About Writing Insecurities

Have you ever had this nagging feeling, that your own writing seems to have approached this dead-end limit; where no matter what you type down the keyboard, or write on the notepad, that you won't get any better anyways? You're looking to see where you can go better, the faults and flatness in your stories — but you aren't so sure what exactly you can do.

Me, I've been thinking my writing can use an upgrade for quite some time. I'm fine with rudimentary spelling/grammar already, but I feel my writing doesn't stand out so well to others. If I'd asked for a critique, I get something like "It's pretty good, but it could use a little less description." Not really good help, thank you very much.

How I wish we can better ourselves as easily as upgrading our handy-dandy computers — but it's more like, looking at our own writing is like a mirror trying to see its own imperfections. Without anyone else's honest thoughts, it will be a nightmare to become an interesting writer.

I'm going on a reading binge of other's works — and it seems the more I read, the less I seem to really know in the grand scheme of things. I am wondering, how do you go about with refining your writing for the better?

edited 12th Jan '11 9:46:01 PM by QQQQQ

Keep doing it. Really; just keep putting pen to paper (or fingers to keyboard).

Remember: everyone has something important to say. The only trick is figuring out how to say it.

You could find a teacher. A writing course won't make you a great storyteller, but it will give you the technical tools to at least pretend to be one. On the creative side, I've found that if something isn't working for me, I look for examples of that aspect of writing which I like, then try to isolate what made it good.

Your writing is solid enough that nobody can find glaring flaws. That means you're a competent writer. If everyone could give fantastic criticism and turn an average work into a masterpiece then writing wouldn't really be much of a skill. It takes time, hard work, good editors and lots of revising.

If you're just getting bad criticism, remember that giving criticism is a skill just like any other and you'll have to find better critics. I'd be willing to let you bounce your ideas off me, if you like, but for the most part I don't think TV tropes is a great place for criticism.

But yes, everyone always has something important to say, do they? Will they be heard though? Or to put it: "Okay. You've got my attention. Now why the hell are you wasting my precious minutes with your bloody story? When I have this goodly mega-awesome story to read instead?"

That is my issue. I might write and write. Then would people read it? Want to read it? Or am I writing for the blind? Of course, you might cop-out and argue, that writing is fun for its own sake. But hey, I can debate for debate's sake, and come out with an unintelligent verdict. No. I might as well type "All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy" on the typewriter till the cows come home. Hurray.

I know that people write for a greater reason, their raison d'etre if you will. Some might write to explore Zombies in all their rancidness. Some write because they like metafictionally exploring tropes in its own sake. Some write for the beauty of their constructed universes. Some write for the romance of the 5-femtometer-nanotech robot and the alien microbe nearby. Yes.

I write to explore the intricacies of the moment, the inner, contemplative emotions that would stir inside. Like the chasing after of the one you have so longed for. Or the grief of loneliness in the distant future. And not only just that — I wish to share it all with others. What I can't say face-to-face, I write it in a love letter piece.

And I will keep looking for improvement, like a wanderer in the dark night for a beacon.

Until I find, in hopes, appreciation:

First you scare the crap out of me, then you nearly break my heart, then you make me smile through tears, then you make me want to hug the whole bunch of them. And you make me love the damn rollercoaster you just put me through and want moremoreMORE.

edited 12th Jan '11 10:27:44 PM by QQQQQ

But yes, everyone always has something important to say, do they? Will they be heard though?

What matters is that you wrote it. Who cares if someone reads it? Who gives a crap if anyone finds it "stimulating" or "appealing"? You actually put it on paper, and that is not a waste regardless of what anyone tells you.

There's too much concern with what "will sell" and what "will cause interest" in writing today. Just do it, dammit.

The best writers didn't give a shit what anyone thought.

What he said. Ninjaed.

FYI love the new avatar drunkscriblerian.

edited 13th Jan '11 4:35:53 AM by joeyjojo

Finding good and honest critique is hard because it times time, effort, an analytical level-headed eye, and a peculiar combination of blunt unaffectedness required to be brutally honest with the caring consideration required for someone to bother themselves to spend that time and energy on your writing.

