When you sit down to write, do you hear applause or hear yourself saying no one will read this? If you hear the latter, that’s your inner critic. It happens to the best of us. As Steven Pressfield states in his book The War of Art, creative people fight resistance, and to overcome; we must fight it like a pro. Here are three hacks to combat your inner critic:
Turn off the spellcheck or editing tool
This hack will help your writing flow better. There is nothing worse than seeing a highlighted or underlined word in the middle of you completing your thought. It’s the same feeling you had when you submitted your paper, and your professor drew on it with a red pen. Spell-checker or any editing tool interrupts the flow, and it makes you second-guess yourself. The focus should be writing. You’ll have plenty of time later to edit.
Write with Pen and Paper
Although technology is great, some old-fashioned things you shouldn’t get rid of like pen and paper. Writing with them limits interruptions from your inner critic because you’re exploring your creativity. The thoughts flowing with your hands keep you in great company and in touch with the writing craft.
Talk to Your Inner Critic
Has your younger sibling ever told you weren’t the boss of them, yet your parent left you in charge? Be like the younger sibling and let your inner critic know who the boss is. You have some writing to do, and you don’t have time or space to doubt your work anymore. There is a place for your inner critic to be alive and well, and that’s when it’s time to edit.
If you are like me, you are your own harshest critic. But using these three hacks will fight your inner critic like a pro. Let me know what you think in the comments. Please like us on Facebook, or follow us on Twitter or Instagram.
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