by Milica Filipovic
In the last few years, teen writers from all over the globe have joined together to celebrate their love for their work. We’ve created a community across multiple social media platforms where young writers can bond over their mutual passion.
However, with the rise of this new friendship, writers have begun to share their harsh experiences with battling the expectations set for their work. Whether through their own consciousness or the words of more experienced adults, it is clear that pressure has been placed on our backs to churn out work that aligns with society’s standards.
As we begin to delve further into our skills and develop writing styles, it is evident that each person’s abilities are unique to its own strengths and weaknesses. These differences are what make our writing enjoyable and makes it stand out. As of late, the idea of fancy and elegant prose has been credited as a superior form of writing.
While each type has its own faults, we have placed one on a pedestal and cast aside the others. This leaves us with one peculiar question: Why do we equate fancy writing with good writing?
As a part of this community, this is a question I have pondered rather often. In my case, there is a folder of abandoned stories lying on my desktop that haunt me each time I open my laptop. These works once had my heart, their characters thriving in the depths of my mind, but I left them in the folder to rot. All because I had drilled the idea of my writing not being “fancy” or “professional” enough to be worth finishing. This mindset is what ultimately discourages writers from ever fulfilling their dreams. If we let this mentality slip between the folds of our safe space, we are contradicting the concept of a supportive and healthy community that we have worked to reach.
Alas, not all hope is lost. There are a few ways we can make sure this mindset does not halt our creative flow.
The first of which seems the easiest but takes a lot of stamina. Simply limiting distractions from your work space. Whether this means placing your phone in another room or only having your writing tab open, do it. By giving yourself only the choice to write, you are practically forcing your mind to do what it has become afraid of.
Another possible solution would be to share your work. This strategy takes more courage than the former because it can be scary to expose such a personal part of yourself to others. Nonetheless, if you have online writer friends, it is almost guaranteed they will be ecstatic to offer their support. It is highly unlikely they will criticize your writing. By seeing how someone else admires your work, you will realize who you’re writing for and why it’s important.
Finally, it might be best to take a temporary break. If writing has become too much pressure on you, taking a break is vital. You won't be any less of a writer for not writing 24/7. It is perfectly fine and even necessary to relax your mind and let ideas flow around. Reflecting will help you remember why you started and why you want to continue.
We must remind ourselves that our stories are worth sharing with the world. If you love your plot, your world, your characters, then go write. If you have a message to shout, do it the way you do best. Fancy writing can be good, but not all good writing is fancy.
Remember that there are people who want to hear your story the way you intended to tell it, and that is the only thing that matters.
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