My Greatest Writing Fear. What's Yours?

Braktooth · Post by **Braktooth** » 28 Jun 2015, 12:06

Aaliyahlove wrote:My greatest writing fear is people not liking what I write so I have crippled myself and put my writing on the back burner. I have been getting back into the habit of writing something everyday. Writing gives me life.

I can totally relate to this. Mine is a little different though, it's looking at something I've written and thinking it's garbage. I'm never happy. That makes things difficult.

LuvBooks · Post by **LuvBooks** » 28 Jun 2015, 13:42

Wow, right now I can't even get reviewing a book right!? Writing definitely will stay on the back burner until I can get at least one of my reviews of a book from being rejected! Sad today...

zeldas_lullaby · Post by **zeldas_lullaby** » 28 Jun 2015, 13:46

I'm sorry, LuvBooks. I've never worked with the review team, so I don't know much about it, but I'm sorry you're sad. You can PM me if you want, and I can try to give you review pointers for your writing, if it would help.

To Leon: hm... are you by any chance a perfectionist? That's what's coming across. Maybe you're thinking that if it's not perfect or completely profound then it's going into the trash? If you could redefine what's "good" to you, then maybe you won't want to delete. Think of it differently, like, "My goal isn't to be the greatest writer ever," or whatever, "But to convey this truth that's within me," or, "To express this experience," or whatever. I think you're expecting too much from yourself, and I'd give some thought about what you really want to get across. I hope this helps!!

moderntimes · Post by **moderntimes** » 28 Jun 2015, 14:37

Stay with it, Leon. Make writing a near-daily habit, a "job" or assignment if you will, and make it a goal to so at least SOME writing each evening. You may, I surmise, either be daily in school or working a day job and that certainly takes energy away from the writing. But I wrote (and sold) 2 mystery novels while I had a fairly responsible full time job, so it can be done. Don't give up and stay on task.

AbbyCatWolff · Post by **AbbyCatWolff** » 28 Jun 2015, 15:04

My greatest fear is finding out that I suck and everyone hates my work

moderntimes · Post by **moderntimes** » 28 Jun 2015, 16:32

AbbyCatWolff wrote:My greatest fear is finding out that I suck and everyone hates my work

Shhhh... we're not supposed to tell you that... ha ha

zeldas_lullaby · Post by **zeldas_lullaby** » 28 Jun 2015, 22:58

A lot of my writing fears are:

* That I'll make a "mistake" in my books, as per the storyline/timeline, etc. Readers will notice and be horrified!
* That I'll overlook, like, fifty typos
* That I'll run out of inspiration and my series will be DOA
* That I'll upload the wrong document to Kindle
* That I'll make a mistake that is colorful, since I write about tweens, and that would be bad. You know, like, instead of typing, "You make me sick," I'll accidentally type, "You make me d***." Typos gone bad, and all
* That I'll ... no, wait, that's everything.

Cee-Jay Aurinko · Post by **Cee-Jay Aurinko** » 29 Jun 2015, 02:09

* zeldas lullaby

You might be right about me being a perfectionist. The thing is, I compare my writing to writers who are obviously way ahead in the game then I am. I realize now that what I've been doing to my work is wrong on so many accounts that I wish I could just slap myself. At one point (this year no less), I had a word document with more than 30, 000 words in it. I deleted it. And I regret it, because now I have some more ideas, and the whole thing is just gone. Trust me, I'm never going to delete any peace of writing again. Now I have 7k words, and only half a year to deliver on my NYE resolution. I'm going to double-up, so to speak. I've read your post in my Magic Hat topic, and I'm thinking of self publishing my book too. I've already applied for my ISBNs and all. I'll send you and moderntimes free copies, I promise.

* Moderntimes

Thanks. I just wish one day I could be in a nice writing setting one day, like say, my own Bat Cave. Haha. But I'm not there yet. So, Destractions, bring it on. I'm hongry!

zeldas_lullaby · Post by **zeldas_lullaby** » 29 Jun 2015, 07:13

Wow, thank you. I'm glad I could help, and I'd love a copy!! I'll look forward to it at the end of the year! I fully believe that you can do it.

Cee-Jay Aurinko · Post by **Cee-Jay Aurinko** » 29 Jun 2015, 08:53

* zeldas lullaby

Uploading the wrong document to Kindle... Geez, it sounds scary when you say it out loud to yourself. Hehe.

zeldas_lullaby · Post by **zeldas_lullaby** » 29 Jun 2015, 11:38

HA HA HA... it does sound scary, doesn't it?

moderntimes · Post by **moderntimes** » 29 Jun 2015, 15:55

Thanks for the book offer. If you PM me with your email address, I'll also be happy to provide you my latest mystery novel in PDF. Understand it's copyright and all that junk.

Many here mention fear of rejection. I just received my 2,000,001th rejection of my novel from a small publisher. They liked the book (a modern American private detective novel) but they feared it was far too dark and rough for their usual "cozy" detective genre. For those who don't know, a "cozy" mystery is typical of the Ms. Marple genre, usually featuring an AD (amateur detective) and the butler did it sort of stuff. They're genteele and mannered and even if not 19th century British, seem like it.

Zelda's read my novel "Blood Vengeance" and she can attest that good or not, it's certainly NOT a cozy mystery! So anyway... I've still got a bunch of prospective publishers to go for the book sale, and I'm keepin' my finners crossed.

zeldas_lullaby · Post by **zeldas_lullaby** » 29 Jun 2015, 16:00

It is indeed no cozy mystery. No amateur detectives, no hot tea, no butler.

Sorry, ModernTimes. Keep pluggin'. If you get one more rejection, it will be a palindromic number.

moderntimes · Post by **moderntimes** » 29 Jun 2015, 17:44

My rejection numbers are into the googleplex category, scientific notation required. Thankfully the acceptances are also there, and I've managed to sell most of my short stories and all of my novels thus far.

SageHD · Post by **SageHD** » 29 Jun 2015, 18:56

My biggest fear would have to be going public. I love to write, notebooks filled with short stories ect. But im scared that if I ever get one published that by the smallest chance it would be a big hit. I love my quiet life to much to ruin it.