Joined: 3/13/2011
Posts: 51
|
I blogged about this recently, and the gist of that post was that I'd had two moments of "writer's pride" recently. The first was while chapter-editing, and coming across a section I thought was one of the best I'd written, something that, as a reader, really chilled me to the core and made me feel proud because it was me that'd written those shiny words on the page. The second was when I entered a flash fiction competition without really intending to win and finding out I had done, a week later.
Those two moments were very different, I think. I felt proud for the right reasons, when I won. Other people had read my work and said "this is good, you deserve a reward." But when reading through my own work, I criticise myself for praising things I've written because it feels like I'm bigging up my own work out of arrogance.
I don't really think that's the case, though - I simply read a section of the novel and enjoyed reading it immensely. Do any of you ever have issues with feeling proud of your work, and if so, what do you do to balance your writer's insecurities and the knowledge that, based on a fair amount of reader feedback as well as your own opinion, you're not actually a bad writer?
|
Joined: 8/13/2011
Posts: 272
|
For me, I've had two memorable moments of writer's pride. The first was when a short story I wrote in three days got put into a charity compilation, which was the first time I've ever really been published. I was a little pleased with myself. The second was recently, during my Nanowrimo project. I basically got stuck, had a good idea and ended up writing one of the flat out most gonzo things I've ever written. Not only did it solve the immediate plot hole I'd gotten stuck in, but it's pretty much set the water mark for what I want the book to be like.
|
Joined: 1/11/2012
Posts: 1
|
I do sometimes feel proud of my work, but it's always followed by a sudden sense of "pride guilt" that takes it away again. I think it's because most of us are conditioned to think that being too prideful makes you a bad person and possibly one of those horrible writers who thinks their work is perfect and won't listen.
I worry about that a lot.
It's not true, but I still worry about it, and I think that's what causes the counter work pride reflex.
I try to remind myself that people I respect a lot of have said they enjoyed my writing and they're also the people who have been honest enough to tell me when it sucked too.
Maybe it's healthy to have a little of both. A little pride in your work, and a little insecurity to keep you working on it.
|