Are you ever 100% satisfied...

[La Reine]

...with something you've written? I'm not talking about minor disappointments, but say a novel you've written that has flat characters you tried unsuccessfully to round up, or a novel/story with weak spots...

[Shadow Otenaki]

Well, so far I've liked everything I've ever written.
Aside from the minor errors that I can spot, though. =P
So to answer the question bluntly, yes.

[La Reine]

Well, so far I've liked everything I've ever written.
Aside from the minor errors that I can spot, though. =P
So to answer the question bluntly, yes.

WOW

[JerseyGirl1962]

Short answer: Nope.

My current WIP is far from complete, and I just re-did the 1st chapter, after pronouncing it "very good" just a few weeks back, lol.

My one publishing credit, a short story, I tweaked endlessly for a long time, finally coming to my senses and saying, "When are you going to send it out and try to get it published?" You have to get to that point and send out your "baby," and deal with the consequences, good or bad.

Not an easy thing to do, at least not for me. But I don't think any decent writer thinks their story is 100% good, no matter if you get published and sell 100 or 10,000 books. See, there's always those last few nits to pick... :tongue

~Nancy

[JerseyGirl1962]

Yeow, Shadow! That's amazing.

~Nancy

[Christine N.]

Ugh, no, especially not today. I just finished reading the latest HP book, and afterwards I just felt so... ugh. Like everything I've ever written is total crap, and the WIP is just awful. Usually she inspires me, but now I feel like I suck. I'll never be that brilliant. Ever.

Sigh. I'm having an off day, I suppose.

[Jamesaritchie]

No matter how satisfied I may feel with something at the moment, when I look back on it six months or a year later, I tend to cringe.

In all the writing I've done, in all the things I've sold, I've had exactly one piece puiblished that even now, almost fifteen years later, I still think is as good as I can possibly write. I still wouldn't change a single word of that piece. There are a couple of others that I'm still perfectly satisfied with, but know I'd write a bit differently now. But with these exceptions, there's nothing I've had published that I wouldn't love to have a crack at rewriting.

Not that I'm at all sure it matters. Some of the stories I believe are my best writing never sell anywhere, and some of the stories that I believe are written horribly sell first time out and keep selling.

[Honey Nut Loop]

No matter how much i initially like a story to begin with by the time i get to the end and have edited and re-written i tend to hate my work. A story can only be interesting for so long. That's why i think outside opinion is so important because i may be sick of a chapter and think it is crap when others might think differently. Am i making sense?

[La Reine]

No matter how much i initially like a story to begin with by the time i get to the end and have edited and re-written i tend to hate my work. A story can only be interesting for so long. That's why i think outside opinion is so important because i may be sick of a chapter and think it is crap when others might think differently. Am i making sense?

Yeah...It happens that way for me too. The longer I work on something, the more its value goes down in my eyes.

Have you ever had people say something you thought wasn't really good actually was?

[azbikergirl]

Other people tend to like my stuff more than I do! Sometimes I really like a passage I wrote, but most of the time I chew the end of my virtual pencil while I ponder how I can make it better. Problem is, nothing new gets written that way. :/

[scribbler1382]

Final drafts are like the sun during an eclipse...you're pretty sure they're a sight to behold, but you don't EVER look directly at them.

[Mistook]

Lately, I've been so disappointed in my own work, I've seriously considered just giving up the idea of being a writer.


... or at least a writer of "serious" fiction. There are some things I've written that I like, but they always have an underlying tone of absurdity or humor to them.

[Button]

I fall in love with my characters. That's ususally where I end up as far as liking something enough to leave it alone.

Most of the time, I like to add just a little bit more. Another little twist along the path is what I like.

JK Rowling usually inspires me. While I understand it's intimidating to think about all the plotting she's done how massive it is, it is still just a story. Go back and read her first book. She started with a small idea, a boy going to a school of magic. What wonders could you come up with? What would you change?

How exciting it is to think of the possabilites we have to create our own magic worlds! I think I'll go write... more... now!

[Nateskate]

It's kind of like falling in love with someone. You don't have to love everything equally, but you must love something immensely or you wouldn't be falling in love. In fact, you may realistically see flaws, but that doesn't detract from the overall feeling.

I don't know that it's possible for me to write something absolutely perfect. Rather, I think in all honesty there are beautiful moments in my stories, characters that I love, places I can clearly see.

