Always Looking Back...

[Owen Latchkey]

Hi all. First, my computer is finally back up and running after 5 months. Not a hard problem to fix, but I've just been busy with life. Today I saw an interesting perspective on writing. It was a saying that every time you write you improve to an extent that when you look at your previous writing you always think it is terrible. This implies a vicious cycle. You write, but then your previous work looks terrible, thus you are discouraged, you write again and so on, never happy with your work. Granted, this in general is a trend with a lot of writers, always thinking their work is terrible. I always think my previous work needs a lot more work when I look at it. Anyway, I thought it was a good thought that we are always improving and our previous work is not quite as bad as it might seem. Also, I wrote a Halloween short story that was both actually short and well received at the party where I read it, so I'm a happy writer.

 

[Carol Rose]

It's easy to fall into the trap of thinking our work is terrible, just as it's easy to fall into any negative thinking trap. Instead of putting that slant on your previous work, couch your internal thoughts in terms that show your progression from that point to now. "I used to do that, but now I write it this way and as a consequence, it's clearer, more concise, etc." Look for improvements and celebrate those instead of thinking what utter crap you once wrote. Frame it in a positive light. No one is born writing perfect prose. Writing is a craft that we work at to improve and learn, every single day.

 

[Marc Joan]

A vicious spiral rather than a vicious cycle--and at least the direction of the spiral is upwards. Continuous improvement but permanent dissatisfaction. Oh well. I can totally relate to looking back on one's own efforts with a jaundiced editing eye--I do that all the time. Tiresome; but at least I'm not the only one.

 

[Carol Rose]

Well, all I can say is that if you don't believe in your own work, neither will anyone else.

 

[Steven McC]

I agree with this 100%. The amount of times I've gone back to read something I wrote a few years ago and end up cringing, peering at it through splayed fingers, almost afraid to rediscover what I wrote next...

I take solace from the fact that I've read a lot of prefaces by great writers (the one that springs to mind is Aldous Huxley on 'Brave New World') who seem to feel the same when they reflect on previous works, even hugely successful ones. Because we are in a continual state of change you're never going to fully relate to things written by an earlier version of yourself.

Sometimes (often, in my case) you do discover errors and poor writing, but it's a mistake to become downcast and lose confidence in your ability (I hope).

 

[AliG]

Good or bad to be your own harshest critic- at least when looking through the retrospectoscope- difficult to know. At least it drives us forwards if the despair pit doesn't get you. My writing self-belief tends to be very up and down; can change within hours.