How to Let Go of the Pressure to Be a Brilliant Writer
Be messy and weird and have fun — that’s the best way to write.
Writers put immense pressure on themselves to be brilliant and create great art. They try too hard to sound deep, they use words no one understands, and they insert meaning into incomprehensible sentences because that’s what all the greats do, right?
While you shouldn’t half-ass the work you’re going to share with the public, you don’t need to work hard to appear brilliant or create Pulitzer-worthy work.
I don’t know about you, but I just want to have fun when I write. I want to enjoy being a writer in my own way. My way is taking ten minutes to come up with original metaphors, curse words, and never knowing where I’m going when I start.
You’re a writer because you enjoy writing. Don’t ruin that love for yourself by trying to be someone you’re not. Writing with fancy words is like putting on makeup because you hate your acne scars.
But why hide what makes you human? What makes you you?
Tom Kuegler always talks about how he’s not a good writer because he’s too conversationalist-y. He doesn’t know that’s exactly what makes him a good writer. Because it’s him. (His 45,000 followers backs up my claim.)
