Should I write?

If you don't write, how will you know?

JustDee said:

Or is it safer to hang onto the dreamy notion instead?

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Sure, it's safer, but it's also much less fulfilling. Will you really be satisfied with that cozy safe feeling and nothing written?

the answer is simple--just hike your angst over to SYW and the folks over there will tell you if you suck. and, more importantly, where you don't suck. if you are serious about writing you will shed a tear or two--or maybe go purple in the face and rant about the critter's muddled thinking and salve your wounds by deciding that you are too brilliant to be understood--(been there myself). then you will pull yourself together and decide how to fix the sucky spots. after that you will try again. if you're not serious about writing, you'll never post another piece. jump in--it's a cold heartless place but it's the only place that will give you the plain facts. everything can be fixed, amigo mio--if only you know how to fix it---s6

Write. Yes, it might suck. But if your story is good, that's what edits and revisions are for. I am in the process of a major edit/revision right now and every once in a while, I read something that makes me scratch my head and ask what the heck was I smoking. Then again, sometimes I write something and reread it and smile, knowing that I found the words to bring to life exactly what was in my head.

But if you don't write, you'll never know.

JustDee said:

Do you know that woman who always gets picked to sing the church solo every Sunday? And every Sunday at brunch, the pastor, fellow parishioners and family all gather round her after the service is over and gush over what a beautiful voice she has and how her performance was just wonderful? But in truth we all know, deep down, that while, even if she wasn't awful, she really wasn't very good?

See I've had various people in my life tell me, "You really should write a book" or "you should be a writer". I mean, I'm guessing lots of people here have heard that before. And I always made mental note of it, giggled gleefully in my head at the notion, and then tucked it safely away in my memory in the folder labeled, "someday". And then, like most of us, turned my focus back to the "real world" and more mundane, but practical and realistic tasks.

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I did this for years. I had my family tell me I was good, but I never really thought much about it. They were my family and therefore, biased. I wrote, but not for publication or even to show off. I never let anyone outside the family see what I wrote and now, I have fourteen years worth of writing to edit. It's tedious and daunting work because the amount of crap that is there. I've been told I have talent and asked what in God's name is this supposed to be since I started letting others see my work. Don't let that throw you off. It's part of learning to write professionally, not just for yourself.

My advice is to learn as much as you can about what is sought after in publication, if you want to write and publish. Learn about publishing and what-not. Hone your craft. But write. Jesus yes, write!

Why do I say that? Well, even if you never publish a book or short story, or non-fiction article, whatever, you'll have accomplished the one thing many writers never do.

You finished it.

I don't know if what I write is any good, but I don't let that stop me. There are many people willing to help and give advice (better than family and friends because while what they say may hurt, it's truthful and that can only help in the long run), so even if you aren't the next great American novelist, you may just become one. Maybe, maybe not. Life's full of chances and risks, but you won't know your own potential unless you try... so don't be afraid to try.

But now I'm wanting to pluck that notion out of the 'someday' folder and make a conscious effort to move it to a 'today' goal. But here's the risk - what if I suck? And what if in trying I discover that I really will never be much more than a Sunday soloist? I won't be able to file the idea of being a writer back into the 'someday' folder ever again. Is it worth the risk?

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So what if you suck? I sucked huge big hairy donkey balls when I started. Everyone does when they first start. EVERYONE! I have become less sucky through much effort, and hopefully the curve hasn't flattened yet. Will you ever become 'not sucky'? Will you be the Sunday soloist, or leading the opera at the Albert Hall? Who knows. But as long as you're enjoying writing, does it really matter? If you write because you enjoy it ( as I suspect your soloist sings because she enjoys it) then that might be enough. Although of course publication is nice But would you not take up say baseball because although you enjoy it, you'll never play for the Red Sox? And if you decide that soloing isn't enough, you can always quit. ( Although, I warn you, it's addictive)

And if you are willing to learn, to work at it, then there's a possibility you could become 'completely not sucky, in fact pretty darn good'

Won't know till you try, right?

so bring on the donkey balls!--s6

I agree. Go for it! Find your own voice. Read everything. But write.

My question: do you enjoy writing? If you don't even enjoy the process, I would say, don't bother, but if you do enjoy it and find it appealing, you have nothing to lose.

Why not just try it? And if the first time it's not so great, try again. And if the second time it's just a bit better, try again. And again.

Just like the singer, if you don't practice and, more importanly, if no one bothers to point out your weak points, how can you ever improve?

Throw something out to SYW and see if it sticks. If it doesn't, you'll find out why.

If at the end of all this, you decide it's not for you, at least you'll have the satisfaction of knowing you gave it an honest try.

