Embracing Failure in the Writing Process

There are many types of writers in the world- fiction writers, poets, non-fiction writers, publishers, editors, screenwriters, composition teachers... as well as many more. Although most of us -- if not all of us-- are talented in different ways, it can be difficult and even intimidating for writers facing new environments, styles, and circumstances. Therefore, we need to be aware that this isn't a new concept -- that no matter how much we love writing as a practice, how often we write (and how quickly we write), or how we create stories out of mere thoughts, writing is imperfectible. Shirley Rose discusses the idea of "imperfect" writing in her Naming What We Know section. She says that learning to write requires "conscious effort" and that "all writers have more to know about writing"... despite our toxic, impossible standards for ourselves (Rose 59).  

When we decide to see writing as an imperfect practice, it means that we do, indeed, have the potential to break from the perfectionism that plagues us and the empty, lonely pages that patiently wait for our return. I know I have several of them, and my reason for abandoning them is simply because they aren't the most brilliant and fascinating pieces of literature or academic work I've written. I've always had to be the smartest girl in the room -- the best writer, the most well-spoken, and the most put-together. But with time, I've learned that it's much better to embrace my imperfections, especially when the idea of "perfectionism" is unattainable and discouraging. 

Although Stephen King's popular book, On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft, mostly offers advice for creative writers, it can be used as a support aid for writers in any discipline, especially writers who struggle to find confidence or excitement in the challenges that they face throughout their writing journey. One of King's main pieces of advice is that writing is a learned skill. "Good {writing} is a learned skill, one of the prime reasons why you cannot succeed unless you read a lot and write a lot. You can learn only by doing" (King). I found this to be quite helpful. Even though I'm an avid reader, I find myself on my phone more times than not. There are 24 hours in a day, and for the most part, I'm on my phone listening to music in between study breaks. I'd like to find more ways to incorporate relaxation into my days and I think that reading and writing would be a great way for me to decompress. The blog, Freewrite, offers 50 pieces of King's writing advice. I've listed it here in case any of you are interested in reading his advice. I reccomend buying his book as well, I've read it and I thought that it was fantastic. It's great for summer reading or just reading in general.