Oh hi there!
If you missed my first post, which explains a bit of my motivation for this project, you can find it right here: https://magicmikewrites.substack.com/p/the-sequel
One thing I don’t talk about enough when it comes to writing is the presence of that little voice in my head that tells me what I’m doing isn’t good enough or that I’m not good enough to cut it as a writer. This little voice has a way of mixing with jealousy - another constant of the profession - to make a really nasty feeling.
The answer to the question “Am I good enough?” is easy, though. The answer is “That’s none of my business.”
What matters is whether or not you love it. Whether or not you want to do it. If you do, then do it. Good isn’t something we can measure. People have such varying tastes. What’s good to one person might not be good to the next.
And guess what? Even if it isn’t “good,” lots of not-good stuff gets published! We can talk about publishing and gatekeeping and who has the power another time, but be very clear about one thing. YES, in my opinion, your are good enough to be a writer. But my opinion matters less than the real truth here, which is that it’s not our job to think about what other people find “good” or “bad.” Write what you want to write and if you love it then you’ve done your job and done it well.
This doesn’t mean we can’t learn, revise, and make our work better. But spending my time mind-reading imaginary people and wondering if they’ll find me “good enough” isn’t a sane or healthy use of my time. Or yours. If you feel the urge to create, then you should follow that urge.
The Exercise:
This exercise is called Indulgence. We are going to take that idea that’s been rattling around in our imagination but that we haven’t written because “it’s not serious enough” or “no one wants to read that” or “I’m not good enough to do this justice” and we are going to spend some time exploring it. It might turn into a full story, an outline, or just get you thinking about the possibilities around this idea.
The Steps:
Think of that thing you’ve really wanted to write about but haven’t. Is it romance? Is it science fiction? Is it a very specific historical event? For me, the subject was Greenland sharks. I had this really beautiful idea for a story based on Greenland sharks, but I (a) really knew nothing about Greenland sharks and (b) didn’t know that a story about sharks could be “literary” enough to find a home somewhere.
Give yourself 5-10 minutes to do some baseline research. The key here is indulging and imagining, so don’t get lost in minutia. You can return and fact check later. But you do want to ground yourself in your subject. For me, I found a New Yorker article about Greenland sharks and read it. It gave me just enough background info for me to feel confident.
Commit to 20-30 minutes of writing about your subject. Again, remember that we’re indulging ourselves here. Don’t think about who is going to read this someday or how you can possibly take it on. Just get writing. Did you want to re-write Cinderella? Go straight to the Ball and tell me everything about her dress. Do you have a first contact story about aliens? Crash-land those babies and tell me everything about how they look, why they are here, and what they want. I actually found my way into Greenland shark writing by thinking about other animals that it might come into contact with. That’s a good thing to remember for any writing time - if you get stuck, write your way into your subject’s world.
Once you’ve written, commit yourself to 5-10 minutes of dreaming. Where could this idea take you? What are your plans for the rest of the story?
Conclude by analyzing your feelings. Did you enjoy indulging yourself? How did the writing feel? Did it come easily? That’s something to keep in mind - when does writing feel easiest? I find that when I’m really letting myself be creative and just enjoying myself then the writing comes a lot faster.
What I’m Reading:
I’ve just start Bath Haus by PJ Vernon and I am absolutely loving it. This was one of those books that I stumbled upon a long time before it was actually published and I just knew I was going to love it.
What I’m Watching:
Like the rest of the world, I’ve been watching Loki and finding it to be delightful. I know that Disney owning everything is actually really terrible for art and filmmakers, but I must say that I’m loving having AAA content from big franchises on the television. It just feels like we get to spend a little more time with some of these big characters from the movies. Also, I love the actresses Wunmi Mosaku and Gugu Mbatha-Raw and I’m hoping the show gives their characters more time to shine.
What I’m Playing:
I’m still hopping around the FF7 Intergrade DLC and just loving it. Fort Condor! Yuffie! Yuffie’s hot sidekick! There is just something about AAA Final Fantasy games - a wonderful mix of wonder and nostalgia and world-building - that gets me every time, and it’s so nice to be back in this world for a bit. I’m excited to start the new Ratchet & Clank as soon as I finish this, though!
Where I’m Shopping
The Rainbow Vision used to be called Native Bear and they still, in my humble opinion, make the absolute best journals and planners. As a bonus, the business is really eco-friendly.
My Work:
A few months ago, my story “The Pioneer” - which is a part of my novel in progress - won the Agnes Scott Writers’ Festival Short Fiction contest! It’s about a love affair between a cosmonaut and astronaut but also about unwanted fame, parenting, trying (and failing) not to hate your ex’s new lover, and how people exercise in outer space. I’d love it if you had a read!
Have a wonderful week. Do something magical!
Mike
I like the exercise! As for being "good enough," I think that sense of doubt is necessary as long as it comes with the will to continue and to get better. Show me a writer who writes with total ease and no sense of doubt and I'll show you a writer whose work probably I'd rather not read. As for lots of "not-good stuff" getting published—very true, though I don't care to add to that inventory!