Do you have someone who believes in your writing as much as you do?

Discussion in 'General Writing' started by TuSlick, Jul 18, 2015.

  1. AgentBen

    AgentBen Member

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    Really? Did you watch any YT tutorials, or anything for free?
     
  2. Daemon Wolf

    Daemon Wolf Senior Member

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    I've had mature friends who joke a lot with me, but when we get serious we are serious. Maturity is just knowing when to joke and when not to.
     
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  3. AgentBen

    AgentBen Member

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    Unfortunately my English class was more P.E.E paragraphs for Of Mice and Men and Romeo and Juliet then actually writing.
     
  4. Daemon Wolf

    Daemon Wolf Senior Member

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    It's all about just writing, write and write and write and whenever you are unsure do a little research. To be honest my Creative Writing class only helped a little. It came a lot more from just plain writing. As everybody says "Practice makes perfect."
     
  5. Daemon Wolf

    Daemon Wolf Senior Member

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    I took creative writing in high school and am taking it again in college. English for me was more, forced to read books when I had no interest in their stories.
     
  6. The Mad Regent

    The Mad Regent Senior Member

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    This is true, but there is also the aspect of 'interest.' When your friends, especially at that age, aren't really interested in reading, writing, or anything you even do, then they'd rather just joke around to lighten the mood.
     
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  7. Komposten

    Komposten Insanitary pile of rotten fruit Contributor

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    I read books, wrote stuff and spent time reading threads on this forum.
    Now, I don't claim that my writing is top-notch, but I think I'm well on the way towards "good". ;)
     
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  8. peachalulu

    peachalulu Member Reviewer Contributor

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    I don't know about everyone else on this site but I've never taken a writing class. Most of my learning came from reading how -to books, studying fiction books, reading, writing and critiquing. In fact my writing went to another level after I joined this site.

    I don't think taking a class is necessary to becoming good, but aligning yourself with helpful people is.
     
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  9. Daemon Wolf

    Daemon Wolf Senior Member

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    That's why taking a class is so helpful.
     
  10. Jaina

    Jaina Member

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    It's sad that there are so much people around who don't have the support they should have.

    And how the hell does one get to know "helpful people"? :D I already met a lot of people on the internet who are interested in writing but in the end they weren't really helpful, my so called "best friend" even stole my ideas... *dramatic music*
     
  11. Mordred85

    Mordred85 Active Member

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    Most friends and family do not believe in my work. Originally, I tried to succeed as a screenwriter and managed to get two short films produced for me. My mother's #1 question is always "Did they pay you for this?" and my father has a tendency to fall asleep and then starts inquiring about my involvement. Unfortunately, he forgets that his son has been focusing on writing for several years now.

    My scripts were also poorly produced and some of the dialogue was omitted from one of them. My cousins question how good I am at screenwriting because of the lack of success and poorly made short-films. One pretends to support me and says "Just do it, hell yeah." and the other keeps hinting towards a minimum wage job. None had the patience to read any of my scripts.

    The only people who have acknowledged my writing and positively spoke about it were directors, producers and my GF. Something I find to be funny is that I had to go through registering one of my scripts with the Writer's Guild of America to prove that I was the author. The director/producer was praising the script and couldn't believe I wrote it. Then, his adaptation omitted my dialogue after all the legalities he made me go through. This is why I decided to begin writing literature and take a different route, where I have more control.

    My GF is the most encouraging person in my life. She tells me that all of the stuff I've written has left her wanting to know more. That I have the certain ability to tell good stories and keep people interested. She just wishes I'd be more confident and wasn't effected by the constant belittling I get at home. I'm constantly told by her that my parents are both ignorant and superficial people. That if anyone should be supporting and encouraging me, it should be them.

    Some of you have been kind enough to compliment my efforts and I thank you.
     
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  12. GingerCoffee

    GingerCoffee Web Surfer Girl Contributor

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    Yes, I bounce ideas off my son. It's been very productive.
     
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  13. AsherianCommand

    AsherianCommand Active Member

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    I don't know if anyone actually believes in my writing, I don't know if there is anyone that would care, or even knows that I am writing a book. I have never asked anyone directly if they would support me in any way, either emotionally or anything like that. I am really pushed to succeed. So I don't know.

    I don't know if the people who read my writings are pushing me at all either. I mean the last book I wrote was more of a collection of writings, and my personal thoughts. Which I never want to release as it is too dang personal. Less of a journal and more of my experimenting with writing styles.
     
  14. matwoolf

    matwoolf Banned Contributor

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    'Nein Mamman, not ze novella, I am playing Gameboy.'

    'Lie still Gunter, and hear me narrate...'

    'But all my friends will be arriving, fumf minute, no, somebody helf me.'

    'Listen to my story, child, zis life, my obstacles to understanding the inner womans.'

    'Oh my gott.'

    Stood on exercise ball, GC held the manuscript in her hand. She faced patio doors, kaftan flowing in breeze. 'Chapzer wun, I overcome adverzities at my university.'

    'You made me do it, Ach ach ach.'

    'Dont svallow computa!'

    [apols archaic gameboy ref]
     
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  15. Commandante Lemming

    Commandante Lemming Contributor Contributor

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    Yeah different family members are going to give you different feedback - just like every reader will. But sometimes they can provide valuable perspective.

