Writing...

[owlectomy]

I've got the "Why am I so much worse at this than I thought and why didn't anyone ever tell me?" blues. Which wouldn't bug me so much if it weren't painfully obvious that there are some people who couldn't buy a clue about writing, who nevertheless think they're wonderful. And I hate the thought that I'm one of them.

It is hard to maintain a totally pragmatic attitude in the face of failure; an attitude that has nothing to do with optimism or pessimism, that seeks to persevere not because I'm going to succeed or fail but just because it's what I'm going to do.

Most of the criticism I've had in the past was from people who fundamentally understood where I was coming from and what I was trying to say. But I can't write just for them, and I have to remember that when someone really doesn't get me that could just as easily be my fault as his, and just because someone is mean or rude doesn't mean that they're wrong.

I've been at this a long time. I just really wish I were better at this by now; better at my writing, better in my attitude about writing.

Comments

[thothmeister.livejournal.com]

You will develop a thicker skin over rejections. They're turning down your story, not you.

At least some people give feedback, so you can improve on the mistakes of the past to make your fiction better.