Almost every time I do a consultation with a new client, it’s a writer who is absolutely sure they know what their problem is. Much of the time they tell me they need to learn “craft and structure.” Sometimes they say they need to take more classes or read more books on writing. Frequently I hear that they just need to be “better,” with all the vague intention that implies.
But one thing is always the same. They are paralyzed, stuck, frustrated, and feeling hopeless and sad about their writing.
This is because the writer has it all wrong about what their problem is. Everything they’ve identified as “the problem”—whether it’s a need for more writing education or to learn a more specific skill set around writing—comes back to the same root cause. They feel like they’re not good enough, plain and simple.
I call this the “not good enough wound.”
If you have the not-good-enough-wound, you will never feel good enough as a writer until you address it. It doesn’t matter how much you learn about craft and structure, or how many editors or agents tell you that you have talent. That not-good-enough-wound will always be holding you back, and you will forever be seeking outside approval in the hopes of making it go away.
There IS a way to get past this, and it’s easier than you think. I talk about the key to this process in the video below:
If you’re a writer with the not-good-enough-wound and you’re interested in writing any type of fiction, I recommend you check out my new live class that starts on January 17. It’s called Fiction Writing for Highly Sensitive Creatives and the not-good-enough-wound is one of the core concepts we’ll be covering in the class.
Be sure you sign up for my newsletter HERE to get all the updates and announcements about the class. And if you have any questions about it, you can contact me here.
I’ll see you soon with the next video in this series!
Lauren Sapala is the author of The INFJ Writer and The INFJ Revolution. She is also currently offering a free copy of her book on creative marketing for INFJ and INFP writers to anyone who signs up for her newsletter. SIGN UP HERE to get your free copy of Firefly Magic: Heart Powered Marketing for Highly Sensitive Writers.
