I'm pretty generous with my definition of writer, if you've written something, you are a writer. But even with that clear definition, i still find the moments of doubt. I used to just punch through that and write anyway, but my writing quality suffered. This is the year for top notch only, and that looks like larger gas between writing until I know inside what I want to put down, not just the next word, but the next word that holds weight. Deliberate writing is so far outside of how I like to do it, but the goal is quality and that takes time. So, I'll give it the time it needs
DW, that’s a solid self-read, and I respect the discipline in it.
A lot of writers treat doubt like an enemy to be tackled, so they “punch through” it… and sometimes all they really punch through is the part of the brain that cares. That’s when the words show up, but the weight doesn’t.
What you’re describing is the difference between motion and intention.
The “larger gaps” don’t scare me. They only become dangerous if they turn into avoidance disguised as “preparing.” But what you wrote doesn’t sound like avoidance. It sounds like you’re listening for the honest next sentence instead of the convenient one.
One practical suggestion: when you’re giving yourself that time, keep a running note called “What I know is true.” Not plot. Not outline. Just truth. What the character wants. What the scene must accomplish. What emotion needs to land. Then when you sit down, you’re not hunting for the next word… you’re translating something you already clarified.
Deliberate writing can feel unnatural when you’re used to momentum, but it’s how you build work that lasts. Keep giving it the time it needs. Just don’t disappear on yourself. Stay close to the page, even if it’s in smaller, more intentional touches.
Appreciate you sharing this. It’ll help more writers than you think.
Excellent advice about the running note, especially since my brain doesn't really turn off and is constantly mulling things in the background. Also good advice about not letting it turn into avoidance as it was starting to become just that. Thanks for once again quantifying some of the more ethereal aspects of all this.
Oh, my word, David Farland was my #1 mentor! We met in a sci-fi writing group in college, and when I retired from the USAF and had to rebuild my fiction writing career from scratch, I took every workshop he offered--which meant a lot of trips to St. George, UT. Thankfully, he recorded all of his classes and they're still available at https://mystorydoctor.com/ Eventually, he hired me as an assistant editor to work with his newest students. I worked for him for about seven years, until his passing four years ago. It was like losing a brother.
David and I have a curious story, but a lovely one.
I was making my Wanted Hero comic books, with readers in 60 countries and a car accident took my ability to draw away. Everything crumbled, because I had always wanted to be a comic book artist, nothing else.
I walked away from my readers without a word. Changed my profession, made a lot of money. Became VERY depressed.
My family told me to take the comics and make then into novels. When my boss heard about this, he asked me if he could call in a favor to one of his dearest friends, David Farland, to help me get my book ready. I was gobsmacked...because me and my teenagers were HUGE fans of Runelords.
David and I met in SLC, Utah, where he took me to dinner.
It was so odd. I started eating, and after a moment, realized he wasn't.
"Wait a minute," he said. "Jaime...Buckley?"
"Yeah?" I replied.
"Jaime Buckley, with Wanted Hero?"
I put my fork down. "Uh. Yeah?"
He started to smirk, I'm sure you know that look when something seriously clicks with him.. "As in Wendell, Chuck and Dax Wanted Hero?"
I just nodded, totally confused.
He grinned. "I read your comic books!"
"LIAR!" I blurted out, then slapped my hand over my mouth (got WAY too much attention around us).
"Oh, I'm sorry, Jaime, but I can't help you..." he said soberly.
"What? Why not?"
"I don't work with comic books."
I showed him the scars on both my hands. "Oh, no -- I can't draw anymore and so my family said I should make the story into novels instead."
He grinned widely. "Oh! Well, then I have to help you."
I frowned. "Why 'have' to?"
David picked up his fork. "I have to know how the comic books end!"
That's wonderful! Dave was such a Godsend to so many.
James Owen had a very similar experience, with a car accident damaging his right hand just as his artistic career was beginning. His left hand wasn't injured, however, so he taught himself to draw with it. He's also a cartoonist.
Thank you very much for this article. It's exactly the reminder I need when I see so many of my peers cranking out a few thousand words per day and a new book every 3-4 months. I'm all about quality over quantity. I want my work to mean something, to make a difference in people's lives.
Since you knew Dave, do you also know James Artimus Owen? He's both an author and a visual artist, and another of my mentors. I keep one of his quotes tacked up in front of my desk: "I am moving at the Speed of Quality: Substance over Surface, Value over Volume, and constantly striving to surpass an increasingly high standard, driven by the absolute belief that the Extraordinary is something that can be chosen."
I don't know: for me, it's difficult to judge the quality of my writing without some sort of metric, and having a word count goal helps me do that. Maybe it's the way I'm wired, I don't know, and half the time I don't even make my daily count, but it's the best I've got, so go with what works, is what I say. :)
...and you know what, Michael,....that's a solid view I'd support.
But you bring up another thought for me.
This is the one I have relied on since 1986.
THE metric, IMO only, that trumps all others....is readership.
You may think my writing suck rocks...but if I have readers that love what I do, I'll keep doing it.
