Your greatest fears as a writer??

Discussion in 'General Writing' started by e(g), Jul 11, 2011.

  1. L'Apprentie

    L'Apprentie New Member

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    That is a positive approach. Inspiring really. Wish I was a CLEAR thinker like you! :)
    Oh, I am very excited to write when I have can afford the uninterrupted time. I rarely feel it as a hard task( only when I can't figure out how to make a particular writing better ) And being a confused thinker that I am, I need to write to think straight about issues. Writing is a lot of self-talk, self-realisation,creative outlet and fulfilling for me. But probably the downside is that it can feel so private at times that you do not want to share it. And that is the same for story writing.

    Hah, and add the media effect to that building of misconception....I know what you mean. But maybe the controversies will increase the readers' list. :)

    I might not have got you clear enough. Do you mean you do not like to know what people think of your writing, or that you do not want them to tell you about your writing or that you fear it reflects too much of your inner works? Sorry for being plain stupid here to ask this questions. I might be the only one who didn't get it.

    From the scarcity area that I am from, getting published by the local big publishers in it itself is rare and practically useless. There are no marketing, promotion or sales contracts for local writers. So most people self-publish. Best I can do is join in the international competition which is in itself freaky at times. So, maybe that takes off the worry of publications off my head. But yes I totally feel what you feel about the 'crap' writing tag. The critics here tend to be super self-centred and manipulative.
    Why? Do you feel creativity can ever get depleted?

    I agree, HATE is a strong word. Besides don't you feel that you might like something else in that book maybe the plot, and not like the writing style. You might like the characters but not the atmosphere in it etc etc? I feel that in every single art thing there is something to like and something you - huh- kind of like less.



    Interesting. So, I am not really alone in feeling that I wouldn't want some people who know me to read what I wrote.lol.

    I totally feel that inside myself. I always worry whether I am being just ok, instead of brilliant. And oddly enough whenever people tell me they find what I wrote as good. I am not satisfied at all. I feel very void since I feel it is not great or brilliant. And oh boy, when sometimes I read works of others, I feel so envious of how they are hyped and tagged as great. The only one finding my work as brilliant is my bf.lol. And he doesn't know this fear of mine as such. But his judgement is reliable- being a fan of classics who is very critical in general and who can quote Frost, Blake, Shelley just like that while as a literature person, I can't, I feel I can bet on his appreciation every time to shrug off a little bit of that fear. Hope our fears never get real. :)
     
  2. Immy

    Immy New Member

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    I tend to write a bit, well, a chapter or so...then I realise that it sounds stupid. I have an issue with comparing my writing to that of great authors, which often leads to me cancelling my idea and starting afresh, only to do the same again. You should see how many unfinished stories there are on my computer. So, I guess my main fear is that I'll never do what I really want to do, that I'll never be entirely satisfied with what I've written.

    I mean, how do all these authors know when their story is perfect? Do they just know or do they think that'll do? Authors like Danielle Steele - she seems to publish a book every other month!

    I want to someday have that feeling that I'm content with everything I've wrote.
     
  3. Party Poison

    Party Poison New Member

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    To be turned down and criticized harshly.
     
  4. Show

    Show Contributor Contributor

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    You name it, I fear it. I can go on all day. I need writing therapy! :p
     
  5. Link the Writer

    Link the Writer Flipping Out For A Good Story. Contributor

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    That if I publish a cheese-fest story (like...a story about flying ninjas with katanas), I'll only be remembered for that cheese-fest story rather than a meaningful story like a drama set on the Eastern Front in 1915 or a mystery in Elizabethan London. I feel like I must begin my writing career with a meaningful story, rather than a story like the aforesaid ninja thing that I might actually enjoy writing.
     
  6. Lemex

    Lemex That's Lord Lemex to you. Contributor

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    Nothing really. At worst I could never be published again: I'll still write,- even if it ends up being for me and me alone - and I'll always read, and I'll have my personal memories. I mean, I'd love to publish more; but I can accept it if I remain unheard.
     
  7. live2write

    live2write Senior Member

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    Last night as I was typing I ended up stopping and keeping my ideas to myself. This is not about the fear of losing my digital documents in writing or thinking that my ideas are terrible.

    This is more of a personal matter with the peers and relationships around us writers. There are stories that I write that I welcome all to read and critique. Then there are stories that I hide and refuse to show to the public. Some of the remain hidden in my composition notebooks and I remember one of them being in a secret code that I made up.

    My fear is that the hidden stories I write, my friends or worse my relationship with my boyfriend, will judge and question why I wrote such a story in the first place. I refuse to write about personal experiences except for ones about my family. I do believe that what happened in the past should stay there. However there are ideas that I have that come from my existing stories, from the music I listen to or movies I recently watched. Some of them contain graphic information and some could possibly be real.

    In the past I had feared my professors in high school finding out about my writings and judging me based upon them. I learned after one of them stole my notebook that it was just a story to them. What should I do at this point? Should I stop writing these stories or should I just not be afraid?
     