Good luck and have fun with it.

JustDee said:

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So again, or finally, the question is not whether I should write at all, but should I take the risk of discovering that I may be nothing more than a Sunday soloist? Or is it safer to hang onto the dreamy notion instead? Anyone care to share personal experiences or have a go at the answer?

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I think that this is a fear that every writer (or any kind of artist) has to go through at some point. We all know that, for the most part, our friends will not want to tell us that our writing sucks. Instead, they will tell us that it's wonderful and the best thing they've ever read, etc.

This is actually the main reason why I've stopped talking to people about the fact that I write. I find that if I listen to too many of their compliments, I start to get a big head, and a rather unrealistic impression of my own work. I think the fact that you are aware of these kind of actions puts you ahead of the game.

However, you're main question was, should you continue writing, and seek publication? I think that the truth is that you are the only one who can decide that. I know that I decided to keep writing because I love it, and I personally feel the point of telling a story is to share it with others.

JustDee said:

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I get that I can and will learn how to write better from a technical perspective only by doing and asking - grammar, puncuation, syntax, style... But that's very different, isn't it, from having that innate quality that indiscriminately determines who is a "writer" or "storyteller" and who is a Sunday -hobbyist- soloist.

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I'm going to have to disagree with you a little bit here. It's true that you can't become a good writer without practicing, but I think that the main thing that makes someone a good writer is reading. After I finish a book, I take time to think about whether or not I enjoyed it, and then try to pinpoint the reasons why. Were the characters two dimensional? Did I enjoy the style? Those kinds of things. If you think about that, you'll start to train your brain to recognize the things YOU think make up good writing and storytelling, and you'll find it easier to look objectively at your own writing and see if you do that in your own work. From there it's just a matter of trying to improve your work so that you write the kind of story you would enjoy.

I hope that made sense, and if it did, take from it what you can. But remember, you're not alone, we all have the same kinds of doubts about our work.

Writing is supposed to be fun, and can take up a lot of time that you could be spending doing something else. Try it. If it's not fun or exciting or intriguing, if you would rather be doing something else, then maybe it's not for you. But, I don't think it's comparable to the singer because singing you do once and then you can't go back and change that particular song, and you can't change your voice range. A novel you can edit or completely rewrite as much as you want, and you can try it using a different narratorial voice, and you can even get others to help you with the grammar. Also when you sing you sing someone else's song, so it's only about performance, but when you write a novel you are designing something original, and the audience evaluates the content as much or more than the presentation.

A few years ago, I was asking myself some similar questions. So my advice?

Research.

Don't research grammar and syntax and how to write a story, etc, but research what it means to be a writer--the pros, the cons, the various paths to success and failure, and so forth. Everything you can dig up on writing as a career. Then figure out what your goals are and how they fit with what you've researched. When that month is done, if you feel that the cost of writing is worth the reward, then go for it.

It is not an easy career path, and there aren't a lot of writers who just jumped in and were immediately awesome. It takes a lot of hard work, self improvement, self criticism, and the guts to keep standing when it feels like the world is punching you down. But you get that great feeling when a story is done, when somebody reads it and really understands what you were trying to say. Lots of hard work. Lots of potential rewards.

Fear of being a Sunday soloist should probably be one of the last things you are worried about in this decision. Writing is about singing your guts out, all the time knowing that you might be hitting false notes you aren't even aware of, but knowing also that you are going to go over your performance again and again to pick out the flaws and practice them until those go away. And when those flaws are gone, you'll still be picking apart your performances and looking for what else you can improve because you can never actually be perfect--all you can do is strive to be better than you were the day before.

Just my thoughts, though.




-Michelle

I think most writers have asked that same question at some point. Everyone has moments of self-doubt, and we all worry that someone, somewhere, might not like us for this or that reason. If you want to write, then write. You write for yourself, ultimately, not for others. You have a story to tell, so by golly sit your keister in the chair and tell it. Not everyone will like it, or maybe everyone will love it. You only find out that part of it at the end. I anticipate a great deal of suckage in my first few attempts to develop my voice, control my pacing, and engage my readers with whatever I am trying to say. But I am writing for me, because it is what I want. If you were brave enough to actually open the impossing and mine-field surrounded "someday" file, you sure as hell are brave enough to give this a go. And you know what? I believe the ones who keep trying, even after sucking lemons many, many times, are the ones that end up getting to be actual published writers in the end. (Although you may have to photoshop their jacket photos a bit, due to the ever-present "pucker face".)

