A very few people that I know personally even know that I write. Of those only my wife knows that I write more than in passing, yet I haven't even showed her much of what I've written. Nearly all my exposure has been to people online.
Friends, family members, and significant others don't count. For example, if someone here has ever privately messaged you to tell you you're going to make it as a fiction writer and they love your work ,or if a high school English teacher has ever said they think you're going to become famous , those might be good signs.
That's not true. My son's feedback on my work, and his comments would be different if they weren't genuinely felt.
You can't trust loved ones to be unbiased. That doesn't mean their feelings aren't genuine, but there's no way of knowing whether their connection to you influenced how they treated your work.
I get what you're saying but generalizing like that involves false assumptions. My son has been corroborating with me on the work. He helps me brainstorm the future world he's more familiar with (he has a high tech job and degree) and he's offered editing advice on some of my sentence structures. He's an avid reader and he's very smart. It's not just a matter of reading my stuff and saying nice things. He doesn't gush. His opinion is, my work is as good as a lot of stuff that is published. You can lump all family members into one pot if you like. I'll have to agree to disagree.
Sorry, not impressed. I also have intelligent, well read loved ones with the same opinions and it means little to nothing to me.
Well the person who I supposed really encouraged me to go for it and believed in me first was my uncle as I've talked about. But he's gone now. My high school English teacher really enjoyed this bizzaro fiction story I wrote about a vampire who came into possession of a time machine and created a time loop where he kept going back in time and infecting himself over and over and over and over and over. Then I wrote another thing in high school about 911 but kept it real vague and a classmate.....(now note this is an inner city school) "He be writin that epic shit." Then of course I once got a very nice compliment from my various friends on here who have all pushed me to a higher skill level. I do a lot of RPGing and watching the others who were better writers work and do there thing really helped me improved. But various on RP section said that excel in character development (Like I really live that character) and they gave me honest critiques about what needed improve. And I'm thankful to all who made me better. Still need some work on actual pacing, some spelling and grammar and of course learning how to edit better (which is probably biggest) but I'm very happy with my current skill level and can't wait to improve some more. And hopefully being published ain't to far off someday.
Wasn't trying to impress you. And as I already said, I agree to disagree. There are clearly going to be exceptions to your generalizing about kin and friends. Not sure why you can't see that, but no worries, mate.
None of my family and friends know I write. My sister might suspects something though. I know I can write because I have a journalism degree and spent my studies writing articles. But I'm only getting started writing fiction stories. Most days, I feel like I'm wasting my time and that it's ridiculous that I should think of myself as a writer. The only thing that keep me going is that, in spite of my own negativity, I genuinely want to become a good writer. Also, I have stories' ideas that I truly want to turn into novels. It's pretty much like a compulsion that I may forget about but that is always there. And I know that if I don't fulfill it, it will feel like I've missed out on something.
I've got an American friend whose support is priceless as regards particularities of putting ideas into words. He can genuinely appreciate the nuances I weave into my writing while understanding the message I intend to get across.
No one in my family or friends even knows I write. As a 15 year old, it's not something you really share. Plus, my friends and I are the kind to mock each other even if someone has done something good, so... I also have no e-friends (how do you even strike up a convo on the internet?) so there's that. I doubt anyone would want read my writing. I have currently written a paragraph and a half, and haven't even took proper writing classes. (Can't afford) So yeah, I don't have anyone. Has anyone actually improved their work by bouncing ideas off their friends, and I mean the non writer friends. I just don't see my friends/family being able to do that.
@AgentBen "Plus, my friends and I are the kind to mock each other even if someone has done something good,.." Now, that's a very ill-natured attitude, if you ask me. One that renders any creative activity impossible.
@AgentBen I meant to say don't give up because your pals think your endeavors stupid or out of the ordinary. You can find some great people here willing to help you, if you're truly, sincerely interested and serious about your writing.
My brother and I play this game when we're driving or hanging out where one of us notices something and then we kinda spin off a funny story about the said thing. It's good because it keeps my imagination going and it's good for a laugh. It would be hard but I'd break that habit if I were you. Everyone likes a compliment, I'm sure your friends do to but nobody wants to make the first move. Do you have one friend that's closer than the rest. I know groups can really feed off this attitude. Also maybe just pm someone you think you might get along with and strike up a conversation. I haven't done it much myself, I don't really have the time.
In the real, non-digital world? In my "flesh-life"? Sadly, no. There are no avid readers in my Life 1.0, no one who would read my work and not think of it as humoring me or doing it out of being polite.
Mocking each other is pretty normal at 15; when you're that age your friends tend to get embarrassed about showing passion for something, unless it's deemed 'cool,' like football. It's just immaturity -- not being able to appreciate the awe inspiring greatness in a piece of art, or a personal endeavour, so their reaction is to mock. This forum is probably the best place you could have come @AgentBen
@AgentBen Don't worry about not being able to afford writing classes. It's not necessary for becoming a good writer and a lot of people here on the forum (like me, e.g.) have not taken a single class.
To be honest I haven't talked to them in a while, as I have twelve weeks off before college. So looks like in college I shall choose better friends. Although I'm taking a computer games development course not a writing one.
