I've talked with a lot of people who share an interest in writing, and some of them seem to hate their works. In fact, they say the only reason they keep writing is because they just want to tell a story. Other than that, they despise their own writing. Thinking about it though, I honestly like my own works and think they're really good. (ignorance is bliss! ) So I decided to ask this: Do you honestly think your writing is good or bad?
I like the stuff I show other people. I've done some writing that had a good idea behind it, but ended up terrible. That stuff I throw away.
I judge my writing as I would any other writing. If I like it, I just feel it when I read it. I become involved. As the writer, I don't think it's a truly successful piece until others like it as well however. It's not meant for me; it's meant for them. I can pick up a book that I can love anytime. My writing is for the reader (and to convey myself to the reader).
A wise man once told me a writer is like an artist who creates pictures with words. Just like an artist, amny writers are never satisfied. We have a knack for finding the little quirks and bits in our qork that most readers would overlook and never notice. I like my stuff. I have fun with it and thats my main goal so, ^.^
That pretty much captures how I feel about it. Writing is purely a fun way to bring out your emotions.
Some of what I write I really like, but I can ALWAYS find ways I would like to improve it. There just comes a time I decide to move on to something else.
I used to love what I wrote... but today I can't write anything without thinking it's crap and dropping it. Yaagh...
I like my work. As a writer, I tend to write novels that I would hope to find on the book shelf or stories I'd like to come across in a magazine/ezine or anthology. I think my writing is pretty good. Some stories turn out better than others, and going back to some of the earlier work...even a piece I wrote a month ago...sometimes I think I could find a line or two I could tweak or tighten up a bit, or maybe swap one word for a better one. Comparing one's writing to another author's works is difficult. It's not concrete, like comparing one's athletic stats. It's more subjective. One could even argue that what would be considered successful one day...two years later would not have a chance of selling or attracting an audience. That doesn't mean the writing is of poor quality, just that it's not what editors/readers are looking for at the time. It can even be difficult for a writer to compare one of his works with another of his works. The subject, theme, POV...so many variables. If I didn't like my writing, it would be much harder, I think, to submit it and keep going (resubmitting, writing and submitting new works) even if a string of rejections follow. Terry
I can't remember who said it, but it went a little something like this: A work is never good unless the author is thoroughly disgusted with it. I believe that goes along the same lines as "You are your biggest critic." This is the way it is for my stories, poems, ect. I can't help but find something wrong with my work, even when in all actuality in might be just fine. I keep thinking I should have used a different word here or another metaphor there. I actually can't even stand to listen to my poetry (how presumptuous of me to even call it that) be read aloud.
I have the utter most confidence in my work. That's probably because I don't write it alone and my characters write it with me. They help me know what is good and bad about it and help me believe in it and in myself. We come up with the ideas, research the stories and write together, so I never feel like I'm working hard to think up a story. Everything we do is together. Writing is our life. We love what we do and feel good when we do it. Writing makes us feel alive. We had to make a conscious choice to start writing for other people. We write our stories not purely for their enjoyment, but to teach them and to show them worlds that they never knew about before and open their minds. Each of our stories has an underlying thread and they all have an element of thought that is something that the world has never seen before. We make a conscious effort to give people ideas and stories that they have never read before; so when we write, while we still do it for us, we try to make sure that there are ideas in the stories that are brand new to even us. We have fun with our stories. ~Natalie
I guess I must like it enough to continue writing it. Odd thing though, I like writing in English rather than my first language.
I judge my writing like I would judge anybody else's writing. Anyhow, I write to enjoy myself, so if I don't enjoy it, I probably wouldn't write it! However, there are times I hate what I have written down, yet enjoy reading/writing it, so that's another situation. Nevertheless, I know that my pieces aren't great - so they are always open for improvement.
I never have any confidence in my work. I think it is good, and I've edited and gone over it numerous times, but deep down I still lack confidence. Not that that is a bad thing, since it keeps me working hard and evolving in terms of my writing, but I've always been a little low on the self-confidence. Perhaps it was all of those "get rid of your ego" books I read growing up....
I think I'm hard on myself, and consequently, I'm hard on my work, often making multiple changes and rewrites before deeming something suitable for sending to publishers. So generally, I'm happy with the work that I've finished, though it may take a while to actually perfect it.
Almost everything I write I almost loath, it sounds childish and boring and just crapiie. However, i wrote one peice of English coursework which I have worked on about 100000000 times, and I am actually quite happy with that. I cannot think of anything else I have wrote and been even satisfied with, let alone happy. scratch that, I have wrote a poem or two I am content with enough to not cry.
of course i do... if i didn't 'like' my writing i wouldn't be writing... and i'm a nit-picky tough critic, even of my own stuff, so it's not a being blind to one's own faults kind of thing... liking your work and being able to improve it as you edit is not contradictory... i'm taking the question as referring to the finished product, not first drafts...
So many times i'll write a story, or sometimes i'll write down an idea, plot etc on a piece of paper thinking it's brilliant then i'll read it over in a few days time and remember this great feeling of originality i had when i wrote but I'll be a bit confused as it'll just be nothing very special. I mainly like the dialogue i write in plays, but it's strange with some characters i can't seem to make it work. My fiction writing needs lot of work, but i think i can improve.
As schizophrenic as that may sound to some people, I totally agree. I have complete confidence in my writing, but I just don't like listening to my poetry. My novel work is another matter however. Like the writer in the quote, I am never alone when I am writing my stories and it is never hard to come up with one because I am simply telling the stories my characters tell me. The story was already there, it just so happened that I was the one to take the time and listen to it. There are stories waiting to be heard inside everyone, you just have to listen.
I like my ideas. My writing, however... I know my faults (punctuation) and once I sort them out I will enjoy it even more. I tend to write stories that I would enjoy or enjoyed as a child so that helps a lot.
THATS IT. You wrote exactly how I feel. I have all these really good ideas, but getting them to move to paper is the tricky part.
This is how I feel, as well. I'm trying to be critical and confident at the same time, but it's hard!
It's sort of a toss up for me. I like some stuff, and I don't like others. Usually I like what I write, I just am afraid that others won't like it. Writing is really the only thing I get egotistical about. I know I'm good, and I know I can do really awesome things with it.
