Maybe the reason why I write badly is this typewriter; it has been in my family for years. Or maybe I am not just not a good writer. Does that sound familiar? The last two stories I have written were not very good, in fact they were BAD! I have been looking for someone or something to blame for my BAD stories, but what if its important for me to write badly?
Why Writing Badly is Important
All authors write badly. Judy Blume, in her Master Class, talks about her writing process and the importance of getting the words down on paper. She actually calls it a “mess” with section not in order and notes scribbled in her margins. As a writer, it is necessary to give yourself the time, space and permission to just write. It doesn’t matter if it makes sense or if it’s disorganized. All that really matters is that you are writing those ideas down and telling your story.
When you give yourself permission to write badly, you can begin to see the potential in your story and the directions your story can take. You can edit and revise your story to make it better and stronger. If you never write the story, you will have nothing to revise and no stories to share. Getting the story out of your head is the first step toward writing a better story.
Give yourself permission to simply write and try new things. Even if you think they are bad ideas, put them down and enjoy writing badly. Some of those ideas that you think are bad, may turn out to be just the spark your story needs.
Remember No One is Watching
When I first started writing this blog, I didn’t do it well. It was very uncomfortable and I had never written a blog post before. You can even read it if you dare. The link to my first blog is here. Just like all beginning writers, I had no readers or fans and was self-conscious about posting things that were less than perfect…
Until the day I challenged myself to just hit publish. I still do not think that anyone read that first blog post or the few posts that came after. I began to think my writing was not strong enough and no one cared about what I had to say. When in actuality, it had more to do with my SEO than my writing. My advice is don’t be afraid to practice and fail in public – no one, but you will remember it!
Writing Badly Can Spark Your Creativity
Creativity is about freedom – feeling free to express yourself as a writer. Being creative means that we take two or more things and we put them together. We create something that is new. If it’s any good, our creation will have made something more valuable and better than what came before. Creativity is a process.
When you write badly you can become more creative, you can discover stories you didn’t even know were inside of you. Allow yourself to write freely and and badly to tap into your creative side to bring your story to life.
Stop Being a Perfectionist
This is a hard one for me, I am still working on not being a perfectionist. It’s a waste of our time. As a writer, we are allowed to make mistakes. It’s okay not to be perfect and make mistakes. It can be very liberating. Your imperfections make you unique and particularly special to those who love you.
It’s the same with your writing. Your friends and followers will forgive you if you make a mistake now and then. You are the one who holds onto your mistakes and has a hard time forgiving yourself so let it all go!
In Sum …
Don’t be afraid to write badly, to make mistakes or allow perfectionism to hold you back.
Get your writing out there. Write and keep on writing.
Just focus on the act of writing.
Give yourself permission to make mistakes.
Publish your book, and then get started on the next one.
Take comfort in knowing that every author starts the same way: they write badly!
Requests …
I am so glad you’re here and I thank you for taking the time to read this post. I am grateful that I can share my writing journey with you.
I’m looking forward to helping you as a children’s book writer in any way that I can. Speaking of helping — please leave a comment below and let me know what questions you have about picture book writing.
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One last request …
You can really help this author by leaving a book review on Amazon or Goodreads. You can leave a review for Gertie Saves the Day here or here. Two Wins for Wiley here or here. Reviews can be as easy as 2-3 sentences and should take about 30 seconds to leave and would make a huge difference for me. Need help? Click here.