Knowing when to quit

[Amelia Faulkner]

(it probably isn’t)

(I bet it is. The core message is "disabled people should kill themselves to stop being a burden").

 

[Montero]

In terms of the Jo Jo Moyes book being bad - are we talking badly written, or a plot with which one disagrees? This thread started with concerns on "badly written"

 

[Jo Zebedee]

I like Max a lot. Farrell bores me to tears, on the other hand. And, yes - there is a good dose of sex in the books, right from book 1.

Often I think it’s about how rounded a character feels rather than personally likeable.

 

[crystal haven]

(I bet it is. The core message is "disabled people should kill themselves to stop being a burden").

This just shows why Mouse should not get worked up about a bad review, how readers are all different and an author will never be able to please, connect with all readers. I loved Me Before You. I loved the main characters too. And I did not come away with the above message at all, in fact the total opposite.

 

[TitaniumTi]

Now wondering how everyone defines likeable.

I’m wondering that myself. What did I mean? I enjoyed Max, but I doubt if I’d like her in real life. I think I like to read about enjoyable and entertaining characters, but they don’t have to be likeable.

(I bet it is. The core message is "disabled people should kill themselves to stop being a burden").

I did not come away with the above message at all, in fact the total opposite.

I thought Me Before You suggested that the protagonist was being selfish and self-indulgent in opting for voluntary euthanasia.

Three readers and three different interpretations... it really does show that writers shouldn’t worry about bad reviews, except as an indicator that they may not be reaching the readers who will enjoy their books.

 

[TitaniumTi]

The St Mary's covers changed part way through the series, but they've retained a theme of darkish colours, historical scene and something indicating time. No individual portraits at all.

I really like the St Mary’s covers. They suggest something different from run of the mill time-travel stories.

The first, self-published edition of Just One Damned Thing After Another had a blander cover showing a cup of tea against a misty pinkish background. Incidentally, that first book sat on my eReader, partly read, for a long time. When I picked up the re-issued book, I loved it. I’m not sure whether my tastes had changed or the book had benefited from professional editing before the Accent Press re-issue.

 

[Mouse]

Re covers and blurbs. I wrote the blurbs (then they were tweaked by the publishers to make more sense!) and I think the covers are spot on but I don't know anything about anything any more!

 

[Stephen Palmer]

My six pence.

 

[Stephen Palmer]

Very few people will agree with me on this, but you (Mouse) should aim for some bad reviews. If all is good you're doing something wrong.
Remember David Bowie's wise words: "An artist should exist somewhere just outside their comfort zone."
I also agree with everyone who advised you to take a break. Your subconscious will inform you when it is ready to go again.

 

[allmywires]

A little late to the party here but my thoughts nonetheless.
First of all, if you're thinking about quitting, that's a decision only you can make. as said by many, many others in this thread, you know (or you should anyhow) that you can write. You're talented enough that you've got multiple books published. How many people can say that? it's freaking awesome and don't ever forget that. Someone in a publishing house looked at your works (multiple times!) and thought they were good enough not to discard straight away. That's important(!)
As for writing itself... I like to push myself and write morally grey characters. I'll use an example of a fanfic i wrote once which might be closely paralleled with your experience writing romance. In this fic, I wanted to be a bit more experimental, so I wrote the story with two endings: one where the MC forgives the original partner that cheated on him, and they work through their issues, and one where the MC actually cuts off the toxic relationship and goes ahead with the one that blossomed with the other love interest throughout the fic. To this day, I'm still very proud of that work, but it TANKED in the fandom. So many people hated it because in romance, a lot of it does kind of need to be 'easy' -- even people who could have just read it the whole way through with one pairing and not even read the other ending of the pairing they didn't like wouldn't EVEN try because there was that option that it could have ended differently! It made me realise how rigorous the 'rules' of that particular fandom had become. A romance story had to be 'worthy' or else it wasn't even worth looking at.
At the end of the day it's all down to you, Mouse. I'd sit here til I was blue in the face telling you what a talented writer you are if you'd let me, but that's not really what this thread is about. If the love's gone with writing, maybe it's time to sunset it for a while. I spent a lot of time forcing words out when I wasn't loving writing and it sucked. Love what you write and f*** the haters. Otherwise what's the point in any of this at all!

 

[Mouse]

Thank you both. Part of me kinda thinks that at least I've provoked a reaction from people, which is better than it leaving them feeling lukewarm enough to not bother leaving a review either way.

 

[AlexH]

Thank you both. Part of me kinda thinks that at least I've provoked a reaction from people, which is better than it leaving them feeling lukewarm enough to not bother leaving a review either way.

