Writing can be an incredible joy.

It can also be soul sucking and awful.

I sometimes feel alone with these feelings. It turns out that my writer friends are also in the pits of writing despair, secretly (or openly) hating their work. I was mulling this in my head when I watched Pixar’s “Inside Out” with my kids. And it combined into this:

The 5 Stages of Writing Despair 

(as expressed with the cast of Pixar’s “Inside Out”)

1) Disgust: Oh God. What am I writing? This is awful!

2) Anger: THIS IS AN ABSOLUTE PIECE OF CRAP!

3) Fear: What if people don’t like this? Is caffeine overdose a real thing? What if my mother reads that sex scene on page 42?

4) Sadness: What’s the point? I’m not a “real” writer. I should just give up. Who will want to read this garbage anyway?

5) Joy: Huh. I guess it’s not so bad. And there are a few really great scenes. I’m kind of a genius. Wish I could hug my ideas.

Which stage are you in?

Stay tuned, I have a “Writers Guide to Rejuvenation” post coming up. It’ll be a humorous look at how writers can overcome these stages and keep writing.

– Chelsey