- Joined
- Sep 10, 2009
- Messages
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Learning to write well is hard. I don't think any of us would disagree. I'm now going to ramble sappily about why you people rock. You have been warned.
First of all, when I first came here I learned a lot--and I'd been writing for years. It wasn't like I was a complete noob. Most of that was industry knowledge. What I didn't expect was to meet really great, awesome people who are not only encouraging, but who could help me attain a level of ability that I would never have reached otherwise, or at least not for another decade or so.
I won't mention names (you know who you are), but the people I've met here and the friends I've made have been so helpful, and I'm so thankful. Let me explain.
My current book has been kicking my ass for some time now. It's not the writing itself. I actually think I'm pretty darn good at that part, if I'm allowed to say so. But this one has been an attempt at a complex plot, something I'm less skilled in. In fact, plot is still the hardest thing for me, even when I'm working linearly.
This book has been so hard my boyfriend has repeatedly asked why I don't just set it aside and write something else. I suppose the most honest reason is because I'm stubborn, but I thought about this today, and I came to a more accurate realization: it's because I'm learning something new.
Today someone read my new beginning, which was the rewrite of the old new beginning, which was a complete rewrite of the old old beginning which I'd labored over and outlined to death. I knew what the subplots were, where it was going, all that good stuff, but structure? With subplots? What on earth is that?
Every time I get comments on this, either from someone who read it or even just someone who listens to me ramble about it, y'all help me see something in a new way that I'd never considered before. I can look at the problem in a new way and see new solutions. More than anything, I'm starting to understand this structure thing. Why something works, why it doesn't. I can use that. In the future when I want to write a complex plot, I'm going to be able to turn it around three-dimensional in my head and really understand it. And it's because of the people on here.
I guess this probably sounds kind of lame, but it's true. You have helped me progress to new levels and helped me to learn more about the craft than I could ever have done on my own. You are supporters and cheerleaders who understand how hard this process is, but you're also teachers. I don't know if you know that you do this, but it's true.
This has been a hard process. And this book is still kicking my ass if we're being honest, but this is why I stick with it. Because I'm still learning and I believe that, in the long run, my writing will be better for it. And an awful lot of that is thanks to all of you.
I just wanted to let you know.
First of all, when I first came here I learned a lot--and I'd been writing for years. It wasn't like I was a complete noob. Most of that was industry knowledge. What I didn't expect was to meet really great, awesome people who are not only encouraging, but who could help me attain a level of ability that I would never have reached otherwise, or at least not for another decade or so.
I won't mention names (you know who you are), but the people I've met here and the friends I've made have been so helpful, and I'm so thankful. Let me explain.
My current book has been kicking my ass for some time now. It's not the writing itself. I actually think I'm pretty darn good at that part, if I'm allowed to say so. But this one has been an attempt at a complex plot, something I'm less skilled in. In fact, plot is still the hardest thing for me, even when I'm working linearly.
This book has been so hard my boyfriend has repeatedly asked why I don't just set it aside and write something else. I suppose the most honest reason is because I'm stubborn, but I thought about this today, and I came to a more accurate realization: it's because I'm learning something new.
Today someone read my new beginning, which was the rewrite of the old new beginning, which was a complete rewrite of the old old beginning which I'd labored over and outlined to death. I knew what the subplots were, where it was going, all that good stuff, but structure? With subplots? What on earth is that?
Every time I get comments on this, either from someone who read it or even just someone who listens to me ramble about it, y'all help me see something in a new way that I'd never considered before. I can look at the problem in a new way and see new solutions. More than anything, I'm starting to understand this structure thing. Why something works, why it doesn't. I can use that. In the future when I want to write a complex plot, I'm going to be able to turn it around three-dimensional in my head and really understand it. And it's because of the people on here.
I guess this probably sounds kind of lame, but it's true. You have helped me progress to new levels and helped me to learn more about the craft than I could ever have done on my own. You are supporters and cheerleaders who understand how hard this process is, but you're also teachers. I don't know if you know that you do this, but it's true.
This has been a hard process. And this book is still kicking my ass if we're being honest, but this is why I stick with it. Because I'm still learning and I believe that, in the long run, my writing will be better for it. And an awful lot of that is thanks to all of you.
I just wanted to let you know.
Happy thread!
