I wonder how the peole like Terry Pratchett (having read the great Wee Free Men lately) or Timonthy Zahn are able to develop such great books with plots with twists and turns, but I'm not even able to deliver a small, tiny story without being heavily criticized ?
Uhm.
Hint: those people probably have gone through what you have, and have been heavily criticized themselves before they've gathered the kind of experience needed to pen anything of value. And you know, even then, their books
still get criticized, torn apart, and so on. If you think I am harsh, you should see professional editors -- nay, any decent English teacher -- at work. They'll make your manuscripts
bleed red ink. Heck, you should see
my beta-reader at work. We sometimes fuss over a single discordant word in a single sentence for ten-fifteen minutes, and Lord and Lady, you don't want to know the way I flush the badly written or mediocre chunks of my writing down the drain. (Read: I've had to rewrite a whole chapter -- or a whole story -- from scratch. But hey, the result is rather rewarding, makes the whole picture a little better, and makes me happier.)
There's a fanfiction author who writes a marvelous KotOR fanfic. His plot is amazingly complex, full of political intrigues, inter-character conflicts, and action. His characterization is nigh-perfect; established characters are expanded and portrayed correctly; original characters are interesting and three-dimensional. His prose is very, very good (not perfect, but pretty damn close); his diction flows, and it's very immersive. When I read his updates, I suffer from an attack of insecurity ("I am not worthy, I am not worthy!"), especially since I write in the same fandom and take a post-endgame idea, as he does. But wallowing in self-pity and dejection will do me no good, so I just get on with my own fanfic. Just, you know,
move on. There are things I do with my own writing that I can take pride in, and part of the joy in it is knowing that there
are people who get simple entertainment out of my storytelling. Why should I feel the need to be as good as, or better than, the writers I admire? It's not a competition. I'll write, hone my skills, and improve at my own pace.
Query: Let's be blunt -- are you
actually interested in improving as a writer? I mean, if not, then...
