At least I'm being honest about it.I really enjoy my creative writing class. It's great to be in an environment with so many writers with stimulating writing exercises and assignments as well as stimulating writing workshopping.
That being said, I'm in big trouble. I brought my latest assignment for peer review today and the feedback I got was... unexpected. I should point out that this piece, in my opinion, is one of the roughest and weakest things I've written. And. They. LOVED. It.
I couldn't get them to say anything negative. Not one. More importantly, I couldn't get any feedback or criticism, constructive or otherwise. I even asked verbatim "Imagine you hated it. What would you suggest for me to improve?" And I got nothing. They did point out different passages and descriptions and images they liked though.
While this was fantastic for my ego (I felt like my head was ready to explode) it was not good for revising. How am I supposed to cut out and revise and edit what 3 of my classmates loved? I realize that while this is a nice problem to have, it's still a problem. If I turn it in to the teacher like this, I'll have my head on a proverbial pike. And I like my egolicious head proverbial pikeless.
So what can I do? Tracie supportively told me she thinks it's awful, or that it still needs a lot of work, but I can't bring myself to working on it. I love it too much too.
I'm tempted to ask people to bring me down again, tell me I'm awful and a hack and can't write to save my little life, or that my writing life isn't worth saving. But no thanks. That would just replace my current problem with a more depressing one.
I know my story needs work, but now I can't see where the problems are.
So what is an ego-boosted writer to do?
11 comments:
Let me read it and give you constructive criticism on it.
You awful and a hack and can't write to save your little life- so get to work! :)
Just trying to help.
get some one else to rip it to shreds.
Listen to your wife
Thank you all for the kind words. Heather, I sent it to you, let me know how bad it is!
You can always count on us to tell you what we really think and not just paint a rosy picture.
Read it. Sent back comments. It's not bad. It's not horrible. Some parts of it are very well done. But I agree that it NEEDS work to be perfect. So you're on a good track, really. Take a deep breath, read the notes. Write some more.
H. :)
Now I am curious to what you wrote! And what is it with you and the bloodbath pictures lately? LOL!
Thanks for your kudos for the last couple of things I have written. I was in a wierd mood for the Parody post, and my Pearl story was a long time coming for its turn on the page.
Otherwise, whatever you write, it always interests, amuses or entertains me every time. Or make me laugh too, that's a good one.
Hailer: thanks for the comments, they were much needed and appreciated.
Amanda: thank you, in a weird way that helps.
Charlo: I did. And they didn't rip it to shreds, but they offered some great constructive criticism which I will now implement.
Dad: Always.
Austin: I'm not going to reply to you.
Ammon: I know, and thank you.
Hailer again: I replied to your email. Super thank you.
Heather: It depends on who you ask. To some, it might be a modern love story of boy meets girl with a twist. To others it's about a vampire serial killer finding love in an unlikely place. I plan to post it eventually, but only when I'm happy with it. So it might be awhile. The bloodbath pictures are just a coincidence, I swear!
Happy to make the kudos and compliments, I hope you know I would only say it if I meant it.
And hopefully once it's done, this story will amuse, entertain, interest and make everyone laugh!
You said it's one of the weakest things you've done, then you said you love it too much to change it. Which is it?
Never write for anyone besides yourself. No one can be trusted. You know what you're doing. Figure it out.
Jake: Can't it be both? Haven't you ever loved something you wrote so much, even though you knew it was awful?
I try to write for myself, but it can be difficult at times when you have writing assignments that you wouldn't do period. But thanks as always for the counsel and advice.
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