Young Writers Society

recently i've been thinking more and more that my writing is not up to par; i see mistakes, i find myself thinking people with find it too cliche, it seems like it's becoming harder to plant the hidden meaning behind my words that i see and try to imitate from professionals like Frank Herbert and my other favorites, among other things. does anyone else find themselves being overly critical of their own work?

Proper grammar/capitalization, please.

I always am critical of my own work, but I think that's a good thing. We don't lecture you for hours on your writing for you to improve one piece - we do it to improve your writing. Hearing our voices in your head while writing is good, although I admit it does get scary when you hear Sam's titles banging around up there.

The trick with imitating other styles is to find your own. You need to mix theirs with yours, and then your set. Until you find the balance, though, it's extremely difficult. I've recently attempted a new style, and, while fun to work with, it's very hard. It takes some time to adjust.

In short? Being critical of your own work = goood. It's when you reread it so many times that you can't catch anything that you've got the problem.

~JFW1415

I agree with JFW, being critical of yourself is good. In fact, it is very good. Without it, you wouldn't have anything to fix. The problem is when you are over critical at the wrong moments. You need to find a way to shut off the internal editor, as they call it, and free write and know that what ever nasty terrible, horrible, ugly things you put on the page now, no one will see it and you can rewrite it, edit, and delete everything later. Being able to write freely and get it down on the page is the first step to writing. Why try to improve when you still don't have everyone on the page?

Then the critic can come out when you are editing. But here is another problem: knowing what to be critical about. It wasn't until a little while ago that I actually considered myself good at editing my own writing. It used to be impossible for me to notice what was lacking life, what sounded horrible, or what needed to be taken out all together. Now, if I write something and leave it alone for a day or two, when I go back I can change it--and not just nitpicks, I can change it for the better. I'm not sure where this sudden skill came from. Some of it is learning what needs to be fixed, and some of it is doing so much work with other peoples writing. Critiquing other peoples work is the best way to know what works. It isn't yours, so you can openly be critical and harsh, though helpful! You can start to see what is good in a story or poem, and what isn't, and eventually you should be able to notice this in your own writing.

A book you might find of interest is The Artful Edit: On the Practice of Editing Yourself. I purchased this book over Christmas, and it helped me immensely.

Ain't no such thing as being too critical.

i'm not sure you understood what i meant. i wasn't just talking about self-examining and self-editing work, or even 'nitpicking'. i meant, have you ever felt so bad about your work that you didn't want to write anymore? did it ever affect your will to continue writing? did you ever throw/want to throw your work down the toilet(figuratively, of course)?

I think the important thing to remember is that constructive critism needs to come from EVERYONE. Pointing on your own mistakes can be a useful thing when you don't have anyone on hand to look things over for you, but when it gets to the point that you're tearing yourself down instead of helping yourself out, it's time to put down the piece of writing and go find something fun to do. You can come back later when you've got a fresh head and aren't going to be quite so hard on yourself.

The truth is that almost ever writer will get to the point of wanting to throw away everything they've written at one time or another. What's important is to realize that no matter how much you think you've done badly, I can guartentee you that there is something that you've done really well. Being able to find that thing you did really well and hang onto it mentally while you try and iron out the other problems is a very important skill and one that takes a while to cultivate. Until then, run and find a friend who is good at pointing out those kinds of things.

I think everyone here can say that they have written something looked at it, and realized it was completly not what they were going for. When writing you have got to remember that it's for you, or at least in my case, it's for my own darn sanity. Every time I get down on myself or just down in general I write everything I am thinking and feeling down, normally when I write like like that it is my worst work ever. Not because it is bad stuff, but because it was written for me, not the reader. Normally later I will go back and read it and all I can think is... wow, that's just bad. But I never ever throw it out, because when I wrote it, it had a very strong meaning to me.

It's not bad to be critical on yourself, but don't think you have to throw something away because the readers don't like it that much. Keep it for yourself. Love all your work for what it was to you when you wrote it.


