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At what point are you satisfied with your writing?

y stri

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    • By that, I mean in terms of editing. Every time I read over something I wrote I always end up really dissatisfied with it, usually cause I word things really weirdly most of the time. How it ends up most of the time when I do edit is I start rewording everything to the point where I'm constantly rewriting. The point when I stop is usually just when I decide I'm tired of reading the same thing over and over.

    So, I'm curious to see how other people decide they're satisfied enough with what they've written to post it anywhere.
     
    Aisu

    Aisu

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    • Personally I'm never satisfied with what I write, but usually I have my moments of contentment where I can think "Okay, maybe it's not as bad as I think it is," and work the nerve to post it online or show it to others.
     
    Sonata

    Sonata

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    • I'm never satisfied with what I write. But I give most things I write about one or two reads through and then make a decision on whether or not it's good enough to post. When I write, I try to make little notes to myself beside where I'm at currently if I want it to come up later or think I should bring it up later. And usually as I'm writing something I'll know if I need to rewrite/reword it or not because I either just struggle with getting it out, or it's so obvious that it's just not good and then I'll make a note beside it about that. So I go through my notes, making sure I connected all the dots and wrote some things as best as I could. Then one or two reads and post it. Otherwise I'll be sitting on the same thing for months.
     
    Bay

    Bay

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    • I think for all writers we won't be fully satisfied with our writing heh. I too would give my writing a couple read through (along with making notes over some parts I already want to go back later) before either sending it to someone else or post it online. But yeah, I have to at least make myself stop from stalling and worrying my work isn't good enough.
     

    FangTheQuilava

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    I don't pay attention to satisfaction at all. I just see if it's good and I can keep going. I rely on reviews to help me write as well.
     
    kaitli1

    kaitli1

    the sleepiest slowpoke and ghost enthusiast
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    • I'm not sure writers are ever satisfied with their writing. Writing is to communicate, and in communication, there is always something that is lost. I make a mental note of things to look at after I finish and edit the most I can initially, and afterward try to tidy it up. But as someone who is shy with their work, I have to suck it up after too long and post it somewhere before I get lost in the wishy washy dance, as I suppose most do.
     
    VisualJae

    VisualJae

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    • Writing is an art form. No artist will ever be truly satisfied with their work. The work will be published when the artist deems it "passable." As the quality of art is subjective, it is impossible for the work to please everyone, sometimes including the artist him/herself. How many times have you heard a creator say, "It's not my best work," or "I still feel like there's something missing," or "If I have the opportunity, I'll go back and change XYZ," etc.?

    y stri said:
    By that, I mean in terms of editing. Every time I read over something I wrote I always end up really dissatisfied with it, usually cause I word things really weirdly most of the time. How it ends up most of the time when I do edit is I start rewording everything to the point where I'm constantly rewriting. The point when I stop is usually just when I decide I'm tired of reading the same thing over and over.
    Click to expand...
    A tip I've learned from actual authors is to power through the writing. Just keep writing and don't stop until you reach the end. Then go back and start the editing process. If you keep going back to edit every step of the way, you'll setting yourself up for frustration and burn yourself out.
     
    txteclipse

    txteclipse

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    • Haaa, I usually feel satisfied with my stuff for the first ~15 minutes after writing it. Then I start second-guessing everything. Probably part of the reason I never finish basically anything unless I can write it out in one sitting!
     
    icomeanon6

    icomeanon6

    It's "I Come Anon"
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    • txteclipse said:
    Haaa, I usually feel satisfied with my stuff for the first ~15 minutes after writing it. Then I start second-guessing everything. Probably part of the reason I never finish basically anything unless I can write it out in one sitting!
    Click to expand...
    This. Almost exactly this. Throw in a tendency to get sidetracked and that's why I basically never finish anything except one-shots.

    Also, it's great to see you're still around, txty. :)

    y stri said:
    Every time I read over something I wrote I always end up really dissatisfied with it, usually cause I word things really weirdly most of the time. How it ends up most of the time when I do edit is I start rewording everything to the point where I'm constantly rewriting.
    Click to expand...
    I know the feeling about wording. The way I handle this is to reword weird things as I'm proofreading for grammar, and after a few rounds when I can't find any more grammatical mistakes I decide it's probably been de-weirded enough and post.

    In the long term, I have three recommendations for writers who are always dissatisfied with their prose. 1) Keep writing, obviously. Practice makes perfect. 2) Take breaks from writing now and then to read a book. Find some authors whose voices speak to you, and qualities you like about their work will probably find their way into yours. 3) Get older--I'm only half joking, and what I mean is be patient with yourself. It's important to accept that no one gets better at writing overnight. It will usually be when you compare something you're writing now with something you wrote years ago that you realize you've been slowly improving the whole time.
     
    Astinus

    Astinus

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    Never.

    Every time I finish a story, something always comes up that makes me think it's a good idea to rewrite it. I have never finished anything that I was fully satisfied with.
     