  8. louis1

    louis1 Member

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    No reason to be afraid, the people that really matter, those who love you, will not judge you for words you've written, and if you are not ready to share, they will not judge you for being a little bit shy.
    Keep writing.
     
  9. Wolfheart

    Wolfheart New Member

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    If your friends turn on you for an innocent bout of writing (unless you're purposefully showing them in a bad light), then the problem is with them, not with your writing. True friends will understand the words, not take it as a personal attack. Continue writing, don't be ashamed of it.
    Also, unless I misunderstood, one of your teachers stole your writing notebook?
     
  10. Cassiopeia Phoenix

    Cassiopeia Phoenix New Member

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    Eh... My sort of problem. I have this very little memory on my mind that is... Well. Is not something I wished to show anyone about it, and yet my stories are influenced by it, somehow, somewhat. And there's also the thing that it was traumatic to a certain extent. So I don't really try to stop the stories that come from it, nor the feelings that pass to my writing.

    I just say to anyone who gets in my room to not mess with the notebooks, and since the only people who get into my room are my relatives, they know I don't like anyone reading my stuff and they respect that.

    I don't really know the point I was trying to make, but I understand your situation and... I don't think you should stop writing those. For me, at least, it is a way to deal with my own demons, because I didn't speak to anyone about it ever in my life. It's a sort of therapy. But it can be scary.
     
  11. Cogito

    Cogito Former Mod, Retired Supporter Contributor

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    I fear heights. It was such a paralyzing fear for me, that once, on a summer painting job between years of college. I froze on a ladder two floors above a sloping lawn. Two coworkers has to physically bring me down.

    So I go on Ferris wheels at every opportunity, and climb steep trails up rock cliff faces, I still fear heights, but it's no longer crippling. I get a little better at handling it every time.

    I trust I have communicated my answer to your question. :)
     
  12. Show

    Show Contributor Contributor

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    I think my fears are similar to the OP's. I don't think I have an answer that works. I suppose seeing how twisted much of the published work is helps a little. Next to some of these people, my stories are quite tame. lol It's something we have to work out, I suppose.
     
  13. Tesoro

    Tesoro Contributor Contributor

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    I had the same fear when I was younger, about everything i wrote. Ever. Now that I look back at it I realize it was totally innocent but still I had the feeling that it would be the end of the world if anyone ever read it.
    Keep in mind that not everything you write need to be public. Some of it can be kept for yourself. keep it in a password-protected document on your computere if you want, if you fear someone could read it, but don't let it stop you from writing it. I have a story idea in my head, actually it's a rewrite of an old story but with a totally different theme and I have my fears that people might think it's sick and think I'm must be strange to write it but guess what? I'm going to write it anyway. And when I have I will decide what to do with it. I don't exclude the possibility to try and submit it, maybe that kind of courage comes with age? You stop being so afraid of what people think of you and I think I am ready to take that risk. Actually it feels pretty exciting :)
     
  14. Siena

    Siena Senior Member

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    They're probably the great ones.

    There's a link to a great article about this - if i can find it i'll link to it.
     
  15. kamikazepilot42

    kamikazepilot42 New Member

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    I definitely understand this fear. I haven't written anything that fits in this category, but I know at some point (probably multiple points) I'll write something that I might expect to potentially raise eyebrows. In the end, I know I'll face it head on because a)I'm inspired to write it in the first place, and b)I have faith in the people close to me (who would be the only ones I would be nervous about in the first place).
    The bottom line is that the people that truly support you will understand that as a writer, just because you put something in a story does not mean that's who you are.
     
  16. Fivvle

    Fivvle Member

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    Writing fiction is, in part, about writing the truth. If you dance around things or just fail to tell it how it is, the story won't turn out as good as it could be. There will always be people who don't like what you write. It's your job to flip them the bird and write it anyway.
     
  17. minstrel

    minstrel Leader of the Insquirrelgency Supporter Contributor

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    As I recall, Thomas Wolfe, in his first novel Look Homeward, Angel, depicted many characters from his own life (family and friends) in a not-very-flattering light. He alienated a lot of these people. But when the book became a bestseller, their attitudes changed because they had all, in some minor way, become celebrities, and many were clamoring for him to include them in his next book!
     
  18. Drmoses

    Drmoses New Member

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    I'm heavily invested in writing a book at the moment and I think its good. I can't escape the fear that when push comes to shove and I finish and edit this thing, I'll have some people read it and they will tell me its terrible.

    So for you guys who've finished something, how did you get over that fear?

    Weren't you scared you would be told that its terrible and its a redo?

    And if you wrote something and god forbid you were told it was awful, how did you pick that figurative pen back up and try again?

    I'm probably being irrational but the more I put into this, the more it crosses my mind haha.
     
  19. Bjørnar Munkerud

    Bjørnar Munkerud Senior Member

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    I'd say that if you're looking for feedback then you should put that forward clearly and embrace every response you get back until you've made the necessary changes or found justifiable reasons to disregard their advice. If, on the other hand, you don't want critique, for whatever reason are unable to make any (further) changes or you're just past that stage in the writing process, you should just try to get it published as soon as possible and listen to as few responses as possible before it is. Then, after it's published, you can go back and learn from your successes and failures if you want to, but be aware that you may end up nagging yourself for any puny errors you may have made.

