Let’s be honest — social media has trained us to measure our words by how they perform. Likes, shares, comments. Numbers. It’s not wrong to want readers. But when we start to believe that only visible writing is valuable, we shrink our creative joy. Many people stop writing altogether because they think their words don’t count unless someone’s watching. That’s simply not true.
YA stories live on emotion and honesty. When you understand your own feelings, your characters’ emotions ring true. A panic attack you write about today might turn into a storm scene tomorrow. A friendship fight could become your novel’s heart. Journalling gives you emotional truth — the kind readers recognise as real.
Not all feedback is created equal. Some feedback will be super helpful and will genuinely make your work shine, but other times, people might not understand your vision. That’s okay. If someone gives you feedback that doesn’t align with your goals or creative vision, feel free to politely let it go. You know your project best.
If your idea of a “writing session” is lying face down on the carpet whispering ideas to your cat, you’re not alone. Fatigue (the chronic kind), burnout (the smouldering kind), or ADHD (the caffeinated chaos kind) don’t just affect energy—they sabotage the boring bits: focus, follow-through, and feeling like your work is ‘real’.
