Top Four Excuses Writers Make

Excuses, if you ask me, are the cornerstone of humanity. We don't cope well with failure so we invent reasons why we didn't succeed that have nothing to do with the real cause-and-effect situation. We don't want to admit that we were lazy or stubborn or selfish with our time; we just want to be able to make excuses for our failures. The top four excuses writers make are easily avoidable, however, if you learn how to focus on the real reasons behind your failed endeavors.

Excuse #1 - "It's supposed to be written like that..."

No writer likes to have his or her writing critiqued by someone else, even if that someone is a professional editor. If you are lucky enough to receive reasons for a rejection, you should view them as a method with which to improve rather than a slight on your writing ability. My wife and I edit manuscripts for a living and we run across the occasional client who says, "It's supposed to be written like that," or, "I used this pacing because it created this effect."

If you can't take constructive criticism as a writer and instead feel the need to make excuses, you are cheating yourself out of improvement. Instead, look at the manuscript again with an objective eye and ask yourself, "Is he right?" If so, then you can rework the problem area and perhaps experience success where otherwise you have failed.

Excuse #2: "I'm too busy to write."

Guess what? We're all busy! We have families and friends and house work and yard work and shopping and...the list goes on. One of the most common excuses writers make is for the lack of time they have to write. The fact is, however, that you have to make time to write, even if it means skipping a favorite television show or forgoing a night out with friends. If you truly want to succeed as a writer, you can't make excuses about time.