Four Reasons Why It’s Normal Not to Like Your Own Writing:

I’ve never met a writer who likes what they’ve written. I know a couple who’ll say they do, but as soon as you start to read it, they’ll correct themselves slowly by saying the first couple chapters are slow, or their beginning isn’t finished, or they’re still figuring out how to word a specific idea. This gets especially bad when it comes to writing that’s creative, or being used as a form of self expression.

Now I’m not shaming these people - I’m one of them! And that’s not only perfectly fine, but it’s also the way that things are set up to be, for many different reasons. 

Here’s the four clearest that I could think of.

1. The vast majority of writing that you can compare your work to has already been not only published, but overseen by teams of editors.

Because of this, in comparing your own work to the things you like to read, you’re making a false comparison. That book sure as anything didn’t look like that when the original writer first finished. The writer themselves had a pretty arduous revision and rejection process that they likely went through prior to getting their work edited by people who would maybe publish it. I think a lot of times this sets people up for failure when it comes to confidence in their own work. What you’ve written is great! It’s called a work-in-progress for a reason!

2. You have already read it.

Even our favorite stories become dull when we read them for the umpteenth time! If you’re really burned out from something you’ve written, the best thing you can do is go write or read something else for a while, before returning to your project with the vigor you had when you started it. It’s not that the writing is suddenly bad, it might just be that you’re bored.

3. You know what comes next.

You know where that cliffhanger leads, you know the protagonist ends up okay, you who wins at the end of the story, and you know the next idea you’re presenting! Because of that, a lot of the tension that exists for audiences won’t be there for you, especially on your third or fourth read through. While this can’t really be solved by taking a break from the piece (I’d hope you wouldn’t forget your story/content that easily), it can be solved by letting other people in! Whether it be a writing consultant (we will help workshop creative pieces!), a close friend, or even just a community online, hearing feedback from others is an essential step in the writing process. Don’t be afraid to let your voice be known!

4. You’re looking for errors.
   

When you're editing a story or other work of writing that you’ve written, you’re looking for mistakes. Due to that, you’re being blinded to a lot of the good that your writing has in store. You need to remember that most audiences won’t be so critical, and are looking to enjoy the story/characters/emotion that you’re sharing with them, not to critique how well your sentences are divided.

All in all, it is perfectly normal not to like your own writing, and it doesn't mean that you’re a bad writer. The only thing that could make you a bad writer is if you quit writing because you think you’re bad at it. So keep writing, and know that there’s always going to be people ready to read what you’ve written!

We Don't Talk About Grades!

 

We Don't Talk About Grades!

By now I hope you have all seen the absolute masterpiece that is Encanto, or at least have heard the chart topping "We Don't Talk About Bruno."I have seen the movie probably thirty times as its catchy tunes and beautiful graphics are rather comforting

for me. For those who are a little more sane than I and maybe haven't seen the film at all,

first of all… 

SPOILERS!

Second of all, here is a brief overview of the movie's premise. 

Mirabel is a part of the family Madrigal, who's matriarch was blessed with a miracle that

gave her family a magical home and magical powers that they use to help their town.

In this way, a person's worth begins to directly correlate with the acts of service they can complete.

Mirabel is the only grandkid to not have been granted a gift, therefore

she can not help the town in the same way as everyone else, and is often seen as

more of a burden than a bonafide family member. 

I love this movie because I feel like all of us can relate to Mirabel, and I think one instance of this feeling

of not being worthy we have all experienced comes when grades are attached to our writing. 

Sometimes I will work so hard on an assignment and think it went pretty well only

for it to be given a lower grade than expected, making all my work feel a little worthless.

Or I will be so worried about how my professor will grade my work that I will be

overly critical of my writing and never be satisfied with the work that I did. 

Those feelings are something that the Writing Center is here to help you avoid

because at the Writing Center…

"We don't talk about grades." 

At the CWC your worth as a writer isn't tied to your end product.

We value the writing process more than the final result.

Don't get me wrong, we of course want that final product to be as good as possible,

but we recognize that what really matters is that with

each writing assignment your writing gets a little better.

Let's imagine a scenario, 

Maybe the first time you come in we fix up some grammar, and talk through how to avoid those errors,

then the next time you come in,

there are little to no grammar issues because you learned to recognize them on your own

and we can now focus on making stronger thesis statements. 

That scenario is an A in our book (IF we talked about grades here, which we don't).

The Writing Center cares about growth, because that's the mark of a promising writer,

not always getting straight A's, and I think sometimes we all need to be reminded of that,

even us consultants.

So come in and grow with us, and after you learn to value growth over perfection,

then MAYBE we can talk about grades

(but probably not because this isn't like the song and we REALLY don't talk about grades at the CWC)

(Like ever).

Other ways to continue this growth outside of the four cozy walls of the Writing Center are: 

Going to Office Hours with Professors 

Most professors are more than happy to help you better understand the writing they are looking for

and will talk about assignments with you. Growth comes with clarification on what you need to do.

And once you receive that clarification you are more than welcome to bring that

new knowledge back to the Writing Center!

Making Time For Personal,  No Stakes Writing!

That may be journaling about your day, utilizing goofy writing prompts, creating fan fiction,

or working on that story you have always thought about writing. Heck, maybe start a blog!

Practice makes perfect so the more you write in general the more growth you will see.

And if you are worried about being too busy, I promise you that if you love writing there is

ALWAYS time in the day for you to do it in a way that makes you happy and proud. 

Reminding Yourself That We Are Not Seeking Perfection.

This is something I personally have to do often with all of my hobbies.

Before I paint or crochet I have to remind myself that

this project is a stepping stone in my path for growth, not the end all be all, and it's the same with writing. Even though you are technically handing in a

"completed assignment," that assignment is a stopping point on your writing career,

not the finish line.

 Maybe before you start writing, or after you turn in an assignment you could try reciting that mantra,

this project is a stepping stone in my path for growth, not the end all be all,

just to take some pressure off and remind yourself that writing and the way you write

is more important than the grade you ultimately receive. 

In Conclusion, 

Don't let grades steal the joy of writing away,

and don't let your magical family tell you that your lack of magical powers makes you less worthy

because you and your writing are both doing great!

Keep growing!

(and go watch Encanto!!)