Concrete steps to remove critic while writing
When writing drafts, what are some steps you to take to lose self-consciousness / leave the critic at the door / write from the subconscious / write without giving a f* what anyone might think?
For some reason I've been better at this with my short stories and wrote and completed eight without much internal drama. But my novel, likely because it is autofictional, paralyzes me a little. I write as if someone's standing at my shoulder and what comes out on the page does not feel "true," feels like a performance. I've tried writing in notebooks (so I don't self-edit), writing at dawn/late at night. I just feel too self-conscious when working on my novel, yet it is the thing I most want to work on, my most passionate writing project.
Would love to hear tips that work for you guys.
Posted Feb 15, 2026, 3:47 PM UTC