How do you get past feeling like everything you write is crap?
At the moment I hate every word that I write. When I force myself to post a story, I still think it's shit even if/when I get positive feedback.
I think it has something to do with the fact that all I'm capable of writing atm is romcom fluff. I wish I could write something Dramatic and Serious like my amazing beta partner but my WIP is stalled (probably in part bc of this self-doubt). I need to get over this somehow.
tl;dr: Looking for suggestions on how to get past "my writing sux."
Even the most successful authors/artists get this. It seems to be part of the creative process. The best thing you can do is try not to beat yourself up about it, take a step back, breathe, read through some positive comments on older stories, etc.
For a stalled WIP though, try some of these:
-If you are stuck at a particular scene/section, try writing events past that section that you can get momentum on, then come back and stitch the parts together after. Sometimes it's easier to proceed if you know where you need to go.
-Set it entirely aside for a few days, go for a walk, get outside, let yourself ignore it, then come back fresh after.
-Try going back to an earlier scene and doing a rough second version of it from another character's perspective
-write a journal entry for one or more of your primary characters about what they have experienced in the story so far and what they think and feel about it
-freewrite anything, just write whatever comes into your head, get it down on paper or in a text file or if you're brave, something like Write or Die (the web app is here: http://oldandbusted.drwicked.com/#Web+App ). Sometimes it helps to just get words out, and sometimes you can turn it into free association brainstorming about plot points or character developments
-write a completely unrelated drabble or ficlet or poem, and post it.
Yeah, I'm familiar with the mid-story slump. I've written a couple of short kinkmeme fills to keep the writing muscles warm, and I just got a really nice, thoughtful comment that made me feel like at least one person gets what I'm trying to do. So that helped a bit.
I'm impressed. Rom-com stuff is really hard to do.
If I'm feeling stuck in a rut in terms of what genres I can do, I usually go read something I've been meaning to read that's not what I've been reading or writing. Gives me some refreshment and perspective.
One of my favourite authors just completed a long story, so I've been using that as an incentive. If I meet my writing target for the day, I can read another chapter.
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png){kind=small}
Dealing with insecurity
(Anonymous) 2016-04-10 02:02 am (UTC)(link)At the moment I hate every word that I write. When I force myself to post a story, I still think it's shit even if/when I get positive feedback.
I think it has something to do with the fact that all I'm capable of writing atm is romcom fluff. I wish I could write something Dramatic and Serious like my amazing beta partner but my WIP is stalled (probably in part bc of this self-doubt). I need to get over this somehow.
tl;dr: Looking for suggestions on how to get past "my writing sux."
Re: Dealing with insecurity
(Anonymous) 2016-04-10 08:24 am (UTC)(link)For a stalled WIP though, try some of these:
-If you are stuck at a particular scene/section, try writing events past that section that you can get momentum on, then come back and stitch the parts together after. Sometimes it's easier to proceed if you know where you need to go.
-Set it entirely aside for a few days, go for a walk, get outside, let yourself ignore it, then come back fresh after.
-Try going back to an earlier scene and doing a rough second version of it from another character's perspective
-write a journal entry for one or more of your primary characters about what they have experienced in the story so far and what they think and feel about it
-freewrite anything, just write whatever comes into your head, get it down on paper or in a text file or if you're brave, something like Write or Die (the web app is here: http://oldandbusted.drwicked.com/#Web+App ). Sometimes it helps to just get words out, and sometimes you can turn it into free association brainstorming about plot points or character developments
-write a completely unrelated drabble or ficlet or poem, and post it.
Hope that helps.
Re: Dealing with insecurity
(Anonymous) 2016-04-10 02:22 pm (UTC)(link)Yeah, I'm familiar with the mid-story slump. I've written a couple of short kinkmeme fills to keep the writing muscles warm, and I just got a really nice, thoughtful comment that made me feel like at least one person gets what I'm trying to do. So that helped a bit.
Re: Dealing with insecurity
(Anonymous) 2016-04-10 10:08 pm (UTC)(link)If I'm feeling stuck in a rut in terms of what genres I can do, I usually go read something I've been meaning to read that's not what I've been reading or writing. Gives me some refreshment and perspective.
Re: Dealing with insecurity
(Anonymous) 2016-04-11 04:57 pm (UTC)(link)One of my favourite authors just completed a long story, so I've been using that as an incentive. If I meet my writing target for the day, I can read another chapter.