3 "Do nots" for writers. . .

. . . And what I've learned from them.

Photo by Marcus Reubenstein on Unsplash

In the four years I’ve been writing professionally, I’ve learned crucial lessons through hard experience and by trial-and-error. For beginning writers especially, discouragement and negative self-talk can cripple a brilliant talent before it has the chance to even get off the ground.

In a recent Twitter/X post author JJ Johnson names three of these fatal mistakes—born of self-doubt and discouragement—that all writers need to avoid:

• Comparing yourself to other authors.

• Ignoring your authorial voice.

• Giving up in the face of rejection.

Inspired by Johnson’s list, I’ve decided to share the following reflections, based on my own experiences. I sincerely hope you find them helpful.

Do not… compare yourself to other authors.

I’ve written elsewhere about my struggles with “the comparison game” and you can find a lot of helpful information about escaping this emotional trap in Fr. Robert Spitzer’s excellent book Finding True Happiness.

In the past, I’ve tended to compare myself negatively to my author peers, especially when it comes to output. Some authors I know are incredibly prolific, publishing multiple books every year. In the face of such accomplishments I would belittle my own talents, leading me to wallow in self-pity and resentment: “Why wasn’t I more successful? Why didn’t more people appreciate and recognize my work?”

Do… be grateful for your own writer’s journey.

You cannot “win” the comparison game; the only way out is to stop playing. I’m learning to break the self-defeating loop of comparison and melancholy by cultivating an outlook of humility and gratitude.

My writer’s journey is my own, no one else’s. Any attempt at comparison is a waste of time and energy that could be used to create new stories that I can share with my readers.

The truth is I have been published and that is far more than many aspiring writers can say. I have put myself out there and found an audience that appreciates what I have to say. Many of my writer friends—and readers too—are always encouraging me to share more of my stories. I have so much to be grateful for!

Do not… ignore your authorial voice.

As a freelance essayist this has proved especially challenging. For example, I’m a regular contributor to Bishop Robert Barron’s Evangelization & Culture blog. The Word on Fire audience has certain expectations and I have to tailor my writing style to the interests and tastes of these readers. This can be especially taxing on my creative energy.

Last year I wrote a children’s nonfiction book that should (hopefully) be published sometime in 2025. After that manuscript was accepted, my first thought was “Oh, I guess that means I have to write books for kids now. . .”

I ended up trying to suppress my natural voice in favor of a style that I believed was what “kidlit publishers want.” I soon became frustrated and paralyzed by writer’s block because I was not being true to my authentic creative self.

Do… embrace your unique voice (or voices).

Just because I wrote one children’s book does not mean that all of my stories need to be written for a young audience. I have many diverse, eclectic interests and I want to find ways to celebrate all of them in my writing. Occasionally, I want to write children’s nonfiction. But I also have dreams of publishing collections of short stories, even a series of science fiction novels!

I’m what career coach Barbara Sher calls a “Scanner.” In her book Refuse to Choose, she explains that we Scanners have a hard time focusing our minds on a single interest; instead, we “scan the horizon” and are always searching for new passions to explore.

Perhaps, in a way, that makes me somewhat similar to one of my literary heroes, Ray Bradbury: He wanted to write science fiction novels, and literary short stories, and poetry, and essays on architecture, and etc. etc. etc. Yet despite writing in all these genres and forms, Bradbury cultivated a unique unmistakable voice.

If, no matter what I’m writing, I stay true to myself and my passions, my own unique voice cannot fail to make itself heard.

Do not… give up in the face of rejection.

If you’ve been reading this newsletter over the past several months, then you know that I submitted my second children’s book, Dragonslayer Saints, to a publisher. You also know that the manuscript was rejected.

In the past, I would have been bitterly crushed by such a disappointment. And I admit that for a few days after getting the rejection email I entertained doubts about my own writing talent: “Am I really cut out to do this? Maybe I’m not talented enough to be an author.”

Such brooding flew in the face of the fact that my debut children’s book is going to be published next year. No matter what happens, I am an author. And no rejection can change the reality that I am a storyteller. I have to have faith that God created me to share stories with the world.

Do… persevere and keep learning.

Luckily, I didn’t give up. It soon became obvious to me that my fears and self-doubt were manifestations of the “comparison game” again. I decided to take this rejection as an opportunity to further hone my writing craft and to make improvements to Dragonslayer Saints.

The editor who evaluated my manuscript was kind enough to offer her feedback and suggestions. I’m extremely grateful—many first-time authors don’t get such feedback when rejected. Her insights were invaluable and helped me see the weaknesses in the book as it currently stands.

I know that Dragonslayer Saints can be a great book—it just needs more work to make it so. I’ve already begun compiling notes for a top-to-bottom rewrite that I hope to finish this summer. I’m going to persevere. I’m going to keep learning. I’m going to embrace my unique storytelling voice. And I’m going to remain grateful.

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If you enjoyed this essay, if it helped you in any way, I invite you to subscribe to Pageturning and follow along with further updates from my writing journey. This newsletter exists because of the support of readers like you. If you know a struggling writer, please share this post with them!

My fondest hope for Pageturning is to build it into a community for creatives to support and encourage one another. I love to engage with my audience, so please leave a comment below. Can you think of any other “do nots” for writers? Let’s get a conversation going!

Until next time, let’s continue to persevere in our creative callings! God bless!