I'm not a great writer. Truly, I'm not.
I LOVE it. It's like breathing for me, but I know 100% that I don't "suck".
That being said, I'm not great with grammar. To this day, my work is riddled with errors, and after paying heartbreaking amounts to human editors and app-editors and I STILL had errors, I gave up on paying humans. I practice myself, and then do passes with ProWritingAid. That's it.
...but I ask readers two main questions:
#1) Were you able to stay immersed in the story, regardless of the errors?
#2) Did you enjoy the story?
...if I get "yes" from both...I don't care about errors. I'll strive to fix them over time, sure, but those are THE two metrics I have always used to know if my stories are ones of quality.
It's a funny thing, this Imposter Syndrome. I never knew what it was when I was younger. I never even heard it until I started writing here. The thing is, I've never once thought I was an imposter. I started writing when I was about 15'ish. In that fifty years, I don't even know how many stories or books I started. I finished them, but never sent them out. I didn't believe in myself enough, and I was always writer too much for the word count.
When I came here, I posted my first story in its entirety, which was too much. Live and learn. This is though, I never once doubted posting here. It was before we had notes. It was when you posted, people saw it, and either subscribed to you, or passed along. You subscribed to those you wanted to support. You grew by word of mouth. And I started growing. When Notes came, I grew even more.
And that's when I started seeing things about imposter syndrome. I've always believed I was a writer. Always. I never tell myself I can't do it. I don't let myself get down just because I get two or three hearts and no restacks. I realize that these things take time. You can put a story out, and people are still reading it eight months later. If you don't have subscribers, you have followers. I have more followers than I ever would have imagined.
I have time to work on my stories. Retirement affords me a lot of time. I like the novellas I write because it's not quite a book, and just a bit more than a short story. And I like each one of them. The one I'm working at the moment, is the one I like the most. When I start a new one, that will be the one I like the most. I like writing my stories, and thankfully people like to read them. The ones I have on my 'Stack are the ones I'm supposed to have. They chose to be with me because they like my writing. How can you think you're an imposter, if people want to read and follow you?
I'm pretty generous with my definition of writer, if you've written something, you are a writer. But even with that clear definition, i still find the moments of doubt. I used to just punch through that and write anyway, but my writing quality suffered. This is the year for top notch only, and that looks like larger gas between writing until I know inside what I want to put down, not just the next word, but the next word that holds weight. Deliberate writing is so far outside of how I like to do it, but the goal is quality and that takes time. So, I'll give it the time it needs
DW, that’s a solid self-read, and I respect the discipline in it.
A lot of writers treat doubt like an enemy to be tackled, so they “punch through” it… and sometimes all they really punch through is the part of the brain that cares. That’s when the words show up, but the weight doesn’t.
What you’re describing is the difference between motion and intention.
The “larger gaps” don’t scare me. They only become dangerous if they turn into avoidance disguised as “preparing.” But what you wrote doesn’t sound like avoidance. It sounds like you’re listening for the honest next sentence instead of the convenient one.
One practical suggestion: when you’re giving yourself that time, keep a running note called “What I know is true.” Not plot. Not outline. Just truth. What the character wants. What the scene must accomplish. What emotion needs to land. Then when you sit down, you’re not hunting for the next word… you’re translating something you already clarified.
Deliberate writing can feel unnatural when you’re used to momentum, but it’s how you build work that lasts. Keep giving it the time it needs. Just don’t disappear on yourself. Stay close to the page, even if it’s in smaller, more intentional touches.
Appreciate you sharing this. It’ll help more writers than you think.
Excellent advice about the running note, especially since my brain doesn't really turn off and is constantly mulling things in the background. Also good advice about not letting it turn into avoidance as it was starting to become just that. Thanks for once again quantifying some of the more ethereal aspects of all this.
Thanks for being part of this community, DW =)
Oh, my word, David Farland was my #1 mentor! We met in a sci-fi writing group in college, and when I retired from the USAF and had to rebuild my fiction writing career from scratch, I took every workshop he offered--which meant a lot of trips to St. George, UT. Thankfully, he recorded all of his classes and they're still available at https://mystorydoctor.com/ Eventually, he hired me as an assistant editor to work with his newest students. I worked for him for about seven years, until his passing four years ago. It was like losing a brother.
David and I have a curious story, but a lovely one.
I was making my Wanted Hero comic books, with readers in 60 countries and a car accident took my ability to draw away. Everything crumbled, because I had always wanted to be a comic book artist, nothing else.
I walked away from my readers without a word. Changed my profession, made a lot of money. Became VERY depressed.
My family told me to take the comics and make then into novels. When my boss heard about this, he asked me if he could call in a favor to one of his dearest friends, David Farland, to help me get my book ready. I was gobsmacked...because me and my teenagers were HUGE fans of Runelords.
David and I met in SLC, Utah, where he took me to dinner.
It was so odd. I started eating, and after a moment, realized he wasn't.
"Wait a minute," he said. "Jaime...Buckley?"
"Yeah?" I replied.
"Jaime Buckley, with Wanted Hero?"
