7 Writing Myths You Can Stop Believing Today

Writing myths can feel like solid kernels of advice, but when you examine them closely, you start to see how wrong they are.

Maybe you don’t even know where these myths originated from! Sometimes they’re things we hear other writers say. Other times, they’re just false beliefs we assume to be true.

Today I’m sharing seven writing myths you can stop believing today. Hopefully, by doing so, you’ll open up more space in your life and mind for your writing.

Myth Number One: You have to get an education to be a real writer

You don’t need an MFA to write a novel. You don’t need to have a degree in English to speak intelligently about literature. And you don’t have to take online writing classes to get better at writing.

You certainly can (hello, I have!), but none of that is necessary. Plenty of talented writers have made a name for themselves without formal education or a degree in a particular writerly field.

The simplest way to learn about writing is to be a voracious reader. Read everything you can get your hands on and you’ll absorb the ins and outs of story and language.

Myth Number Two: Writers must struggle with their art for it to be meaningful

The idea of the struggling writer is a bit of a romantic one. It’s almost as if we believe art isn’t deep or meaningful or honest if the writer comes by their art easily or if they get paid for their work.

So not true. You can write without it becoming emotionally fraught. You can write while holding down a job with health benefits so you can keep your family fed, clothed, and housed. You’re also allowed to earn money from your writing, too. There’s nothing wrong with cashing in on your skill and talent.

Mostly, though, I want you to remember that writing doesn’t have to be a struggle. If it feels that way, maybe it’s time for a new approach. I can help you with that!

Myth Number Three: I have to know what I’m writing before I start

I hear this a lot from writers that I work with. Many writers believe they can’t start writing something until they know exactly what it is they’re trying to say.

The reality is that you may not know the core of your story until you do some writing in the first place. It’s a kind of chicken or egg situation. You don’t have to know everything before you start to write, and you probably won’t know most of it until after a draft is written. If you did, you’d probably get bored and quit before long anyway.

Let yourself be surprised as you write. What’s the harm in that?

Myth Number Four: I need large blocks of time to write

I used to believe this so fiercely that I hardly ever wrote at all. Unless you’re committed to getting up early, staying up late, or sacrificing any kind of social activity, most people simply do not have large blocks of time regularly for writing.

Once in a while? Sure! When I was working on my first book, I had a full-time job during the week and loved my weekend afternoon writing sessions at the coffee shop. I’d happily churn out thousands of words in a two- or three-hour window.

But in general, I wrote that book in small chunks of time on a much more regular basis. As soon as I started to see that I could get meaningful writing done in smaller periods of time, everything changed.

This myth only serves to limit you. By believing you don’t have enough time to write, you’re only making it impossible to write at all. If you change your mindset and allow your writing to happen in the time you do have during the day, you’ll get much more writing done than if you waited for the one day a month when you do have “enough” time.

If you write for ten minutes a day all week long, you’ll have done over an hour of writing by week’s end.

Also? I’ve found that I write more and better when I have less time. Instead of stalling or worrying about where to start, I’m forced to jump right in and get going.

That’s how I got my second book written. Baby nap times are unpredictable, so the moment I got to my computer I wrote. I simply didn’t have the opportunity to procrastinate or overthink.

Myth Number Five: If I don’t write daily, I’m not a writer

Do you still believe this one?

I mean, really? Do you believe in your heart that your writing is invalidated if you aren’t tending to it every single day?

Being a writer is more than writing daily. Anyone can write daily. But if you’re a writer, the meat of your process lives beyond the writing. Writing consistently is important, yes, but so is reading, thinking, revising, having experiences that fuel your storytelling, talking about writing with other writers, getting feedback on your work, and giving it to others.

All these things grow your writing life.

Yes, write as often as you possibly can because that is how you build a practice, find your voice, and figure out what your story is. Keep a grip on your writing like you’re holding the string of a kite. It’s so hard to grasp it again once you let too much slack go.

But don’t pretend that it’s all or nothing. Don’t diminish your work because you don’t write as often as you “should.” Maybe you’re doing other important work in that in-between time.

And if you feel like you do want to be writing more consistently, let me know. I can help with that, too.

Myth Number Six: No one will want to read what I’m writing

I can distinctly remember the moment when, midway through writing my first novel, I stopped and thought everything I had written was so boring there was no way anyone else on the planet would ever want to read it.

Of course, it turned out to be untrue. It wasn’t the last time I’d have that thought, though.

This is a myth that so many of us come up against again and again. I think it tends to strike around the middle of a project when the shine of writing something new has worn off and we’re faced with yet another day of staring at our own words.

Maybe it’s a form of resistance trying to stop us before we reach the end so we won’t have to face the horror of our work being disliked. Who knows?

Whatever the case, it’s not your problem if anyone wants to read your work. That’s not something you can control. What you can control is the quality of your writing, the story you’re telling, and the effort you put into making it as good as you can.

Myth Seven: I don’t know what I’m doing

That’s ok. No one does!

Even the most prolific, talented, genius writers have moments like this, so don’t let it be a reason you never start, or worse, stop before you finish something.

From a craft perspective, you can learn and practice just about anything. Need to work on dialogue? How are characters built? What’s the deal with structure? You can learn! If you don’t want to pay for a class, there are countless books, websites, and free videos online to help you out.

But there’s also a mystery to writing that no one can explain. It’s ok if you feel like there’s more to know about writing than you could ever learn. Some of it is unknowable. You just feel your way through it.

So learn what you can and surrender the rest. It’s a myth to believe that you’ll ever fully know what you’re doing when it comes to writing.

Tell me one writing myth you’re ready to give up in the comments below!