Tim Robbins Quotes

In my case, the long gaps between my books have got quite a lot to do with lack of confidence. A lot of the time when I'm not writing I start thinking I can't do it.

I always think the insecurity is going to go away, but it's always there. Only bad writers think they're good.

Every word I write I suspect the next day.

I have a hard time sometimes watching my own work.

If you're a writer, you're constantly doubting yourself.

For a long time I managed to think two things simultaneously, that I am actually a good playwright, and that the next time I write a play I will be revealed as someone who is no good at all.

I have forgotten my rave reviews and memorized my vicious ones - like most writers.

Part of being an artist is that you are always concerned you don't have what it takes. It... keeps us honest.

As a writer, you live in permanent self-doubt; you're on permanent trial.

But if I worried too much about publishers' expectations, I'd probably paralyze myself and not be able to write anything.

The screenwriters I know share a few personality traits and one of them is anxiety.

Writers are always critical of themselves and I'm no exception. I always feel that maybe I could have done better.

I find writing extremely difficult. I usually have to drag myself to my desk, mainly because I doubt myself. And it's getting harder because I want to improve with every book.

I always had a superstitious fear of setting up a too well-designed writing place and then finding that the writing had absconded.

You always feel like a hack and a fraud when you're writing. It's just how it goes.

I know I have trouble watching my own films.

I am always in self-doubt... every moment of my filmmaking. I am supremely confident when the story is being written and everything is in our head. But the moment we get into the filmmaking, I start doubting myself - from the camera angle to the re-recording to getting the actors to do their shots.

Unfortunately, I am very aware of editing and I look at the monitor too much. Sometimes the monitor can become your worst enemy because you can, consciously or unconsciously, start editing yourself.

I second-guess and overthink and rethink every single thing that I do.

I don't write well when I'm sitting there sweating about every single phrase.

Every writer knows that unless you were born gifted with either supreme confidence or outsize ego, handing in your work holds, in some cases, admitted terror. If that's too strong, at least fairly high anxiety.

I find writing very difficult. It's hard and it hurts sometimes, and it's scary because of the fear of failure and the very unpleasant feeling that you may have reached the limit of your abilities.

I have the worst ear for criticism; even when I have created a stage set I like, I always hear the woman in the back of the dress circle who says she doesn't like blue.

I'm always thinking 'Don't mess this up.'

Part of me feels that I'm letting people down by not being as interesting as my books.