All too often, I see authors tear their manuscripts apart or post on social media that they “hate” the story. To me, it’s quite perplexing, really. I don’t think any author should hate their work. Otherwise, why write it?
I’m sure that some are just in it for the “mad Amazon” money, posting an endless barrage of AI-generated slop, and calling themselves an author. But what about those who genuinely hate their stories?
Of course, I can’t really say much, as I’ve deleted and tossed many stories when I was younger. Over the last five years, though, there has been a massive shift in my mentality toward my creations.
Impostor Syndrome is Damaging
Impostor syndrome is a very common element in most lives. Whether you’re writing a book or trying to do your job at a corporation, the feeling of not being good enough can strike virtually anywhere.
Unfortunately, impostor syndrome can hold you back from some of the greatest experiences of your life. From meeting the person of your dreams to publishing a best-selling novel, self-doubt can wreck opportunities, even when the odds are greatly in your favor.
This condition has caused a lot of authors to hate their work, mostly because the story doesn’t come out exactly how they envisioned.
A lot of authors suffer from impostor syndrome in the beginning. Even Stephen King threw away his debut novel, Carrie, because he didn’t think it was worthwhile. Luckily, his wife retrieved it and convinced him to finish writing.
That is the power of having someone in your corner. Without Tabitha’s intervention, would we know who Stephen King is today? A simple decision ultimately changed the course of history for millions of people.
Sadly, a lot of authors out there nowadays don’t have such a supportive person or people in their lives. Who knows what amazing works the world will never know because someone tossed them in the trash?
Will every story you write be an amazing tale? No. However, you’ll never know what will hit right with your target audience if you scrap it.
Writing for Perfection
Another thing I see all too often is authors pushing themselves to write the “perfect” manuscript. Or, they put in far too much effort to sound “writerly” while showing off their command of a thesaurus.
Perfection does not exist.
Every successful author out there can look back at a book they’ve published and come up with multiple ways to make it better. There needs to come a time when you call it finished and move on to the next project.
Now, this doesn’t mean you should throw grammar and spelling to the wind. Properly editing coherent and engaging sentences is still a priority for authors. But you shouldn’t have to spend 10 years tinkering with a story, especially if you have a slew of ideas waiting in the wings.
Besides, every author has their own vision of “perfection.” What is perfect to you may be a far cry from what is perfect for your audience.
One of my favorite sayings is that you can’t please 100% of the people 100% of the time. Some are going to hate your writing for the sake of hating. This means you’re not going to make everyone happy.
Reality of Publishing a Book
Roughly 3% of people who say they want to write a novel actually write one. About 0.6% of people who want to write a book will go on to publish. Why are those stats so low?
Actually, there is a long list of reasons why 97% of people don’t follow their dreams of writing a book. Some of these include:
- Not feeling good enough (impostor syndrome)
- Not enough time
- Don’t feel educated enough (again, impostor syndrome)
- Not feeling practiced enough
- Afraid of people not liking the story (yep, impostor syndrome again)
- Don’t know where to start
And these are just a few reasons off the top of my head.
Currently, the only one of these that slows me down is time. But that’s because I have four part-time jobs and am a part-time undergrad student. For me, time is quite the luxury.
Nonetheless, being a self-published author isn’t the easiest thing to manage. We have to work harder for every bit of success we can grab. And it often takes a lot of upfront costs to reach high volumes of sales every month.
Yet, this shouldn’t disuade you from writing a book. In a lot of ways, I respect indie authors more because I know what it takes to be successful in this industry.
Not hating your work and actually finishing the first draft puts you in a very select group of people. Be proud of your accomplishment and move on to the next step of getting it edited and published.
How I Changed My Mindset About My Stories
I’ve been there. I can’t count how many times I thought no one would like my story and threw it away. In fact, doing so has gotten me in trouble with relationships over the years, as they wanted me to finish something I started.
It took a bit of work and some self-reflection, but I’ve long grown out of those days of tossing manuscripts. Even when I joke about it today, I feel a bit cringey.
So, what did I do to make a 180-degree turn from where I was about my personal projects?
Avoiding Arrogance
It’s awfully arrogant of you to think that you’ll know what others will and will not read. You can’t assume someone, anyone, will hate a story that you’re writing before they even have time to read it.
What started this mentality was when I submitted work for a client on Textbroker, thinking the job would definitely come back for revisions because I thought it sucked. Not only did the client keep the article, but they gave me a tip that was worth more than the job itself.
