Comments on: The Best Thing You’ve Ever Written http://bethestory.com/2009/10/30/the-best-thing-youve-ever-written the blog about writing stories and being a better writer Thu, 04 Mar 2010 10:36:48 -0500 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: J. Timothy King http://bethestory.com/2009/10/30/the-best-thing-youve-ever-written/comment-page-1#comment-29121 J. Timothy King Fri, 13 Nov 2009 21:32:54 +0000 http://bethestory.com/?p=457#comment-29121 I've experienced all the different combinations. Sometimes, I'll write something and think it's mediocre, but then it turns out to be a hit. Other times, I'll write something I'm really passionate about, but it turns out that no one else cares. And of course, there are pieces that I wrote many years ago that I now can't stand to read. But sometimes, I'll write something and think it's pretty good, and it actually is pretty good. That seems to happen more and more as I gain more and more experience. The current novel is not going well. While I'm writing, it just feels wrong. The story is powerful, but the prose feels wrong. And I read what I just wrote, and I think I'm losing my touch. But this could be one of those cases where it feels bad writing it, and it comes out great in the end, because writing it is emotionally draining, and that leaves me in no position to judge whether or not it's worth anything. By the time I'm done editing it, if it really is the best thing I've ever written, maybe I'll look back and see that it really was better than mediocre. -TimK I’ve experienced all the different combinations. Sometimes, I’ll write something and think it’s mediocre, but then it turns out to be a hit. Other times, I’ll write something I’m really passionate about, but it turns out that no one else cares. And of course, there are pieces that I wrote many years ago that I now can’t stand to read.

But sometimes, I’ll write something and think it’s pretty good, and it actually is pretty good. That seems to happen more and more as I gain more and more experience.

The current novel is not going well. While I’m writing, it just feels wrong. The story is powerful, but the prose feels wrong. And I read what I just wrote, and I think I’m losing my touch. But this could be one of those cases where it feels bad writing it, and it comes out great in the end, because writing it is emotionally draining, and that leaves me in no position to judge whether or not it’s worth anything. By the time I’m done editing it, if it really is the best thing I’ve ever written, maybe I’ll look back and see that it really was better than mediocre.

-TimK

]]> By: Suldog http://bethestory.com/2009/10/30/the-best-thing-youve-ever-written/comment-page-1#comment-29110 Suldog Thu, 05 Nov 2009 18:32:04 +0000 http://bethestory.com/?p=457#comment-29110 I often find that my initial impressions of my own work are exactly the opposite of how I feel about it when I re-read it a year or two later. I know I've been writing, thinking "Wow! This is hot stuff!" and then re-reading it a year later and becoming embarrassed that I put it out where actual people could read it. Conversely, I've dashed off some things, thinking, "Well, this isn't my best, but I've got to get it done..." and then re-reading that and been amazed at how good it was. I often find that my initial impressions of my own work are exactly the opposite of how I feel about it when I re-read it a year or two later. I know I’ve been writing, thinking “Wow! This is hot stuff!” and then re-reading it a year later and becoming embarrassed that I put it out where actual people could read it. Conversely, I’ve dashed off some things, thinking, “Well, this isn’t my best, but I’ve got to get it done…” and then re-reading that and been amazed at how good it was.

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