[triceretops]

I'm on my third line-by-line edit on my 400-page novel, and I'm getting pretty sick of sticking my head into it and constantly changing something. I love the story, but I feel that I'm spinning my wheels, constantly tweaking this project, when, in fact, two full manucripts are due at two pub houses, and I'm hopelessly mired in this script. Dunno. I'll have to stop abruptly and send the damn thing before I have a nervous breakdown.

Tri

[Nateskate]

I'm on my third line-by-line edit on my 400-page novel, and I'm getting pretty sick of sticking my head into it and constantly changing something. I love the story, but I feel that I'm spinning my wheels, constantly tweaking this project, when, in fact, two full manucripts are due at two pub houses, and I'm hopelessly mired in this script. Dunno. I'll have to stop abruptly and send the damn thing before I have a nervous breakdown.

Tri

You can do it Tri, don't give up!
The problem is that guys like you and I pick high degree of difficulty projects. Hey, let's collaborate on something easy.

"See Jane
See Jane run
Run Jane run..."

Seriously, these writing projects are a course in writing. How many things have you tried that you never thought you could do in the story? I'm sure quite a few.

[cwfgal]

No matter how satisfied I may feel with something at the moment, when I look back on it six months or a year later, I tend to cringe.


Ditto.

Beth

[Christine N.]

Buttons, thank you for saying that. I came to the same conclusion this afternoon. My own series is only on book two, so I'm still setting everything up. The stories are complete, but things haven't really had a chance to connect yet. I need to start writing notes to remember details for later books though, so I'm getting somewhere.

I have a copy of Angie Sage's Magyk Book One beside me now. It's a debate whether or not to go back to Sorcerer's stone or read this one.

Crisis of faith in myself averted.

[aspiringwriter]

My problem is, I'll start writing something and loose interest very quickly....guess it's because I have sooo many ideas in my head (not literally) but you understand where i'm coming from...then again maybe not :)

[Albedo of Zero]

no

[AdamH]

Final drafts are like the sun during an eclipse...you're pretty sure they're a sight to behold, but you don't EVER look directly at them.

Here here :Cheers: !! That's pretty much what it's like. I'm the ultimate "tweaker". There's stuff I go back to realizing that I've grown since last I touched it and feel the need to play with it. I use the excuse that I'm improving my skills and everything I've written (no matter how old) has to grow with me.

[alaskamatt17]

I'm never really satisfied with anything I write either. I have a few pages in my novel that I think are wonderful and that I wouldn't change, but most of it seems full of flaws. I don't blame the publishers for rejecting it.

My second novel, though ... I'm really proud of it. Not 100% satisfied with it, but I think the rough draft is going extraordinarily well. I can read it without cringing. Even with the eighth draft of my first novel I can't do that! (And my 0th novel doesn't even count, because I couldn't begin to make it good no matter how many rewrites I put it through). I'm pretty jubilant about the project because right now it strikes me as something that could be published; that, and I passed 100,000 words on the rough draft yesterday.

[SRHowen]

At the time I write it--yes, a week later, never.

[hpoppink]

No, I have never been satisfied with my writing, but I have had many 100% satisfying reading experiences.

I also want to point out that satisfaction doesn't require perfection. Satisfaction is an emotional response; perfection is more intellectual analysis.

I don't think it's a crime to feel either way about what you write. What your work brings to you and what it brings to the reading public are different issues; although I admit they can be related.

[edfrzr]

Sometimes I can't believe what I wrote came out of my virtual pen. I've never thought of myself as being creative. But once in awhile...WOW! For the most part I love the stories.

I think a better question is -- do you think the so called "best selling authors" of today are happy with what they put their names on. I've read some that I almost threw the book through the damn window I was so disappointed at the end. In fact, that was what inspired me to write what I have.

[--E]

100% satisfied? No. This is because I am a better writer today than I was yesterday.

It's like asking a person what their favorite food is. Some days I want cherries, and some days I want grilled octopus. If I write something while in a cherry mood, and then look at it while in an octopus mood, I'll see stuff I want to change. But if I read it when once again in a cherry mood, I'll want to change it all back.

My goal is to stop rewriting a given project before I get sick of it.

--E

[Jamesaritchie]

I think a better question is -- do you think the so called "best selling authors" of today are happy with what they put their names on. .

Like most of us, I think they're doing the best they can. For the most part, I think they do it very, very well.

[SeanDSchaffer]

...with something you've written? I'm not talking about minor disappointments, but say a novel you've written that has flat characters you tried unsuccessfully to round up, or a novel/story with weak spots...


No, I personally am not pleased completely with my work. My first novel took me 17 years to complete, and I'm now thinking about re-writing it yet again.

