Home - Back

How bad am I as a writer?

- [Previous Topic] [Next Topic]
#130 [2004-04-25 16:03:53]

How bad am I as a writer?

by mg_batt

Okay... I just thought about this after answering Tiffany's post on
writing...

Many of you have been writing for a while and I know of at least one
who writes for a living, so I need your opinion.

First let me establish that I hate creative writing in school, was
more of a math person. Now though, I write for enjoyment (primarily
for myself) and I write on whim. This leads to sometimes weird story
lines in my chapters and no research whatsoever. Sounds real bad
huh? I try to be historically correct but sometimes my stories just
don't want it that way. I like alternate pairings. I like OOCness. I
like comedy (although am extremely bad at it). All of these appears
in my writing.

I never really think about my reader since only a chosen few would
read my stories so I go with what I feel is right. Anything that
will entertain me is my motto. Yes I know I'm very egoistic *grins*

So is that all so bad? Should I change? *cries and runs away*

[Next #131]

#131 [2004-04-25 16:15:40]

Re: [SHQ_Spy_Division] How bad am I as a writer?

by bsher213

Grace Battista wrote:

>I never really think about my reader since only a chosen few would read my stories so I go with what I feel is right. Anything that will entertain me is my motto. Yes I know I'm very egoistic *grins*
>
>So is that all so bad? Should I change? *cries and runs away*
>
>
>
>
Apart from a few folks nobody reads my stuff
either so you're not alone there.

And you are _absolutely_ correct in going with what
you feel is right in a story. It's your story you
are free to tell it your way. Now when someone or
ideally more than one person points out the same
thing that strikes them as "wrong" then you probably
should go back and try to see it from their side.
If the change they suggest or the flaw they find makes
sense to you then go ahead and change it--but only
if you want to.

The thing about writing is that you're always learning little ways to make it better so just because someone has written 100 stories to your 10 it doesn't necessarily mean that what they say is _the way it has to be_.

You get that a lot in the romance writing field their way or no way.
Yeah well my first book broke a whole mess of "their rules" but a
major publisher still liked it enough to buy. Of course
they rejected all but one thing since then but such is
life in the big city I guess.
--
Barbara Sheridan

http://www.barbarasheridan.net

[Previous #130] [Next #132]

#132 [2004-04-25 21:09:16]

Re: How bad am I as a writer?

by maryannsfanfic

Hi Grace!

There is only one rule: you have to write what you really want to
write. You don't write to please the readers, you write for yourself,
because it's your hobby.

Now, you could become as obsessed as I am with keeping characters IC,
getting numerous beta-readers, taking months before posting anything,
just in case… But you know what? No matter what you do, there will
always be people unhappy about your work. Too complex, not enough
complex… Too many descriptions, not enough descriptions… Too many
characters, not enough characters… Not the pairing that they like,
and so on…

Even when you try to be historically correct, there will always be
someone who, at one point, will feel obliged to say "hey you are
wrong about this…" even if you weren't.

So at the end of the day, if you feel proud of what you wrote, then
everything is just fine the way it is. You change your writing style
and habits if you want to change them, if you are unhappy about your
work and think that you could improve, but not because you feel
oblige to change.

And alternate pairings are not necessarily a bad thing. I enjoy them
quite a lot. (^-^)

Mary-Ann

[Previous #131] [Next #133]

#133 [2004-04-25 21:47:43]

Re: [SHQ_Spy_Division] Re: How bad am I as a writer?

by warg3791

There is an old Cajun proverb that says, "If your not talking to yourself, you're talking to the wrong people." The same could be said about writing. If you're doing it for others, then you're doing doing it for the wrong people. To me, it's really as simple as that.

-MissBehavin

[Previous #132] [Next #134]

#134 [2004-04-25 22:29:41]

Re: [SHQ_Spy_Division] Re: How bad am I as a writer?

by spiritus_saitou

Warg3791@... wrote:

>>There is an old Cajun proverb that says, "If your not talking to yourself, you're talking to the wrong people." The same could be said about writing. If you're doing it for others, then you're doing doing it for the wrong people. To me, it's really as simple as that.<<

I really like that quote, MissB!

