Your Inner Critic Can Get Loud But Write Anyway

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Why is writing fiction so frustrating at times? And so frightening?

Writing fiction comes with vulnerability. The two seem to go hand-in-hand. It's one of the few art forms where you tell strangers, "Here's how I see the world, what I think matters, and what I believe about love, loss, morality, and human nature.” Then ask them to spend hours inside your worldview.

This kind of exposure can be daunting, which in turn stirs the critical inner voice. It gets loud. Sometimes really loud. But after years in this business, I’ve learned to write anyway.

Vulnerability Lies at the Core of Writing Fiction

When you write a story, you're not just sharing plot points. You're sharing your deepest thoughts and fears. You're revealing your assumptions about what motivates people, what you find worth exploring. Every character choice, every theme you pursue becomes a window into your beliefs and values.

It's only natural to worry: What if readers don't get it? What if they don't connect? When someone doesn't respond to your work, it can feel like they're rejecting the way you see the world. When they say your character's motivations don't ring true, part of you hears, "Your understanding of human nature is wrong." When they don't connect with what moved you to write the story, it feels like they're dismissing the experiences and insights that are most important to you.

Here’s the reality that I’ve come to accept: some readers won't connect with your view of the world. And that’s OK. Many others may. That vulnerability you're so afraid of is precisely what creates connection. Readers don't fall in love with perfect but emotionally distant stories. They connect with authentic human experiences, even complicated ones..

Staying safe and not sharing your voice ensures that you'll never know if it matters to someone else. Your inner critic offers safety, but also invisibility.

Then There Are the Story Elements to Deal With

Unlike other forms of writing that focus on sharing information or arguing a viewpoint, fiction requires creating a believable world from scratch. Managing the multiple story elements needed to do this simultaneously can feel overwhelming. You're juggling character development, plot structure, pacing, dialogue, setting, and voice all at once. Developing these technical skills takes time and practice, more than most of us anticipate.

On top of that, there's usually no clear "right" answer in fiction. You can't know if your story works until you've written it (sometimes that amounts to hundreds of pages) and gotten feedback. The constant decision-making about what to include, what to exclude, and what should happen next can be mentally taxing.

For new writers, the gap between your vision and current ability can be particularly discouraging. You may have a crystal-clear idea of the story you want to tell, but executing it on the page often falls short of that initial inspiration.

I know. I’ve been there, too. I still deal with this at times.

So what to do? How do you manage the emotional vulnerability of storytelling and all the technical elements that feel impossible to master? Here are my suggestions based on many years of writing stories.

Managing It All

Write a first draft that nobody will see. Give yourself permission to write something crummy that you'll never show anyone. This removes the pressure to perform and lets you focus on getting the story out. You can revise later with more emotional distance. The more often you write, the less crummy your first drafts will be. But you have to start at square one.

Start with a character who isn't like you. Creating distance through a character who's different in key ways (gender, age, background, personality) can make it feel less like you're putting your personal life on display. It provides a protective layer while you build confidence. I did this with Charmaine in my first novel Sisters and Lovers. She’s brash, bold, and opinionated; totally unlike me. She allowed me to step outside myself and I had fun with her.

Focus on the reader's experience rather than your personal exposure. Keep the reader in mind. Shift your thoughts from, "What will people think of me?" to "What do I want the reader to feel?" When focusing on the reader's emotional journey, it becomes less about your vulnerability and more about craft.

Break up your writing. Instead of trying to nail all the story elements at once. Use the first draft to get the basic story down; let it be messy. In the second draft, fine tune the plot. In the third, focus on character arcs. Next, work on dialogue and voice. This approach prevents the feeling of juggling everything simultaneously. Mastering technical elements gets easier with practice, as with any craft. Each story you tackle makes the next one a little less difficult.

The Truth About That Critical Voice

Surprisingly, the critical inner voice is almost universal among writers at every stage. Even successful authors deal with it throughout their careers. New York Times bestselling authors (including me) face the same fears.

Aspiring and emerging authors often face an additional layer of what we call "imposter syndrome." You may think, "I don't have the right to do this because I haven't earned my place." You're dealing with the same vulnerability around sharing your worldview, but without the validation that comes with publication.

I know. I’ve felt that, too. The difference between successful authors and those who give up isn't the absence of a critical voice; it's learning to recognize it as noise rather than truth and pushing through.

Here are strategies that have helped me and countless other authors push past the noise.

Practice with writing exercises. Many writers find writing prompts helpful. Or try setting a timer and writing nonstop. Or try morning pages. All of these allow writers to bypass the inner critic and keep the creative muscles limber.

Compare yourself to your past work, not to other writers. This is challenging because we're constantly exposed to published, polished work by writers with decades more experience. Instead of asking, "Am I as good as [insert favorite author]?" ask, "Am I better than I was six months ago?"

Keep in mind that those authors were once beginning writers, too. And that published work has been through multiple drafts and professional editing. Don't compare your rough drafts to polished pieces that have undergone extensive revision.

Find trusted readers for honest but constructive feedback. Outside perspectives can counter the inner voice, which is often harsher than any real reader would be.

Write about something that truly resonates with you. When you write about something you care deeply about, you're more likely to push past the critical objections. Passion has a way of overcoming doubt.

The truth is that your inner critic will likely never completely go away. But it shouldn’t stop you from writing your story.