Doubt Monster

Doubt Monster

The Overwhelmingness of Craft

When too much info short-circuits creativity

Amy L Bernstein's avatar
Amy L Bernstein
Aug 05, 2025
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Photo by Gaspar Uhas on Unsplash

I’ve just returned from three days of intensive teaching at a writer’s conference. An image lingers: the look on dozens of writers’ faces as I pound technical craft tips, examples, strategies, and pitfalls into their tiring brains. I’m fairly certain this is what they’re thinking:

I thought I knew how to write—until now.

I …

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