7 Common Writing Myths That Are Secretly Holding Writers Back

This post is all about the most common writing myths that make the writing journey harder and stop writers from fully chasing their writing dreams.

Believing the most common writing myths out there may be the very thing holding you back from going after and achieving your writing dreams. In this post, we’ll break down some of the most common writing myths, and we’re going to expose them for what they really are: myths.

Once you see the truth behind these writing myths, they’ll no longer have the power to stop you from enjoying your writing journey, believing in yourself, and making progress on your book. So these are seven of the most common writing myths to be aware of.

If you prefer the video version, check out the YouTube video on the most common writing myths that are holding writers back.

Writing Myth #1: You need to feel inspired to write

If you wait until you feel inspired to write, you might end up waiting a very long time. Sure, there are moments when inspiration strikes and you feel like you’re on a roll. Your mind is full of ideas, the words flow smoothly onto the page, and you feel like you could write an entire book in one sitting. When that happens, there seem to be no limits to what you can do. So use these bursts of inspiration to make as much progress on your book as possible.

But then there are those other moments. The ones where you sit in your chair and suddenly anything other than writing your book feels far more interesting. Your muse seems to have gone on vacation, and you don’t think you’d be able to write anything during that session. You know those moments… when procrastination suddenly feels like the most tempting option in the world…

But don’t let your mind fool you. You can still write. You may just need a little more willpower and focus than usual to get yourself to take action. Your muse is waiting for you to take the first step before she joins you. When you sit in your chair and refuse to give in to various distractions, and you keep your attention on your manuscript instead, you’re practically inviting your muse to come back. Action is the best way to get her to return.

Keep showing up even when you don’t feel like writing, and your muse will show up, too.

RELATED POST: How to Write When You Don’t Feel Like Writing

Writing Myth #2: First drafts should be good

Oh, this is so, so far from reality. At least for me, and I’m sure for many other authors as well. But if you are one of those magical writers who can write a first draft that you wouldn’t be completely embarrassed to share with another human being, that’s awesome. Great job! And please do let the rest of us know how you got to that point. We’d all love to get there someday.

But for the majority of writers, the first draft is far, far from good. And that’s perfectly okay. Your first draft doesn’t have to be perfect. It doesn’t even have to be good. It just has to be written.

Once you have your first draft ready, no matter how messy it may be, you finally have something you can work with. You can revise it over and over again until you get your manuscript to shine. But you can only do that if you have a first draft to work with.

Don’t get discouraged if your first draft is messy and chaotic. That’s completely normal. The most important thing is that it’s written. So focus on writing that first draft and getting it ready as soon as possible so you can then start turning it into a book you can be proud of.

RELATED POST: How to Overcome Your Fear of Writing Your First Novel

Writing Myth #3: You need large chunks of time to write

I know for sure that this is not true because I’ve experienced the opposite myself. I finished writing my first novel in short writing sessions before going to work every day. And yet, despite knowing this from experience, I still sometimes fall victim to this myth. Usually, it happens on days when I’m very tired or when I feel overwhelmed by everything I need to do.

And I know from my own experience that on those days when you believe that there’s no point in writing unless you have two uninterrupted hours, you end up not writing anything at all that day. But when you remind yourself that you really can make progress on your book even in just 15 or 20 minutes per day, writing seems possible again.

You can advance your book a lot more by writing 15 minutes consistently every day (or as often as you can) than by waiting for that perfect day when you have two or three free hours to work on your novel. Of course, having that much free time to focus on your manuscript is great, and you can definitely write a lot during that time. But not everyone has that much time during the day to dedicate to their writing.

If you’re working a full-time job, or you have small kids, or you’re the sole caretaker of an elderly family member, it’s not that easy to find such a large chunk of free time. But maybe you can find 20 minutes. Even if it doesn’t sound like much, those small writing sessions add up over time. And with consistent effort and patience, you will manage to write your book, one short writing session at a time.

RELATED POST: How to Write a Book While Working a Full-Time Job

Writing Myth #4: Writing fast means writing badly

I have to admit, when I first started writing, I thought this was true. That’s because when I started writing my novel, I actually didn’t know anything about writing. At that time, I thought that when you write a book, it has to be great from the start. So of course, you’d have to write slowly, so you keep editing everything you write to make it perfect before moving on.

What I didn’t realize back then was that the first draft is only the first version of many more versions to come. So the sooner you get that first draft written, the sooner you can start improving it.

