I Should Stop Comparing Myself to Other Writers

Learning to respect my writing journey

Photo by Angelina Litvin on Unsplash

Respecting my writing journey—this is something I’m still learning to do effectively. Sometimes, it’s a genuine challenge not to compare myself to other writers, especially those who started their journeys around the same time I did.

I’ll be honest, it’s frustrating to see my fellow writing counterparts winning in the writing world, while I’m still trudging through the muddy waters of my unfinished novel, a project I began many moons ago. Please don’t mistake this for hate or bitterness; I truly respect all writers and am genuinely thrilled for their success. But when I objectively look at my own writing progress, I immediately want to give up. And that's where my struggle lies. My process, my journey, often feels like an eternity!

But then, I talk myself out of the panic. I remind myself: I am not like any other writer. My process and journey are uniquely mine, and because of that, I simply cannot afford to get caught up in comparing myself to what another writer is doing or not doing. Soaking in that detrimental mentality of comparison would only rob me of the very essence of why I write—my passion and pure joy for it.

And maybe that’s just it. I would love to have a completed manuscript, polished with a publication date, ready for the world. But I don't. Not right now, anyway. Yet "not right now" doesn’t equate to "never at all"—a conclusion I tend to play out in my head. All I need to do is focus on the writing itself. Focus on the journey, not the destination.

I've come a long way as a writer, learning and growing in ways I never thought I would. I truly appreciate the progress I’ve made over the years. My writing from just a year ago sounds quite different from my writing today, and I should be more than okay with that. Heck, that calls for a celebration! A celebration of growth, perseverance, and grit.

I keep going on this journey I created for myself, and I don't think I’ll ever stop. That is the most important part in all of this: I don’t stop writing. Even when I want to, I can’t. I have to keep going, because something buried deep within me craves it. Something unexplainable wants to be told. And I cannot ignore that.

It doesn’t matter how I subjectively feel about my writing; it has become a part of who I am. It’s more than just a hobby at this point; it’s a way of living. It’s what I do because I’m compelled to do it. And that’s something I want to hold on to forever.

So, comparisons cannot be made. I cannot afford the distress of allowing them to unmotivate me and trap me in a vicious cycle of shame and failure. I must keep writing. I must respect my writing journey.

---