As authors, do you ever get this feeling?

[SuperWriter]

You get super excited about a new idea, write it and then question if what you wrote was total garbage? I believe I'm a good writer and have had some good success, but how do you put more confidence in yourself, or is it just one of those things that never goes away?

How do you all combat that particular feeling?

 

[The_Comte_dAmour]

But of course. Every creative endeavor I do — writing, music, drawing, theater — is the greatest thing I’ve ever done as I’m working on it and absolute garbage once I’ve finished it. Every single time.

 

[SimonDoom]

You get super excited about a new idea, write it and then question if what you wrote was total garbage? I believe I'm a good writer and have had some good success, but how do you put more confidence in yourself, or is it just one of those things that never goes away?

How do you all combat that particular feeling?

I think the answer is, you don't fight it, you just accept it.

The creative process, by its nature, involves a leap into the unknown. That's true, particularly, when you are pushing the boundaries of your creative/artistic comfort zone.

I am sure there are writers who are good at what they do and keep doing what they're good at, and they feel comfortable and confident about what they write. They don't experience what you're talking about.
But if you're pushing yourself, you're probably going to be uncomfortable. That's a good thing, not a bad thing. You just have to keep doing what you do, learning to live with the discomfort.

 

[Paul_Chance]

I think it is a pretty normal feeling.

Just remember, perfection is the enemy of completion.

(Incidentally made me think of a great little book - Steven Pressfield's "The War of Art")

I have a trick I use to get passed that harsh inner critic. We tend to compare our works to good works or even great works - flip that around and compare it to bad work - that still got published and was a bestseller.

 

[RocketLauncher]

As authors, do you ever get this feeling?

No.

 

[RocketLauncher]

?

(s)he has several stories on Lit. More than 3

Your point being...?

 

[RocketLauncher]

Exactly

Oh, I see, Lit is the only place to publish stories?
Perhaps being less prolific might build some of the confidence they so desperately seek.
Why does an honest answer upset you?
Or is being a tortured artist a necessary part of writing? Last time I looked it wasn't a prerequisite.

 

[RocketLauncher]

It's not the 'no', but the indication of joint date and number of posts that make me raise my eyebrows. Why is that relevant?

Apparently, SuperWriter also has stories elsewhere. I'm not to judge, but who is?

I just copied and pasted. Join date and posts are irrelevant. No worries I'll edit the original post. Is a disclaimer necessary, too? jk

Relax, guy, take it easy.

 

[RocketLauncher]

I'm not to judge, but who is?

Apparently from your scathing rejoinder you appointed yourself not only judge but jury, too.

 

[RocketLauncher]

Sorry. Your reply makes sense now. I thought you were somehow judging the OP by showing that data.

'no' is certainly a valid answer to such a question. I envy you, being content with your work. I guess it must be more relaxed living that way.

Why sweat the small stuff? There's enough fucked up shit in this world to worry about. Writing is, at times, cathartic and we're all lucky to be able to indulge in such a worthy pastime.

 

[NotWise]

You get super excited about a new idea, write it and then question if what you wrote was total garbage?

Nope. I'm more likely to finish, reread it, and say "Damn! That's better than I thought."

I find out about the problems later.

 

[Kojak01]

Just remember, perfection is the enemy of completion.

In German there is a saying which goes 'good enough is the enemy of the better'

I don't know if there is an equivalent in English...

 

[SuperWriter]

Why sweat the small stuff? There's enough fucked up shit in this world to worry about. Writing is, at times, cathartic and we're all lucky to be able to indulge in such a worthy pastime.

Sure there's plenty of messed up things in the world, but obviously more people than not seem to have this problem. You can't help how you feel about something, only how you react, like SimonDoom eloquently stated

 

[RocketLauncher]

Sure there's plenty of messed up things in the world, but obviously more people than not seem to have this problem. You can't help how you feel about something, only how you react, like SimonDoom eloquently stated

You asked, I answered. Sorry if you didn't like my reply. It was an honest response and you're right, I can't help how I feel and how I react. Am I not entitled to my own honest opinion to your question?
If not, for future reference, you might want to phrase it as a statement and not a question.

