Create Your Own Monster-Hunter
There’s a voice in my head. Yours, too? It tells me all about how I’m an imposter, and how I’m not good enough and how I’m never going to make it as a writer. Yours, too? It doesn’t believe in logic, nor evidence. Yours, too?
But you know what I realized? This voice sounds suspiciously like a cartoon, caricature, cardboard villain. In fact, if I wrote a character with the same personality as the negative voice in my head, I’d give myself a pretty damning review. The voice has a one-note trill; it’s neither melodic, nor original. It’s not a siren song luring me to the evil darkness of its message; it’s not even that intriguing.
Yet I buy into it. Don’t we all? It’s easy to fall prey to its tenor, and I don’t blame me (nor should you blame yourself). As harsh as it is, it preys on our own insecurities, making them sound like they’re real.
But for every antagonist in our stories, we have a protagonist. We have a character who, against all odds, is going up against our villain. It’s not going to be easy—we, as their creators, will make sure of that—but (for most of us) they will win. So if we’ve created a monster in our minds, why not create our very own monster-hunter?
I think my brain has enough capacity to house a different voice. A more encouraging, empathetic voice. Yours, too?