How to Write a Good Story

Gary Korisko: How to Write With Confidence

Do you want to write with confidence?

This is the first in a series of three posts about how to write with confidence.

Dashed hopes. Broken dreams. What ifs. Regrets. Wasted potential.

These are the things that writers' nightmares are made of.

If you're like most budding writers, you know all too well about the fears and doubts that creep into your mind during the process of creating.

Not only is it frustrating, but even worse--fear and doubt can wreak havoc on your confidence and...

• Keep you from starting something new.
• Intimidate you into scrapping a perfectly valid project.
• Stop you from releasing your work out into the world.

"Confidence cannot find a place wherein to rest in safety." ~Virgil

What Are You Made Of?

While the rest of the world may think of writers as meek intellectuals, you and I know that creatives (at least those who persevere) are fearless and pretty damn tough when it comes right down to it. They step out into the spotlight and bare it all for the world to see. Figuratively, of course.

Even so, you may view your fears and doubts about your writing as weakness, or even a lack of talent - but you'd be wrong.

Somewhere in the Middle Lies the Truth

The fact that you experience doubt and fear during the writing process may actually be a sign that you're on the right track because you're taking risks and pushing outside your comfort zone. If you don't stretch yourself, you don't grow - plain and simple. And when you stretch, it can be scary, so a certain amount of fear is actually a healthy part of the process.

On the other hand, it's difficult to grow if you have so many doubts that it undermines your confidence. Without the confidence to push on, you risk stagnation.

You need to find that productive zone somewhere between 'productive fear' and 'confidence-wrecking doubt'.

10 Mindsets for Confident Writing

The trick is to find a level of confidence that lets you experience that useful 'creative discomfort' but avoid stalling out due to your fears and doubts.

The development process takes time, but here are 10 mindsets you can easily adopt to help you build confidence in your writing.

1: Know your reasons for writing.

A good deal of confidence comes from clarity. And one of the most important things you need to be clear about is why you're writing in the first place. Ask yourself...

What do I want to achieve by writing this?What is my goal with this piece?

You've probably heard the advice 'Start with the end in mind'. That's what we're talking about here. When you begin writing with a clear vision of what you want to achieve with your work, you're starting from a place of clarity and confidence.

2: Realize it's a process.

Just like everything else in life, developing confidence as a writer is a process. Processes force us to grow - and growth always takes time and effort.

When you accept the fact that the Writing Fairy isn't going to show up and whack you on the head with the 'famous writer wand' - you're on the right track.

Devote yourself to constantly learning and growing - and for cryin' out loud, learn to enjoy the process.

3: Quit quitting. Really. Quit it.