Are you one of those writers that love their writing or do you hate it?  How could anyone possibly become a writer but not love what they do? Sure, you might get exasperated and frustrated at times but hate is an awfully strong emotion – shouldn’t you just give up if you get to that stage? Walk away?

Every writer hits a low point or two in their career but it shouldn’t be to the point that you can’t bounce back. And what you really need to identify is where that hatred comes from – is it frustration because you’ve reached a block? Is it low self-esteem because you don’t think you are good enough? Whatever the reason, I have some suggestions that may help you to move past that point.

Don’t Forget – Writing is a Process

Rough drafts are never good – accept it. They are called ‘rough’ for a reason. The writing process goes a bit like this:

Ideas

Notes

An outline

Writing – could be months, even years

Evaluate

Rewrite

Edit

Rewrite some more

Add a chapter or two

Delete a chapter or two

Delete a scene or rewrite it

Another outline

More writing                

And a bit more

Have a few people read it

Listen to their suggestions

Fix what needs fixing

Edit

Rewrite a few more sections

Copyedit – several times

Proofread it

A process and a long one at that. Think of it as being like a musical instrument – do you pick one up and jump straight on stage to play it perfectly? Do you love every single note or chord that comes out of it? You could hate every single one but there isn’t any point. At the end of the day, it is all about practice and process.

To Write Is To Learn

You are not born already walking and talking in the same way that you are not born with the skills to write. You must learn. If you wanted to learn a foreign language, you would study and learn. At first, your pronunciation won't be good, much like the rough draft of your novel but, given time and practice, your skills improve.

It really doesn’t matter what writing stage you are at; learning is all part of it. It isn’t a choice; it’s a requirement and if you don’t give learning priority or if you decide learning isn’t for you, your writing will suffer. You don’t have to go to school to learn either; there are plenty of resources on the internet.

Rethink Your Response to Your Writing

Rather than outright hating your work, try a bit of objective and critical thinking. Don’t focus on what is wrong, ask yourself what will make it better. The way you think will dictate the way you feel – change your mind and your emotions will change too.

Think in terms of development, structure, story arc, theme, characters and so on. Think in terms of opening sentences, endings, word count and scenes, word choices, grammar, punctuation, and synonyms. And more. Remember that what you write is a result of your creative effort and skill, not just something that you sit and write. It is a skill, and it is a process that requires work, practice, and polishing.