On top of this, the amount of creative people that honestly cannot take criticism at all well is too high for many people to bother taking chances.

I feel that I can make very critiques and am capable of giving great, detailed feedback (though this skill speaks nothing for my actual skill of writing itself, sad to say) . But that takes honest-to-god effort, and my standards are very high. Complete brutal honesty is something I rarely give when giving critique or feedback; there is often simply no way to know if the recipient will appreciate it, especially since often times it is mostly negative feedback I have to offer. And I feel that is how almost all other potential 'helpful critics' are online.

So if you want 'real critique' and some detailed honest advice, you're going to have to hunt it out, not just hand your writing to people and hope for the best. That will only get you lukewarm results.

As for feeling like you're hit a wall, or you're not improving, or you want to take the next level, I can attest that this is not something unique to the writing medium. Artistically, I have gone through a similar experience. Right now I think I have passed that somewhat, by starting to expand my horizons, try new mediums, and start studying the fundamentals I'd been ignoring for so long. A similar approach may work for others.

For writing, myself, my biggest struggle is getting pen to paper. Beyond that, I refuse to let myself become concerned with everything else I'm struggling in; this is the hurdle I must overcome first. However, after that step, if I can get myself to write on a regular basis, I have a good feeling the types of writing exercises I'd want to play with to start on 'improving my craft'. Think of writing as any other skill that takes practice, observation, and mastery of individual mini-skills. For example, studying rhetorical devices and doing writing exercises that apply each effectively, or using different, unusual voices and narrators or writing styles. Etc., etc., go troping, sometimes that can be inspiring.

But keeping on writing is the most important part, I think. Even if you're stuck, as long as you aren't going backwards, it's something you'll move past eventually. It just may take a while depending on your approach...

<3 ali

To me, writing fiction is like putting a message in a bottle. It may wind up in a whale's belly, or it may get you rescued (however you define "rescue"). It won't make you rich, it won't change the world, it won't become a Hollywood blockbuster, unless you're very very lucky. It will usually make you feel better, so you have to approach it as something that is its own reward.

The best training I know is to practice. Different genres, different characters, different situations, different lengths, different styles, different everything. Write when you have time, write on a schedule, write a quota of words/pages, whatever works for you.

The second best training is study. Read your favorite authors, but take notes. Why did s/he put it exactly that way? How did these characters wind up in this fix? What does this description bring to mind, and how did it do so? What compromises did s/he make in the process of transcribing what was in his/her head? What would you do differently?

^ It is what I'm doing. I take a look at other's writings, what they do good, and what can be made to improve on. Keep it all in mind. But not just my favourite authors though; that would reading only one encyclopedia out of many.

And by the time I do finish my reading binge, I hope to see a quantum jump in my own writing. A good idea, is it? Or is there anything else also I can try doing? (Writing exercises I've tried already.)

edited 13th Jan '11 12:01:42 PM by QQQQQ

Who gives a crap if anyone finds it "stimulating" or "appealing"? You actually put it on paper, and that is not a waste regardless of what anyone tells you.

As someone who is experiencing similar insecurities, I don't understand this statement. When I think "Why do I write?" I come up with either "To entertain other people" or "To prop up my ego with the knowledge that I have entertained other people." Both of those require readers.

Of course, part of my problem is that I don't expect readers even if I'm a good writer, simply because of the market glut—it feels like writing a lottery ticket, only much more exhausting and time-consuming.

edited 13th Jan '11 2:07:44 PM by feotakahari

I can't emphasize this enough: practice writing.

write write write write write write write write write write write write write write write write write write write write write write write write write write write write write write write write write write write write.

then write some more.

If that doesn't work, if you see no measurable improvement in your skill, think about another hobby.

I'm pretty sure not thinking your writing is good enough is something all good writers think. Hell, I'd go so far as to say that thinking this helps them become good writers.

