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So I used to write like ALL the time and then I stopped for a few years because real life got complicated. A little over a year ago I started writing again but took a break because of writer's block. I recently started back up again and I've been tearing through pages thinking I'm writing pure gold but when I go back and read over what I've written it all seems terribly clumsy and shallow.
Anyone else ever feel like this? It gets to the point where I'm tempted just to delete it all but I've put so much time and work into it.
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Hey man, don't delete it! That's part of your path as a writer. Everybody goes through that awful phase where you think you suck. Improving your craft isn't a bad thing, though, and if taking that break let you realize that you used to do shallow stuff then just take the lesson and work on making what you write now better.

There are two things you can do at this point: you can walk away from your old projects, abandoning or orphaning the ideas. Sometimes it's what you gotta do because the ideas are just too old and the story can't be saved. OR you can sit down and start rewriting in your new, more advanced style. If you can edit the story to take out or fix that shallow crappy part that's getting you bummed out, then do it! Lots of stories go through major rewrites and big changes between drafts.

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All the freakin' time.

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I was like you, wrote all the time and then RL stepped in the way. Every now and then I'll get started on something and stop cause inspiration isn't hitting, then start something else. I think I have 5 stories on the go right now lol. I cant throw them out though, because I know it was all the start of something good! Just got to get over that hump. And I mean it's also great practice! The more you write, the better you can be smile

Wheezing Hunter

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User Image I think that's just typical of a writer. If you're not overly critical of your work then others will tear it to pieces.
I write for fun, as long as one or two people get enjoyment out of what I post online then it brings me joy enough to continue writing.
Don't delete it. Maybe embellish on your sentences, find different adjectives for simple descriptions, but don't go overboard. The worst thing you can do is overcomplicate your writing.

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Osidiano
Hey man, don't delete it! That's part of your path as a writer. Everybody goes through that awful phase where you think you suck. Improving your craft isn't a bad thing, though, and if taking that break let you realize that you used to do shallow stuff then just take the lesson and work on making what you write now better.

There are two things you can do at this point: you can walk away from your old projects, abandoning or orphaning the ideas. Sometimes it's what you gotta do because the ideas are just too old and the story can't be saved. OR you can sit down and start rewriting in your new, more advanced style. If you can edit the story to take out or fix that shallow crappy part that's getting you bummed out, then do it! Lots of stories go through major rewrites and big changes between drafts.


Sage advice.

Slow down, take a breath, work on individual sections at a time and don't get precious with your prose or stuck on any one sentence. Go from broad strokes to fine tuning your prose.

I recommend stepping away from technology and working with pen and paper. Try rewriting sections you've already written, just to see what happens if you don't have your previous writing to look at.

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I would say that it is more important to be practicing writing than to worry too much about content. There are many schools that suggest that writing anything - even a little each day will do much to help you develop in the long run. Enjoy the moments of inspiration you have and know that you are on your way to being better than yesterday.

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It happens to me all the time! Sometimes I look back and think, 'Dear God I wrote this!?'. Or sometimes I start a story up and, like you said, RL gets in the way and you gotta stop but when you come back to it you don't have the same passion for it anymore.

What I like to do is read over what I already written then decide if its worth keeping or not. Its up to you as a writer, not anyone else. For example I have a story that, to this day, I still get people asking if I will finish it but to be honest I think I might get rid of the whole thing all together. Or, if you still like the idea you can take it down and go over it and see what needs to be fixed. Or maybe take away, or add, to the plot. There is all sorts of things you can do with it.

Sometimes you just have those moments where you wanna write and you push out a lot of stuff. Whole stories, one shots, drabbles, etc. But when you go back and see them later you might hate them or you might like them. It happens to everyone and its part of being a writer I think. People will LOVE your stories but in your mind its not as good because its not how you had it planned out at all. I think in that case drawing and writing similar because what you see in your mind is really hard to get down on paper.

I think you should keep at it though. The more you write the better you get at it. emotion_yatta

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This very thing is what made me kind of give up writing. When I was a kid, like 6-12, my writing was seriously prodigious. I still look back on stories from that time and think they're pretty good, and my teachers went crazy over it. Then I took a three year break and awhile ago I tried writing a fanfic. It was so bad, and I was so upset afterward because I felt like I lost my knack. I've started warming up to the idea of writing again for the past few months, but everything is just poop on paper. crying
But suck it up and push through!

Tasty Snack

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Nobody starts out writing perfectly, and even seasoned novelists can be guilty of an occasional turd that they should have either dropped or stopped polishing so much before publication.

Write loose and dirty, and don't care about quality until you can go back and edit the complete story. Working so hard on making every little tidbit perfect is the fastest way to murdering your motivation and burning yourself out on something that should ultimately be fun.

I'm not saying quality and good editing isn't important, but make sure you have at least a substantial chunk of story worth editing before you start. There's nothing worse than having a great idea, babying it obsessively step by step, and then realizing you've written yourself into a corner somehow because you were so focused on the tiny details you didn't see the wall coming.

Most importantly, don't give up.

Stellar Cat

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You're probably just going too fast. Coming back with renewed energy after a long hiatus can make your work a little sloppy at times. Rather than trash what you wrote go through it a few times and revise it. I usually read something and make changes dozens of times before I am done.

A lot of people will like things you think are terrible. So you might just be overcritical.
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