TeenageTells- Do I Write Well?

A lot of the time I have people tell me that they’re too afraid to write, or they don’t think it’s good enough. I want to burst that toxic bubble and tell you that writing is a process. Your first draft will never be perfect (and if you think it is, then we have some more work to do) but it doesn’t mean you shouldn’t write it. The only way to be a writer, get better, or say you’ve written something is to actually write. Having ideas is a very essential step, but to call yourself a writer is to write a story. A page. A book. A script. An essay.

Now to tackle the question at hand: do I write well?

I have another question for you. If you didn’t into the ‚write well’ category, where would you belong? Bad writers? Failures? No! You can’t decide if a piece of writing is good or bad. You can’t only tell whether there’s emotion. Experience. Whether people relate to it. Feel connected.

If you’ve written something, ask a friend, a stranger or a fellow writer to read it and give you brutal feedback. I can’t remember who said this but being a writer and not expecting rejection is ridiculous. Writers have to have tough ‚shells’ and the ability to laugh at their mistakes instead of hide their writing away. Writing is a tough art, because characters contain pieces of your soul, of your personality and critiques towards writing feels like a stab often times. But it’s not!

A critique is about how you can work towards making your writing more relatable, and how you can share these pieces of your soul and your messages more effectively.

I personally love reading others’ work, not to feel like I have power and knowledge over them, but for perspective. (PS, if you ever have any writing, I’d love to read and feedback. That’s literally my dream: to help teens feel better in their own creativity. It’s so natural to be afraid, and often shows you care, and is a good sign. Never let that stop you from sharing your work. You never know if a judge of a short story competition will choose your work.

If something inspires you, do it. Develop your creativity. Develop your passions.

People often forget writing is an art all about practice. You cannot get good at writing by just reading (like you can’t learn to paint without holding a paintbrush and trying). It helps, but if you don’t understand how it comes together, you’ll be stuck… confused. Writing literally pulls out your deepest fears, wants and abilities, and serves them on a platter. It may seem like humiliation, but it’s a lesson. It can help you find like-minded people.

I know this is a lot of repetition, but there no need to hide your writing. Share it! Anywhere and everywhere. It not only builds your writing, but also your personal confidence and comfort zone. I don’t know if I can even explain how much writing has helped me in life. Funnily enough, it’s helped me speak!

In summary, it’s fine to be shy, but still show your work. It’ll only open doors and help you. Remember there is an audience for every story.

I hope this week has helped you feel more confident and inspired to try something new or different or bolder. Write anything you want, and enjoy it. And see you next week!