As I recall, even the greatest writers were typically unsatisfied with their works, right up to the actual printed versions.

As far as tips, all the stuff I would say has already been not only covered, but wrapped in a mile of tape and beaten with sledgehammers.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dunning%E2%80%93Kruger_effect

This is a possibility as to why many people are unsatisfied with their own writing: simply because due to their own skill and knowledge, they realize how much better they could be, and thus have a generally negative or average opinion on their work.

Here's a question.

What do you do when you start to feel depressed about your own works?

'coz lately I've been getting a lot of negative feedback and next to no positive feedback, and it's starting to wear away at me. I hardly ever visit over here anymore, and I haven't touched any of my stories in days...

Advice?

Is this an open question to anybody or just QQQQQ?

My question was addressed to anyone who can help me out :/

@cygan: take a break, but not too long of one. Then, re-approach the negative criticsm and your writing and see if you can decipher what they're talking about. If you can and agree, fix it. If you cannot, well...fuck 'em, and keep on writing.

Personally, I think you have talent. Thusly why I'm encouraging you.

Thanks, Drunk.

I might post something here later, see what reaction it gets.

A saying among authors is that you write a million bad words before you write any good ones. With that in mind I regard all my work as practise. I still want my stuff to be good (or at least average), but the fact that I've written something is much more important.

Also, if I can entertain a handful of people, I'm happy. I've only had one guy read my story without me asking him to, but because he liked it I was ecstatic.

As for looking at your own work and deciding it is crap, well, according to Writing Excuses, Neil Gaiman calls up his editor 2/3 of the way through every book and informs him it's awful and he has to start over. Needless to say, that is not the case.

What Sidewinder said. Think of writing you're not happy with as "meeting your quota of shit." I promise you - EVERYONE writes shit. So go ahead and write cheesy, boring, awful tripe, and celebrate it!

When you want to hone your craft, there are two really good things you can do:

(1) Read - in particular, read good examples of the kind of thing you want to write. (2) Write.

Good luck :)

@Q, "less description" is terrible advice. That isn't how you can make your writing better, it's how you can make it more like everyone else's.

That said, you could, as a writing excersize to help you feel less stagnant, deliberately write in a style or tone uncomfortable or unfamiliar to you, or write something like a play or a comic, or create a character or situation that seems to clash irreconsilably with your usual style (dialogue heavy= shy/at a library, lavish visuals= listening behind a door). It isn't that the way you do it is wrong, but if you're feeling dissatisfied with it it never hurts to try something new.

Now you mention it, I think I might. I tend to write introspectively — hm, say, I'm all ears right now for a story idea to write.

edited 15th Jan '11 7:31:02 PM by QQQQQ

Have you ever tried writing Horror? You strike me as the kind of person who usually wouldn't write that genre of fiction.

I think this webcast might help — in this episode of Writing Excuses, they discuss the viewpoint of "I'm a horrid writer and my writing can eat dirt."

And as an aside, writing is the best practice and exercise for writing . You can read and read and read about swimming, look at how others swim on TV, but unless you step in that water you would never learn the first-hand experience of doing it.

Also, I find it helps massively if you can finish whatever "must-dos" you've got before entering the writing mindset. Homework, assignments, chores, etc. A clean mind writes good.

That said, I start a writing thread of my own, a (short) story serial in the works — publicly open for all to see the writing process in action. Perhaps it won't garner as much attention or praise as the much lavished thread you know I speak of. But I tell you, the audience is a fickle maiden. The best person who you can write for is yourself.  ^*

And as long as you can do that, to express your uniqueness — that is the ultimate reward, that no praising can ever replace.

edited 2nd Feb '11 6:43:07 PM by QQQQQ

That is, in my opinion, a very idealized viewpoint. I write to tell a story - what is the point of telling a story when ultimately you are the only one who knows of its existence.

And if it hasn't been obvious yet - I have the same sort of insecurity as noted here. I won't claim mine is more severe than yours, but I've been in a constant state of semi-depression over the past three years over having absolutely zero reader.