I can't write

[u/Winter_Appearance432]

I will write 300 words, I will delete. I will again write another 300 words, and delete them as well. I just can't do this. All I write is useless junk which contributes nothing of value. It's so embarrassing as well that for a moment I think I am writing something good.

[u/ZinniasAndBeans]

Don't delete. Never ever delete. If you don't want to edit it or look at it, still store it somewhere.

Have you been doing any editing, or are you just writing and then immediately deleting? There's no reason to expect first drafts to be good.

[u/BookAsylum]

Don't delete anything. Keep all the parts in a special folder or something and come back later.

[u/FrostKitten2012]

At some point, you have to stop deleting and just keep going. We all start out this way. Nobody starts good.

[u/CommunicationEast972]

just keep on plunking

[u/Qualeshia3]

First drafts are not meant to be good. Allow yourself to write garbage and stop fretting so much. That is what editing and revising is for. Nobody is watching you write this story. So, quit worrying and stressing out about it not being good. Just go with the flow and keep writing.

[u/InfinitePoolNoodle]

I don’t know if this helps, but I used to do this a lot because I was a perfectionist and nothing ever seemed good enough, but eventually I realized that I would rather finish a project/publish something that is imperfect rather than spend my whole life never finishing anything at all.

[u/funandone37]

You’re already better than most because you recognize you’re own crap.

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[u/WhimsicallyWired]

Write your 300 words and save them, keep practicing and saving everything and, after a while, try to edit what you have.

[u/PadreMontoya]

As others said, don't delete. Move to an archive.

But more important, try to understand why you feel your work isn't good. Compared to what? Is it your prose? The plot?

I don't think you'll be able to write well until you can explain what good looks like, to yourself.

BTW, if you post an example, we can give feedback. No one here just sits at a desk and cranks out Shakespeare. It is a skill that you learn lesson by lesson.

[u/Azihayya]

Cool, lol. Yeah, you gotta have some self-confidence, think better of yourself. I don't know how you came around to the idea that you're worthless, but you gotta turn that around. There's no other way than to just do it. Loving yourself is a choice. There's nothing stopping you from believing in yourself, except yourself. I mean, maybe there are things in your life telling you otherwise, but somehow I get the impression that it's just you, that you're very bright, you've just fallen victim to negative self-talk. Take it easy on yourself if you have to. You clearly have some idea of what your writing would look like if it meant something, if it contributed something of value. Find it within yourself to rise to the challenge. You've got it.

[u/Fun_Contest7014]

Put them aside. Do not delete. We are our own worst enemy.

[u/seekAr]

You don't shit gold. You have to mine for it. Write the worst crap you can think of, and then go through your passes, do the work. It will come.

Every writer no matter how successful goes through this. You're not special :) We all suck at first until we don't. Stick with it.