How to Write Stories People Will Love

Question 90: Insecurities about writing

So_phie_104 asks: I am feeling really insecure about my book. How do I know out if it's good enough?

The first dilemma is defining what "good enough" is when talking about books. It's a very subjective thing. What's good enough for one person may not be good enough for another. It's all just opinions when we get down to it. So the most important thing to remember is writing is a personal journey, like life.

As we get older, we learn things and make better decisions. The same thing with writing. We learn as we read and write more, and our skills improve. We never stop improving. The goal isn't "good enough", the goal is actually the journey. When I look back at past work, sometimes i cringe and think, wow, that was kinda bad. But then I remind myself that it was necessary to go through that stage to get to where I am today. There aren't any shortcuts.

So let's get back to "is my book good enough?" Ask yourself, is it as good as you know how to make it? If yes, then it's good enough. If no, then make the changes you think will improve it. When you don't know what else to improve, then it's done. It's good enough for this stage of your writing. When you get feedback from others, you will learn new things to improve. That will be the next leg of your writing journey.

Throughout this whole process, you must always remember one thing: You are not your writing. Our writing feels like an extension of ourselves, so if it's not "good enough" then we often conclude that we must not be good enough either. It's a painful prospect to consider.

Don't do that to yourself. YOU as a person are ALWAYS good enough. Regardless of whether your book meets expectations or not, YOU are still a valuable, lovable human being.

Believe it. Own it.