Writing is hard. Really hard. The process of trying to get published--hopes raised, hopes dashed--can be excruciating. This is not the sort of thing I would recommend anyone doing if they don't feel compelled to do it. I'm talking about a deep need to write, feeling that something's missing when you go too long without writing. Believing that writing is one of the primary ways you were meant to make an impact on the world around you.

Do you feel this way at least some of the time? Or does writing just sound like it might be fun?

It's normal to waver, and to question whether you really have to do this, but if you've never felt compelled to write, I'm not sure it's worth it.

If I suddenly lost this compulsion, I would happily devote my energy to my family and to other activities I enjoy.

That said, I love writing. There is nothing like the thrill of being totally engrossed in my own story, watching my characters' destinies unfold at the movement of my fingertips. I love the moment when I realize how all the fragments of a WIP I've been struggling with are going to fit together. Even though I can't make sense of the world, I've made sense out of what was at first a jumbled wreck of a story. I love the times when the story seems to carry me along for a ride, and I also love the times when (drunk with power) I get to manipulate this fictional situation and make things turn out exactly the way I want them to.

If you're a praying person, I'd recommend praying about it.

JustDee said:

So again, or finally, the question is not whether I should write at all, but should I take the risk of discovering that I may be nothing more than a Sunday soloist? Or is it safer to hang onto the dreamy notion instead? Anyone care to share personal experiences or have a go at the answer?

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Do you really want to spend your life skipping things because you don't want to find out that you suck? All of the BEST things in my life would have been "safer" to avoid, but I took the risk and tried. Not everything that I dive in and do works out but I refuse to miss out on things because I'm scared to try.

If you have a desire to write, just write. Don't worry about anyone's expectations of you. And don't spend your whole life hanging onto dreamy notions because you're afraid to find out if you can cut it or not. Because really, what's the worst that could happen by trying to write?

It's normal to waver, and to question whether you really have to do this, but if you've never felt compelled to write, I'm not sure it's worth it.

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Ah, but my compulsion didn't start until after I'd actually decided to write Then I found I couldn't stop...

JustDee, I could have written that letter myself. I also was told I should write a book, but tuck the idea away for awhile. Now Im starting my novel. And I have the same insecurities that you mentioned.
But I figure it's worth a shot.

IdiotsRUs said:

Ah, but my compulsion didn't start until after I'd actually decided to write Then I found I couldn't stop...

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I see your point. I've felt compelled since I was a small child (kindergarten, to be exact) so . . . I'm coming at it from that experience. I know it isn't like that for everyone, and "trying on" being a writer as an adult may be a good idea. I just wouldn't force it if the need to do it doesn't develop.

IdiotsRUs said:

Ah, but my compulsion didn't start until after I'd actually decided to write Then I found I couldn't stop...

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Same here. I'd always toyed with the idea of writing, but never did. The day I actually decided to write something for the first time was like the opening of a tap. A big tap. No, wait... a dam! A dam blown apart by a bouncing bomb while the Dambusters theme blares from the heavens from... erm, clouds.

Hi, JustDee,

What a brave and honest question.

In a way, perhaps, you're asking it in the wrong place, because no-one here (by definition) is going to give you the most helpful and informative answer you really need, which is 'Yes, that was me, I tried it and I sucked, I failed and lost the dream but I still think it was worth it'.

This place is full of writers - people who have either succeeded, or still haven't given up trying. Of course we're going to tell you 'go for it, you'll never know till you try' etc etc, all of which I'm guessing you're already wise enough to know for yourself. I'm no different and no better, but your post seems to come right from the heart, so here's a bit of honesty right back.

You're afraid because you have something to lose. So does the Sunday soloist - the minute she goes and auditions somewhere and fails, then it all stops. It's not just the dream that goes, but so does the praise and respect from people locally. She's no longer a woman who might make it, but a woman who tried and failed. Big, big difference.

I know about that. I was an editor for a long time, and lots of my writers told me I should try writing for myself. I was actually writing anyway because I had to (and if this isn't you, then you need to think long and hard if this is really what you want) but I didn't tell anyone and I didn't risk submitting. I didn't dare. If I'd tried and failed, no-one would take me seriously as an editor again - who wants to take notes off someone who can't hack it themselves? If things hadn't changed, I'd probably never have gone any further. I didn't have the guts.

But things did change. I got promoted to producer, made a right hash of it and (very publicly) lost my career. The 'maybe I can write' was suddenly the very, very last thing I had in the bag, and I no longer had anything to lose. I tried, and it worked. I had to change my name and submit anonymously, but it worked, and the very first novel I ever wrote sold.