Then I learned about writing sprints. Skeptical at first, I finally decided to give them a try, and I saw how much faster I was able to make progress on my book.

That’s the benefit of writing sprints. They help you get your first draft ready so much faster. Writing fast doesn’t mean that you’re writing badly. It simply means that you’re reaching the end of your first draft sooner so you can begin the editing process and turn your manuscript into something you’re truly proud of.

RELATED POST: How to Write More Using the Pomodoro Technique and Writing Sprints

Writing Myth #5: You must write every single day

If you can write every single day, that’s awesome! Being consistent really helps you finish your book faster. Writing daily also helps with the flow of ideas. When you write every day, it’s easy to remember what you wrote in the previous session and how you had planned to continue the story from there.

If you write every once in a while, it might sometimes slow down the process if you have to first take some time to remember what you wrote. So writing every single day certainly has its advantages.

But not everyone can do that. You may have different work and family commitments that may prevent you from writing every day. That doesn’t make you any less of a writer than someone who writes every day.

Writing should be something enjoyable. If you force yourself to write every day when you don’t actually have the time or the energy to write, you may end up creating unnecessary stress around writing. Instead of looking forward to your writing sessions, you might just end up dreading them.

The important thing is that you write whenever it works best for you. Maybe you’re a weekend writer. Or maybe you only focus on writing during one month each summer. Every option is a valid option.

Organize your writing routine in the way that works best for your life and make sure it’s a routine that makes your writing sessions fun.

Writing Myth #6: Outlining kills creativity

No! No! NO! I absolutely do not believe that! Outlining doesn’t kill your creativity. It just helps you organize your ideas more clearly.

When you outline, that outline still has to come from somewhere. That’s still your creativity working. It’s still your own imagination and your own ideas that shape that outline. You’re simply organizing all those ideas in a certain pattern that would fit the common story structure that readers are used to.

So no, outlining definitely does not kill creativity. If anything, it can actually help your creativity by giving your ideas direction and helping you stay organized while writing your novel.

I’m not saying that everyone should use an outline for their novel. Of course, if outlining doesn’t work for you, you absolutely don’t have to outline. It’s not a requirement for writing a book. All I’m saying here is that someone who outlines is not less creative than someone who prefers to discover their story as they write.

For example, I know Stephen King doesn’t outline, and that approach works very well for him and for many other writers as well. So if you’re a pantser, keep writing in the way that feels most exciting and natural for you.

All I’m saying is this: if you feel more comfortable using an outline, don’t worry that it will somehow destroy your creativity. Creativity doesn’t disappear if you outline. It’s still there, no matter how you decide to access it, whether you prefer putting your ideas together ahead of time or discovering the story little by little as you write.

Writing Myth #7: You have to finish everything you start

No, you do not. Not every project you start has to become a published book. Some projects might simply exist to help you learn how to put your ideas into words. Others may be there just for you, something you want to write just for yourself without any intention of ever sharing them with the world.

All of these projects have their own purpose and value. The time you spent working on them is definitely not wasted time. Every story you write teaches you something. They help you learn how to write and how to organize your thoughts. So, one way or another, they all help you become a better writer.

When I first started writing, I wrote an entire young adult sci-fi space adventure novel. And I finished it. But then I wrote a romance novel, and I realized I enjoy writing romance a lot more than sci-fi.

So for now, I’m putting aside my sci-fi projects to focus on my romance stories. And I don’t feel like the time I spent writing sci-fi is wasted time. Writing that novel taught me a lot about storytelling and the writing process. And most importantly, it was fun for me to write it, to live that adventure through my characters.

At the moment, I’m simply choosing not to pursue the sci-fi stories so I can focus on writing romance novels. That doesn’t mean I’ll never return to them someday. They’re just taking a little break for now.

So don’t worry if you change directions, don’t finish a project, or suddenly realize you’re more excited about writing something else. Writing is a learning journey, and every project you’ve worked on has helped shape you into the writer you are today.

Writing myths can make the writing journey feel much harder than it needs to be. Let go of the beliefs that don’t serve you, trust the process that works best for you, and keep moving toward your writing dreams.

This post was all about the most common writing myths that are holding writers back. If you enjoyed it, you might also enjoy this post:

The Top Mental Blocks That Keep Writers Stuck

Now it’s your turn. Which writing myth have you believed the longest? Let me know in the comments.