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i finish something
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i finish something
i finish something and I realize it's lousy and i almost want to cry because what's the point of all that work if it's for nothing, and what's the point even if it was good, and how is it that i read and read and read and read but can't write a single word, not even about what I understand, and how am i ever going to be a good writer and has anyone else felt this way. i want to give up but my conscience won't let me and it just keeps hurting and hurtin and i don't know what to do they say it's good but i don't know what to do
submitted by spiffycat, age 12
(July 30, 2019 - 7:38 pm)
(July 30, 2019 - 7:38 pm)
*hugs* You are not a bad writer, spiffycat! I feel the same way about my writing, though. But if people you trust think your writing is really good, I would ask for some specific things they like about your writing. That always makes me feel better-- it feels less like people are just saying my writing's good, and more like they actually believe what they're saying. And don't give up. If you keep writing, you're bound to improve.
(July 31, 2019 - 7:22 am)
(July 31, 2019 - 11:19 am)
spiffycat. You are a good writer, and I have no doubt about it. Your desciptions are majestically vivid, you paint perfect pictures of fantasy worlds with your words. The fact that you can even dream up whole universes is purely amazing, not to mention how you begin to write what your head creates. This in itself is fairly mind-blowing, and that's before we even get to the way you write. spiff, my friendie dearest, you write things beautifully, down to every last savory detail. It's amazing. You are amazing. And don't forget it, because it's incredibly true. 'Kay? I really do think all of these things about you, and I want to know you have my support always.
Keep going. It's not for nothing. And it's okey to take a break if you're really this stressed. Take a breather when you need it. Come back with confidence. I believe in you. <3
(July 31, 2019 - 7:35 pm)
spiffycat, I always think of you as 'the writer.' You're an amazing writer. Period.
Also, remember this: if you finish something, well done! That's farther than I usually get! If you feel really bad, though, try just writing something for the fun of it. No audience, no judgement. Just see what your amazing brain comes up with. You can write it, then throw it away/burn it/feed it to one of those dragons of yours. You never have to look at it again, but you can have the confidence of being a writer because you like to write, not because others think you're good at it.
(August 1, 2019 - 10:07 am)
You are NOT A BAD WRITER! *hugs* you are an awesome author and we all fully support you! it's okay to have bad days, but one single day does not define you!
(August 1, 2019 - 11:01 am)
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Stories for me are intensely difficult things that I wrestle with most days. But I love this type of wrestling better than almost anything else. I haven’t seen your writing, so I don’t know how good you are at the present, but don’t be sad when some of your stories beat you- because failure, too, makes you stronger.
When I was about your age I wrote a good story- my first good story, called The Ant Cure. I thought up and wrote the whole thing in one day, one wild fit of inspiration, and I didn’t need to revise a word. After that, I raised my standards to that level and I just couldn’t meet them. I stopped writing for several years.
I didn’t start again until I discovered Kyngdom- not because I liked Kyngdom, but because I hated it. At that time it was jam-packed with a virulently anti-human pro-animal philosophy and I felt that people needed to know that animals aren’t role models- they’re violent, merciless, lusty, cruel as well as beautiful and loving and gentle. I felt that the people (no offense to the editors) who invented Kyngdom knew nothing more about the natural world than a child living in Fairyland would know about the inner cities, only able to be so ignorant because of the technological luxury they make a point to condemn. I am still in the process of throughly wrecking that viewpoint.
Kyngdom got me writing again because it gave me something important to say, something that should be said whether it was said perfectly or not.
My path- and I think the path of most writers- has been first to write for imagination’s sake, then to write for truth’s sake with imagination. You may be going through such a transition. I think that your standards are ahead of your abilities. Don’t worry about it: in writing, the fatal mistake is to feel that you have to always be up to some impossible standard, when all you have to be is reasonably good. If you want to be better, right now the best thing to do is wait for your intellect to develop further, and pray. That doesn’t mean you have to stop writing, it just means that you don’t have to expect much of your writing. In your position, I’d start looking at videos and articles on how to write stories and how to edit your sentences. They’ll give you the tools you’ll need to make your bad stories work. Once you know that, there will no longer be such a thing as a bad story- just a ‘work in progress’ until you get it good enough to publish.
