about him? ~.^  He's one of the authors on my tiny list of "I will never be as good as X, but I will always be inspired by him/her."

Not that I believe I'll be as good as authors I consider to be 'second rate', McCaffrey, Bujold, Niven, Nye, Rowley and so very many others... but they are not yet Tolkiens in their own right.  They have moments of genius, but I can measure myself to some fraction of their standard. 

But Tolkien, Shakespeare, et al ... to deign compare myself would invite madness, for I would realize that without dedicating my entire life and every ounce of my breath and breadth, every fibre of my being to the mettle of writing, to abandon all hopes and dreams I have in domains outside the literary, to sacrifice myself and my own and my dreams and my loves and passions for the chance to achieve such a standard... I would have no chance. 

So how do I deal with this? 

I write.  I pour every ounce of passion and love and lust, and every dream, amplified.  Every moment of joy, every feathered touch of pain and extremity; I harness the magic of being inherent in every opportunity, every touch of divinity and inspiration.  I steal every iota of an idea I can extract from nature, from those I know, from those I admire, from those I despise;  I summon the magic in every moment in life, every blessed breath to pour into writing in what little way I can, to shape crude words into finer points after drawing them from the melange of thoughts and motions and emotions that fill my head. 

That's how this fox deals with it.

~Foxy


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## Kishi (Jun 27, 2013)

A huge tub of ice cream, a jar of pickles, a blog, and chick flicks :V


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## Conker (Jun 27, 2013)

Sasya said:


> Have you read Tolkien, or just heard about him? ~.^  He's one of the authors on my tiny list of "I will never be as good as X, but I will always be inspired by him/her."


I have such a list! It's really only comprised of George R R Martin, Niel Gaiman, and Steven King though. Shakespeare too, I suppose, but I don't find myself writing plays or poetry all that much, so it's hard to invoke comparisons or the like.


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## Sparklight (Jul 1, 2013)

It's really more of a "Could I have wrote that if I hadn't read it first?" thing. Yes there are plenty of _terrible _writers who get published, but the thing is as awful as Paolini or Brown or whoever it is was they were still good enough to get published. I'm not in it for the money, but some recognition would be nice. Feedback would especially be useful. At least if people told me why my stories sucked I could theoretically improve. I don't know, maybe I'm just bitter.


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