›
Welcome to Writers Talkback. If you are a new user, your account will have to be approved manually to prevent spam. Please bear with us in the meantime

Writer's Guilt?

St ForceSt Force
edited September 2014 in Writing
Does anyone else suffer from or have bouts of Writer’s Guilt? What do you think causes it, in your situation and how do you overcome it?

Comments

  • CarolCarol
    It's quite normal to have the occasional bout of writer's guilt. The important thing is that you don't allow it to take over.

    As much as we'd all love to write every hour of the day we could to get a story or a novel finished, real life just isn't like that. Ordinary life requirements get in the way, appointments, work, buying food and clothes.

    Don't beat yourself up about how much you can't do- the negativity is not good for creativity- but see what you can achieve in the time available to you. Decide what has the highest priorities and get on with them.

    My family life, and my own health do put restrictions on me sometimes, but I've learnt that it's a waste of time moaning about what I can't do.

    You find what works for you- yes it is trial and error- and you will have episodes of guilt, but you don't let it take control.
  • Mrs BearMrs Bear
    Writing is a selfish occupation; it's exclusive. No-one can share it with you, unless you have a writing partner.
    When you're on a roll, you want to keep writing no matter what anyone else wants - you're afraid you'll lose the moment. Other people don't take your work (and it is work, not playing about with words) as seriously as you do, because they aren't writers. They don't understand that this is who we are, not just what we do.
    There will be times when you have to let the real world have its way; there will be times when you can shut it out. You have to decide what's important - and it may not be what the other person/people think.
    I spent a lot of years putting other people first, and I'll never know if that was good or bad for my work - it's just what it is. But that's because I'm a people person. Others will act differently.
    We all - everyone who works for a living, not just writers - have to find a work-life balance, StF, and we don't always get it right. Don't let your studies suffer, don't let your important relationships suffer. There is often a compromise to be made, and it's up to you whether you make it.


  • Phots MollPhots Moll
    Not only do I not suffer, it had never occurred to me there could be a need for anyone to feel guilty about writing.

    That probably just proves how severe my case is.
  • SeaviewSeaview
    I feel guilty sometimes about sitting on my laptop when others are in the room. But they are usually watching something on TV that isn't of great interest to me, so it's not a massive feeling of guilt!

    I do think I should write more, but as it's not my day job, I don't feel as guilty as I would if I sat in work and chatted to people on Facebook for a couple of hours :)
  • doradora
    I don't understand why anyone would feel guilty for not writing.

    I rarely feel guilty about anything though.

  • C2C2
    I keep a very small pad and pencil in my jacket and when I decide to have a break I sit and write a small conversation piece-today it is going to be about two people deciding if they should have jam or cream on their scone-exciting isn't it.
  • doradora
    edited September 2014
    Ooh you're a bit like me Maro, only difference is I keep a very small jacket in the inside cover of my writing pad.

    I think they should go the whole hog and have both jam AND cream. Ooh I am dribbling Jam and cream down me front already just dreaming about it.

    Oh, no, sorry, that's actually not jam and cream but me just foaming at the mouth. Seems I've got rabies after eating summat out the dog's dish in my kitchen.
  • JenJen
    Writer's guilt, yeah. I've wanted to be a writer since I was in year 3. I'm 25 and I've only completed two nanowrimo novels, only the first drafts. And started things I've never finished.
    I could go on but that'll open a flood gate.
    I blame my anxiety and stress from work but I feel mostly guilty.
  • datco2014datco2014
    I am always noting ideas down on my iPhone so don't feel guilty if I don't write every day and sometimes it's a good thing as new ideas/twists and solutions appear as if by magic when I'm a million miles away from thinking about my latest project - I don't write for a living if I did it would probably be different.
  • Phots MollPhots Moll
    So ... some people are feeling guilty for writing too much or writing at all, some people are feeling guilty for not writing enough or writing at all?

    I reckon we balance each other out and actually we're all just fine.
  • doradora
    What about us who don't feel guilty? Where do we fit in, in all this? Maybes we do or maybes we don't have summat to feel guilty about but that's by the by.
  • Phots MollPhots Moll
    What about us who don't feel guilty?
    That seems to be just you and me, Dora.

  • CarolCarol
    Show-offs. :-j
  • MarthaRMarthaR
    Masses of guilt when I don't write. I try and write everyday when I've a project on the go. I don't beat myself up too much if I don't have a project on the go, but I do if I go too long between writing projects.
  • LizyLizy
    I used to feel guilt when I snapped, "I'm busy!" and the OH went off in a huff but now I don't. He'll barge in past a closed door to tell me the cricket score, FFS! why should I feel guilty for not being interested?

    I feel uneasy if I haven't written for a while, but I'm used to that now, knowing the urge and ability will return when it's ready.
  • Tiny NellTiny Nell
    Never guilty. Why should I be? No one will come to any harm if I don't write. It's my indulgence to suit me as I please.

    What I do sometimes feel is frustrated that I haven't achieved all I've wanted to. I always hold a long list in my head of all I plan to do... eventually.

    I'm still nowhere near the end of it. Hope I live long enough to finish.
  • LizyLizy
    Oh Tiny Nell - my thoughts exactly, though I've been too scared of tempting fate to voice them! I only started writing stories ten years ago - when I was 60 - and I want to leave actual, real, physical books behind me for my descendents to read.
    You're decades younger than me and you've got some on the shelves already, so you're way ahead of me.
  • St ForceSt Force
    I find that if I don’t write my 2000 words a day (if Mum is out in the evenings, then 3000) I feel guilty about it. That’s only if I don’t have anything on that day. If I’m going to a friend’s house, or if I have Uni work to do then I let myself off. Keeping that in mind even when I reach my target I sometimes feel like I could have done better.

    Sometimes I feel guilty about not having a job so I go CV dropping to dispel that guilt.
    Never guilty. Why should I be? No one will come to any harm if I don't write. It's my indulgence to suit me as I please.

    What I do sometimes feel is frustrated that I haven't achieved all I've wanted to. I always hold a long list in my head of all I plan to do... eventually.

    I'm still nowhere near the end of it. Hope I live long enough to finish.
    I sometimes feel that as well but then I tell myself I have a long time to achieve those goal and I can work towards them by completing smaller tasks first.

Sign In or Register to comment.