Writing Frustrations

[Thomas Grant Bruso]

I am curious to know if any other author looks at his/her work and wonders, "What is this mess? Who wrote it?" I am having difficulties looking back at my own work--a novel I wrote last year, to be specific--and asking myself if I am ever going to make it and find a publisher with the mess I have created. The writing seems okay, but that is it. Nothing special. I like the characters, mainly the protagonist. The subplot is interesting as is the interaction with the other players. But I am really concerned with the writing.

I look and read books by my favorite authors and question how many drafts they had to write, if any, and how many set of eyes looked at it and corrected each sentence, paragraph, and page of their manuscript to make it readable, better. I think my qualms and jitters stem from having read my novel several times over and am having trouble locating errors, which I know exist on each page. I find it challenging living in a small town with few options for network. I am frustrated to no end. Any advice? Is anyone else experiencing the same dilemma?

[Donna Carrick]

Being hard on your work is part and parcel of being an artist. We are all like that. But being hard on your work is not the same as being hard on yourself -- cut yourself some slack. Give yourself a pat on the back for the effort, and even for having the courage to admit that NO ONE gets "better" working in a void.

That's why we all come here -- to see what the rest of our fellow-nut-cases have to say! ha ha!

[Thomas Grant Bruso]

Hi, Donna. I do believe in my work, but sometimes I am too demanding of myself for not writing as good as I think it should be. Thanks again for the advice.

[Donna Carrick]

"you've got to quit comparing your work with that of others or you'll never be unique or interest readers or editors" -- Bang on, Dan! It's all about finding your own voice, cultivating it through hard work, then trusting it in the face of those who won't care for it. And trust me, there are bound to be some who don't like even your best effort.

When the critic is yourself, it's MOST important to listen carefully. Ask yourself to be specific -- generalities serve no purpose. Try B.R.'s suggestions, and I.J.'s as well. Tear the work apart and make lots of notes in the margins.

The best tool I have is a red marker. You won't believe how many paragraphs and even entire pages prove to be totally redundant on re-reading. If it doesn't need to be said, edit it out.

[B.R.Stateham]

I agree with the last point Dan made--at some point judging your writing to others is like comparing oranges to bowling balls. You have to cut a path for yourself. You have to find your own style. Which ultimately means that you have to believe in your talent.

[Thomas Grant Bruso]

I agree. Like to said in my response to Dan, I do believe in my work. Sometimes, however, when I sit down to write I feel like this is worst stuff that I have written. I guess it is part of the writing process. Thanks, B.R.

[minervaK]

Only every day. The thing is to keep going, even when you feel like every word is s**t. That's my belief, anyway. When I get to the end of this never-ending MS I seem to be writing, I'll let you know if it still looks like the Most Awful Book Ever Written (tm).

[Thomas Grant Bruso]

I feel that every creative person goes through this process, questioning his/her work. I think it's a normal reaction. But it still pains me to look back at a two hundred page manuscript, after writing it for so long, and notice how dreadful the writing seems to be. I love writing, and I don't know what I would do without it, but I'm ready to shelve the book and go on to something else. I have finished two short stories and they are coming along nicely. I must say, I do like them. The writing, too, seems far better than my other recent writing project (the novel). One of the two stories stemmed from an exercise that was offered here on Crimespace. It is turning out to be a wonderful surprise. What kind of genre/storytelling do you like to write, Minervak? Do you like mystery and/or police procedurals? I've been reading a lot of British detective novels recently: Colin Dexter (The Daughters of Cain, Dead of Jericho), Agatha Christie (Hercule Poirot, mostly), and Peter Robinson (Past Reason Hated, A Dedicated Man). Most delicious, indeed, if I may say.

[Donna Carrick]

Oh, and Thomas, I have one more thing to say on this subject. I realised I never answered your actual question: "I am curious to know if any other author looks at his/her work and wonders, "What is this mess? Who wrote it?" "

I can't speak for anyone else, but I found it to be true that the first MS is trash, and its purpose is completely educational as to "how not to write". Most people will tell you to write your first MS with passion, then burn it.

I didn't burn mine. Instead I tore it apart, page by page, line by line, and I really did learn a lot from the process. Each MS after that has gotten stronger than the one before.

In my opinion, that's the most we can ask of ourselves, constant improvement.

[Thomas Grant Bruso]

Thanks, Donna. I appreciate and will take heed to everything you said here. I am in a rut right now with my writing, but I know it will improve as I plow ahead.

[Jon Loomis]

One or two trusted readers are all you need; I'm lucky to have a spouse who's also a fine fiction writer--better than me--who is my first reader, and a great help at the sentence/paragraph/scene level. She tells me when my characters aren't acting like themselves, when the dialogue's flat, or when a scene needs a monkey (which is our code for a scene which is purely informational or otherwise flat, utilitarian or dull). My deditor is a great reader for macro issues having to do with structure, plot, resolution, etc.--she's the person I rely on to tell me if it's a book yet. Of course, finding these excellent readers--people who get me, get my work, and don't have any particular agenda except a desire to make the books as good as they can be--wasn't easy; there's a LOT of trial and error involved. I guess my best advice is to ask people whose work you like and whose taste you trust to read your stuff, and to try not to take their critiques personally. I would not join a writers' networking site, or otherwise put my unpublished work in the hands of anonymous strangers.

[minervaK]

'deditor.' Heh.

[Gary C. King]

Nearly every time I finish a manscript and re-read it one last time I say to myself, "They will never accept this!" But so far so good. I think we can be very hard on ourselves--I know that I am often my own worst critic. The important thing I try to remember is that if someone else likes what I've written, then it must have been worth writing.