3 myths to bust so you can write with confidence

This blog post is going to bust the myths you hold about your writing: you don’t know enough, that you don’t have anything original to write and (this is a big one) you should be able to do it by yourself.

I’ll demonstrate that these common myths only hold you back and stop you writing with confidence.

Myth #1 You don’t have the skills

I can practically guarantee that this isn’t true. If you take an objective look at how much writing experience you have, you’ll see you have more than you think!

Even if you’re right at the beginning, writing your first novel, chances are you don’t think you’ve had enough practice to write with confidence. But take a look at the list below:

• Webinars
• Workshops
• Writing classes
• Weekend lectures
• Short story prompts
• Craft books
• Degree/MFA

You’ve taken courses, either online or in person at your local library or college. You’ve read craft books, listened to author interviews, read multiple blog posts and, of course, written short stories, scenes and even attempted a few discarded novels.

You’ve read all your adult life and absorbed those stories, even if you don’t realise it. You’ve taken in all you need to tell a story. Obviously there will be a lot to finesse as you go forwards but ultimately, at the heart of it, you know what is needed to write a good story.

Don’t ignore all those little pieces of learning you’ve done over the years, they add up.

Myth #2 All the good stories have been written

It’s said that there are only 7 to 10 types of story and they’ve all been written before. You may be wondering what is the point of writing a novel if it’s all been told before and you’ve nothing original to say?

You couldn’t be more wrong!

A number of Shakespeare’s plays are retellings of older stories. It didn’t do him any harm! What made his versions stand out was what he brought to them: His voice. You can do the same.

Added to the training you’ve received you also have your own life’s experiences, which count for a lot. You’ve been through the ups and downs of life – the elation when you achieve something you’ve worked hard for. The disappointment of not getting what you want. The pain of a heartbreak and the grief that comes with losing a loved one.

You will draw on the emotions you felt at each stage of life and incorporate those into your writing, putting on paper not only what you felt, but what you saw, heard, touched and smelt at those crucial times in your life; and that is where you have the opportunity to touch a reader’s own memories and emotions.

Do not underestimate your life’s experiences. If you let yourself step into those key moments in your life – and really feel them – they are what make your stories unique.

Myth #3 You should be able to do it by yourself

Nonsense!

You can do it by yourself, of course you can. But why would you?

You’ve been trying to write your novel for a long time now. Maybe years, maybe even decades. It’s hard right? Why stumble along in the dark by yourself?

When I needed help getting my eldest to sleep at night, I hired a sleep coach who taught me the techniques I needed to help my baby rest. When I wanted to get fit, I went to a bootcamp class so I didn’t need to study fitness or buy all the equipment. When I wanted to learn how to run FB ads, I purchased a course that told me how to build a successful ad and then I booked extra 1:1 help.

Those were things I could have figured out by myself, but I wanted solutions and I wanted them sooner rather than later. I wanted my child to sleep and the motivation to keep exercising, even though it’s not my natural state of being!

I wanted to learn how to write successful ads without throwing money down the drain with experimentation. I needed a formula to get me started.

Why would I think that writing a novel would be any different? I don’t, and neither should you.

Every writer, especially new writers, needs a team and I believe that the team should include a coach or mentor who will look at your work and give feedback on it. Who will keep you motivated when you feel like giving up and educate you on those bits of craft you haven’t yet mastered?

You know writing is a lonely practice, which makes it doubly important you get the help you need. That can be from a free writing group, a paid online membership, a long term writing class or – what I think is the best investment of time and money – a book coach.

Writing with confidence takes time and support and it’s a complete myth to think that you should be able to figure it out by yourself.

You might be thinking, “yeah, well Dickens didn’t have a coach. Austen didn’t have a coach. Neither did Shakespeare for that matter. So why do I need one?”

Because you’re not them. And neither am I. They are the standouts of their generations. Think of how many other people were writing at the same time as Dickens, Austen or Shakespeare. We don’t know their names. If they’d had access to a coach, maybe we would!

The bad news is that 99% of you will not be the genius of your generation. The good news is, you don’t need to be in order to write good stories and find readers.

What you need is a team to help you stay on track, hold you to deadlines so you don’t let the writing drift into eternity and give you the craft instruction you need to keep improving.

Final thoughts: Starting point to writing with confidence

But I want this to be your starting point. I want you to know that you have enough craft to get you started, that your originality comes from the experiences you bring to your novels and, importantly, you don’t need to write alone. In fact, I encourage you to find a team.

Stop struggling alone!

If you take heed of my advice, you will start writing with confidence because you’ll know that you have something to offer. You have support and this is just the beginning of your writing journey.