When Your Writing Isn’t as Good as You Think

Who is the final judge?

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Photo by Jacqueline Kelly from Pexels

In the past, I’ve been told I’m a good writer. Whenever someone would tell me that, I would beam with pride on the inside.

I’m good at this. I would think to myself. I would feel affirmed that I didn’t completely suck at everything I did. I like doing this. On further thought, I even found that I truly enjoyed the process.

But what does it mean to be a ‘good writer’?

From what I’ve gathered from the pros, good writing is something that makes you feel something. It connects with your audience and provides value.


Am I providing real value? I second guess myself. More than anything, I want to be a ‘good’ writer.

I have such high expectations for my work, and I need to readjust them. Having high expectations means you’re always going to be chasing perfection. If you’re chasing perfection, then you’re never going to enjoy the ride.

It’s hard though, especially with pieces close to your heart. I have expectations for those pieces. They’re really vulnerable, and I hesitate to share that.

Being able to be vulnerable in your writing is a strength that is difficult to master. Where is the balance between being vulnerable and oversharing?

Am I being vulnerable enough? Does this read more like a diary entry? Will somebody else affirm my skills or confirm my worst nightmare is true?


It doesn’t take away the fear that I’m not doing my writing justice. I’m afraid of putting my raw self out there just to be ignored or rejected. You get over it, anyway.

I don’t want my writing to suffer. If I’m not providing quality content that I’m proud of, then I feel like I shouldn’t be posting it.

It’s unfortunate because even if I think it’s good, I’m not the judge of it. The true judges are the audience members. You’re the ones that get to tell me if I’m good enough if you want to hear more from me.

You can’t stop me from posting, but that doesn’t mean I’m entitled to your praise.

All those accolades of being told I’m a ‘good writer’ won’t mean anything if my writing doesn’t resonate. And that’s a hard thing to measure.

Unless people tell you straight up, you’ll never know.


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The Only Way You Will Become a ‘Writer