Meta rec.

[hackthis_archive]

I think one of the hardest things for any writer (or artist) is trying to remember what you bring to the table at the end of the day, i.e. what makes your writing strong, what makes you different, what makes you better, or worse, or just what makes you a unique snowflake*. What is your motivation? I think it's easy to get bogged down in the fannish experience, to get frustrated and annoyed, or to lose sight of what you enjoy. I think somedays everybody wants to pack it in. If you can get past that though, if you can remember who you do this for, I think you'll be okay.

I don't think anyone can possibly be as hard on a writer (or artist) as a they are on themselves, and sometimes that can really fuck you up.** Sometimes you find yourself comparing stories***, and feedback, and the way your stories measure up in your brain, and you just want to shoot yourself in the foot. There are stories that I've written that nobody's liked, and there are stories that are loved that make me cringe. There are stories by other authors that have made me want to weep with how brilliant the written word can be. This used to drive me crazy -- now I just revel in someone else's gift. Everyone is someone else's fan.

The important thing is that you try not to compare quite so much, to someone else, or to yourself. It's imperative that you keep going, that you keep trying, that you believe in yourself when nobody else does, because you've got to be in the game to hit it out the park. Like cesperanza says,

"Me, I am all about the game--fandom's the game! I want to be in the game!--and like, I can live with posting a story that's "eh" or a flashfiction that's a bunt, because hey, wow, the next one will be better, and at least I'm still playing. And being in the game means that sometimes you suck--you go out, you swing, you strike out, but hey, you wave your bat at the couple of fans who are happy to see you anyway, and then you go in the bullpen and ice your shoulder and watch your teammates play, knowing you've got to go out there again in about half an hour.



*Don't listen to Tyler.

**You being the general you, or you know, me.

***I try not to compare, but let's be honest, that shit doesn't always tend to work so well.

Comments

[plumtastic.livejournal.com]

*heart*

That is all.

[antheia.livejournal.com]

omg icon! so cute!

[plumtastic.livejournal.com]

And word to your Coop icon!

The Clueless icons come from here:
http://community.livejournal.com/bellezzadiamore/15029.html

[antheia.livejournal.com]

Word.

[parthenia14.livejournal.com]

Yes. The writers I see on LJ, like you, blow me away with their commitment to seeing things through. Being where you are, you're already so much further than the rest of us, and I'm impressed at how people stay motivated when the online fannish world is so variable and will' o' the wisp.

If that makes sense. Gah, do not drink wine and comment.

[hackthis.livejournal.com]

The writers I see on LJ, like you, blow me away with their commitment to seeing things through. Being where you are, you're already so much further than the rest of us, and I'm impressed at how people stay motivated when the online fannish world is so variable and will' o' the wisp.

I think motivation has got to be self-made, because at the end of the day, no matter what your readers or your detractors or your betas say, you're the one doing the work. It's your baby. It is what you make it.

[ethrosdemon.livejournal.com]

THIS IS SO STRANGE.

I never ever think about writing and being a writer and technique and style and all that stuff, because, well, I am reflective in other ways, let us just say. (Commenting in your journal is weird, because I'm like "well, she KNOWS this".) But lately I *have* been because I've met all these strange people from other fandoms in my new one, and many of them are all serious about improvement and real betaing and rewriting, and a few weeks ago I was like "shit, I haven't done that in…three years? More?". So I considered and it's weird to get honest commentary on my work by people who actually say things like "you can do better" and I think "damn it, of course I can, but it's fic, do I want to bother?" but once the thought's there, there's no escaping, because I have to make it better.

The bottomline for me is that I *know* most of the time I'm not ever *trying*, and then I feel horrible because, well, you know, and now I am all "do I want to take this to the streets and write the fuck out of my fic for real?". Sometimes, though, it doesn't seem like the effort to make quality is worth it, because then you're subtling it and layering and foreshadowing and metaphoring, and people really don't usually seem to respond to that the way they do to porn. I mean, seriously. As we both know.

*siiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiighhhhhhhhhhhhh* My work lately has been a mix of this, some of it written in 15 minutes, some of it pondered, and I'm sure there's a big difference in quality. WHAT DOES IT ALL MEAN?

*goes back to editing my book*

[hackthis.livejournal.com]

So I considered and it's weird to get honest commentary on my work by people who actually say things like "you can do better" and I think "damn it, of course I can, but it's fic, do I want to bother?" but once the thought's there, there's no escaping, because I have to make it better.

I say this all the time! What am I, chopped liver? Oh, I see, you just don't take me seriously because I'm not a "professional". I see how it is.

[ethrosdemon.livejournal.com]

ok, what you say is "this whole part sucks, fix it". which, granted, is similar. It's not "your metaphors and language are weak, stop being lazy".

Besides, I don't mean YOU. God. Of course you're honest.

You are a professional, a professional pain in my ass.

[hackthis.livejournal.com]

You are a professional, a professional pain in my ass.

George, you sweet talker!

[ethrosdemon.livejournal.com]

I already told you, Ari, the sweet talking comes before someone's pants are off. Go send some sightings into Gawker.

[issyadore.livejournal.com]

"Don't bother just to be better than your contemporaries or predecessors. Try to be better than yourself."

[hackthis.livejournal.com]

WORD!