I put my fork down. "Uh. Yeah?"
He started to smirk, I'm sure you know that look when something seriously clicks with him.. "As in Wendell, Chuck and Dax Wanted Hero?"
I just nodded, totally confused.
He grinned. "I read your comic books!"
"LIAR!" I blurted out, then slapped my hand over my mouth (got WAY too much attention around us).
"Oh, I'm sorry, Jaime, but I can't help you..." he said soberly.
"What? Why not?"
"I don't work with comic books."
I showed him the scars on both my hands. "Oh, no -- I can't draw anymore and so my family said I should make the story into novels instead."
He grinned widely. "Oh! Well, then I have to help you."
I frowned. "Why 'have' to?"
David picked up his fork. "I have to know how the comic books end!"
I miss him.
That's wonderful! Dave was such a Godsend to so many.
James Owen had a very similar experience, with a car accident damaging his right hand just as his artistic career was beginning. His left hand wasn't injured, however, so he taught himself to draw with it. He's also a cartoonist.
Wow.
I wouldn't wish a car accident on anyone.
My hands started working one day. I literally woke up and could feel things again.
Now I can draw again, not like I used to, but....well, I don't suck, we'll say that.
....AND I'm happy.
Can't draw every day, but I can most days, and I'll take it.
That's great! James eventually regained the use of his right hand, too.
Did he!??
WONDEFUL!!!
....we need as many cartoonist as we can GET, IMHO....(smirk).
Thank you very much for this article. It's exactly the reminder I need when I see so many of my peers cranking out a few thousand words per day and a new book every 3-4 months. I'm all about quality over quantity. I want my work to mean something, to make a difference in people's lives.
Since you knew Dave, do you also know James Artimus Owen? He's both an author and a visual artist, and another of my mentors. I keep one of his quotes tacked up in front of my desk: "I am moving at the Speed of Quality: Substance over Surface, Value over Volume, and constantly striving to surpass an increasingly high standard, driven by the absolute belief that the Extraordinary is something that can be chosen."
No, I don't know James, but I love that quote.
Unfortunately, or maybe fortunately,...I have learned that the #1 thing is 'Don't Suck'.
I know, not much of a refined quote, but paired with 'Success in Motion', I'm still here, still smiling and my family is provided for.
LOL! Definitely more concise!
I don't know: for me, it's difficult to judge the quality of my writing without some sort of metric, and having a word count goal helps me do that. Maybe it's the way I'm wired, I don't know, and half the time I don't even make my daily count, but it's the best I've got, so go with what works, is what I say. :)
...and you know what, Michael,....that's a solid view I'd support.
But you bring up another thought for me.
This is the one I have relied on since 1986.
THE metric, IMO only, that trumps all others....is readership.
You may think my writing suck rocks...but if I have readers that love what I do, I'll keep doing it.
I'm not a great writer. Truly, I'm not.
I LOVE it. It's like breathing for me, but I know 100% that I don't "suck".
That being said, I'm not great with grammar. To this day, my work is riddled with errors, and after paying heartbreaking amounts to human editors and app-editors and I STILL had errors, I gave up on paying humans. I practice myself, and then do passes with ProWritingAid. That's it.
...but I ask readers two main questions:
#1) Were you able to stay immersed in the story, regardless of the errors?
#2) Did you enjoy the story?
...if I get "yes" from both...I don't care about errors. I'll strive to fix them over time, sure, but those are THE two metrics I have always used to know if my stories are ones of quality.
Now you can ask AI about me.
(grin)
It's a funny thing, this Imposter Syndrome. I never knew what it was when I was younger. I never even heard it until I started writing here. The thing is, I've never once thought I was an imposter. I started writing when I was about 15'ish. In that fifty years, I don't even know how many stories or books I started. I finished them, but never sent them out. I didn't believe in myself enough, and I was always writer too much for the word count.
When I came here, I posted my first story in its entirety, which was too much. Live and learn. This is though, I never once doubted posting here. It was before we had notes. It was when you posted, people saw it, and either subscribed to you, or passed along. You subscribed to those you wanted to support. You grew by word of mouth. And I started growing. When Notes came, I grew even more.
And that's when I started seeing things about imposter syndrome. I've always believed I was a writer. Always. I never tell myself I can't do it. I don't let myself get down just because I get two or three hearts and no restacks. I realize that these things take time. You can put a story out, and people are still reading it eight months later. If you don't have subscribers, you have followers. I have more followers than I ever would have imagined.
I have time to work on my stories. Retirement affords me a lot of time. I like the novellas I write because it's not quite a book, and just a bit more than a short story. And I like each one of them. The one I'm working at the moment, is the one I like the most. When I start a new one, that will be the one I like the most. I like writing my stories, and thankfully people like to read them. The ones I have on my 'Stack are the ones I'm supposed to have. They chose to be with me because they like my writing. How can you think you're an imposter, if people want to read and follow you?
And that's the truth of it, Ben.
Whats gets many people is not believing that what you described is enough. Many think you must be extraordinary or that somehow they must "qualify"...
Not a thing.