That's my take on this anyways.

I think the whole doubting your writing must be part of what being a writer really is. There are A LOT of times where I feel that my writing is terrible and unoriginal. I have considered that writing isn't for me, but I realized that I was stupid. I'm glad I'm not the only one that feels that way though.

By the way. I read some of your stuff, It is reaalllyy good. You really shouldn't doubt yourself.

Believe me, that is a GOOD thing. I once found a good quote that said something along the lines of what makes a good writer is spending ages writing, then dismissing most of it as rubbish and managing to pick out the best bits from the debris.

You should be harshly critical of your work; it makes you a better writer. I'm brutally critical of mine.

But in the end, I usually manage to get the best out of it, and if you do see problems, that point where it's finally right is the most brilliant feeling in the world.

Being critical of your work is, in my opinion, actually damaging to your work. It doesn't help at all when you've got an inner editor hovering over your shoulder while you try to slog through a first draft, or even form an idea. I've got one who's so annoying and whose presence is so constant that I've decided to give her a name. Management is that voice in my head that grumbles about all of the supposedly important writerly things and doesn't let me actually, you know, write.

It's important - and almost impossible - to get that inner editor to stuff it during a first draft. Remember, if you want to write it, there someone else out there who wants to read it. Good writing doesn't have to be great literature.

This is something I struggle with a lot - as evidenced by the naming of my inner editor, who also leaves me mean notes about work that has to get done - and I think it is, in part, because I was taught to be critical of my work. What's important is to know your weaknesses - and ignore them until the second draft.

Meep wrote:Being critical of your work is, in my opinion, actually damaging to your work. It doesn't help at all when you've got an inner editor hovering over your shoulder while you try to slog through a first draft, or even form an idea. I've got one who's so annoying and whose presence is so constant that I've decided to give her a name. Management is that voice in my head that grumbles about all of the supposedly important writerly things and doesn't let me actually, you know, write.

It's important - and almost impossible - to get that inner editor to stuff it during a first draft. Remember, if you want to write it, there someone else out there who wants to read it. Good writing doesn't have to be great literature.

This is something I struggle with a lot - as evidenced by the naming of my inner editor, who also leaves me mean notes about work that has to get done - and I think it is, in part, because I was taught to be critical of my work. What's important is to know your weaknesses - and ignore them until the second draft.

*Nods* Definately, and the whole point of Nanowrimo. Getting the first draft out is HARD, and you have to shut off the inner editor and just churn it out.

After the words are on paper, I think that it's very important for it to come back out.

What's the name, anyway?

~JFW1415

My inner editor is named Management. I think giving her a name makes her a little easier to shut up.

I think there's a difference between an inner editor and an inner ... reviser, I guess. While an inner editor is grumpy and tells you that your writing is awful all around, an inner reviser knows how to sift through what you've written for the diamonds in the rough, if you will, while remembering that there are always diamonds, even if most of it is rough. (Does that make sense?)

Just a thought -- the fact that you're just now starting to be critical about your work and recognize cliches and all that means you're improving as a writer.

I realize that being very critical of your own work is a crucial part of being a good writer, is doubting the fact that you should keep writing a good thing? I mean I couldnt imagine life without writing, but there are times when i doubt myself and abilities, i dont know, it could just be me being my 14 year-old self, but it's not a good feeling.

I realize that being very critical of your own work is a crucial part of being a good writer, is doubting the fact that you should keep writing a good thing? I mean I couldnt imagine life without writing, but there are times when i doubt myself and abilities, i dont know, it could just be me being my 14 year-old self, but it's not a good feeling.

I'm 14 too and I could not live without writing.

Doubting that yous should keep writing isn't a good thing. It's the first step towards stopping.

Besides, writing is a part of your 14 yearold life, and who says everything you write has to be great? I've written some truly horrible things over the years, but I've only improved from them.