Encouragement. Everyone needs it, especially writers.
Fear of failure. Everyone has it, especially writers!
Encouragement helps fuel my writing fire and makes me believe in the story I am creating; without it, my inner demons take over. The voice of my fear says ‘it’s stupid, it’s all been done before - and no one will ever like it, much less read it!’
Of course, those are lies. Those pesky voices who never shut up only speak in lies. No story you want to tell is stupid. Has the concept been used? Yes, all concepts have been done before, but (and here's the main difference) it hasn’t been done by you! If I tell you a story about a cop who is investigating a murder, who then becomes entangled in a web of deceit spun by a suspect, you could probably think of twenty different books that came out last year alone. But that won’t stop me from buying my tenth book on the subject! When compelling and well written, any plot can feel like new again.
As for the voices saying ‘no one will ever read it’, well, no one can guarantee you a best-selling novel, nor can they guarantee you a publication. Hell, right now I feel like I’m yelling into the void with these words, but it doesn’t matter if no one is reading it. (But thank you so much for taking the time!). It only matters if you are proud of it and had fun writing it! After all, as Ray Bradbury said, “You only fail when you stop writing.”
As for encouragement, it can come in many forms. Whether it’s your friend saying ‘keep at it’ or you telling yourself ‘if you can get through one last chapter, you can have the ice cream that is in the freezer!’ Whatever it takes to keep you writing - is worth it.
The best way to be encouraged is to give encouragement. Become a cheerleader for other writers! Join online chats, join Reddit, Twitter, tumblrs, NaNoWriMos and start a blog (it’s surprisingly fun)! Immerse yourself in writing culture and you’ll be surprised by how calming it is to know that everyone else is having writer's block, facing tons of rejections, and having difficulty finishing that one annoying chapter as well! Nothing is more encouraging than realizing a shared experience.
So, don’t listen to those evil voices and just get out there and write! No matter how long it takes you to finish, it will be worth it.
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