Good morning gorgeous,
First and foremost, no. No you are not a terrible writer. you’re not a terrible writer, but maybe you need to learn something new. There are certainly things you can and could learn. Most writers, even the ones who have published tons of books are still learning as they go along or finding something they didn’t know about. We all go at our own pace.
If you feel like your writing could use a boost. Then I suggest doing some research and be willing to learn about what you find. For example, there are planning guides for your novel or short stories and many tips and tricks. But most of all, keep writing and don’t stop and try to finish every project that you start. Because the more projects you finish, the more you’ll learn about the structure of the novel and what works and doesn’t work.
If your writing feels droopy, saggy, or just terrible in general, then do some studying. Perhaps your writing process isn’t’ working for you. Maybe it isn’t the write process for you. So don’t be afraid to try something new and test the waters. You might find something that works much better for you than what you were previously doing.
For example, I tend to be more of a discovery writer, but most writers aren’t and they need to make a plan to follow before even putting any real words onto the page. Some plotters need to make a short guide to their novel or series, but others need to plot out every chapter and every detail they’re going to need for their novel.
There is no right or wrong way to write a book, but writing a book the way that is the most difficult for you would be closer to the wrong way as you are working against yourself. But now, you may not know you are working against yourself if you don’t do you research an try something new. Instead, you’ll wonder how writers are finishing a novel in a month or two and you’re taking a full year to write the rough draft. Just do what works for you.
Here are a few tips on what to research about and what you might want to learn if you haven’t learned it already:
plotting/planning guides
character arc templates
story arc template (by genre)
character sketches
worldbuilding guides
outlining template
types of plotting
story structures
These bullets were just some of the questions I had about writing and things that I searched up when I was first beginning writing and first studying the craft. I found them quite helpful, especially when I didn’t even know story structure was a thing. There are many resources at your disposal.
One website I highly recommend for studying writing is Reedsy. I used them a lot while studying writing and I still do study some of their free classes if I find I’m struggling or forgetting things. I find them extraordinarily useful. There is so much that goes into writing and the sooner you begin, the more you can learn about it.
These are all my tips for today, but I hope you find them helpful and I hope you learn something useful! Thank for stopping by. Lots of love! Happy reading and writing and studying! Until next time.
Celine Rose Marie