It is easy to get lost along the way during the course of being a writer. This fact is true whether you write novels or write for the web, whether you write for fun or you write to put food on the table. Writer’s block will throw itself in your path. Self-doubt will creep into your writing world. And every day you will need to make the choice to continue writing despite the difficulty of it.
Here are 25 simple mantras that you can keep in mind to keep you writing when the writing gets tough to do:
1. I can write.
2. I will know more tonight than I did when I woke up this morning.
3. My own writing voice is good enough.
4. The right words are just around the corner.
5. Reading is research.
6. It’s okay if the draft isn’t terrific.
7. My opinion matters more than my critics’ opinion.
8. I can write something else tomorrow.
9. It’s okay to be friends with other writers.
10. I only need to sit and write – the rest will work itself out.
11. My writing is good enough to serve fair pay.
12. My perspective is unique; sharing it adds to the world.
13. I write because I enjoy writing.
14. Writing is the way that I understand the world around me.
15. Inspiration is a jewel to be treasured and carried within me each day.
16. It’s okay to feel like a mess.
17. The most well-known writers have felt bad about their work.
18. There is a way to do this writing thing that will work for me.
19. Creativity is a worthy use of my time.
20. I can say “no” if I don’t want to waste my time writing something.
21. My writing will change with time.
22. Putting my writing out into the world may affect others in ways I’ll never know.
23. It’s important to listen to my instincts about writing.
24. I deserve to take time out each day to write.
25. I will write.
It’s the simple things that matter each day. We need to walk into our experiences with the mindset that it’s perfectly okay to do what we are doing and that how we are doing it is good enough for today. The world is tough enough; don’t make it harder by being unkind to yourself or your writing. Remember that when you are sitting down at the desk to write something that’s not working for you. And then just sit and write.
Question of the Day: What mantra gets you to the next step in writing?
[Tags] writing, affirmations, mantra, motto, sayings, inspiration [/Tags]
25 Simple Mantras for Every Writer to Remember has 45 Comments
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March 23rd, 2008 at 6:35 am
[...] 25 Simple Mantras for Every Writer to Remember (here) [...]
March 24th, 2008 at 3:08 pm
I think I need to start doing affirmations or something. Self doubt always rears up its ugly (and useless) head, and yet I’ve received very little in the way of bad feedback on my writing.
Thanks for the post.
@ Frootbat31 – I definitely think that writers are harder on themselves than the outside world is on us. I’ve found that it’s important to find ways to get past the self doubt in order to get quality work done, but it’s an ongoing process! -Kathryn
March 28th, 2008 at 3:14 am
[...] presents 25 Simple Mantras for Every Writer to Remember posted at Real Words, saying, “Sometimes self-doubt is the worst thing about writing. Here [...]
May 4th, 2008 at 5:00 pm
thanks for the tip….I’m really helpless though, for it has been a few years since I said I’d publish the book of my life as a photojournalist-cab driver-writer-waiter-and about one hundred other jobs around the globe, before i settle down got married and have a six years old daugther, kind of life.
ta daa…end of story….
i like your blog ciao
pio
May 12th, 2008 at 7:12 pm
I think that battle between “My writing is horrible and anyone who reads it will automatically hate me” and “Hey, this isn’t that bad!” makes whatever we scribble down that much better.
June 5th, 2008 at 7:50 am
The worst thing for a writer is not criticism – it’s when people don’t care.
June 5th, 2008 at 4:39 pm
I’d like to add:
“I am a writer.”
June 7th, 2008 at 12:41 pm
I like no. 18. I think I need to tell myself that!
October 13th, 2008 at 9:23 am
Wonderful affirmations I especially like 12. My perspective is unique; sharing it adds to the world. Thanks for the words.
January 10th, 2009 at 5:00 pm
[...] Kathryn in the article here has provided a list of 25 things you can say to keep yourself determined. She’s graciously [...]
January 11th, 2009 at 6:59 am
[...] I’m going to continue on with my series taken from the article written here. The next one [...]
January 12th, 2009 at 7:20 am
[...] think this third one is one of my more favorite ones because of it’s simplicity and [...]
January 13th, 2009 at 6:27 am
[...] At any rate, I have more positive self-talk for you again today from Real Words. [...]
January 13th, 2009 at 6:00 pm
[...] blog called College in a Suitcase. The awesome writer there is taking a blog post that I did on mantras for writers and turning it into a series of her own thoughts on these as a writer. I think this idea of hers is [...]
January 14th, 2009 at 11:54 am
[...] this past week when my closest friends from the area and my boyfriend went back to school. But as Kathryn reminds me, “Reading is research.” Now you could look at this from a very [...]
January 15th, 2009 at 11:50 am
[...] Kathryn agrees with me here as she writes “It’s okay if the draft isn’t terrific.” And honestly, first drafts [...]
