Topic: My worded thoughts

Hi guys... I'm new here and already I feel positive about this site. Thanks for having me..... So! Basically I love to read and write. I started writing before I even realised i was writing. Few years back I went to my old notes in basic school and I found a ton of stuff I wrote back then. Some were coherent some others were just ramblings...... Older and wiser I connect best through writing as there are things  I could never ever get to say except through writing. But then sometimes people read my stuff and say 'wow this is amazing' but in my mind I think they don't know the difference between something amazing and something basic. Right now my biggest fear is that I'm not good enough to write because I have read a lot of amazing books and comparing mine to them is pretty pale in my eyes. Is it just me or does anyone ever feel this way?

Quote Post 1

2 Reply by Mark S. Moore (edited by Mark S. Moore 2018-05-11 14:47:28)

Re: My worded thoughts

Welcome!

You're certainly not alone in feeling that you're not good enough at times. I've been here for about a year and still feel that way quite often. At some point you do have to have some confidence in your work, though, and this is a great place to find it—usually after a rude awakening.

As you start posting here just remember that no one who critiques or submits here has the final say on your writing, only you do. Writing is inherently personal but there are nuts and bolts to it and many of the critiquers here are wonderful at finding where you've gone wrong in that area. Some may be harsh, some may be overly kind, I hope you'll find enough critiquers somewhere in the middle to help you learn.

Quote Post 2

Re: My worded thoughts

Welcome to the trenches!
You will get encouragement and support here. And as Mark says, some harsh criticism as well as great suggestions to improve your work. For me, reviewing others was a tremendous help, seeing what works and what doesn't is easier when you're not so close to it. It's interesting how you notice mistakes in other work you make yourself and don't notice.
Good luck

Quote Post 3

Re: My worded thoughts

Yumpyyum wrote:

Right now my biggest fear is that I'm not good enough to write because I have read a lot of amazing books and comparing mine to them is pretty pale in my eyes. Is it just me or does anyone ever feel this way?

Welcome, Yumpyyum.

I've been writing the same book on a part-time basis for six years, and just as I was nearing the end, I concluded there is no audience for it, so I'm going to shelve it for a future rewrite. My writing has improved tremendously over the years thanks to thoughtful reviews from others on this site and from critiquing their work in return. Nevertheless, even when I thought I was finished with the first chapter (after six drafts and dozens of reviews), someone came along and suggested numerous ways to improve it. I have several favorite published authors in my genre and I still think my story doesn't stack up compared to them. However, these days, when I reread their work, I do so from the perspective of someone who wants to learn from their writing, rather than just wanting to read a good book.

Key item: don't forget to reply to all reviews. Many site members put in a lot of time reviewing the work of others, and the reply is an important way to thank them for their time. Obviously, if you like their work, critique them, and you might develop a reciprocal relationship between them and you. Naturally, not everyone likes to read every genre, so it may take a little time to find interested reviewers for the long haul as your write and post your work. As already noted, a very small number of people give blunt reviews. Don't let them dissuade you. One of the best reviews I ever receive was from someone who told me to start over (and why). He was right, so I did.

Quote Post 4

Re: My worded thoughts

I do sympathise, and I know exactly how you feel. Every time I think my stuff is ok, and coming along, I read something so much better that I can't imagine ever creating anything that good. But really, they probably went through just the same angsting with their first drafts, and it's only after a lot of work, reviewing the plot arc, deleting half of it, rewriting, putting it away, pulling it out again and trying again, that their work got to the high level of professionalism that makes me weep.
I do find that critiquing other people's work is very useful for making me think about what works and what doesn't so I can use that in my own portfolio. I try to give a reason for the things that I comment on, rather than just saying delete, or changing the wording, as that teaches me to be positive in my criticism, and also to think carefully about why I want to change something. So I would say leap into critiquing others if you don't have sufficient confidence to put your own work up, and make sure each comment you can justify. You'll learn loads that way.

