fandomsecrets | [ SECRET POST #2709 ]

⌈ Secret Post #2709 ⌋

Warning: Some secrets are NOT worksafe and may contain SPOILERS.

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Notes:

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Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Do you like writing? Is it something you enjoy doing? Does it make you happy or relieve tension for you? Does it give you something to look forward to or some kind of meaning?

If the answer to any of those question is yes - then keep writing.

You don't have to do it for anyone but yourself.

Some other things:
1) if you write, then you are a writer.
2) don't worry about how original your ideas are. all ideas have been done before, it's where you take it to that makes something "original". in fact, you should only really be worrying about originality if you're close to actually publishing, and it sounds like you aren't. so don't worry!
3) you are the writer. which means you are in control of your stories. at the moment, there is no one looking over your shoulder, telling you what to do. so write whatever you want!
4) I know this is hard - but try to remove your ego from your writing. you are not your writing. your writing is a product made by you, but it is not you. there are many other things that are worthy and good about you beyond your writing.
5) when you're in the middle of writing, don't focus on originality or performance. focus on the idea that made you excited about the story in the first place. what was that concept that you loved? keep focusing on that to motivate you. you can worry about how good it is when you've actually finished something and need to edit it.

to me, it sounds like you need to figure out WHY you are writing and what your motivations are. perhaps you've wrapped your writing up with your sense of self and you need to disentangle them for a bit.

I'd also like to add that very few people become "good" or "published" writers overnight. It is a long, slow process, and the only way to improve is to write - and to show your work to people eventually.

Fanfic can be a good way of exploring the editing process, before you're ready to move on to sharing your original stuff.

The example I like to use is Christopher Paolini, who wrote the Eragon series. He got successful at a young age (15 I think?), but the books aren't very good. But would he have been a better writer if he'd been published later, say when he was thirty or forty? He's missed out on all that time of learning and criticism which can be so valuable.

Yeah, definitely agree with your last part. I've never read a novel by a young "prodigy" writer that didn't read, well, like it was written by someone very young. (That's not a complement at all.) Taking some time for your ideas and your style to mature is not a bad thing at all.

I mean damn, my favourite "literary fiction" author is Cormac McCarthy and he's older than time. He wrote The Road when he was 73 (!!).

part of me kinda feels sorry for Paolini tbh

like I think he probably had some good ideas but it was just "BAM! SPOTLIGHT!" and he didn't get any of the years of concrit or development or languishing around waiting for replies from publishers

and those things suck but they're also important

wow! I had no idea Cormac McCartney was so old! that gives me hope haha

All of this is true.

Honestly, don't think about originality. Write whatever you enjoy as well as you can write it. That's it.

[ SECRET POST #2709 ]

Re: should I quit writing and what should I do instead

Re: should I quit writing and what should I do instead

Re: should I quit writing and what should I do instead

Re: should I quit writing and what should I do instead

Re: should I quit writing and what should I do instead