    Delirious Absol

    Delirious Absol

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    I think I'm with everyone else in that I'm never 100% satisfied. I can still spot typos, or think I could have written something differently, added a scene, changed a scene. I just wrote a one-shot fanfic for a prompt on another forum and realised I never once described or hinted at the main character's appearance (it was my first time writing in the first person). It's a bit late now to add it in. I'll just have to hope people don't mind...
     
    icomeanon6

    icomeanon6

    It's "I Come Anon"
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    • Delirious Absol said:
    I think I'm with everyone else in that I'm never 100% satisfied. I can still spot typos, or think I could have written something differently, added a scene, changed a scene. I just wrote a one-shot fanfic for a prompt on another forum and realised I never once described or hinted at the main character's appearance (it was my first time writing in the first person). It's a bit late now to add it in. I'll just have to hope people don't mind...
    Click to expand...
    Honestly, I think there's a very good chance they won't mind or even notice. I think a lot of writers feel obliged to include physical descriptions, but more often than you'd think it isn't necessary. Since you're using first person narration, your readers will probably be satisfied by the picture of the main character you give through their word choice and perspective.

    In fanfiction especially you'll often see one-off descriptions like "Bob Character has pink hair," and then nothing else in the story will relate to Bob's hair. It gives a picture of what Bob looks like, but what's really important is to give a picture of Bob as a whole person. I usually only bother with the aspects of a character's appearance that inform other aspects of their character, like "Bob Character is self-conscious about his naturally pink hair," or "Bob Character had his hair dyed pink because he loves to make his parents squirm." If I have nothing to say about Bob's hair color besides what color it is, I just leave it out.

    To bring this post back to the main topic, it's easy to be overly critical with your writing when you treat something optional as a requirement. Sometimes it's best not to sweat it.
     
    Delirious Absol

    Delirious Absol

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    icomeanon6 said:
    Honestly, I think there's a very good chance they won't mind or even notice. I think a lot of writers feel obliged to include physical descriptions, but more often than you'd think it isn't necessary. Since you're using first person narration, your readers will probably be satisfied by the picture of the main character you give through their word choice and perspective.

    In fanfiction especially you'll often see one-off descriptions like "Bob Character has pink hair," and then nothing else in the story will relate to Bob's hair. It gives a picture of what Bob looks like, but what's really important is to give a picture of Bob as a whole person. I usually only bother with the aspects of a character's appearance that inform other aspects of their character, like "Bob Character is self-conscious about his naturally pink hair," or "Bob Character had his hair dyed pink because he loves to make his parents squirm." If I have nothing to say about Bob's hair color besides what color it is, I just leave it out.

    To bring this post back to the main topic, it's easy to be overly critical with your writing when you treat something optional as a requirement. Sometimes it's best not to sweat it.
    Click to expand...

    Thank you =) that actually made me feel a lot better! I almost forgot to mention the character's gender which was bad enough lol. I managed to fit that in before I submitted it though XD

    I think we can all be overly critical with ourselves at times. The trick is to silence the inner critic while writing, which is easier said than done. I'm one to go back and edit, or sit and ponder over a sentence for ages while tweaking and deleting, re-writing and tweaking some more until I'm happy enough with it. I once set The End aside for a couple of days because I wasn't happy with a scene. When I went back, I deleted the entire scene and started again. It worked a lot better the second time and then I could keep going lol.
     

    y stri

    Got no theme right now.
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    • I mostly feel bad about my lack of satisfaction because whenever I do post things, it's in a resigned, "I give up" sort of way, as if I have no choice but to post something horrible and I'm forced to live with how bad it is. A bit over dramatic way to put it lmao, but I'm glad for the advice! It's true, improvement is hard and gradual. I suppose though that if you only write for yourself, you'll improve slower than if you write for an audience, so it is better to be able to post your work.
     
    Delirious Absol

    Delirious Absol

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    y stri said:
    I mostly feel bad about my lack of satisfaction because whenever I do post things, it's in a resigned, "I give up" sort of way, as if I have no choice but to post something horrible and I'm forced to live with how bad it is. A bit over dramatic way to put it lmao, but I'm glad for the advice! It's true, improvement is hard and gradual. I suppose though that if you only write for yourself, you'll improve slower than if you write for an audience, so it is better to be able to post your work.
    Click to expand...

    Feedback from readers can help a lot with that. I value feedback as it points things out that I can fix and also reassures me I've not done that bad a job. Repetition is one of my problems. It's something I often realise when I'm proof reading and I'm trying to be more conscious of during writing.

    It sounds like we all have a rather loud inner critic.

    I don't think we're alone here though. There's a quote from Neil Gaiman that helps me and might help other unsatisfied writers - "A novel can best be defined as a long piece of prose with something wrong with it."
     
    starseed galaxy auticorn

    starseed galaxy auticorn

    [font=Finger Paint][COLOR=#DCA6F3][i]PC's Resident
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    • Pffft. I'm never satisfied with my writing, considering the amount of times I redo them and everything. XDDD There are times when I'll also just give up and post what I've written. It's usually after a dozen tries of making it better though.
     
    クリスタル

    クリスタル

    The Pokemon Observer
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    • When it is posted on the internet, that is the time I'm satisfied with my work.
    But the point is, I need to satisfy with my work before I post it on web.
    Where that may takes months or even years for me to become "satisfied".
     
    Jason Wolf

    Jason Wolf

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    • Never. Its simple. I live in perpetual self loathing over how much better I could be. It's quite tragic really.

    (seriously though I never feel satisfied, but more so feel like there is nothing more I can do)
     
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