The Flip Flop

I've heard it said and believe (know) it's true....

On any given day, a writer might think their work is excellent, well crafted. They are pleased and proud. The next day, they might very well think it's just crap. The really crappy kind.

I've come to the practiced conclusion that this flip flop in self-appraisal of one's writing is, in fact, normal.  It is the arc and dip of confidence, the breathing of the ego as it ponders the quality of the work. Too often, the act of comparison with other writer's work (typically published, polished work) serves as the trigger for the exaggerated exhale.

Such deep dives into despair and brutal criticism of one's own prose is a thrashing and painful experience. It strikes to the very core and rips the pen from the hand of the writer's soul. Anxiety sears the dreams from our hearts and dashes them on the rocks of "reality".

The trouble is, the reality may be very different from what we think it is. And you guessed it - this cuts both ways, for the inhale and the exhale. Glowing from re-reading a chapter you are proud still feels great even if fact there are problems within it hiding right under your nose. Conversely, your prose may feel dismal, devoid of emotion, and lacking originality when in fact it is none of that and really just you that is projecting your state of mind on your unsuspecting and otherwise solid work.

How to manage this drunken, unpredictable flop flop syndrome?

I'm at work, ending my lunch, so I'll have to ponder that later tonight and share more then. ;)

Oh, and happy Thursday...!