Do You Ever Get the Feeling That Your Writing Isn't Good Enough?

Of course this question pops up for everyone here on Hubpages all the time I am sure, and the answer for me is yes! Of course there are many times, especially in the beginning, when I thought that my writing wasn't fit for public viewing, and I was sure that I would be ridiculed unmercifully. I do go back and reread some of my older hubs and I think, "What was I thinking when I wrote that"? But sometimes I do impress myself with some hubs and pat myself on the back and reassure myself that it was pretty good writing.

This question was asked by Bellawritter23 and received some pretty good answers, one in particular that I agreed with was Freeway Flyer who said, "When you say "good enough," I can't help asking, "Good enough for what?" Is it good enough to make me a famous, published author? Probably not. Is it good enough to make me a few bucks on Hubpages? Maybe someday. Is it good enough to have a positive impact on another person's life from time to time? According to the positive comments I sometimes get, apparently so. I try to stay focused on that last question, although I wouldn't mind making a little (or a lot of) money.

I agree with Freeway Flyer because if you really want to write and are inspired to write what is in your heart, then who cares what anyone else thinks, and believe me there are many great writers here on Hubpages, but it isn't a contest of who is better than who, and who is to say what is good and what isn't?. Sure there maybe some snobs on here who wont fan you if you don't put out some scholarly hubs and who boast about how great a writer they are by the many fans that they have. But don't go by what they think, if you want to write on Hubpages try not to take things too seriously and just write what you know and how you feel. Don't be afraid to express yourself and just like the old saying, Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, well that holds true for writing as well.

There have been hubs that I have read that have made me laugh and cry. The authors aren't particularly outstanding writers, but they are honest about what they write about and it can really touch and warm your heart. I love to read about people's personal experiences and even their heartbreaks because I want to read that they overcome their hardships and get through the bad times. Writing on Hubpages can help you get through bad times, by expressing yourself and getting encouragement from other hubbers, can make a difference in your outlook.

Of course if you are really worried about the quality of your writing, there are always ways to improve your writing. You can always improve your grammar and punctuation, something that has always been a challenge for me, I edit and edit and edit, and I always think that my English is not so good lol. But there is nothing like a thesaurus also when you just cant quite find the special word that you need.

I also learn so much from other hubbers. Of course everyone has their own writing styles and it is important to develop your own writing style but there is always room for improving yourself by watching and reading how others express themselves as well.

I would have to say that people are my biggest inspiration, I'm a people watcher and they fascinate me everyday, so watching others and observing their characters can always be an inspiration for developing characters if and when you decide to write fiction for example.

Since I have been on Hubpages I have also written a little bit of poetry and that was a part of me that I never thought I could develop, but nevertheless, I tried it and got some good feedback so I'm not as afraid to delve in that direction from time to time. One of my favorite poets on Hubpages is Wayne Brown and I also liked his answer to this particular question as well:

Sure I do...I thought that the day I showed up here and still feel that way quite often. The folks here at the Hub have helped me a lot to see that it is better than I think in most cases. There have been times when I have almost thrown things away when I thought it was not good enough only to have it work very well with the reader. To a degree, I think it is healthy to feel that way because it keeps you on the edge and keeps you pushing to improve. When you reach the point that you feel that your writing is "good enough"...the push to improve will be over. WB

Wayne Brown is right that it is healthy to feel this way but it does push you to improve your writing and this man knows what he is talking about and a person could learn a lot from Mr. Wayne. He has a great writing style and his short stories are very descriptive and really brings you into his story.

So remember try not to think of Hubpages as people competing against each other for brownie points. The number of fans a hubber has does not always mean that they are going to be the next Hemingway. Just have fun with your writing, whether you are in it to make money, or whether you just wanna play around with words. There is room for everyone on Hubpages, and don't be afraid to write about whatever your heart desires, within reason of course. And try not to be too hard on yourself and have fun.