And if it hadn't? I don't know. I'm scared to even think about it, which is why I can understand what you're going through. For me, it had to work. I worked day and night every day and night, I did seven drafts of the wretched thing and slowly, slowly I got better. If it 'has' to work, believe me, you're going to be putting a lot more into it than any mere hobbyist, and it's so going to show. The slushpiles are full of people who don't even know grammar or spelling, and who honestly believe their first draft is their book. Go into it seriously and sooner or later you will succeed.

Unlike me, you still have something to lose, and that's harder. Even so, you can limit it by taking the wise advice of people here and posting in SYW. No-one back home ever need to know you did that, no-one will ever think less of you. If your own dream is dented, then again, I'd take the advice of people here and work on your craft. My first draft was risible. Sucking at first means nothing.

So in the end I'm only saying the same as everyone else here - try it and see. I know it's nothing like as easy as it sounds, and you need more guts than I had. But some wise person once said the saddest words in the English language are it might have been. I agree. My life has been transformed since I tried, and maybe yours will be too.

Isn't that worth giving it a shot?

Louise

JustDee said:

I had this whole big thing all typed up and then after re-reading what I'd written, hit the 'DELETE' key. And so here I am typing up another "whole big thing". LOL! Sorry for the length - but hopefully some few reading might hang in there through the whole post.

The question for me is pretty simple - though I realize its potential answers are numerous and largely subjective in most people's minds. But I hope there are a few brave souls here who might be willing to dig deep and give a virtual stranger the benefit of their candid, even brutally honest answer to this question.

Do you know that woman who always gets picked to sing the church solo every Sunday? And every Sunday at brunch, the pastor, fellow parishioners and family all gather round her after the service is over and gush over what a beautiful voice she has and how her performance was just wonderful? But in truth we all know, deep down, that while, even if she wasn't awful, she really wasn't very good?

See I've had various people in my life tell me, "You really should write a book" or "you should be a writer". I mean, I'm guessing lots of people here have heard that before. And I always made mental note of it, giggled gleefully in my head at the notion, and then tucked it safely away in my memory in the folder labeled, "someday". And then, like most of us, turned my focus back to the "real world" and more mundane, but practical and realistic tasks.

But now I'm wanting to pluck that notion out of the 'someday' folder and make a conscious effort to move it to a 'today' goal. But here's the risk - what if I suck? And what if in trying I discover that I really will never be much more than a Sunday soloist? I won't be able to file the idea of being a writer back into the 'someday' folder ever again. Is it worth the risk?

I don't know if anyone will get what I'm asking here, and like I said, I know the answers can be subjective. But if I'm to be brutally honest (something I've a become a big believer in) I would also say that the only reason the answers are subjective is because the majority of people asking the question want to avoid the simple truth in the answer. I don't.

I get that I can and will learn how to write better from a technical perspective only by doing and asking - grammar, puncuation, syntax, style... But that's very different, isn't it, from having that innate quality that indiscriminately determines who is a "writer" or "storyteller" and who is a Sunday -hobbyist- soloist.

So again, or finally, the question is not whether I should write at all, but should I take the risk of discovering that I may be nothing more than a Sunday soloist? Or is it safer to hang onto the dreamy notion instead? Anyone care to share personal experiences or have a go at the answer?

Thanks for reading!

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Sit. Write.

JustDee said:

Or is it safer to hang onto the dreamy notion instead? Anyone care to share personal experiences or have a go at the answer? Thanks for reading!

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Dreamy notions are the regrets you swallow on your deathbed. Do you really want that?

You have nothing to lose. Nothing. Just sit. Just write.

I was told the same thing my whole life. I used to write horror stories for my older brother. If I didn't, he'd beat the bejesus out of me...so it was kind of a lunch-money for protection sort of thing. He'd protect me from his fists if I rendered stories onto him. It was a nice set-up. I gave up writing for years and years...always kind of doodle writing on receipts and post-its, etc. One day it just got to hard to hold back. I sat down. I wrote.

Well, I really wanted to write novels. I sat down to do it, but two things happened: I found out that I suck at prose, and I didn't have any desire to actually do the writing. I tried poetry to maybe jump start the desire, and found that I actually write a pretty good rondeau or ballade so long as they're about things that apply to me or my interests (never posted them on here, but have sent them to people who enjoyed them). So, I'm a poet now. Haha. So, am I disappointed that I will most likely never have a novel on the shelf with my name on it? Yes. But, I still think it was worth it because I found something I enjoy, am kinda good at, and look forward to doing. I say go for it.

Writers have to write. If you're a writer, you don't have a choice. How do you know if you're a writer? Simple: you won't be able to stop. Will you be good writer? Only time will tell.