Haters Gonna Hate

At some point, every writer looks at their manuscript with through hate-colored glasses.

Whewie! There's a whole lot of fallout from the Trump election. I'm seeing lots of ranting raves and outright hatred on Facebook and Twitter. Seems like a silly waste of time and energy to me. It's pretty easy to look down your nose at someone else and tell them to stop the hatred.

But it's quite another thing to have to say it to yourself in regards to your writing.

Come on. Admit it. We've all been there. Those first draft blues where at some point, everything you write seems like a steaming pile of literary manure. You hate the characters, the plot, your dog. I'm nearing the end of a manuscript now and I'm despising the wretched thing.

And that's a very good place to be.

No, not in a heap of poo. In a critical mood. Here's the deal . . .

Great writers are always critical of their own work because they crave to be better.

That uneasy feeling about what you've written, that loathing of your lack of skill, that's what will drive you to strive for excellence. So go ahead and hate on your rough drafts -- and use that passion to polish it into a magnificent piece of art.