9 Positive Affirmations for Authors
Writing is my true love, but let’s face it—being an author can get stressful. Especially for us writers who also have full time jobs or other responsibilities that eat up the bulk of our free time.
No matter what your occupation is or what your daily life looks like, any author is prone to stress at any time. As much as we love it, writing requires so much mental energy, and with worries like imposter syndrome, writer’s block, and simply getting by in today’s world, sometimes we forget to let ourselves breathe.
If you're feeling overwhelmed, this blog lists positive affirmations to help authors find comfort and get back to writing.
9 Comforting Thoughts for Overwhelmed Writers
Below are some comforting thoughts that help me feel better when I’m feeling stressed out. I hope they resonate with you as well!
1. Your Readers Will Find You
I talk about this in my imposter syndrome post, but one of my favorite sayings is this: your readers will find you.
Don’t write a book simply to make it a magnet. You can do whatever you want, but a book should be something you want to write. Write something you can fall in love with—a story every fiber of your soul is just itching to tell.
Write the weird thing you’ve been thinking about—even if you’re worried there isn’t a market for it.
I love popular tropes just as much as anyone, but I advise against writing a book simply to fill it with what’s popular out of fear that no one will want to read it otherwise.
Again, your readers will find you. Someone somewhere will one day find themselves looking for exactly what it is you have to say, and they’ll listen.
We don’t need another copy-paste book designed only to appeal to current tropes and marketing trends. We need the strange story you’re planning on writing about all those questionable things in your search history.
2. First Drafts Are Messy
No matter how many books you’ve written or how many “skills” you’ve developed, first drafts are supposed to be messy. That’s why they exist. If everything was supposed to be perfect on the first try, the term “first draft” wouldn’t even be a thing.
I know this is easier said than done, but perfectionist habits will only hold you back. I’m absolutely guilty of perfectionism and this is something I’m trying to work on myself.
Your only goal when writing a first draft should be finishing it. Not making it “good.” Plus “good” and “bad” are super subjective concepts and who decides what’s good and bad anyway?
So write the book, and finish it, and make it messy on purpose. You’ll thank yourself later!
3. You Can’t Edit a Blank Page
I know this one seems obvious, but it really is such a good thing to keep in mind. You can’t edit a blank page.
This isn’t meant to pressure you to write or stress about daily word count goals. Even if you’re writing one sentence a day—one word—that’s still progress.
Just try not to let blank pages intimidate you. Make that creative leap. Write the thing you’re scared to say. Make a mess of your first draft because that’s what it’s there for.
Only when you have something written and finished can you actually improve it.
So step back for a moment, pause, take 3 deep breaths, close your eyes, and remember the world isn’t ending. If you’re still having a hard time expelling the perfectionist or critical thoughts, just focus on filling that page. Even if you’re writing gibberish. Because writing something is so much better than writing nothing at all. And it will get easier to fill those blank pages the more you practice doing so.
4. Don’t Get Caught Up In the Details
No one is stopping you from using placeholders like [sad reaction] or [insert description here.] Don’t get stuck on the little details if they’re holding you back! You can always come back to them later or expand upon them in Draft 2.
One thing I like to keep in mind while writing first drafts is that your characters likely won’t have realistic emotional reactions until later drafts. That’s just the way it is. Future drafts exist to give your characters more opportunities to pause and reflect about what’s happening around them. Don’t worry if it feels flat or less impactful than you’d like the first time around. Again, that’s what other drafts are for!
Your characters, scene descriptions, and worldbuilding will come to life more with every draft you write. Nothing will be fully fleshed out in Draft 1. That’s just the way it works.
5. Write Your First Draft For You
Unless you’ve got a book deal or hungry alpha readers, no one has to read the first draft if you don’t want them to! Write this first version for yourself. Pretend no one will ever read it.
I like to view my first drafts like journaling. If I journal like someone is going to potentially read it someday, I won’t be as honest with myself or writing authentically. The same goes for your first draft. If you write it with the expectation that it will be judged, picked apart, or even viewed, you might find yourself holding back from truthfulness and integrity to the story you really want to tell.
Write your book for you. Not for readers, not for today’s competitive literature market, not for anyone else but the voice in your heart and soul and head urging you to tell this story.
Write something you’ll fall in love with. And when that happens—and it will, even if it takes a few drafts to get there—your future readers will fall in love with it, too. But you have to love it first in order for it to be as authentic and impactful as it can be.
6. You Are Always Improving
Every word you write is making you better. Even if it doesn’t feel like it now, you are always improving.
Chances are, if you make writing a habit and nurture it consistently, in just 3 months you could look back at today’s work and go “Wow, I’ve improved!”
It’s like when you return to an old draft after a few months away. Everything feels so different. That’s because you are always getting better!
Being a writer is never static. Every word you write is changing you, whether you realize it or not. Every second of every day is changing you too, even if you don’t notice until you look back on this time of your life 5 years later. Humans are never static! We are dynamic, ever-shifting creatures. Clay on a pottery wheel that will never stop spinning, mud that will forever be taking on new forms.
Anyway. You’ll be just fine.
7. You Are Exactly Where You Need to Be
This is another one of my favorite sayings, and I say it to myself in all aspects of my life—writing, personal, etc. You are exactly where you need to be.
I’m not sure what I think of “fate” and “divine purpose.” But factually speaking—no matter what beliefs you have—we are all on paths. We all participate in this unseen trajectory of life. We are all going somewhere. And every moment of every day, you are always exactly where you need to be—on that path, on a very vital stepping stone in your journey.
The path is where we are meant to be, because the journey doesn’t end. There is no singular destination we are working towards—no point in life where we’ll “finally be happy.” We occupy the path, passing through destination after destination. And the destination you occupy right now is the best one for this current version of yourself.
Make sense?
So don’t rush it. You’re not “doing everything wrong.” You’ll reach the goals you’re working towards. Try to take a few moments every day to stop, breathe, and appreciate where you are right now.
You are doing everything right. The world isn't unraveling.
8. You Actually Do Have Time
You actually do have time. People like to say we have no time and life is short, but the purpose of that saying is to encourage being present and grateful for what you have. But you can be present and grateful and slow down, too. There is no rush. You’re young and you’ve got your whole life ahead of you. There will be time to write all the books you want to write someday. You don’t have to cram every ambition into one year.
9. I’m Rooting For You!
I’m always rooting for you! If you’re ever feeling sad or overwhelmed or just need words of encouragement, just shoot me a DM on Instagram or comment on this post and I’ll get back to you when I can. Don’t worry, I’ve got you ♥️
Also, I’m sure there are many people in your life who are rooting for you as well! Don’t be afraid to talk to someone about your feelings or turn to someone when you need cheering up.
Discover More Tips for Authors
Writing is wonderful, but being an author can be stressful, too. Slow down, take 3 deep breaths, and remember how far you’ve come. You’re doing great!
If you found these tips helpful, feel free to check out my other blog posts! I post tips, thoughts, and resources for writers of all experience levels.
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Happy writing!