I love writing. In fact, when I was younger I wanted to be an author. Despite my love of the craft, I’ve found myself struggling with personal writing projects. I can easily write an essay for class, but when I’m writing blogs it takes longer to create content I am proud of. I re-write the same introduction in five different ways, before finally choosing a path.
I’ve discovered that I am an indecisive writer. This issue stems from my writing education being purely academic pieces rather than short-form writing. The five paragraph format can be found in nearly every essay I’ve written between 6th-12th grade. The few exceptions are longer research papers. I’ve been trained out of writing short. Therefore, it feels especially challenging to create more concise pieces of work.
My struggles are scary because I will be writing a lot in the future. I want to go into marketing which is a writing heavy field. We create content from social media copy to pitches for clients. I have to find a way to reconnect with short-form writing.
So, how does an indecisive writer stop overthinking?
- Setting goals for myself
This year I have set the goal to write at least twenty minutes every day. Whether it’s for classes or personal projects, I want to be practicing this skill. Hopefully, the more I write the less I’ll overthink.
- Remembering it does not have to be perfect
First drafts are never complete. There may be grammar mistakes or a sentence that does not flow. Instead of freaking out over the small details, I must carry on. Revision is in the writing process for a reason.
- Finding inspiration
My writing is always better when I’m feeling inspired. This could be due to the subject material or the space I find myself in. I tend to be inspired by media, whether its television, music, or social media. In fact, while writing this post, I am listening to my favorite studying playlist. If you want to list too: Spotify playlist.
- Practicing short writing
As I’ve mentioned, I tend to struggle with being concise. In high school, we would often write to meet an assigned work count. As a result, I grew up writing simply to fill a page. Instead of being thoughtful with my language and vocabulary, I was more concerned with length. Although I have tried to break this habit, I still find it easier to write in the five paragraph format. Hopefully doing more personal writing projects (that have NO required word counts) will help change my process.
- Not giving up
I hate to admit it, but I tend to give up when personal projects become difficult. For instance, two summers ago I started writing a book, but it is still stuck on chapter four. I am a very busy person and sometimes over-scheduled myself. Therefore, I must actively work to ensure that I don’t get distracted and give up on my writing goals.
In one year, I hope to look back at this post and smile at my growth. Regardless, I am proud of myself for advancing my skills.