Fake It Until You Make It

Ever hear the phrase “don’t let your printer know you’re in a hurry: they can sense fear?” Same thing with readers.

Who knew?

Confidence and engagement comes through in writing, dear reader, pure and simple. When an author isn’t excited about writing a section of their book it becomes immediately apparent to their readers. Fun fact: if it isn’t fun to write then it won’t be fun to read. If you’ve settled into your writing rhythm but find yourself having to grind through some dialogue or set pieces and you think “fuck me this is boring” that isn’t a good sign.

Don’t torture yourself by soldiering though it. Fix it!

Even if your characters are doing something that most people would consider to be “boring” you can easily spice things up by sprinkling in some inner monologue, jokes, or backstory. Every moment your character is on the page is an opportunity for character development. Use it!

But whatever you do for the love of all this is sacred don’t doubt yourself because if you don’t believe in your work no one else will. 

They say imposter syndrome is real for writers and especially first timers but don’t be that guy. Ask yourself: are you even good enough to have imposter syndrome?

For real though the concept of being a charlatan when expressing oneself in one’s work is a natural part of the creative process. As creators we should at some point view our work with a critical eye and, being its creator, will notice every flaw, scratch, blemish, and blot. But here’s the thing, dear reader: that’s what makes stories great.

That’s right: somewhat paradoxically an imperfect story can at times make for perfect story telling.

Of course I don’t mean you should half ass your editing process in the hope of stumbling into the modern day equivalent of The Old Man and the Sea but rather embrace that you’ll never get it perfect. Hell, life isn’t about being perfect it’s just about getting better. And that’s what your story should be. It should be a rough cut diamond polished and then left in the window to catch people’s fancy.

Maybe they’ll like it. Maybe they’ll want an amethyst instead, or a garnet, and that’s ok.

So long as you know you didn’t take any shortcuts your gems will always be priceless in your own eyes. So long as you stay true to your tale you’ll be able to bluster your way through those phases of self doubt and burst through onto the other side in one piece.

They say you need to fake it until you make it, dear reader, and they’re right. Write with confidence. Write without fear. And never, under any circumstances, make any decisions before you’re done with your second cup of coffee.

But above all else, keep writing.