Six Tips for Working Through Writer’s Guilt

As a new author in the midst of my very first publishing contract, I very much feel like I am flapping in the wind. If you’ve landed on this blog, chances are you know what I’m talking about. While I claim to be a full-time writer, oftentimes I go a week or two without producing new content.

I want to take a few moments to talk about writer’s guilt. Writer’s guilt is much like mom guilt, dad guilt, or spouse guilt, where you can honestly admit that you might not be giving it your best. That itch we writers get when we go days without working on our novel. When anything else we choose to do is shadowed with that week’s blog post we never drafted or scheduled. Maybe we’re bold enough to have a Patreon and people are relying on us to come through. All of these feelings feed into writer’s guilt.

So, what do we do now, friends? Of course, the right answer is to write something. ANYTHING. Surely, that will pull us through this yucky feeling. I tell you, sometimes it is that simple. Most times we’re avoiding our writing for larger reasons.

Here are some ways to pull yourself out of your funky writer’s guilt:

1. Help a fellow writer. No matter your level of expertise, it is not hard to find someone with a question you might know the answer to. Or even offering a short critique might spark the creativity you need to move forward with your own work.
2. Attempt a different writing style or genre. No matter how many times I have tried, I cannot write erotica. Even a steamy kissing scene in my novel needs much coaching, but I keep trying no matter how utterly ridiculous it might read and how embarrassed and uncomfortable I am even rereading the clumsy descriptions. Pushing through these exercises helps me get through even regular scenes that I originally thought were hard.
3. Get a workbook. I’ve recently discovered Porcelain Prompts by Melissa Koons and Thomas A. Fowler. They have written a series of books of various prompts. The idea is that you can fill out a prompt in the time it takes you on the porcelain throne. After one “sitting,” you could be well on your way. One of the books is Outlining your Novel. I am very much a pantser in the way of fiction. This book helps me hone in on my plots and subplots in a way that makes me far more productive than I otherwise would have been in a place of unproductivity. Other Porcelain Prompts include Heroes, Villains and Fiction.
4. Write about something that is taking your attention away from writing. This could be work, the kids, planning your wedding. As writers, our craft is articulating life experience into the written word. My personal experiences with postpartum depression have been a muse for a some of my best work. Write about what’s pulling you away from writing. This might even feed into #1.
5. Go easy on yourself. I say this as someone who is extremely hard on themselves. Slow down, have a cup of whatever warms your soul. Say nice things. Maybe write up some lines to send to Hallmark (I have the same relationship with poetry as I do with erotica). Post some affirmations in your workspace and give yourself a break.
6. Butt in chair. You’re never going to get over your writer’s guilt until you start writing again. It can be crap. It can be incoherent. Just sit your butt in that chair and throw some gobbledygook on that page.

Writer’s guilt can happen to anyone at any time. Don’t let it cripple you from moving forward. Find what works for you and keep a reminder somewhere away from your workspace, because if you need it, it’s probably because you’re not near your workspace.

Dacia M. Arnold is an author of adult light science fiction. She enjoys writing main characters who are otherwise normal people with extraordinary abilities. To say she is an author and a mother would only be scratching the surface. She an avid karaoke singer, a master crafter and a thrift-ster. She is also a ten-year Army veteran and served two tours of combat as a medic.

Dacia’s first full-length novel incorporates almost every aspect of her life. APPARENT POWER is an award-winning story following a mother on a journey to find her son before a rising, post-apocalyptic government does. APPARENT POWER is due to be released by Immortal Works Press in 2018. You can read more about Dacia and her work on her website.