You do have admirers here, who like the ideas you put on, and call you ‘good’, though we both know that term doesn’t mean much; but you make their day a little better, perhaps expand their mind a bit, and isn’t that the purpose of even the best story? I’ve had a struggle with problems like this, and I’ll give you a possible solution: try seeing yourself as a humble figure who tries to help save the universe one word at a time, rather than a Chosen One who has to be constantly perfect to prevent eternal chaos. Stories for me are intensely difficult things that I wrestle with most days. But I love this type of wrestling better than almost anything else. I haven’t seen your writing, so I don’t know how good you are at the present, but don’t be sad when some of your stories beat you- because failure, too, makes you stronger.
(August 1, 2019 - 12:31 pm)
Sorry for the mess. I didn't know that happened when you pasted your comments, from Word at any rate. But I'm not particularly sad- It looks like Chinese poetry translations, and I never knew that my fonts had anything to do with widows and orphans. However, it still defeats my purpose because I want my stuff to be read, and that easily.
Stories for me are intensely difficult things that I wrestle with most day. But I love this type of wrestling better than almost anything else. I haven't seen your writing, so I don't know how good you are at the present, but don't be sad when your stories beat you- defeat teaches you as much as victory.
When I was about your age I wrote a good story, my first good story, called The Ant Cure. I thought up and wrote the whole thing in one day, one wild fit of inspiration, and I didn't need to revise a word. After that, I raised my standards to that level and I just couldn't meet them. I stopped writing for several years.
I didn't start again until I disovered Kyngdom- not because I liked Kyngdom, but because I hated it. At that time it was jam-packed with a virulently antihuman pro-animal-rights philosophy, and I felt- and feel- that people need to know that animals are no role models; they're violent, mindless, lusty, cruel as well as beautiful and loving and gentle. The people who originated Kyngdom, I think, probably thought of it just as teaching people to be kind to animals, but in ignorance of nature allowed by our modern technological superiority, which Kyngdom goes miles to condemn, they ended up sending a message that says 'animals are people too', or even 'people are worse than animals'- a philosophy low enough to be held by the Natzis, who forbade the killing of pigs for scientific purposes and did vivisections on unanasthetized Jews. I don't insult the editors; but you've ot to be careful about the message you end up sending.
The point is, Kyngdom got me writing again, albeit not on the site, because I needed to defend what I believed was right, and whether I said it perfectly or not the world would be better with it said.
Like you, I wrote first for imagination's sake. I moved onto other things for a time until I found a deeper purpose for my fiction in philosophy, like many other writers before me. Perhaps you, to, will find a thing that needs to be said. For the moment- have fun it, why don't you? Make experiments, try writing without using the letter N, or backward; talk to friends. Try thinking of yourself as a humble contributor to the salvation of the universe, who is learn the ins and outs of his (or her) art. Not as a Chosen One who has to be perfect or else the universe will collapse into chaos. The people here call you 'good'; apparently they enjoy your work and enjoyment is the main purpose of storytelling. You're twelve, so you can't yet get your teeth into some of the great stuff of writing, but you shouldn't worry about that.
I suggest that you look at videos and articles and courses about writing, editing especially. They'll teach you how to make your bad stories better. Your bad stories may turn out not to be so bad as you thought, when you look at them a few years along the road. Good luck and happy writing, or other things.
(August 1, 2019 - 8:12 pm)
Thx for your support everyone. I guess I was kind of freaking out for a bit but I've settled down now and am working on a new story, which is actually going pretty well. I feel a lot better with your compliments.
Empyreal says veef. Hmm.
(August 2, 2019 - 9:46 pm)
I held off on posting here for a while because I’m not the biggest fan of writing inspirational stuff, but I’ll just write you something nice and short here.
First of all, you are not a bad writer. I think if you start calling people “bad” or “good” then you start having to call EVERYONE “bad” or “good.” If you asked ANY published author what their first draft looked like, it would be absolute rubbish. What makes some people stand out as “good writers” or “bad writers” is not talent but how persistent they are and how much they try to banish that inner voice telling you “this is horrible, you’re horrible, everything you write is horrible.” Cause that’s simply not true.
That’s all!
(August 8, 2019 - 8:49 pm)