Writing Ideals Change

Okay, I just want to know if this has happened to others. Its kind of silly really, I guess, but it seems a bit sad to me. At one time I could write up forty pages worth of fanfic, and enjoy it. I didn?t know about the JC then, so I only wrote for myself. Then I came here, and at first I wrote for myself, but then it changed to writing for the readers. I literally have to fight to finish a story now, and the longest the last one got was twenty five, though if I actually complete it this time around, it will get longer. I still enjoy writing, mind you; it?s just that I don?t enjoy it nearly as much. It?s more a task then a comfortable hobby. It seems sad that ideals change with time, and you don?t know how to go back to really fully enjoying it. Does anyone else have this problem? Sorry if it?s a bit depressing.

 

I seem to be the polar opposite of you N_S. I started writing several fanfics in the past, and never got more than a few pages into it, because I had no audience. Now, even though my audience is small, my fanfiction is already 42 pages in length, and nowhere near completion. I think the encouragement helps me to write.

 

I can understand where you are coming from Neon. At times I feel pressured to get the next post up or chapter up and it just sucks the fun out of writing. But thats all forgotten about when I get feedback for a story. That tends to really boost my spirt.

 

Yes, feedback helps me too, but then I feel like I am writing for the glory of it, for that feedback, instead of for the fun of it. And then when I don't have an audience, or they kind of disapper at one point or other, the fic kind of dies, though I wanted to finish it, I just don't have the real will to do it. Similier to what you were saying Jedi_Alman.

 

For the few (try 3 or so) fanfics I've written, the most fans I've gotten were maybe 3 or 5 people per story. I write for me, still, and it attracts certain readers, so I don't have to worry as much.

 

Wow, I only have about two regular readers, so maybe I don't know what I'm talking about. I at one time had no readers, but I kept posting because I enjoyed writing it. So I guess I do it for both purposes.

 

About the writeing for glory thing Neon, I write for my school paper. We print out an estimated 2000 copies and about 10 people actually read the paper. During the last meeting the moderater was talking about how much work went into getting the paper out and I said "yeah the only problem is we can never get anyone to read it." He said thats the mark of a true writer. To want people to read your work.

I'm not to sure if this even pertains to this

Felicia Z.

 

Don't feel bad neon, I can see where your comming from. For a while I was tottaly worried about constantly pleasing my readers. But now I find, even if I don't have as many readers, if I write for me, for what I want to write, the readers I still have are the good ones. In other words, quality, not quantity. But I definitly miss my readers if I don't have any, I kinda lose the will to write on that particular thing when that happens. But not for long. For me, the joy of writing comes from creating a story, and living in that world and with the characters for the duration of the writing. That ability to enter a differnt world is for me what makes writing the magic it is.

 

As you know Neon I just write my fic totally before posting it. Then I know I am writing for myself and it enjoying it totally. Then, after my long work is over I would get the glory of a reader or so when I do go and post it.

 

What I do is write the whole story before I start posting. This helps a lot since....

1. Writing the first draft without the pressure of posting makes writing fun (though sometimes it really is a pain in the neck).

2. You just need to edit your story when you're posting, not magically pull the post out of thin air.

3. And, in my experience, authors who already wrote the whole story usually have better stories.

I hope I was of some help. [face_smile]

Aunecah_Skywalker