I don't think I'll ever be totally pleased with anything I've ever written. There will always be improvements I can make, things I need to take out, character development that has never been quite finished, etc. I rather doubt that if I were to spend the next thirty years trying to get my first novel re-done, I would ever be completely pleased with it.

Like the old saying goes: "We are our own worst critics."

[maestrowork]

I think they're relatively satisfied and happy. Are they happy with EVERYTHING they put out there? Probably not. E.g. John Grisham still considers A Time To Kill his best book. But still, they're their babies, and if you can't be proud of your own babies, who will?

[Christine N.]

I think it's done when I'm sick of it. LOL. My last manuscript, by the time I was ready to send it to my publisher, I was sick to death of it. I wanted it done and sent already. Now, of course, thinking back, there's just one little thing I would like to tweak.

Of course, that's what editors are for. Nothing's in stone until the final proofs go to the printer. Even then, there's always second edtions.

LOL. I still adore the story, but I was just tired of looking at it.

[maestrowork]

I'm satisfied the moment I finished or published it. Don't look back. Always move forward.

Now, ask me again in 10 years.

[l.stormgaye]

I'm never satisfied. I used to critique and critique until there's nothing left, but starting from scratch or giving up completely.

So after contributing to my schrink's new 70' yatch, I came to a conclusion: I will write organically and leave it for a month or so. Then return to organically edit.

http://michaelhodges.com/stuff/funny/2008cc1.swf (http://michaelhodges.com/stuff/funny/2008cc1.swf)

[Jamesaritchie]

I think it's done when I'm sick of it. LOL. My last manuscript, by the time I was ready to send it to my publisher, I was sick to death of it. I wanted it done and sent already. Now, of course, thinking back, there's just one little thing I would like to tweak.

Of course, that's what editors are for. Nothing's in stone until the final proofs go to the printer. Even then, there's always second edtions.

LOL. I still adore the story, but I was just tired of looking at it.

Being sick of your own novel is something I can relate to. I write a novel, rewrite a novel, then put a final polish on it, which means I've already read it several times. I'm tired of reading it.

Then, when it gets to the editor, she goes through it, makes suggestions, sends it back, and I have to read it again, maybe do some tinkering. I send it back to the editor, who edits it to death, and sends it back to me. Once again I go through it.

By the time the galleys arrive, I'm not only less than satisfied with the thing, I'm totally sick of it, wish I'd never written it, and swear it's lousy front to back. When the author's copies arrive, I don't even want to open the box.

By the time the thing actually goes on sale, I usually have my sanity and objectiveity back, but I think whoever said "never look back" had it right.

[Christine N.]

LOL James, that's the truth.

[icerose]

My problem is, I'll start writing something and loose interest very quickly....guess it's because I have sooo many ideas in my head (not literally) but you understand where i'm coming from...then again maybe not :)

I understand what you mean. I had the same problem and have logged over 70 story ideas in just four years. What I do to overcome this is write down everything I can think of about each story, then I file them away. Pick two of your favorites and focus on those. If more ideas surface, write them down, log them away. It is the best way to get them out of your head and out of the way. If they are on file you can always draw from them later. Some of them you will hate, some you will love, but they are there just the same. You can always throw them away later.

Good luck

Sara

P.S. I did this and I was able to write four full novels in four years, so it really does help.

[triceretops]

Christine and James---I'm soooooo with you on this and I can identify. You get to the point where you are totally over-familiar with your manuscript. At this point in the game, I can nearly recite my novel line for line out of memory and repitition. I finally got to the point where I just threw up my hands and sent the entire script off, or it would have never been done. It took me a record-breaking (for me) 3 1/2 months for the first draft--then over two months to pound it into shape. That's going at flank speed, 10 hours a day, seven days a week, with no letup or excuses.

You can liken a book to looking in a mirror. We all see our own tired, ugly (so we're convinced) relections in the glass every day of our lives, and often think we look like hell. Then along comes a stranger or friend who happens to think "Hey, your quite handsome/pretty--I wish I had your eyes/hair/skin."

I'll bet editors and agents are aware of this bizzare syndrome, and get fatigued just like the authors. But here's a little secret that they told me and warned me not to divulge: "We don't have the work and time invested in the book, but we do feel like co-authors sometimes." In other words, it's more of a collaborative effort than you think. I had one editor tell another "Check out pages 151 to 153 in Chris' book--that's ALL me." So, believe it, there's more than one author in your book. It's no wonder that many books are dedicated/acknowledged to the agents and editors. Only they can stand off from the project, wearing that "objective" hat, and see the final work through without having a nervous breakdown.

Tri