Angela Scott
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You're ALWAYS going to suck at writing. Yep. It's true. And ain't that grand?

9/19/2011

31 Comments

 
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You’re always going to suck at writing. That’s just the way it is. Get used to it.

AND, if you ever get to a point in which you think, “Holy Crap! I’m amazingly gifted! The words I put down on paper--every single one of them—should be read by ALL!” Then you need to stop writing. Put down the laptop, pen, pencil, whatever, and just stop. Stop it. Do not write another word.

Because once you stop thinking that you no longer suck as a writer, you stop improving.

And once you stop improving, you will become stagnant and your writing will too. You will become complacent.

As for myself, I will always, always suck at writing. That is my promise. I will never think my work is good enough. I know for a fact that even if I publish something in the near future, I will look at it knowing it could have been better, SO much better. I have no doubt.

Let me explain this suck-factor a little more: I wrote a book called “Out of My Head” a couple of years ago. I loved the story. I loved the characters. I thought it was a pretty good book. (It’s not published—thank heavens—so don’t even try Googling it).

I just looked at it the other day and realized it sucks. It really does. I wrote stuff in that book in a way I would NEVER do now—I know better. I’ve improved.

But even before “Out of My Head,” I had other stories I wrote that make “Out of My Head” look brilliant. (No one will ever, EVER see those. They are filed in a safe, which is locked, and sitting on the bottom of the sea. They’re that bad).

With every book I write, I know I’m getting better. But I realize that the stories I write today will suck in comparison to the stories I will write five years from now, ten years from now, and so on. I get that.

So what do we do? Do we wait five years from now, ten years from now? Am I to wait until I’m ninety-nine when realize that my writing is probably not going to improve anymore, since I will be dead soon, before releasing my work into the world?

In some respects, waiting until I’m ninety-nine would be good. People will look at my writing and think, “Ahh, look what the little old lady wrote. Ain’t that nice?” and give me some slack. You don’t get that kind of slack when you’re thirty-nine. In fact, people can be pretty dang mean. But waiting until I’m ninety-nine is the chicken way out.

What I do suggest is this: Embrace the idea of sucking as a writer. Just wrap that idea around yourself, like a nice snuggly coat, get comfortable, and then never take it off. Always strive to write better. Always look for ways to improve. There is NO shortcut to writing amazing stories. It’s a long, hard journey in which every step is measured. You can’t climb to the top of a mountain without first starting at the bottom. That’s just the way it is.

Above all else, be kind to other writers. Realize they suck too and they’re aware of it. They know. They’re trying. They’re somewhere on the mountain, climbing just like you. Some of us are taking baby steps. Some of us are sprinting. Regardless, no one is going to make it to the top. There is no top. There never has been.

And personally, I find that amazing.

I suck at writing. But I have a lifetime to improve.

And it’s only going to get better and better from here.


31 Comments
Wendy L. Callahan link
9/19/2011 02:29:34 am

There is nothing to say to this except BRILLIANT!

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Merry Farmer
9/19/2011 02:35:42 am

Ah yes! I too have gotten to the point where I have learned to embrace the suckage! But isn't it fun to go back and reread some of those old stories that you once thought were so good?

Thanks! This is great!

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Lane Diamond link
9/19/2011 03:45:40 am

Angela, I'm shocked! :) You didn't end with the obvious conclusion: "And this is why God made editors."

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D.T. Conklin link
9/19/2011 04:05:54 am

So... I just wrote a reply to this, and it was BRILLIANT. I mean mind-blowing brilliant, the likes of which you've never seen, with trumpets and crumpets and little red tassels. Then I accidentally deleted it. Does that count as suckage? 'Cuz, I think it should.

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Stacy S. Jensen link
9/19/2011 05:47:49 am

I love this line: Above all else, be kind to other writers. Realize they suck too and they’re aware of it.

Write. Revise. Repeat.

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Elizabeth Mitchell link
9/19/2011 05:52:17 am

Angela, I laughed out loud in my veal-fattening pen at work at this post. You are so right!

My writing sucks, and thank goodness for critique partners and editors!

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Collette Scott link
9/19/2011 06:47:08 am

I love this post! It's not only so true, but so well written too. Well put, Angela!

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Jan Arzooman link
9/19/2011 06:48:16 am

"As for myself, I will always, always suck at writing. That is my promise. I will never think my work is good enough." Yet everyone else can see you are a good writer. Funny, huh?

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Rhiannon Paille link
9/19/2011 06:51:28 am

Hey Angela!

I have to disagree with you! There are a lot of things I did when I first began writing that I don't do now, and so while I'm constantly expanding my vocabulary and coming up with new ways of saying things, I try to avoid making the same mistakes. I might make new mistakes, maybe with my characters, plot or dialogue, but with the mechanics of writing itself, I shouldn't be repeating those mistakes again and again.

When I pat myself on the back after writing something, reading it back and liking it, it's because I didn't make as many errors in the technicalities as I did before.

I don't feel guilty for celebrating the success of NOT making my MS a big mess for my editor.

And so while I still make mistakes, I prefer it if my mistakes are over the little things, not the big things.

Anyway, rambling now, but you get the idea, have a good one!

