For many, writing is a solitary act. One of the benefits of blogging and being part of a larger community is stumbling upon posts and discovering new voices — and realizing you’re not the only one who feels uncertainty or self-doubt when it comes to the craft. Using the Search page in the Reader, we dived into the stream of posts on writing. Here are three reads to enjoy.
On (no longer) writing in a diary
Amrita, the writer at Of Opinions, reflects on her decision to stop writing in a diary — an act that was truly for herself.
I don’t know why, maybe it’s age or depression, but I don’t feel the need for it anymore. I still have feelings, strong feelings and reflections from time to time, but there’s always Netflix to sort that pain. I’ve had the same diary since 2016, and I’ve barely reached September on it. It’s been lying under my pillow for two years, next to my small daily expenditure diary, which sees more inkage than it.
I am more interested in how much I spent on milk than how I felt about a life-changing situation.
For the writer who hasn’t been writing
At Live to Write — Write to Live, Jamie Lee Wallace muses on the parts of ourselves, like hopes and dreams, that can benefit from time in stasis.
Dormancy is a regular part of nature. At this time of year, we think of the world as “coming back to life,” but the innumerable seedlings and buds that finally emerge in spring have, in fact, been very much alive during the long, enchanted sleep of winter. They were never dead; they were just biding their time until the moment was right. . . .
Like a seed that must hold itself in limbo until there is enough space, sunshine, water, and nutrients to sustain it, sometimes our dreams have to wait until we have the right life experience, confidence, or motivation.
All writers start at the same place
At Novelty Revisions, Meg Dowell tells us not to worry — we all suck at writing at some point; terrible writing is a rite of passage.
Every once in a while, I pull up things I wrote 10, 15 years ago. I read them, or at least start to. I cringe so hard my face hurts. And then I go back to what I was writing before, feeling a lot less doubtful about my ability to do good work. . . .
So when you find yourself thinking, “I’ll never write anything as good as that,” remember that writer once thought that about the very thing you just read. And chances are, the first draft of what they wrote was a whole lot worse than what you see on that page.
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I enjoy reading the article….writing has ways to giving you the chance to express yourself…you can either handwrite, type, or record your words so that your style can be unique for people to see as well as read.
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I totally agree with what Meg Dowell has to say about writing. The other points are good too. Writers can only become better with time. I’m a far better writer than I was 5 years ago, but there will always be room for improvement.
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You are perfectly right. We all know that the more you practice an ability, the better you get at it. The question is: how much effort are we willing to put into this endeavour?
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Great Article,
Thanks for Posting.
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thank you.
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Is writing for the reader or the writer? I need to say what I need to say—that is the basic need. But I would like it if others would read it. In the hierarchy of needs, wants, luxuries, seems its me before you!
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Good point.
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Loved reading this! Thank you for sharing! ❤
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Reading this was fulfilling
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Good little collection here. Inspiration from other writers is always good at keeping me going.
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Writing is such a powerful weapon!
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Oh! Definitely checking these out. Thanks so very much!!
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I like this!
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Cheri, you’re exactly right about that. I am a blogger for many reasons, but among them, seeing how my ideas resonate with others’. I am such a blog reader enthusiast that I often pull my news from the works of others because they seem to provide a more trustworthy account of a situation. There is a blogger, Mark, whose work I read. He covers the protests in Catalan, Spain for sovereign state exit. This was a theme in the media not too long ago, but sense nobody is dying, it’s no longer sensational in US media. Nonetheless, he still provides a near weekly account of the political turmoil and I am absolutely hooked by it because he paints the entire picture and even talks with some of the squatters and children who are victim to the political issues of their world. So, you are right – I blog and I read blogs because I am addicted to and grateful for discovering new voices from all over the world.
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This is so true! I look back at my previous writings and find that I am so better writer right now!
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I enjoyed reading this very much. It especially rings home to me right now as I have just returned back to writing after completely eliminating it from my life, discontinuing my use of WordPress as my writing platform, and deleting all of my old posts. My first blog post written since returning last week has to do with this struggle and pressing forward.
check it out: https://ofmy.blog/2018/06/02/on-writing/
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This was great!
