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You’re in his dms I’m in his nightmares

nikkywrites

When y’all are writing is there ever a point when you’re like “if someone does not lose their mind over this specific bit right here then what am I even doing?”

ao3commentoftheday

give yourself the gift of reading your own fic. it was literally written just for you.

ao3commentoftheday

This post is getting a lot of reblogs with sentiments like, "when I do that all I see are the typos/mistakes" or "when I try, all I do is cringe" and I want people who feel that way to take a moment and reflect on why that is.

Do you cringe when you read someone else's story? Do you wince when you see a typo in someone else's work? Or are you holding yourself to a higher standard than you expect from others?

Perfectionism can be insidious. It creeps its way into our thoughts without us even noticing it. Perfectionism also leads to dissatisfaction and feelings of shame or guilt when we perceive ourselves as failing or feeling like an imposter when we experience a success.

I also used to wince when I saw a typo in something I posted online. Even now, if I notice a typo after I hit post here on tumblr, I'll edit the post in the hopes that the typo won't go far. But I also know that people will still understand what I mean to say, even if I messed up a word or two in the middle somewhere. Trusting my audience to understand me goes a long way to freeing myself from the shame of making a mistake.

I've also joked on here that "typos are just me adding enrichment to my readers' enclosure." I'm just memeing, but it's also an attitude that helps me worry less. Anyone who judges me for a typo isn't someone I'm going to enjoy spending time with and everyone else who might spot it is just getting a little bonus activity in with their read.

It can be really hard to love yourself, so start with finding compassion for yourself first. Forgive yourself the little mistakes. Be as understanding to yourself as a kind reader would be.

You write good stuff, and I hope someday you'll be able to enjoy it as much as the rest of us do.

shaky

everyone always makes fun of the whole “writers at a coffee shop” thing but really in day 1 of going to school for creative writing we learn that to be good writers we have to be thieves and assholes. we are supposed to eavesdrop on conversations and glance into open windows. we’re always working. stealing bits and pieces of appearance or behavior or conversations for character and story writing. actually, chances are that your hair or the way you bite your nails when you’re on the phone with your dad or the way you stare at the hot barista is in a book somewhere and you’ll never know it