 

[TarnishedPenny]

In German there is a saying which goes 'good enough is the enemy of the better'

I don't know if there is an equivalent in English...

It gets turned around a bit: The perfect is the enemy of the good.

 

[weftandwarp]

I like a degree of difficulty in my stories. I try to have some humanity in them, some emotion. I'm not good at emotion. It is difficult to do sometimes, especially when trying to be non judgemental. It is things like that I base my happiness with a story on. I'm contemplating writing one at the moment where a babe is unnecessarily circumcised and it is badly botched. The realisation of what has happened comes later for him and it upsets him he was greeted into the world with bone crushers and scalpel. He's humiliated, wonders why boys are the victims while girls aren't allowed to be circumcised by law, ( the disposable gender.) . He doesn't date etc and eventually, I'm not sure but I think he suicides. What I think of is the degree of difficulty, the emotion of it, the permanence of the catastrophe. ... I have a feeling I have a way to go to do it well. So, for me the challenge of what I choose is a two edged sword that can be devastating or exhilarating (if I can do it well). I think it is important to be on that edge of being both challenged and comfortable. If I'm not a little dissatisfied with the result I know I haven't done as much as I could have, should have.

 

[ElectricBlue]

In German there is a saying which goes 'good enough is the enemy of the better'

I don't know if there is an equivalent in English...

Near enough for government work.

My philosophy is, 98% gets you rolling, waiting for 100% means you'll never start.

 

[lovecraft68]

I have this pattern which still repeats itself even though I've been writing a few years.

Get the idea, oh yeah its hot! I usually start pretty well then I feel like I'm slogging it, but keep going. During the middle I invariably think, what am I doing, this sucks, I'm going to have to fix this.

Then I catch fire again and figure okay so some of the story is decent but ugh that long stretch of ugh...

Then I let it cool and go back to edit and always think...hey, this isn't so bad after all.

I think its the fact that because my stories are longer I don't write them start to finish, but in chunks so I never get the full feel of the piece until I go back when its done.

 

[Blind_Justice]

I should be a very happy writer. My stories score well enough, I don't have a trolling stalker tearing into my work and most people commenting on my stuff want more of it.

Doesn't change the fact that I'm a barely coherent, insecure bundle of nerves most of the time. Especially when publishing day rolls around.

 

[SuperWriter]

I should be a very happy writer. My stories score well enough, I don't have a trolling stalker tearing into my work and most people commenting on my stuff want more of it.

Doesn't change the fact that I'm a barely coherent, insecure bundle of nerves most of the time. Especially when publishing day rolls around.

Lol it's like you're describing me

 

[Desiremakesmeweak]

It was a great OP question. I only just read it and am late into this thread.

...But it was a great question.

And it is a question from someone who I get the impression is very sincere about their question, and I rarely ever give my own 'answers' to most sorts of 'author technique/tactic' questions; but I will here.

I have found it to be the case that your original internal sense is never wrong, and the mistake some people make is that they then hide that energy inside too many words - that is, the energy is there but it becomes covered over sometimes when we try to 'write the energy' or 'explain' the energy.

Cut cut cut, edit out EVERY SINGLE ELEMENT of extraneous stuff when you look at what you've written, cut back until you yourself suddenly again SEE what you thought you had all along. It's still in there. And sometimes it's only just one single word. One word that you NEEDED for something else - that's the extreme case.

 

[rae121452]

You get super excited about a new idea, write it and then question if what you wrote was total garbage? I believe I'm a good writer and have had some good success, but how do you put more confidence in yourself, or is it just one of those things that never goes away?

How do you all combat that particular feeling?

only every single time.