    Also remember that there's a place and time for editing, but that before that is the time for uninhibited writing. And don't lose sight of the fact that quality is more important than release dates: the latter is important, but nothing matters if the work hasn't been put into the product itself. Despite all of this it's always good to make sure you have as much time to reread and rewrite as you can to avoid as many future issues as possible, even though this process can be unbelievably tedious.

    One last thing: You're a writer, right? You have a plan? You know what you're doing? If not, you probably have to reconsider a huge part of your life (although that's better than wasting the next year or whatever of your life doing something incredibly demanding, yet brutally unrewarding). If you do: Great! You should have the confidence to write the way you write, research the way you research etc. and to accept or refuse feedback based on your own decision-making skills. Make a plan, see it through, make adjustments when necessary as you go along and hope for the best: it's that simple! :-D Good luck.
     
  20. GingerCoffee

    GingerCoffee Web Surfer Girl Contributor

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    You need to have someone read it now. Don't wait until it's done, don't expect it to be perfect without any feedback along the way. Because it's unlikely to be very good on your own. I mean, it's possible, but it's not likely.

    The good thing is, it doesn't need to be.

    I wasn't afraid, but I also knew the first stuff I wrote was pretty bad. That gave me an advantage. I just said so to the critique group. The thing is, you need to stop tying your ego to your work, at least until you get that feedback that it's good.

    As long as you know you can get better, it's becomes OK not to be the best writer. If you are convinced you are the best thing since sliced bread, then critiques can be painful. If you think you have to be good right now or you fail, then good luck with that first critique or beta read. You're going to need it.
     
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  21. Ben414

    Ben414 Contributor Contributor

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    You're not being irrational. It's normal for someone to worry about failing in something that they care about.

    You described two different things in your post: escaping the fear and getting over the fear. You likely will never "escape" the fear, and that's fine. Don't try to escape from it; accept it as a normal thing, and you might see wonders in your ability to move past it.

    Remember that criticism is not failure. If you are committed to your writing and are willing to put in the time to improve upon it, criticism can only be a way for you to improve your writing.
     
  22. GingerCoffee

    GingerCoffee Web Surfer Girl Contributor

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    This ^
     
  23. KaTrian

    KaTrian A foolish little beast. Contributor

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    Accept that someone might tell you it's terrible. Ask why it's terrible if they say so. See if you can do something about it to make it less terrible. If their feedback is vague or irrational, your work is most likely not terrible. You need to also believe in yourself and your abilities, as tacky as that may sound. If you did your homework about writing, if you know what you are doing at least to a degree, you'll feel much more confident and facing negative feedback is less devastating.

    If you did like I did at the beginning and just churned out something with no regard to how to write effectively, the chances are you'll be met with criticism, but when I did, I didn't feel all that bad, I felt like I had to grow, develop and improve.

    Put my ego aside and be willing to learn. Also, I study English and I'm a teacher, so I've made sure I also know something, so when people tell me I've done goof, I can be critical of the feedback (not la-la-la critical, but I can evaluate it quite objectively). Educate yourself, so you'll feel much more confident.

    I learned pretty quickly the first draft is a redo by default (unless you're a genius), so no worries, I can't expect to be awesome right from the get-go.

    I put my emotions aside and approached it with an editor's hat on. Yeah, I've invested a lot in this. A lot of time. So much time. But it's not time wasted 'cause I've loved almost every second of it.

    Forget your ego. Egos are fragile and precious. They're troublemakers. Set it aside and be willing to learn. Not just from your critics or beta-readers but also from books, teachers, fellow-writers, editors etc.

    And don't worry about something that hasn't happened yet. You're not alone with these fears, but they're overcome-able. Besides, this is the fun part, right? You'll get to perfect your product, really make it shine. :)
     
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  24. Selbbin

    Selbbin The Moderating Cat Staff Contributor Contest Winner 2023

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    I get people to read it
     
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  25. Bryan Romer

    Bryan Romer Contributor Contributor

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    I agree with @KaTrian in that someone, possibly many someones are going to tell you that your book is terrible. Take that as a given before you even put the manuscript out the door. Not even the greatest of writers were free of harsh criticism. In most cases, the harshest critics are also the least objective and fair. Often they will hate it because they already have preconceptions of how such stories should go, and nothing else will ever satisfy them.

    If the criticism involves real, objective errors, then you just have to learn from them. If possible (eg. ebooks) issue a revised edition.

    Criticisms of style and characterisation are harder. Even top selling novels will have conflicting reviews, some saying the characters are handled well, while others will say they are flat and lifeless. It is likely that you will never be able to please both parties.

    You will also have reviewers who thought your book was something else (romance vs erotica, character based vs action and so on). Some of these reviews will make no sense at all.

    In the end, if your book is good, it will find its audience, although it may be a very select and limited one.
     

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