what do you do when you feel like giving up?

I feel like i am going to give up because i am tired of writing second grade work. I feel so stupid for posting such mediocre work, that i feel like i should just get up.

Night Mistress wrote:I feel like i am going to give up because i am tired of writing second grade work. I feel so stupid for posting such mediocre work, that i feel like i should just get up.

Read a book, listen to music, take a walk and enjoy the simple things...really anything to get your mind off why you feel you can't write well, then put on a nice simple song from your favorite genre and write down whatever comes to your mind. Choose one of them and go with it, at best you learn something about yourself...at worst you didn't worry about it.

but when i come back on here and go to the stuff i wrote and see the critiques, they just amke me feel worse.

This is an issue everyone goes through, even some proffesional writers.

Remind yourself is just an early draft, and that you'll fix all the badness later on, during the edit. Pay attention to the critiques: they might hurt, but they're not meant too. They're there to help you improve the piece. Listen to the suggestions, and apply them as you see fit during the edit, to improve it and make it awesome.

And always strives to better your writing. You'll never get better if you don't keep on trying and trying and trying. ^_^

but it seems, no matter what, people always find something wrong with it. it doesn't matter if it is bad or not.

Don't post your work while it's in progress if you're too sensitive to the criticism ^^

Writing is like anything that takes work -- there are always chances to turn back and give up. The people that re the most successful are the ones that don't let setbacks stop them from achieving their goal. This is the same for anything, and writing is no different.

All first drafts are fairly bad. Writers don't produce their best work straight away. Edits and revisions are the way to improve your writing.

Just remember, writing is a marathon! Keep going. You can do it.

maybe i should just go back to write fanfiction insted of original work. that way i can't screw up.


I am such a failure.

Don't. Write. Fanfiction.

I'm one to talk (I wrote half a dozen,) but if you want to write, write. Jot down a poem. Write a scrap of a prophesy. If you really feel you have to write fanfic, one warning. It's hell.

One major thing is, though, not to call yourself a failure. xD Because not only is your confidence knocked down by those harsh, but great critiquers, but you, yourself, are now knocking yourself down. Those critiques that you're getting that seem to be making you feel horrid can actually help you if you put them to good use. Instead of taking them as blows to your self-esteem, think of them as suggestions to better your writing, because that's really what they are.

Take this for example: topic30327.html

Please, there's no need to read my writing; just read the review Icarrus gave me and then I think you get the picture as to how upsetting and depressing the writing life can really be. And if you do read it, well, that was quite a while ago and I've grown so much into my writing style it's not even funny. So, that's my excuse for the horrible writing. xD

But, if you'd like a review that's honest, but not disgustingly honest and horribly harsh, rip-your-piece-to-shreds honest, then you can always PM me! I'd be glad to.

In 2007, I was churning out endless piles of junk. In 2008, it gradually became readable, and I'm now feeling alright with it. It's not great, but improvement happens--reviews really helped me do that. It hurt, but it was worth it.

Like Jack said, don't post it if you're worried about criticism. What I do, is post something, look at the feedback, correct any nitpicks, but then carry on until I get to the next draft in which I will look at all the advice. Just write--don't edit. Yet.

Just get your idea sorted out and post that for thoughts. That way, you'll get people telling you what they think and once you get something encouraging, you'll know that you're story is fine and you can simple work on your style as you write.

Hope I helped!

Blink wrote:Just get your idea sorted out and post that for thoughts. That way, you'll get people telling you what they think and once you get something encouraging, you'll know that you're story is fine and you can simple work on your style as you write.

That can be just as dangerous as posting your work. I did that, and I got cut down so far-- I had been about to work on my story again and reading that put it back in the closet.

And yes, don't write fanfiction. You can get cut down just as far for that is an original story, and, if you're going to spend that much time on something, it might as well be your own work.

The only thing to really do is tell yourself your first draft will be terrible, write it without thinking how you're doing, and only then begin to edit. If you edit yourself while you write nothing will flow, and you won't get into that magic state where the words and events come to you as you're lost in the rapids of creativity.

^ Poetic much? Boiled down that means: just write, don't think, and edit once everything is finished.

That can be just as dangerous as posting your work. I did that, and I got cut down so far-- I had been about to work on my story again and reading that put it back in the closet.

But surely, there's not a lot of point writing it if everyone thinks it's rubbish. I think it's better to find it out before writing it than after the second draft. So you can learn from mistakes.

I don't care if your story is utter crap or if I think it should be on the bestseller's list. No matter how good or bad, I'm always going to find many things wrong with it. 'cause guess what? We're human. We can't be perfect.

Think about it. How many times have you read a published novel - even a good one! - and saw a million mistakes? Often, right? And guess what. That's probably their thirtieth draft.

This isn't fanfiction.net. We don't say 'omg it's amazing post more now!!!' We give constructive criticism. We rip your work apart. We shine a light on all those little mistakes that you can't see because you're too close, and hope that it will make you better.

And read this by Snoink.

If you can't handle this, yes, go to fanfiction. But only for a bit. I was there for a few months before coming here, and I got sooo much out of it. I managed to make myself write more. I got so much encouragement. At that time, I just wanted to write - I didn't want people ripping apart my work. So it was great for me.

Just please don't stay there forever?

And remember - you don't stink unless you're unwilling to learn how to improve.

~JFW1415

Don't give up!! Just keep writing, so that your improving on a day to day basis. I would definitely second waiting to post here at YWS until your at least halfway through the story. If you get too focused on editing, then you can't focus on creating and you start to only see the negative features of your own writing. Instead of that, you need to start seeing the good parts of your own writing! Okay, maybe your dialogue is a little flat in the beginning, before you get into the swing of things, but your coming up on this very interesting piece of action in the next chapter! Focus on the good bits and then improve the lesser bits.

Writing is supposed to be fun, so have fun! And keep writing!