Hey, hope you’re having a good (and hopefully not stressful lol) day. Could I have some advice on how to be more confident in your stories? I usually can’t go an hour without getting some nagging feeling that my writings are bad and that the storyline and characters are cringy. How are you always so confident in your ramblings when I ask you questions? You always seem to know just what to say and you always blow me away with your answers. Honestly you’re a huge inspiration for me in general haha, not only because of your stories but how kind of a person you are <3
Hihi! I'm not gonna lie, I was so moved by your ask that I was almost in tears earlier haha. I'd always hoped that I could be an inspiration to somebody, especially encouraging them with my stories, and to hear that I'm a huge inspiration to you is just, well, I didn't think I'd hear that ever haha, so that honestly touched my heart. Thank you <3
As for advice...I'm not gonna lie. I'm awful at giving advice--or, at least, I'm not used to giving tips? But I'm still determined to try! If I'm gonna be honest, though, I gotta say that I get the exact same feelings you do when it comes to my own stories. I'm a bit of a perfectionist, in a sense, with my writing--or more specifically, the stories in general. I'm always adjusting plots and characters because I got this fear that they aren't good enough, or interesting enough, or it's cringy in some type of way. That fear has led to me having a lot of commitment issues and creating more and more stories because I already fear that what I've made isn't "good enough".
But here's the thing. That fear? That nagging little voice inside that you get, telling you that "your writing is bad" and your "plot and characters are cringy"?
It's a darn liar.
Here's the truth, plain and clear--especially from what I've seen from the beautiful art and writing you've shared, as well as the information from your stories and characters. Your stories are beautiful. Your characters are complex and super amazing. Your writing and art is especially beautiful as well. Sure, there's always gonna be some voice telling you that there's room for improvement, but that doesn't mean in any way, shape, or form that what you have is bad. It's the exact opposite, actually. So my advice is that, whenever you get any of those negative voices telling you otherwise, you just push them out of your mind, however hard it is, and tell yourself positive things instead about your writing, art, stories, and also yourself. That's what I do, even if it gets hard sometimes. But when those thoughts try to persist, I just make sure to yell over them with positive thoughts. It might sound a little silly haha, but it works, and it WILL work if you give it enough time.
It also helps me be more confident, both in general and when I talk about my stories. There's always gonna be a little voice whispering negative thoughts inside me about my stories, art, and about myself, as well. It's natural for everybody to have self-doubt. In fact, I still have a lot of self-doubt. It's why I worry about sharing my stories and my art--which I still have yet to do, even though I'm planning on doing it soon. And the thought of doing so IS scary, but, remember, you can't be brave without feeling fear. So I persist, powered by thoughts of positivity, passion, and determination. Because I do love my stories, and I do love my writing. And I think, at the end of the day that, if you're passionate about what you do--whatever it is--then it's ultimately worth it, no matter what hardships you face.
So write your stories. Draw your art. You can be scared, you can be doubtful, but remember: you are worth it, your stories are worth it, and you can do ANYTHING you want to if you put your mind to it. Even if it's hard and scary at first. In fact, one of my most favorite inspirational quotes is: "She believed she could, so she did." And I try to live by that. So remember that, as long as you believe you can do it, then you will.
Again, thank you so much for your asks. My day is truly always brightened whenever I see them in my inbox. And I'm so, so happy and honored that I can be a source of inspiration to you, and that you see me as kind, because that's what I want to be. I truly hope that my advice helps you (and anybody else reading this) out, and I wish you luck with your stories!! <3
