Periodically I like to gather various observations about writing, and share my perspective. Last time was in honor of my trip to Inkhaven. This time will be in honor of the announcement of Inkhaven #3, which I encourage everyone to apply to. I doubt I will be able to usefully be an advisor, but you never know.

This is not the ‘here is my core process’ post, although there are hints throughout as there always are. I’ll do that at some point.

Previously in series: On Writing #1, On Writing #2.

Table of Contents

You Still Got It

I used to be like this more often, constantly doubting first if I had it at all, then later if I still got it, then finally if I’ll blow it.

Hitting post used to be absolutely terrifying, every time.

It’s no longer routine for me to freak out but I’m not zero percent like this now:

Dean W. Ball: By the way if you are a young writer and not routinely freaking out about “whether you still got it” you aren’t doing it right. That anxiety is what drives you forward.
Anton Leicht: i don’t know anyone whose writing I love whose work isn’t the product of defying ‘it’s so over, i’m washed, no one will ever read anything else i write again’ over and over again
Dean W. Ball: yes, Beethoven spoke of this too
Nathan Lambert (fixed it?): By the way if you are a writer and not routinely freaking out about “whether you still got it” you aren’t doing it right. That anxiety is what drives you forward.
Dean W. Ball: Agreed! But I figure all the older writers know this :)
Andy Masley: Literally every time I sit down with a new thing
Dean W. Ball: Almost literally every week I wake up and say to myself “everything good you’ve ever written is behind you, and it wasn’t even ever that good and now you have no more juice” and then I sit down to write

What about me?

I worry that I’ve had or used all my good ideas, that I’ll be repeating myself.

I worry that I won’t recapture the magic that goes into a really g...

davegoldblatt

davegoldblatt