Hi there, Unpublished, wannabe writer here. I've been writing for some time, mainly in the science fiction genre with some mild dabbling in horror and pirate fiction (pi-fi?) when the mood strikes me. I don't know if any of you guys have had this problem but what makes me hesitate and second guess myself, especially with editing my own work, is that I am essentially writing in a vacuum. I have completed a few short stories and submitted them to various places with no joy and have just finished the first draft of a novel with another one in the works also. Friends and family are great for feedback but it's just not the same as having other writers look at your work and sharing advice and ideas. Although their criticism is always welcome I'm not sure how much it helps to improve my writing. Honestly, I feel pretty awkward doing this sort of thing but I think my current direction is no good for actually developing as a writer. So, I am taking the plunge and hopefully, eventually, I can have my work pored over by you lovely people while joining in with some interesting conversations with other writers.
Hey @Chow868 , welcome to our little anti-vacuum! I know being in here has helped me immensely, in more ways than I can say. Pay attention to threads in the workshop, where people post story segments for critique, and to general threads about writing, check out recommendations on good books about writing and get a bunch of them. Learn how to 'read like a writer'. At least this has been extremely helpful for me, but I was in need of a lot of book-learnin'. Been here a little over a year and a half and I feel like I've learned more than I have in the earlier portions of my life. Well, maybe except for when I actually learned spelling punctuation and grammar in grade school—I guess that was a pretty big one. But yeah, glad to have you here among us. Hope you enjoy it.
Welcome to the forums! Your instincts are right on the money, Chow - as much as you love them, your loved ones are the worst ones to ask for critiques from. As nice as they may be, it's rare to find one that will be as honest as is needed for you to better your writing. It's great you're taking the plunge as well because, although it may feel awkward for you now, the brutal truth is if you want to be a person that other people want to read the stories of, then there is no getting around the fact those other people have to read your stories. What I can guarantee is that the more you continually push yourself to do it and post work, that feeling of anxiety and nervousness eventually goes away. Don't worry about not getting much success out of short stories, either. It is not an indication you are a bad writer. The key is about learning from your pieces and getting better. One thing I think most regulars on these forums will agree on is we see SO many people come and go who say "I'm an awful writer because what immediately came out of my fingers wasn't Shakespeare, I give up!" It doesn't work like that, though; it takes time, practice, and dedication... and even then after that, revisions, iterations, corrections. You sound like you've got a bucket load of enthusiasm and love for it, Chow, so use it to your advantage. As long as at the end of each year you can say "I think I'm a better writer now than I was the year before, I've learned X,Y, and Z," then that is called moving in the right direction. Oh, and I guarantee if you post scifi, horror, or pi-fi (god I love that, it not only makes me think of pirates but a new sub-genre of pie eating contests...) you'll definitely have one set of eyes looking over it.
Welcome to the club, in more ways than one! I've noted on some other thread that one must be circumspect with reviews from the same sucker that's left to mop up the tears. I've picked up the harmonica more than once and dropped it once I discovered I didn't immediately sound like Sonny Terry. I figure I might stand a better chance of improving as a writer and picked up a lot of interesting tips around this place, including from your two previous responders. I also like the sound of pi-fi. Post on the workshop. It gets less scary and more informative when you overcome inhibitions.