January 21st, 2009 at 12:12 pm
[...] back to my series, since I can access the site again. Kathryn’s next mantra is “My opinion matters more than my critics’ [...]
January 25th, 2009 at 1:36 pm
[...] about the way that people need air. So we’re back to the series taken from this post right here. The next mantra [...]
January 28th, 2009 at 8:21 pm
[...] brings me to my next mantra from Kathryn’s blog. “It’s okay to be friends with other writers.” I actually find it very helpful to be [...]
January 29th, 2009 at 6:37 am
[...] presents 25 Simple Mantras for Every Writer to Remember posted at Real Words, saying, “Simple things that new writers can keep in mind when the [...]
January 29th, 2009 at 6:37 am
[...] presents 25 Simple Mantras for Every Writer to Remember posted at Real Words, saying, “Simple things that new writers can keep in mind when the [...]
February 3rd, 2009 at 10:42 am
[...] think today’s mantra is really important. Not just because they are all good and valid points but because there’s [...]
February 7th, 2009 at 1:16 pm
[...] you deserve? “My writing is good enough to serve fair pay.” (which, by the way, is the next mantra). You deserve to be paid for what you’re doing and to paid fairly. Whether that means that A [...]
February 11th, 2009 at 9:49 pm
[...] When I read the next mantra on this list, I began to get [...]
March 10th, 2009 at 9:20 am
[...] But I’m going to do my best. I’m going to try and blog as often as I can still. And I’m going to be continuing with the series I was working on before from here [...]
March 10th, 2009 at 7:11 pm
[...] it’s mantra [...]
March 13th, 2009 at 6:52 pm
[...] anyways, I’m going to work on this. Blog post that is. Here’s our mantra for [...]
March 25th, 2009 at 9:38 am
[...] today is enough” or “I am filled with creative potential” or any of the other mantras for writers that [...]
March 25th, 2009 at 5:38 pm
[...] So when I went to look at just what today’s mantra would be, I got really excited. Do you know why I got excited? Let me tell [...]
March 29th, 2009 at 11:29 am
[...] Now that I have that off my chest, I can go onto the mantra for today. [...]
March 31st, 2009 at 3:32 pm
[...] I find today’s mantra incredibly [...]
April 10th, 2009 at 3:27 pm
[...] is interesting, as I feel that I have to disagree. Today’s manta, which I graciously got from Kathryn, [...]
April 16th, 2009 at 7:02 am
[...] an article written by Kathryn Vercillo on her blog, Real Words from a Real Writer entitled “25 Simple Mantras for Every Writer to Remember.” It was a terrific list of 25 simple mantras that can inspire writers to keep writing when the [...]
April 16th, 2009 at 7:30 am
[...] year I wrote an article with 25 mantras for writers. These are just short little sayings or affirmations that I believe writers can focus on to stay on [...]
April 23rd, 2009 at 3:48 pm
[...] in continuing the mantra series, the next mantra is “My writing will change with [...]
April 30th, 2009 at 1:40 pm
[...] But I’ll continue on with this mantra series. [...]
May 6th, 2009 at 4:24 pm
[...] as the next mantra in my series is all about [...]
May 9th, 2009 at 6:10 pm
[...] So, after all this time, I’m finally coming to an end with my manta series and I want to thank Kathryn once again for her allowing me to use her mantras. I’ve really [...]
July 20th, 2010 at 11:17 pm
Hi, Kathrynv-#6 needs some revision! In “Bird by Bird,” Anne Lamott encourages ‘shitty first drafts!’ Otherwise these mantras are perfect and I love, no, need, such encouragement.
Thanks so much for the wonderful list!
November 1st, 2010 at 5:08 pm
I’d like to add: “Nulle die sina linea”. It’s Latin for “Not a day without (writing) a line.” One of my creative writing professors said it on the first day of his workshop and its stuck with me/helped me ever since.
November 2nd, 2010 at 8:24 pm
Thankyou, now I know I’m not the only writer out there going to hell and back!
November 3rd, 2010 at 1:44 am
[...] 25 Simple Mantras for Every Writer to Remember [...]
May 25th, 2011 at 7:35 pm
AWESOME! It’s a sad point indicitive of low self-esteem. In a perfect world, writer’s shouldn’t meet the daily self-abuse evident in so many, but we do.
October 12th, 2011 at 3:29 am
It’s so quiet, think i will create a character for company…
February 3rd, 2012 at 11:52 am
Thanks so much, I love this. I think I like writing but my self-criticism stumped me! Here’s my personal goal for 2012 – finish my research on how to start a blog. It should be up and running by Q1 2012 if not earlier Never too late, even at my ripe age. Thanks again to you, god bless.