Nothing You Write is Ever a Waste of Time

Push your self-criticism to the side.

Maddie Rose
2 min readJan 8, 2021

Many writers are plagued with self-doubt. We write a few sentences or pages or chapters in feverish passion before slowly tapering off into the realm of negative thoughts. We feel like we aren’t good enough. We wonder if we are wasting our time.

What we need to remember is that nothing we write is ever a waste of time. Each and every sentence we write is another stepping stone to becoming a better writer.

Every time you write, you are finding your voice. You’re crafting your skills, learning what works and what doesn’t. You will slowly notice the things you love to write about. You will learn what kind of style flows through your soul like silk and onto the page.

If you spend an entire day of writing and end up with a load of what you consider to be trash, there’s no need to feel deflated or like you’ve wasted your time.

You haven’t.

You probably needed that day of trash-writing to hone your skills. If you’re writing a novel or a short story, you may have needed that day to delve down a path you were always considering, only to learn that it’s not the right path for you. You should never consider an hour of writing or a day of writing as a waste of time, regardless of what you’ve produced. It all matters, and it all counts towards the bigger picture.

Photo by NeONBRAND on Unsplash

Every word you write, each sentence you develop and every page you fill is benefiting your craft in someway. Whether you’re writing an epic novel, writing an article or journalling for yourself, every part counts.

All of your horrible sentences, bad grammar, dodgy plot-holes and struggles with writer’s block will help you in the long run. They are all leading you down the path to being a better writer with each day.

So continue to write your little heart out, because you love it. Continue to learn, continue to practice. You should never feel like you’re wasting your time, and you should try to push aside any feelings of doubt.

You’ll be better off with every single word.

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Maddie Rose

Leaving parties early since 1991. Advertising suit by day.