This happened quite often, actually, highlighting that just because I thought it sucked didn’t mean the client didn’t absolutely love it.
Why did I think the article sucked in the first place? Because I lacked faith that I was providing what the reader wanted and doubted my ability. I thought the writing was great, but I felt I wasn’t accomplishing what they wanted.
I was dead wrong.
The bottom line is that you’re not a mind reader, and you have no idea what will and will not work for your audience. Write the story and let them be the judge of whether it’s good or not.
Objective Thinking
Thinking of your writing objectively is not the easiest thing to do. This is when you remove emotion and judgment of yourself while focusing on actual facts and not feelings.
For example, I used to think I sucked as a freelance writer in the very beginning. However, after more than 5,580 jobs submitted on Textbroker with only three rejections, two of which were not my fault, my opinion changed. You don’t have a 99.98% acceptance rate if you “sucked.”
In the event of being a freelancer, your clients can provide all kinds of data that demonstrate your ability to write. It’s a bit more difficult to put your thumb on the pulse of being a blogger or author.
That is, unless you present your material in an open public forum. But that’s where a lot of folks will balk. The fear of rejection is debilitating and will hold you back in so many aspects of life. Yet, putting yourself out there is how you grow to become successful.
The point here is that I now focus on empirical data to reinforce my belief that I can write well. Nowadays, it comes in the form of reviews, how my blog posts appear on Google, and what my fans and target audience think of my work.
I no longer insert my feelings into those judgments.
Understanding the First Draft
I see a lot of potentially good writers fall apart and hate their books during the first draft. They’ve already passed judgment on their skills before finishing the manuscript.
First of all, the first draft isn’t meant to be perfect. For many of us, it’s going to be a messy trainwreck. That’s what the editing phases are for. So, you see, you can’t really call it a terrible story even after you finish the first draft. By the time the book is ready to publish, it’s going to look much different.
Take my book, Kingmaker, for example. The main character had a complete revision from where he was in the beginning.
I edited the hell out of Shadows of Atlantic City to turn it into one of my best works to date.
Since becoming a successful freelancer, I’ve fallen in love with every story I’ve written. Are some of them cringey today? Absolutely. But I still love the stories themselves. Learning and editing are what turn those rough stories into polished masterpieces.
Don’t hate the story you’re writing right now. Love every word and tell the story you want to tell. The first draft isn’t meant to be perfect, just completed.
Enjoying My Stories
I found what it meant to be a fiction writer again. It’s not the fortune and glory that attracts me to being an author. It’s being able to put my ideas, thoughts, and imagination out there for others to enjoy. I love being a storyteller.
I’m not the type of person who is going to write something I hate for the sake of riding some trend. I sure as hell didn’t pick to write a dark western in the hopes of being a best-selling author. To me, it felt like a fun idea, and I wanted to try something new, thanks to my brother-in-law.
The next time you sit down to write your story, and you start feeling like you hate it, seriously ask yourself why. Are you being honest with yourself about the story, or do you think no one will like it?
In reality, it doesn’t matter who loves your book and who doesn’t. If it’s the story you want to tell, so be it.
Stop hating on yourself and your writing. Enjoy the process of putting your thoughts together in the manuscript and get excited to bring your characters and locations to life. Don’t get hung up on the opinions of others. Remember, it’s arrogant to think you know what people will like.
Don’t Judge Yourself
I’ve brought up judgment periodically in this blog post because it’s incredibly important. Judgment of oneself is why so many people stop writing in the first place.
Also, keep in mind that not everyone is going to like the same thing. You can absolutely love your story while others completely despise it.
Of course, you also have to be aware of who is judging your work. I know someone whose opinion was poor regarding my abilities. If I had listened to his opinion a decade ago, I wouldn’t have become the success that I am today.
One person’s opinion is but a drop in an incredibly vast ocean. In other words, it doesn’t matter in the grand scheme of things. As long as you’re pushing yourself to become better and hone your skills, who cares who doesn’t like your work?
You won’t be everyone’s favorite, but you will be someone’s. You just need to find your audience.
Love What You Write
When it comes to writing your manuscript, be honest with yourself. Don’t immediately fall back on “no one will like it,” because you just don’t know. Enjoy the process and fall in love with your characters, locations, and plot devices.
If you’re not having fun, then you’re doing it wrong.
There is absolutely no reason you should be hating on yourself for something no one has seen yet. If you don’t feel strongly about the story, figure out why. Is it flow, pacing, dialogue? But don’t hate it because of what other people might think.
It’s your story; tell it.
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