For the past couple of weeks I've had some major bouts of self doubt. I said to my husband that I don't think I'm progressing. I'm not getting any better as a writer or a soccer player or a cook (my baking just isn't what it used to be).
Then I taught my primary class on Sunday about the Parable of the Talents and we talked about how even though we're all given talents we have to work hard in order to develop them then it hit me. I've been burying my talent in the ground. (Please note: I use the term talent loosely) I often think that I'm not writing as often as I should be in order to get better. I'm not running as hard as I can in order to get faster. I'm not baking enough to . . . (well maybe that one is okay).My talents don't seem to be growing.
After Sunday I've tried to do better. Monday I went for a run and tried to run faster. I worked on my query today. Tomorrow I'm hoping to write another chapter of my WIP.
I guess all you can do is keep trying and dig up your talents when you feel like you've been hiding them for a while.
12 comments:
Whenever I feel like this I hear my grandfathers voice urging me 'Tracy, try, try and try again'. Sound advice I think.
For me, if I don't go out of my way to progress with my writing, I'll off stall. I have to read and study and practice. Good luck! All of a sudden you'll notice you've grown.
Thanks for sharing. I definitely feel like I have times when I'm burying my talents, and times when I'm really putting stuff out there. It really takes effort to be consistent about getting things done.
I don't know if my comment went through, so I'll just give you some *hugs*
I know exactly what you're going through. All we can do is keep practicing, keep trying. It may take time, but we will get better if we keep going. :) *hugs*
Great stuff to realize! They say it takes a million words to become a better writer, BUT if those million words are always at the same level and there's no push to improve, it won't happen. Ya gotta strive to write better, get hard-nosed critique partners, and read how-to books. Go to conferences and get critiqued by an agent or editor, too. That'll shape you up! ;o)
I like to challenge my writing. If there's something I need to grow at, I study all the books I can on the topic and all the blog posts I can find, plus I analyze novels for the element I want to improve on. Then I challenge my writing to grow from that. Hopefully my plan will pay off someday.
That's definitely a risk for all of us. We get to a point where we forget that we need to grow, so we stop striving for growth.
My you efforts be richly rewarded!
:-)
Here's the thing - you'll always have moments of self doubt. Always. BUT, those moments will always pass, too. Always. You just have to work through those tough times, knowing that better times will come if you're patient
I'm so guilty of hiding my talents sometimes! I think we all have some self-doubt sometimes. I have it daily. But I think writing and publishing success all comes down to persistance. So we may doubt ourselves sometimes, but if we keep on pushing through that doubt eventually we'll see success.
I find it interested (and ironic) how often I'll write something, particularly in my fiction, only to realize later that it's exactly the advice *I* needed to hear. The subconscious is a powerful thing!
Hmmm... I read this last week and thought I replied... but clearly not!
I can identify though. I think at heart I'm lazy. When things get truly tough and I'm not being successful, I'd rather give it up and hunt for something else to do. I say I do that in the spirit of not wasting time on something I'm not good at, but really, I'm just not good at heartache, and let's face it, much of life is heartache.
I think comparison is at the heart of this, though. If you are doing what God is calling you to do, you are successful in the only way that truly matters. How the world judges that success (by whether you score goals or make the team or run the fastest or sell the most books or get agents attention) is not as important as just doing it because that's what GOd wants you to do.
Keep plugging away! You got talent!
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