In my experience, the number-one reason for writer's block is insecurity. It can be paralyzing, and the more you want to be a writer, the worse it is, because the more it matters that you write well. What if you have no good ideas? What if your good idea is not as good as you think? What if no one else likes what you write? What if you fail?
Well, what if you do? Everyone fails! Even successful writers fail—believe Zadie Smith if you don't believe me. You'll never write anything good if you're not taking the kinds of risks that might also lead to terrible, shameful failure.
So here is a simple exercise to prove that writing badly is completely, totally survivable:
Beginner's challenge: Write something awful. It should be something that you would cringe if you heard someone else read aloud but that could pass for a genuine attempt at good writing. Now you've written something terrible. Any broken bones? No? Fantastic!
Intermediate challenge: Take your piece of bad writing and post it in the comments section below. Did the entire internet see your bad writing? Yes. Have you suddenly gone blind? No? Excellent!
Advanced challenge: Find a local open mic night. Get up and read your horrible writing as if you think it's the greatest piece ever created. Does everyone in that coffeehouse think you're an awful writer? Probably. Are you still alive?
Yes?
You did it! Now you are immune to insecurity, because you know that writing something horrible does not cause broken bones, blindness, or sudden death.
Not everything you write will live up to your standards. The first thing to learn is that that's okay. The second thing to learn is that the more you fail, the more you know, and the more you'll improve in the long run.
Now please stop reading this blog and go write something hideous, flowery, ungrammatical, implausible, overserious, unpleasant, melodramatic, confusing, and pathetic. Post it below!
Margaret Miller
Associate Editor, HarperCollins Publishers
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