As my current work in progress nears the end, I have moments where I say to myself, “I can’t believe I wrote this. It’s the most amazing story I’ve ever written. It’s emotional, philosophical, scientific and funny.”And then there are times when I say, “I can’t believe I wrote this! It’s whiney, pretentious, inconceivable and no one is going to get my jokes.” In other words it’s crap.
The problem with writing something you think is brilliant is at some point your bubble will get burst. I love this story I’m creating right now. I love the characters, the world and definitely the dialogue, but I guess it has to happen to authors at some point.
We are too close to the work and then doubts start to creep in. The only way I know how to handle this is to keep writing. If it turns out it’s crap, you can believe someone WILL tell me. It’s just that I recently noticed that I’d written a chapter without thinking much about it. It came from an emotional place and when I read it back, I thought, this is fan-freakin-tastic!
But then a few days later, I lay in bed thinking about that chapter and started to second guessing myself. Is it too emotional? Too preachy? Am I full of crap and therefore my writing must be full of crap too? Inquiring minds want to know, people! LOL.
I can’t be alone in this. Please tell me I’m not. At some point do you think you’ve written the next new classic novel? They will make movies, a theme park and everybody will want to be your characters. And then you think this is utter garbage and is probably not good enough to line a bird cage?
Tell me I’m not alone.
5 comments:
As someone who only writes masterpieces, , I think we get burnt out reading the same story over and over again. No matter how good a book is, or movie/play/song, I cannot tolerate it too much. I need change. Perfecting our stories will get tedious after a while. I think it's time for someone you know and trust to read it.
Have you "casted" your characters?
Interesting. The word "cough" I typed after masterpieces wasn't posted. hmmmmm
I get the "this is whiny and pretentious and awful" phase a lot.
I also get the "this is whiny and pretentious right now but will be great once I get around to editing it...but that would take so much effort..."
I tend to take the emotional roller coaster with my resposes to my writing - some good, some bad - definitely all over the spectrum! :)
YOU ARE NOT ALONE!! LOL I've definitely been there. :)
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