Self Vs Self

Sylvia Plath once said that “the worst enemy to creativity is self-doubt” and as an aspiring writer, these words have never rung more true. The battle of self-vs-self begins to rage even before you have sat down to write. Before pen has hit paper, fingers have hit keyboard, or chisel has hit rock (whatever your preference), your poor, helpless, unborn script is already being subjected to mental abuse: poked and prodded and told it’s just not good enough for this world. I wonder if the Spartans believed in second drafts? (Back to topic) So how does an aspiring scriptwriter beat these demons and build the courage to finally start? Well, I could go to Amazon and purchase a copy of Confidence Booster Workout: 10 Steps to Beating Self-doubt and then I’d be the best and most confident writer in the world! A kind of Shakespearean Hoff! Or maybe not. So instead I decided to look for help from those who know best, the professionals, in the shape of writer Danny Stack, whose Screenwriting credits include EastEnders, Doctors, Sofia's Diary, CBBC's Roy and CiTV's BAFTA-winning Amazing Adrenaline Brothers. Promptly he replied…

  “Every writer struggles with confidence from time-to-time. The thing is to ignore the inner-critic, and just continue regardless. Even if it is rubbish, at least it'll be a first draft that you can work on rather than having an incomplete (or no) script in the first place!”


So there it is straight out of the horse’s mouth! We are always going to struggle against our own self doubt and so do the professionals. So I end this blog with a quick note to self: Stop being so judgemental! Sit down, shut up and start writing!


Check out Danny Stacks Blog for great tips and advice and his all new podcasts.