You’re Amazing! Affirming Words For Writers

Writers need encouragement.

Creating stories, revising endlessly, balancing projects- writing can be a lot of work! And for most of us our writing is a side job, our personal time, a fun hobby in addition to life’s general craziness. Writing can be exhausting, discouraging, and sometimes thankless work where we’re not sure if what we’re creating will ever be good enough or if we’re just throwing words away.

Sound familiar?

Sometimes I feel worn out and I know I’m not the only one. Writing is hard. Encouragement can be scarce.

But you know what? We’re all about encouragement here.

And I think you’re amazing.

I think you’re bold and brave to be committing yourself to your writing.

You’re fabulously creative to be brainstorming characters and stories and entire worlds.

Regardless of the status of your work, you are a beautiful and admirable human. Got a minute? Let me tell you more 🙂

I Admire Your Courage

Writing is not for the faint of heart.

You may not feel brave every morning (I certainly don’t!) but the act of writing, of putting your very own words on the page, is in itself an act of great courage. And then possibly even showing those words to others? Good for you.

Trying again and again until we get it right takes boldness. Writing even when it’s hard takes diligence and great dedication. Creating new world out of nothing and then offering your story up for viewing and criticism takes guts.

When things get hard, remember that you are doing something dauntless and gallant. I’m proud of you for putting yourself out there and being a writer. You are a gloriously courageous creature.

Be proud of all you’ve done and all you’re doing.

 

You Do You

Sometimes I hear how So-And-So is doing this super successful thing and it makes me doubt my own work and my own worth. But I am not So-And-So. And then there’s the flipside: they aren’t me.

No one else can write or create in the same way you can. No one else can do the things you do.

This makes you irreplaceable, my friend. Your smiles, your kindness, your jokes, your dreams, and your friendships are a unique brand of wonderful.

This makes your writing one of a kind. The stories in your head? No one else can write them the way that you can. The world would be a boring place if we were all the same. The world needs your voice and your touch in it.

Even besides writing, you bring something to this world that no one else can. So celebrate yourself and stand tall! Dr Seuss said it well (as he often did!) when he said,

“Today you are you, that is truer than true. There is no one alive who is youer than you.”

 

Creativity is Awesome

When someone is creative it doesn’t stay confined to one area of life. You will try new things, take chances, ask questions, and listen. You learn to look at the world differently. You find solutions and solve problems.

Creative people are world changers.

I’m not saying every writer is going to run for public office or become CEO. (Though maybe you will! Go you!) There are a million different ways to make a difference all around us. Writers are observant. They’ll see what needs are around them and find solutions. Writers are thinkers and dreamers. They’re creating. Starting projects. Making things happen.

Whether it’s writing a novel, designing a video game, or playing violin- if you’re creating things, you’re making something out of nothing. You’re willing to dream big and take a chance to do it. And that’s pretty cool.

 

Your Work is Worth It

Your writing is not bad writing. Because as long as you are writing, good can come of it.

We can’t revise anything that hasn’t been written yet, nor can we finish something that hasn’t been started. So long as we are writing then we can be learning and improving.

So never be discouraged if your draft is lousy (it happens) or your current project needs to be abandoned or your novel got rejected by an agent (or ten). I’m not saying all of your writing is going to be perfect. It won’t be. Mine won’t either.

But our work is moving forward.

We will write more words and some of them will be good words. We will revise and make the story better. We will submit again.

Sometimes we may doubt that what we’re doing is good or if we’re just fooling ourselves. Hang in there. Our writing is worth it.

 

You Are Wonderful And Precious

At the end of the day, sometimes our writing is terrible.

But you know what? Your self worth is not measured by your wordcount or what your beta readers thought of your story. You are a precious human being who is worthwhile and lovely. 

It can be easy to be discouraged with our writing and to take that discouragement personally. When that happens we need to breath deep and remember that we are beautiful and brave and that we have value. You are working on something many don’t even attempt and that alone is admirable! Give yourself credit and remember not to sell yourself short.

And remember that I, for one, think that you are amazing 🙂

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What about you- do you ever feel discouraged as a writer? What’s a piece of encouragement someone has shared with you?