ISWG: Four Stages of Writing: From Inspiration to Feedback (and Back Again)

 

Photo by Somruthai Keawjan on Unsplash

If you've ever felt like a writer on an emotional roller coaster, you're not alone—and there's actually a pattern. You start out excited, then sink lower, and then back up again. At least those are the four stages I go through. Read on to discover the four emotional stages every creative goes through—from initial excitement to critical feedback. Learn how to navigate each stage and keep writing. See if you can relate.

The Four Stages Explained 

 

Stage 1: Excitement

I have a new idea, and it is the best idea ever! This could also be called “TheShiny Manuscript Syndrome.” You’re brainstorming and everything is clicking. Or maybe you have written a first chapter (or first few) and the words just fly out of your fingers. I love this stage, but like infatuation, it never lasts long. It’s this stage I look back longingly for when I’m in the murky middle.

Me in Stage 1! A brand new idea!

  

Stage 2: Getting Serious

Maybe you’ve hit a snag with your plot. You get stuck and must circle back to a previous scene and rework. Or maybe you’re on chapter two or ten and writing each word is like squeezing blood from a turnip. Welcome to the real world of writing. For me, the first three chapters usually come easily. But around chapter four I need to make myself write. You will get through this if you keep your head down.

Stage Two: Plugging away! (Notice that I write at my dining room table.)

 

Stage 3: You're Finished!

Maybe you are finishing the first draft or the seventy-seventh or maybe you finally sent out a query or hit publish on KDP. But the high that you get with finishing—whether it’s a complete novel, a short story, or a poem—is a high that can’t be beat. You want to tell the world, “Hey, um, I finished this Thing.” And people, if they are not writers, might not understand. Celebrate, you did something, but here's where the real test begins. Stage Four is coming.

Finished!

 

 

Stage 4: Critical Feedback

You get feedback or rejections or critical reviews. This is a hard stage. After the euphoria of Stage Three, after finishing an entire book (and maybe editing it multiple times), this stage is hard. Maybe there’s a plot hole you never saw (of course there is!). Or maybe a character is not as well-rounded as she was in your head. Or maybe your ending didn’t land. Or maybe you get a one-star review. When I get feedback, I usually go through three stages of grief (shock, anger, depression) until I realize that feedback is helpful, and then, you guessed it, I’m back to Stage One. Now, instead of a new idea, I have the best idea ever for fixing this manuscript. This is where I am right now. I've just gotten mostly positive feedback from betas, but I have a few more tweaks to tackle this month.

Notes from a beta reader, not very critical, but you get the idea.

 

Rinse and Repeat and Grow.

The writer’s journey is long with so many ups and downs. It’s not just the challenge of getting your work published or selling those books but fighting those voices of discouragement. This cycle is normal and worth it.

How do you cope with discouragement and doubt?

 

Enjoyed this post? Never miss out on future posts by following this blog.

*As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. It is no cost to you. Thank you for your support!

If you'd like to read more ISWG posts or sign up, please go HERE. You won't be disappointed.