"Many of the arguments I had with my mom during my middle school years were over my writing quality. I had this idea where I was the best writer in the world and every time someone criticized my work it was because they were jealous. I didn’t know how to take criticism at all, eventually my mom learned how to approach the subject, usually giving me minor things and letting me discover everything else on my own. My teachers tended to come back with similar advice as my mom had given me on my papers, and I would take it better from them, which is something I do not understand to this day. One of the major influences on my writing was my teacher Mrs. Heern who came from another country. She always encouraged me to write and kept up my moral as I began to realize just how horrible my writing really was."I was dreadful, I can admit it to anyone today and I've learned how to take criticism. It's going to take a while, perhaps you still think your writing is wonderful and this could've been led on by a teacher who wanted to be nice to you because you're a sensitive person. It could be led on by anything, but if you are going to say you are better than every writer out there, then you can never make any spelling mistakes, you can never have holes in your plot, you can never rethink anything that you've written, and people will never find anything wrong with your writing. That's the extent of it. I have a copy of the third Harry Potter book where "Dumbledore" is spelled "Dumblefore" in print. Even the many editors who went over it several times didn't catch it, for this printing. There are people who do have it fixed in their copies, but it still stands in mine as a constant reminder that even the most famous of authors can make mistakes. No famous writer I have ever met/watched has stated they have no room for improvement and that they are the best writer in the world.
I have a distinct feeling many of you reading this are upset at me, perhaps you don't agree with what I'm saying, but just try and send your work to a professional editor or publishing company, it's not an easy journey and you are going to be turned down a million times before someone finally takes pity on you and there's a chance they're a scam. I'm not pretending to be a wonderful writer either, I know there is a lot of holes in my story, but I think my writing is great, wonderful, and me. Accepting your flaws in writing does not mean you beat yourself up, or tear yourself down about your writing. No, that is not going to help you get any better. What helps you get better, is writing even more. Go back and rewrite what you've already got, if you've been writing for two years and only have one story from that time, go back to the beginning, you're bound to find things you want to change or spice up, and this is where you'll start. Something you find in the beginning of your story could very well change the way you write the end of your story.
You have to simply accept the fact you are not the best writer in the world and that there is always room for improvement. Now that I've accepted it, I have the chance to watch how much my writing has changed. I have 2 copies of my novel, the original I had planned on writing without anything really behind it, and the new edition as I re-write the story. I look back often and I sort of laugh at myself for ever thinking my story was grand and brilliant when I know so much more about my world now than I did then. I can't wait for another 2 years when I come back to the edited copy and laugh at myself once more for ever thinking what I'm writing right now is the best-but it is the best for me. It's the best I can do at this point in my life and that's exactly what I need to know.
My point over all of this is: Don't give up. Accept you have flaws. Continue to Improve.
No comments:
Post a Comment