Quote Post 5

6 Reply by B Douglas Slack (edited by B Douglas Slack 2018-05-11 17:02:08)

Re: My worded thoughts

Best way to start is to jump in, Yumpyyum. I've been on this site for some time now but when I started I was terrible at writing. If you were to check some of my earlier stories and compare them to my later ones, you'd see a big difference. Everything I learned, I learned mostly on this site from thoughtful and extensive reviews by others on the site.

It works. It definitely works. I've gone from a mere storyteller (filled with grammatical errors, verb tenses mixed up and everything else) to now. I have one book an Amazon and am preparing to publish my second.

It can be done and there is no reason why you can't do it. Never fear the reviews as well over 95% of them are filled with helpful hints.

Bill

Quote Post 6

7 Reply by Sideman (edited by Sideman 2018-05-11 18:44:29)

Re: My worded thoughts

Welcome to the site - we're delighted you're here!

I've been here a little over ten years. The difference between my first posts and what I post now is remarkable. As others have said, reply to all your reviews, be ready to accept constructive criticism and ... keep writing! Write whatever comes to mind, but keep writing. You can always go back and make revisions as necessary. But to simply write what comes to mind, regardless of its quality or content, keeps the idea alive. The way I see it, it's like owning a car. When it gets out of kilter, you usually take it to a repair facility rather than parking it in the backyard and letting it rust away. The suggestions you get here, combined with your own imagination and voice, serve as your repair facility for your work.

I hope you enjoy your time here as much as I have, and I hope you find we (we writers and the site administration) have a positive influence on your writing and that we meet your expectations. Wishing you the very best, and again, welcome.

Alan

PS:  What genre(s) do you write in?

Quote Post 7

8 Reply by Yumpyyum (edited by Yumpyyum 2018-05-12 06:40:33)

Re: My worded thoughts

I haven't figured out how to reply seperatly but you guys are awesome. Thank you so so much. To Alan,  the main reason i joined was to figure out with the help of you guys of course what genre I could fit in. Majorly I like to write inspirational/motivational articles. I also like writing stories and making sure there's a moral lesson behind each story. I like writing articles about what's not working in my democratic system. I like writing about the moral decadence and injustice witnessed on a daily basis. I also like to banter with words lol. Basically it's like a jack of all trade kind of thing but illd really love for it to be defined

Quote Post 8

Re: My worded thoughts

Yumpyyum wrote:

I haven't figured out how to reply seperatly but you guys are awesome. Thank you so so much. To Alan,  the main reason i joined was to figure out with the help of you guys of course what genre I could fit in. Majorly I like to write inspirational/motivational articles. I also like writing stories and making sure there's a moral lesson behind each story. I like writing articles about what's not working in my democratic system. I like writing about the moral decadence and injustice witnessed on a daily basis. I also like to banter with words lol. Basically it's like a jack of all trade kind of thing but illd really love for it to be defined

Hi, Yum, you can answer individual posts by clicking on the "quote" option in lower right of the box. You can edit out parts if you wish by deleting unwanted material or copy and paste just what you wish to reply to. You can also use BBCode to respond to a particular author's post by clickiong the BBCode option at the top right of the post box and follow those directions. It takes a while to get to know all the ins and outs of the system and some you may never use and figure out your own way to navigate. Take care. Vern

Quote Post 9

Re: My worded thoughts

Yumpyyum wrote:

because I have read a lot of amazing books and comparing mine to them is pretty pale in my eyes. Is it just me or does anyone ever feel this way?

Hi Yumpyyum!  Boy, oh boy, do I recognize this feeling!  I've been working on something for several years now, and it's not at all the same book it used to be.  That's because I kept deciding it was terrible and revising to the point of completely re-writing.  I'm certain that some of those changes (maybe all) were for the best, but I finally came to this site because I can't keep doing that forever.  I'll bet that's where you are in the process, too.

Glad to meet you and the other folks here!

Quote Post 10