The Writing Process

[CensoredAlso]

But I personally have never had any success in writing good fic for the purpose of working out stuff that bothered me. Eh...to each their own.

See I don't tend to write fiction. Nor was I ever that into fiction books. Even as a child, I liked reading non fiction books that were about things that I enjoyed, such as historical events or movies. And now I guess I write the same way, analyzing characters or stories that I identify with. And if there is some quality that a character has that I identify with, I latched onto that as a way of understanding myself. I guess part of it is that I'm uncomfortable in my own skin, so instead I "put on" someone else's that I feel close to.

 

[charlietheowl]

I've tried that...and it was AWFUL. Not the process, which can be good for the soul, but the finished work...well. I shred a lot.

I think what I'm going to do after I finish the story (1 more chapter to go), is put it aside for a couple of days and then see what it looks like. Perhaps I'll find something more is there, perhaps I won't. But it was good to work things out.

 

[newsmanfan]

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Hope it helps then, Charlie! I wish you luck and good writing.

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[CensoredAlso]

Ugh, I'm trying to write another blog entry and I'm running into my usual writing block problem. I get so nervous and worked up over whether it will be any good, that I just get paralyzed and nothing ends up being written. So frustrating when this happens and I end up questioning myself even more!

 

[newsmanfan]

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Sorry, only just saw this...

Heralde, have you tried setting it aside and writing about something else? Just whatever pops into your head. Then go back to the first project and see if you can look at it afresh. Whenever I get blocked I turn to drawing or Photoshopping; I think the diferent-area-of-brain-usage actually helps reset things.

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[CensoredAlso]

Heralde, have you tried setting it aside and writing about something else? Just whatever pops into your head. Then go back to the first project and see if you can look at it afresh. Whenever I get blocked I turn to drawing or Photoshopping; I think the diferent-area-of-brain-usage actually helps reset things.

Aw thanks. Well the problem is I always end up setting these things aside and then they never get done, lol. And when I try to write about what pops into my head I hear all my inner critic voices telling me how lame it is, lol.

 

[newsmanfan]

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I'd mark down those inner critics as part of the OCD, no? There comes a point when you have to not only self-analyze your talent but learn to trust your instinct as to what's good and what sucks. I wish I could give you the key to that but I honestly have no idea when the turning point from eternally self-doubting to confident in at least my writing came about... Post more links here, get more feedback and better critical feedback and tailor your inner critic to the smartest of those carpers, not the dumbest! When you internalize that enough to be able to step back a few hours or a day after writing and look at your piece as a random intelligent outsider would, you can then judge it good or bad AND know what needs fixing and why and how. I think it's really more confidence-building and practice than anything else...

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