    I actually resisted giving my unfinished manuscript to my mother for a REALLY long time - because way back in high school when I started writing she'd always mark up my stories for grammar and then refuse to comment on the content because she didn't feel qualified to judge it because she doesn't read fiction and because grammar hampers her ability to enjoy a text.

    But I now consider her a very, very valuable reader - precisely BECAUSE she doesn't read much fiction and holding her attention is HARD. So that's really different feedback compared to people who are immersed in the fiction-writing world.
     
  16. daemon

    daemon Contributor Contributor

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    I believe in my friend's writing more than he believes in it and he believes in my writing more than I believe in it. Funny how it works out like that.
     
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  17. Link the Writer

    Link the Writer Flipping Out For A Good Story. Contributor

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    Nope. I keep my writing to myself.
     
  18. Tesoro

    Tesoro Contributor Contributor

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    I have people who believs more in my writing than I do, I'm very self critical so that is a huge relief.
    My mom thinks everything I write is good, even the storys I'm not very proud of, and as much as I say to myself that she is certainly biased, it still nurtures my writers ego :)
    Then I have a couple of writer friends who really likes my stories and always want more of them and that feels quite good as well. One of them is (hehe) my beta reader and to my happiness she said recently that my latest ms was my best so far! That felt pretty good, to be honest. :p I guess a lot of writers are awfully self critical and it feels good to have someone telling us we're good too, from time to time. That little angel on the shoulder telling us to keep writing.
     
  19. ddavidv

    ddavidv Senior Member

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    "Believe in my writing".
    Tough one. I've gotten good praise from the handful of readers who have purchased my ebooks. Only one 'good but not great' review. Most are from friends, family and general acquaintances so I know a) people are being kind and/or b) give the books more appreciation because they 'know' the author and that somehow makes it cooler. I have confidence in my abilities for the most part so my satisfaction doesn't hinge much on the feedback from people I know. What I crave is the feedback of total strangers who pick up the book, read it and review it positively. But readers aren't really what we are talking about.

    There is only one person I would expect to 'believe in my writing' and that is my spouse who loves to read but has been less than rabid about reading my books. She's read one (thought it was really good) and has never read more than a few chapters of the other. It was tremendously disappointing to not get strong support from the person closest to me but I've made peace with that as it was explained to me by another that not everyone will share your interest in what you think is 'cool'.

    Ultimately, no...I have no one who believes in my writing aside from myself.
     
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  20. Tesoro

    Tesoro Contributor Contributor

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    Idem! I never took a writing class either, because back when I started I was living abroad and when I came home I didn't have a job for quite a while so couldn't afford it. But borrowing books on writing from library and reading a lot was free, so... plus I discovered this forum :)
     
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  21. peachalulu

    peachalulu Member Reviewer Contributor

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    Yeah. I was going to take a class years back when I was in my late twenties but nearly fainted at what the local college was charging. If someone can afford classes, I say take them but if you can't, line yourself up with a good group ( like here ) online or offline.
     
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  22. Lyrical

    Lyrical Frumious Bandersnatch

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    I was majoring in Creative Writing up until a few months ago when I read that a new study shows students who graduate in writing don't have any higher rates of success than those who graduate in other fields, and even those who don't have any degree at all. I appreciated the writing exercises that I went through in my program, but I realized I didn't have to have this degree, and so now I'm taking a break to reevaluate. But I completely agree, writing classes don't make a writer. I think extensive reading and, well, writing make a writer.


    As to the OP's question, it's a toughie. My family has always been hugely supportive of my writing, but so much so that I feel like I can't receive legitimate feedback from them. Don't get me wrong, it feels awesome to present them with something I've written and have them praise it, but I don't rely on them for constructive criticism. My sister pushes me onward though. I let her be one of my first readers and she's good to keep pestering me about more when it's been too long since I gave her anything else.

    My husband supports my writing and is good to bounce ideas off of. I haven't let him read any of my novels yet because our tastes in books are very different and I don't know how he'd respond to them. But he is good to give me feedback on short stories and creative nonfiction essays.
     
  23. Christine Ralston

    Christine Ralston Active Member

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    My best friend is a great supporter. She helps encourage me when I feel like giving up. Unfortunately, she can't edit my writing much beyond finding typos for me.
     
  24. Daemon Wolf

    Daemon Wolf Senior Member

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    Now thinking about it my old English/History/Creative Writing teacher believed in me. He said I was like Edgar Alan Poe and when we wrote plays in his class he had everybody act out mine (it was short, the actors were just a bunch of kids and I was a terrible director for it but hey).
     
  25. OurJud

    OurJud Contributor Contributor

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    Nobody pays that much attention - chiefly because I'm so lazy and sporadic with my writing. To be fair, my parents were very encouraging when I stressed it would be the one career that would make me truly happy. So much so they paid for one of these 'work-at-home' writing courses. But that was back when I was stupid and naive, and before I realised the level of dedication, discipline and graft required to even have a chance at 'making it'.

    I'm ashamed to say I gave up on that particular course, pretty much flushing my parents gift down the drain in the process. Now, what little writing I do doesn't get discussed.
     

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