The Taming of the Inner Critic

It isn’t uncommon to write because you read something that lacked, and you thought you could do better. It’s probably true that it lacked–not all writing is going to move you to silent awe.

Then the idea grows, and you experience an almost ethereal thrill. The process happening is beyond you. It’s so good.

Your story is the best.

Of course, you plummet during re-reading or editing. “I don’t even know what I was thinking. How can I decipher this?”

Your writing is the worst.

The truth is, it’s neither. It’s just writing. And that is a normal process, especially when you are close to the work and bleeding on the keyboard, as the quote goes. We have to calm, or tame, both the highs and the lows of the process.

Your Inner Demons Dragons Dinosaurs Critic

It is the same with our faith walk. Part of learning to recognize the Shepard’s voice is knowing which voice does not belong to him, the one accusing you.

Conviction from the comforter is not shaming. Shame has no place in writing or in fellowship with God.

Keep writing. Take a step back and look again. Then keep writing.

And if you want to take a step in bravery, we need more submissions for our Fiction Friday.

About this post:

Beliefs represented by individual authors are not necessarily shared by all members of ICW.

Author

Hilarey Johnson

Hilarey Johnson grew up hearing that she would be a good student if she could get her head out of the clouds. Her daydreaming still makes it possible to get lost driving anywhere. She loves characters with a hidden or unknown worth who rise up to claim their identity. She writes redemptive stories from Idaho and travels in the Pacific Northwest with her husband. Someday Hilarey hopes to time travel. She is the author of Breaking Bonds, and Dance of the Crane fiction series. She has written books and articles for Guideposts, Brio Magazine, Christian Living Magazine, local news papers such as the Times-News, North Lake Tahoe Bonanza and others. She blogs weekly about "Intimacy with God for the Over-Churched" at Hilarey.com. Hilarey Johnson is the current President of ICW.

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