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Brooke R. Busse link
9/19/2011 10:08:29 am

"You can’t climb to the top of a mountain without first starting at the bottom." This is the analogy that inspired my blog title. :)

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Carla link
9/19/2011 10:09:08 am

Angela, this was one of the most fun things I've read all day! It's such a light-hearted way of sharing a cold, hard truth! Thanks for brightening my day! Now, to the embracing...

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Elaine link
9/19/2011 11:05:29 am

I'll never think my writing is good enough because I am a Virgo. We are perfectionists through and through. Still, I hope to someday silence my inner critic long enough to take a chance and submit it already!!!:) Great post! :)

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Juliana link
9/19/2011 11:57:25 am

Haha, oh yeah, I get this. I looked back at a WIP I wrote the beginning of August and laughed at how many things I have to go back and improve. It's nice to know I'm not the only one.

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Karen link
9/19/2011 01:02:12 pm

yes. I thought this was Brilliant too. I don't have to fear that knocking of doom for the work and absorption my writing has wrought. :)

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Jess link
9/19/2011 11:39:34 pm

I love the way you worded this. It's a good thing to keep in mind when writing, and you're right. If you ever stop actively trying to improve, you're not doing the writer tag justice.

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Julie Glover link
9/20/2011 12:45:33 am

This is SO true. We need to be willing to be critical of our own work and recognize that it will not all be brilliant. Good authors are willing to throw out the majority of what they write and keep only the best. Even then, our best will get better and better as we learn more and improve in our craft. I love this post, Angela. Thanks.

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TG
9/20/2011 12:59:55 am

If you think you're the best some days and the worst others does it even out?

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Nancy Lauzon link
9/20/2011 06:19:42 am

I have a safe just like yours, buried in my back yard. It contains 2 unfinished drafts, 3 completed novels, and 1 unfinished revision of 1 of those novels. I know I should just pitch them, but I figure they're battle scars -- too ugly to show other people, but a source of personal pride.

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A.J. Mullarky link
9/24/2011 02:52:28 am

So true! Very wise.

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Tina Boscha link
9/24/2011 02:59:32 am

I love this. Love, love, love this. When I taught creative writing (years ago, as a grad student) I knew the ones who wanted it the most were the ones who hated their own writing the most.

Isn't it funny that admitting I suck makes me feel so much better about myself? :-)

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Michelle
9/24/2011 03:57:15 am

Yep. I even look back at the beginning of the story I'm working on and cringe. Even in a few months my writing matured to the point that the older stuff is full of crap and sin. That's okay, because I know everyone else has the same problem.

Great post.

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Nikki link
10/23/2011 02:53:46 am

I love this! I feel so much better now, because I think everything I write just plain sucks. It was funny, in journalism school the stuff I threw together at the last minute and said "this piece blows, so go ahead and fail me" were the pieces that my teacher loved the most. The more I think, the worse my writing sucks.

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Vernon Wildy, Jr. link
10/23/2011 04:21:58 am

Great post. I recently looked at some of my past writings and some of them were awful. That definitely keeps me going and I'm pretty sure in the future I'll look at some of the things I write now and I'll hate them.

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DL Morrese link
10/27/2011 03:24:29 am

Sometimes I think we can be too hard on ourselves. Someone will read a book I wrote and say, "that was really good," and I say, "Thanks," but I immediately think "I could have done better."
Sounds cynical, I know, but as you say, this can be a positive attitude toward our own work. If we don't think we could have done better, we never will. We just can't let ourselves think what we've done and what we're working on now is "bad" because chances are it's not. It's just that the next one will be better.

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Woelf link
12/29/2011 12:12:06 pm

Thank you for this. I read your post on a day when I seriously needed some uplifting. Out of frustration I just keyed in "I suck at writing" and googled it, not knowing what would pop up. This was my alternative to screaming at the top of my lungs. I am glad I read this though. Some much needed mental food to chew on. Thanks again.

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Josh
2/6/2012 03:56:39 pm

hahah i didn't even read this i just posted my comment you did the same thing i did thats soo funny to me at least

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Josh
2/6/2012 03:54:52 pm

Thank You. I have just started to write a few years ago, and now looking at my story's makes me know i suck. In fact I just googled "I suck at writing" and this was the first website I clicked
I have never been more inspired.

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Angela Scott link
2/6/2012 09:59:53 pm

I'm really glad I could help. I've been writing forever and each new story I write I find I write better than than the story before it. Right now I'm in the process of editing (with my editor) to get my "first" book ready for publication in March. I've come a long way in my writing, but I know that in a year or two from now, my work will even be better. In ten? Wow. We need to hang in there and keep on keeping on :) Keep learning. Keep writing. If you love it, REALLY love it, then embrace your suckiness. It's okay. We're all in this together and we all suck.

I wish you the best. Just remember it's okay to suck. That's what keeps us improving and humble as well.

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9/19/2012 11:51:47 am

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Tessa
6/12/2013 09:37:03 am

You really inspired me! Thanks so much for your words.

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Oscar
8/14/2013 02:33:21 pm

I like the point you made, but I humbly disagree that one must think they suck to improve at writing. If that were the case, then how can anyone gauge their improvement? In my mind, that's kind of like competing in a race in which you choose to run on a treadmill instead, while telling yourself how much you suck at running despite all your efforts. It's more productive to think, "Good job running that mile in 5 minutes, but I know that's not good enough. I'm better than this. Next time, it's got to be under 5 min" and gradually trimming that down, never stopping, never believing there's a physical limit, and if there is one, ignoring it.

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