Six Tips for Writing Through Discouragement

I confess.

At the beginning of this summer I was ready to quit writing. For the first time ever in my life, I wanted to wave the white flag and walk away.

The Backstory

Always eager to learn, I don’t shy away from those oh-so-very-public-critique-teaching-sessions when a writing teacher takes apart my work to fix it or make it better in front of the class. I am a seasoned classical music competitor. I could take it!

But this last sharing experience quashed that willingness to expose my art.

I submitted a partial scene in my writing class. As expected, my teacher told me where, what, and why I needed to fix my submission. Satisfied, I was eager to tweak my scene.

Then, the teacher deflected comments to a co-teacher. You know, the “do you have anything else to add?” kind of question.

And that’s when my spirit got pummeled. My work, threaded with details organic to the story and a common practice of the women I wrote about, was harshly criticized. To this co-teacher, my submission was enough for her to close the book and never pick it up again. It’s what she dislikes in Christian Fiction.

And in turn, one simple comment was enough to make me want to walk away from writing for good.

The Result

I didn’t touch my novel for six weeks.

Instead of writing, I turned to reading. And just like God, He showed me what I needed to see. The next novel I picked up was peppered in the very thing the co-teacher had criticized my work for. Page after page, and even one complete chapter devoted to scripture. The novel was written by a well-known co-writing team from a major Christian Fiction publisher.

But even then, I couldn’t bare to pick up my story again. Not when I would have to relive the comment when editing my scene.

I finally had courage to relay the whole account to another writing friend. Though my comment might have appeared flippant, she saw my heart. And gave me a box store list of reasons to keep going.

A week after that class we were headed to the setting of my story. We planned a whole family vacation around it for research. To better create layers in the narrative that would breathe life and colour onto the pages.

If only my heart were in it… But my husband, bless him, kept me focused on the story. Dropping me off at museums, driving along the shoreline, giving me time to browse museum book shops in search of research material I might not find elsewhere. Encouraging me in every possible way.

Overcoming the Sting of Negative Comments

Can you relate?

• A form rejection letter.
• An overzealous critique partner.
• A family member who doesn’t understand your writing passion.

Here are some tips to nudge you forward:

Pray

Pray through your writing sessions. Through the sting of criticism. Pray according to God’s will, and wait for His answer. Even when you don’t “feel” like it, pray.

Talk to a Trusted Writing Friend

If anyone can understand the sting you feel, it’s another writing friend. The Christian writing community is an amazing supportive group. We’ve all the same mission – bringing God’s light and Truth to the world. Talk through your situation and listen with an open heart to the trusted friend. Sometimes there is truth in the harsh criticism, but we’re too hurt to hear it.

Be Creative…with Something Else

When the wound is deep, take a step back and find something else creative to do. Learn a new crafting skill or daydream about your perfect getaway. Create graphics for your author website or social media channels. Create book covers for fun. Take long walks in wide open spaces or on a forest trail. You’ll be surprised what story sparks come to you then.

Write Something Different

When you write (and let’s face it, when writers don’t write, we’re an irritable lot), write something different. Try a short story or novella. Write fan fiction or a different genre. A blog post or your next newsletter. A book review. You’ve been wanting time to write that reader magnet, so do it.

Give Yourself Time…But Not Too Much

An author friend once said, take twenty-four hours to mope and eat chocolate, then put your big girl pants back on and get back to writing. We all need time to process the criticism/rejection/hurtful comments. To pull out the thread of truth from the fraying fibers of personal opinion before we can move on.

Know Who Your Reader is and Write for Her/Him (Forgetting Everyone Else)

I know who my ideal reader is, and the co-teacher is not her.

So why did the criticism hurt so much? Maybe it was because that scene was difficult to write. Or because I was already feeling discouraged with the twisty road to traditional publishing. For whatever reason, I let her comment affect me to an almost-debilitating degree. And it shouldn’t have.

Now What?

I’m reading through the research books I bought, and tweaking details based on photos I took on our family vacation. I’ve started writing additional scenes to said novel, but am dreaming about yet another genre. And praying. A lot.

Your turn: What tips have got you through writing discouragement?