Monday, January 11, 2016

DIY MFA #4 Misha Gericke on Dealing With Insecurities

Thanks for having me over, Beth!

I’ve been sitting in front of my computer off and on for about two days now, trying to find something to say. And then I realized that maybe this is exactly what I want to talk about.

See, for about a month now, I’ve been resting, but mainly because I keep struggling with the sense that what I’m writing just isn’t going to be good enough. It’s aggravating, because I usually work past this. But for some reason, the moment I let myself rest, my self-doubt caught up with me.

So hi. My name is Misha, and I’m battling to believe in my writing.

That was easier than I thought. Maybe it’s the fact that I know that a lot of people out there have the same problem. No matter what we do, those little nagging voices of self-doubt and insecurities just won’t stay put.

What do I do to keep writing?

First, I admit that my insecurities caught up with me. (Because if I don’t, I’ll just keep saying I’m tired and keep right on procrastinating.)

Second, I then prove those little voices wrong by opening my notebook/scrivener/word doc and writing anyway. Just like I am right now. And…. Right now. And… Oh you get the point.

Third, I accept (and in fact encourage myself) to write absolute nonsense. This one might seem a little counter-intuitive, but sometimes, that liberating sense that I could call something like “I wish I was a goldfish. (Hey, it’s really hot here at the moment.)” writing is really liberating. And with that freedom comes inspiration. See, inspiration tends to come when we have open minds, and that means not shooting down every single word that comes to us without writing it first.

And there you have it. 15 minutes ago, writing this 300 word post (more or less) felt impossible. But as soon as my three steps kicked in, I got going.

What do you do to keep your insecurities at bay?

Bio:

Misha lives (and is currently dying of the heat) in the Western Cape, South Africa. If you manage to find her outside the pool, she might be mildly upset because you interrupted her writing.


If you’d like to read more about her writing activities, or to just get in touch, you can follow her blog (http://Sylmion.blogspot.com), tweet her (@MishaMFB), circle her on google plus (+MishaGericke) or even read some of her stuff on Wattpad (MishaMFB).

18 comments:

  1. Ooooo, I like the little starry twinkles that fall from the pointer! What do I do to keep the insecurities at bay? I remind myself that I've been writing most of my life, that I've had A LOT of things published, that I've actually managed to self-publish two books (I'm working on my third) and get some nice reviews. Just yesterday I opened a file for a little historical novel I wrote some time ago. I haven't read it in years. I was/am blown away by the writing. It's good! It helps to put a good bit of distance between yourself and your words so that you can read it like it's the first time.

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    1. I also find that insecurities are worse in the moments right after I've written. So it's a good idea for me to wait before reading. :-)

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  2. Being a goldfish would be good. They have really short memories and you'd forget those insecurities.

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    1. Lol that would indeed have been helpful. Except, you know, for the bit where I'd forget my plot every ten second too. ;-)

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  3. Rest nurtures weeds of doubt. I should know; every manuscript I've first drafted is followed by the 'I'm too lazy to edit, but I promise I'll start tomorrow'. Meanwhile, tomorrow has yet to arrive.

    Your 3 steps are brill in capturing the B.I.C. process: I just used it to write the blurb of a novella I need to finish by the end of the month. I'm happy to report it DOES work. Magic. Now to actually finish the WIP. ;)

    On another note, I would KILL for the heat right now. Winter = inspiration-hibernation for me. I rarely want to leave the bed cuz it's so cold. Brrr.

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    1. Here's my secret:

      Step 1: Get a notebook and nice pen.
      Step 2: Write in bed.

      ;-)

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  4. From what I've read it's very common for writers, even very succesful ones, to have periods when they feel their writing just isn't good enough.

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    1. Yeah I think everyone gets struck by those moments.

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  5. Yes, we all do feel insecure at times. We just overcome it somehow.

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  6. I often write absolute nonsense. It clears the brain.

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  7. Pressing forward, even if what is written may not be of great value very much is worthwhile.

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  8. Writing nonsense sure works for the cat. He is fine with that.

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    1. Hehehe writing nonsense can be fun if I let myself enjoy it.

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  9. Writing can get tough sometimes you need to do something else like take a walk, watch a movie, find a pool. But always return.

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    1. Doing something else can definitely help. I've always found, though, that returning after doing something else can make things harder.

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