Here are the five stages of writing a piece.
1. The Idea
The way something looks in the head of a creator will always be better than the first 40 drafts. That's a fact. Originally I wanted to limit the use of this phrase to only writers, but then I remembered all of my experiences in other mediums- art, music, crafts, and that one time I stole my brothers iPad when he was asleep and tried to rig his video game house with traps- and they were all similar. There are times you''ll exceed your expectations the second you get paper and quill, but most times, you'll be stuck with a hideous draft.
2. Twelve~ Weeks Of A Total Mess
If you're to start writing something, (I shall refer to writing from henceforth as to not sound like a pretentious Apple commercial with using the word "creating") you'll find your developing work exceedingly verbose or terse, full of contradictions or loopholes wider than the abysmal hole in my heart- and that's okay. Moreover, you'll not end up exactly with what you intend your work to be. It's common for a piece (especially fiction) to change its appearance over time and keep very little of what it started out as- kinda like Taylor Swift. (I miss the old Taylor!)
3. I Don't Know What I'm Doing Phase
Self-doubt and criticism is inevitable. You'll find yourself saying things like:
"I can't write, the Very Hungry Caterpillar looks like literature compared to this!", or
"I can't rap, the water in my fish tank has more of a flow than I!"
Even in other fields, you'll still say things like:
"I can't cook, this mac-and-cheese makes prison grub taste like it was made by Remy from Ratatouille!"
Quite frankly, I believe what makes doubt is that it's grounded in reality. Dreams aren't- but they're what you chase, not reality. So, start with choosing what is worth paying attention to, and what is better left ignored.
4. Let's Play Spot The Difference!
A lot of people are afraid of being compared to others. After you've finished your work, or are on the home stretch to finishing it, you'll start looking at it analytically. Say you took a little too much inspiration from some author and think that everyone will immediately accuse you of being a copy cat.
Or you wrote about a detective and everyone will instantly start looking to other detective novels and shun yours.
There is no limit to how afraid and insecure we can be, and we'll come up with a million ways to say "so-and-so's work is so much better than mine." But truth be told, all of these criticisms are just in your head, like 70% of all of your friendships.
5. You Finished Your Piece
There was no reason for me to put the intermission sign before finishing this article. But I did it anyway, because I can- which brings me to the last step of writing anything, and it's not really as much as step as a conclusion.
When you write, you create something that has never existed before. On this vast world, for thousands of years, noone has done what you have, for the simple reason of "because you could." Even if it seems similar to so many other stories or creations in the world, it's still uniquely yours. In a sense, you added something to the world.
So be proud of it. You created something, and that matters.
Now get off your telephone or computer, and get to work!