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Lately, I realized that I must continue writing for my soul to live. Writing in my blog or randomly making a comeback write-up in my diary helped me to overcome my worries. Maybe, I’m an overthinker but it gave me a sense of fulfillment that I’m so thankful for my life. 🙂
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For a writer, writing is a way of expressing yourself and it is sort of freeing yourself from the stress you have.
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Interesting points 🙂 Made me think about my own writing. Thanks for sharing!
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Nice piece and very true.
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I believe that writing takes time to be perfected as well. It really takes time to perfect your craft and gain a sense of who you are as a writer. I recently started my own blog for that exact purpose.
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Great collection and inspirational. I can identify with each one. I’ve just started a FB page to share my stories. Like the writers that were showcased today, I was apprehensive. In a similar way sometimes I catch myself saying, “its just a blog” but then I’m reminded that the important thing is that I’m telling the stories that were waiting to be told. Bloggers that I follow especially Filosofa’s Word and Impromptu Promptings have been helpful as well. Thanks for posting.
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Very good 👍👍👍
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Quite relatable…
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I used to write in exercise books mainly.
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Well said, this is a great read!
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Thank you for gathering these post. They are all very interesting.
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well said 🙂
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I find myself spending more and more time writing. I have moved from simply documenting my experiences to evaluating current events and sharing my thoughts about certain subject matter. It is a cleansing act, almost like bathing or cleaning out your basement. Therapeutic and enlightening. Write on!
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This was a great read! I liked what Meg Dowell said because it is encouraging to know that I will become a better writer with time! I can’t wait to be looking back and seeing the improvement! I am too new of a blogger to see any improvement yet but I am encouraged that I will 🙂
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Jamie made me feel better about myself. I’ve been writing for years, but my recent output has been miniscule. As my confidence and motivation seem to come back to me, I find myself writing more. Thank you for making me feel ok about myself
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Thanks for this! It is very inspiring!
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These are some very good points. Thanks for the advice!
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Greatly expressed..
Good one..
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crazy about writing thanks..
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Amazing article…and i still feel lesss confidence while writing a plot ..it think it will also get perfect by time
https://surabhimaheshwari.wordpress.com/2018/06/13/the-window-seat/ here is my small piece of work….i will appreciatr your suggetions
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This was great!
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Thank you very much for featuring my post. It’s the best thing that has happened to me in weeks!
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It was a great read, and articulated a feeling that I’m sure many people are feeling as they go about their writing (or not-writing) process.
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This was a great read!
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i have to admit thats a great piece right there….am inspired
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This is so encouraging and motivating… thank you very much
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I love that phrase Love to write, it touches on my heart strings
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Agree with the point about dormancy. There are weeks and months where my blog ideas burst forth and are unstoppable like a raging river. And then there’s the (often longer) dry spells where nothing comes out and one can’t even bother to think about a subject to write about.
I think it is part of the creative process itself especially if it is more of a passion or hobby… it’s not “mechanical”… in that it cannot be done as a “routine”.
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Great advice I literally finished a post yesterday I had started in March of 2017. The struggle is real.
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Thank you , I’m inspired
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Great read! I’ve just started a blog for short stories to improve my writing. I feel I’m getting better by the day despite the struggle with not being confident in my ability to write.
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Thank you for sharing this article! I am new to the blogging world but I feel that my there is so much to learn when it comes to writing how I feel with certain topics. I am in my first semester of graduate school working towards Masters in Education concentration is Adult Ed and learning how to become a better educational research writer but I have so many ideas about what I want to blog about just need time to develop my skills as blogger and writer.
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The need to write, the desire to write, the calling to write drives some to write every day. It becomes a place of solace for some, a place to rage for others, and a blessed time to channel their heart for those who are feeling the need. The insights you have shared from other writers tells us all that we are not alone during the “dormant stages”, or moments when we just don’t feel like it anymore. I agree with Lukeactual – it can be “cleansing”, and like Jamie, “sometimes it’s like coming back to life.”
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This was a great article about the varied experiences with writing. I am simply inspired and will check in on those blogs more. One thing I do now with my stories, is write down some scenes as they happen and build a “bridge” from point A to B later. Pantsing it has been great for my fanfiction and shorter stories, but definitely not for the longer ones.
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These are great. Thanks for sharing!
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I agree I feel as if I can express myself & give others a way of expressing their selves also
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