Do All Creatives Second-Guess Their Work?

Maybe, maybe not. I know that I do.

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I’ve self-published a dozen books, sci-fi, fantasy, and Steampunk. As of this writing, I have 4 completed books I’ve edited that need to go to an editor. I have 3 unedited, complete books and am nearing the end of a 4^th.

The new series I’ve been working on – Savagespace – was planned and plotted to be 6 books total. As planned, they’d be around 200 pages each.

But then, I considered what I’ve been reading. Most of the sci-fi I’m reading clocks in between 300 – 450 pages. Hence, I’ve been considering combining the books in this series together – which will get me to around 400 or so pages, each.

Yet, book 3, by itself, is going to be closer to 250 pages. There’s a lot to it (and the remaining chapters to be written I don’t anticipate being short).

And then, I started reading another sci-fi series recently, and the books are – yup – about 200 pages each. So now I’m second-guessing how to approach this.

Hence my question – do all creatives second-guess their work?

My perspective

When it comes to creating, for me, it can be far too easy to second-guess.

This might be different for an amateur, or someone not trying to make a living with their creative work. But as a writer, I’m looking to tell stories that prospective readers will enjoy – without making them either too long or too expensive.

Hence, eBook pricing is always an interesting question. You don’t need to charge a high fee to make a profit. But people value products, goods, and services in different ways.

I’ve seen authors – particularly mainstream and traditionally published authors – charge $10+ for their eBooks. Most indie authors, however, charge less than $6 for eBooks. And the range of size varies from just under 200 pages to nearly 500 pages, depending on the story.

For perspective – 200 pages tend to be nearly – but not quite – 50,000 words. And 50,000 words tend to be the accepted threshold between a novella and a novel.

One reason I second-guess myself is that I look at this from the perspective that – as an indie author – I can’t justify charging more than usually $4.99 an eBook.

But then, I question if I can charge $4.99 whether the book is 200 or so pages versus 400 or so. Now I find myself second-guessing that.

This is one thing I second-guess. It’s certainly not the only thing.

What else do I second-guess?

Another thing I second-guess is my editing. Am I keeping too much of ‘X’? Should I trim ‘Y’ further? Am I telling too much here that I should find a way to show later? Am I telling a story anyone other than me is going to want to read?

I don’t write to the market – that would be what a hack does. The stories I write are akin to the stories I read. But second-guessing my creative works is more constant than I should like it to be.

Much of this is borne of various insecurities. Feelings of not being good enough, worthy, blah blah blah.

It all comes down to a combination of confidence, self-assurance, self-belief, and debating my self-worth, really.

It can be deeply frustrating.

And it doesn’t answer the question.

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Do other authors and creatives second-guess their work?

Based on things I’ve read and conversations with other creatives that I’ve had – the answer is yes.

Not all the time nor with every creation. But almost every creative I know has second-guessed something about the work that they put out.

Part of this, I believe, comes from the reality that creatives don’t do what everyone else does. Creatives are taking a different approach to work, time management, and numerous other aspects of life.

Hence, I think it’s safe to say that most creatives second-guess their work. All is too broad a statement. But most is a more easily measurable concept.

I think it’s perfectly natural to second-guess your work. That’s largely because the harshest critic any of us face is ourselves.

We also tend to be the meanest, least pleasant critics of ourselves and our work. Second-guessing is almost a minor inconvenience by comparison.

As far as I can tell, this is perfectly normal. And most likely expands to everyone in addition to creatives. But as a creative, my focus is on the unusual, non-societally-normal work that I do and the added layer of that reality therein.

What do you do with this?

Recognize you will second-guess yourself. Acknowledge it. Then – choose to change something or keep moving forward.

Be mindful if second-guessing starts interfering with the completion of your work. That’s the only danger, I think, that comes from this. If you keep going back and revising again and again – and don’t reach the end – you create a loop it’s difficult to break free of.

Hence why I often advise other writers – don’t go back and edit your work until it’s done. Unless what you need to change will significantly impact the story in a way it needs to be done to reach the conclusion – just keep writing to the end.

When you second-guess and don’t finish your work – that’s the problem. The key is to analyze, accept or reject what you’re second-guessing, and keep moving forward.

Easier said than done sometimes. But since we almost all do it, being mindful of it helps us to overcome it and the pitfalls associated with second-guessing.

How are you inspired to be your own creator – whatever form that takes?

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