When I first started writing I wrote with a basic outline in my head and the words just poured out and the story took shape ( and sometimes took me by surprise ). Then I took a class that promoted a more disciplined approach. They suggested 3x5 cards to plan each chapter and then each scene. I am a pretty organized person and this seemed like it was tailor made for me but as I tried to implement it, the system just didn't work for me. I am very new to writing fiction and my degree is not in creative writing so I sometimes feel insecure and feel that I must adapt my writing technique to approved methods. The 3x5 fiasco taught me that you have to find what works best for you.
I have written about this before but it's worth mentioning again. I feel like a fraud. And it's not just me. A niece recently shared a NY Times article (https://www.nytimes.com/2015/10/26/your-money/learning-to-deal-with-the-impostor-syndrome.html?_r=0) about this very topic and according to researchers, pretty much everybody feels this way at some point. They call it the 'Imposter Syndrome'. Famous writers have experienced it, a renowned marketing expert and even US presidents. The key is learning how to deal with this feeling. We can acknowledge it and cower, allowing it to stand in front of us like a club bouncer, denying us from moving forward, or we can recognize it, tell it, "You don't scare me!" ( even though it scares our pants off ) and push past it. It makes me wonder how many people with amazing potential have been frightened off by it. How many wonderful creations, thrilling inventions or new strategies have never seen the light of day becaus...
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