It has always been my understanding that in fanfiction in particular (or maybe I should just say "amateur" fiction), it was all about writing what you wanted to write or maybe experiment with and then you *SHARED* it with others. Differences in opinion became *DISCUSSION* that could lead in all kinds of directions, among them rewrites of a story or entirely new stories.

For me, *bad* writing is constant grammar and spelling errors (with leeway given to the non-native English writer, but not carte blanche), pure rewrites of scenes from the source material that doesn't add anything, characters WILDLY OOC (Saitou as a flaming queen, constantly worrying about his nails, every little speck on his uniform, exaggerated swishing... a character someone like Nathan Lane might play --- sorry, I can't buy it... well, maybe if it's an outrageous parody or somesuch), and a refusal on the part of an author to learn from past mistakes (talking about simple rules of writing, like how to use paragraphs, appropriate punctuation, verb tenses) when I know in reason such things have been pointed out to them. I *want* to know about anything a reader thinks is wrong with a story of mine... I may not agree with them, it may be an issue of style for me (for instance, I was taught to write complex sentences that were interspersed with short ones, which some readers don't
like...... others do like it), or a suggestion may do something to the story I don't want (maybe the thing I get the most comments about is my habit of very brief, minimal introductions... the person making the comment tends to want all the facts up front when what I'm trying to do is set a mood or plant an idea that will become clear in the story proper... I don't want the facts known from the first, either because it will spoil a surprise or minimalize something I want a character to experience... it's something I've been thinking about whether or not to stop doing... knowing me, I probably won't, but rather look at ways at trying to make it more successful). BUT, I appreciate the interaction with a reader. What they disagree with tells me a lot and I do give what is said a lot of thought, but ultimately, I write for myself in hopes that someone else will enjoy the interlude.

And don't go by lack of comments as a sign that no one is reading or enjoying what you're writing. Most people just consume (or may be like me, who can't read while they're writing... I now have a list of stories about as long as I am tall that I want/need to read when writer's block sets in for a long, cold winter spell). If you had access to a hit count on a story, you'd be amazed. (Adultfanfic.net has a hit count and I think ff.net does as well with paid accounts.)

You write what *YOU* want to write. Otherwise, where's the cream filling? (sorry... I forget we're international and you may not be familiar with Twinkies or Twinkies commercials...)

phil (feeling surprisingly okay tonight...)



---------------------------------
Do you Yahoo!?
Yahoo! Photos: High-quality 4x6 digital prints for 25�

[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

[Previous #133] [Next #135]

#135 [2004-04-25 22:50:56]

Re: How bad am I as a writer?

by bsher213

spiritus saitou wrote:
< (Adultfanfic.net has a hit count and I think ff.net does as well with
paid accounts.)>>

Oh no that's torture pure and simple--especially when a lot of people
hit the first chapter of a multi part fic and then the numbers do a
steady drop off for succeeding chapters.

I just want to scream: Why did I lose your interest? I'm not getting
bored with it so it can't be that bad.

--
Barbara Sheridan

http://www.barbarasheridan.net

[Previous #134] [Next #138]

#138 [2004-04-26 20:29:01]

Re: How bad am I as a writer?

by mg_batt

Ahh!!! Definitely agree with you Barb (may I call you that?)... It
would be a horrifying feeling to actually know you had readers but
then lost them... :O) ARGH!!!! It can really hit the ego very bad...

What else? Thank you to everyone who responded. Mary Ann, Phil,
MissB, Barb, did I forget anyone? Those are really words to think
about...

There's always room for improvement as Phil said but as the others
said also, if you're not enjoying what you write anymore (and it has
become a chore) why bother? Thanks for all your views. Wow it's
great to get responses from people who I KNOW write well...

--- In SHQ_Spy_Division@yahoogroups.com, Barbara Sheridan
wrote:
>
>
> spiritus saitou wrote:
> < > (Adultfanfic.net has a hit count and I think ff.net does as well
with
> paid accounts.)>>
>
> Oh no that's torture pure and simple--especially when a lot of
people
> hit the first chapter of a multi part fic and then the numbers do
a
> steady drop off for succeeding chapters.
>
> I just want to scream: Why did I lose your interest? I'm not
getting
> bored with it so it can't be that bad.
>
> --
> Barbara Sheridan
>
> http://www.barbarasheridan.net

[Previous #135]


Made with