Slghtly off-topic, but I read a short story collection of a very well-known author a few years ago. It was terrible and although I didn't write a review, it still sticks in my head to this day and my review could be as detailed now as it was back then. Some stories were just plain poor, like one about a really boring relationship - the only difference was it was a world where gay people were the norm and heterosexual people had to "come out" but were ridiculed et cetera. There were plenty with those sort of flipping things set-ups, like the author thought it was a clever idea so they didn't have to bother with the story at all. Some stories had really sick stuff that didn't seem to add anything to the story at all. Some of the stories were totally pointless. I wonder if the author did it just to provoke a reaction.

Anyway, apologies for the divergence - it feels good to have finally vented about that collection.

 

[The Bluestocking]

Thank you both. Part of me kinda thinks that at least I've provoked a reaction from people, which is better than it leaving them feeling lukewarm enough to not bother leaving a review either way.

Seriously, the worst thing anyone could say about a story is "meh" and that it's forgettable (i.e. they can't even remember much about the story after reading it).

Assuming that the writing style and technicals are not the issue, strong reactions (to characters, the world, the themes etc) are a good indication that you've struck a chord somewhere.

 

[Paul Meccano]

Mouse.

Ten months ago I handed my 50% ownership of a business that I built up from nothing thirteen years ago. I handed it over to the other shareholders for nothing and walked away ( regretting that slightly now as I have no money). It is still a very well established bespoke-sculptural business producing one off art pieces for very rich people around the world.

I found that the more similar the art I produced the better I got at it. Adversely, producing very different art offered fewer guarantees of success but I loved the challenge, it kept me alive. In the end I was good at designing and making many different things.
most importantly though, I recognised over time, that I loved new idea's when I had the energy, and old staple favourites when I wanted comfort in my work.
Essentially, in the end, I gave the work to others to do, had fallen out of love with making and spent my time running the business until one day I realised I hadn't touched any materials for two years and I was unhappy. It was time to move on.
Where is this going?

I'm doing all sorts at the moment, including enjoying making furniture again. This is where I first started out.

If you've done this and that, got good at this and that, enjoyed this and that, fallen away from this and that, and in the end this and that has got on top of you, then it sounds like you've totally experienced this and that.

try something else ( even just in genre writing rather than ditching everything) because, you can try something else, enjoy something else, get good at something else, fall away from something else until something else gets on top of you.

When that happens...you can always go back to doing this and that until something else comes along.

 

[CTRandall]

My story is similar to Montero's, just that I'm coming from a music background. Spent most of my life composing, got frustrated and stopped for several years. Funnily enough, writing fiction has sparked the musical creativity again.

I guess the point is that tons of people go through similar crises of confidence and frustration. You're not the only one. And the vast majority of creative-types I know find a way through it. Not fun, it may take time and there's no 12-step programme to follow but I'd be surprised if your writing isn't richer when you get through this.

 

[Mouse]

Yeah, a couple of days ago a fellow NSP author posted a 'should I quit' thread in the NSP group on Facebook. Creativity can be soul-destroying, or rather not being able to be creative, or having hate poured on that creativity can be.

I'm not going to write romance (the genre) anymore. I tried to start a short story the other day and just ended up with a blank document, but I have found I'm able to work on a completed thing so I'm concentrating on that for now and not doing anything else.

 

[crystal haven]

Wonderful to hear you are writing/editing again, Mouse.

 

[zmunkz]

I didn’t read the whole thread, but just wanted to chime in based on the OP... might be time to stop seeking feedback, rather than time to stop writing. Give yourself some room to find the project’s way without people looking over your shoulder. Share draft 2 instead.

 

[Neurotibot]

@OP

It's normal to feel like a failure as a writer. I had always believed that I would have permanent confidence once I made a first sale, but even after I made a sale, those feelings persisted and still do. So they'll probably never go away. I'm sure that the most successful authors feel this way at times.

Also, remember that anyone can write a first draft. The true skill of the writer happens in the drafts that follow. It also helps to read a lot and to do so analytically. Consider the larger details, like plot and character. But also look at how an author structures his sentences and paragraphs, and how this and that made you feel a certain way, and what made you keep reading (or what made you bored enough to stop reading). Writing is a constant learning experience and even the greats sucked once upon a time.

Or you can quit. It's your life.

 

[sknox]

Art is rarely binary. It's rarely a matter of go forward or quit. Every artist--in every art, not just writing--struggles. Except for those who don't. One might create brilliance when young then never write again. Another might write, then switch to music, then over to painting, or all at once.

And, save for the fortunate few, the way forward is never well-lit, never even marked by paths among which to choose. People feel what they feel, and don't know why and sometimes cannot even put a name to it. And people don't feel what they don't feel, and wonder what the fuss is about.

I have to say this. I will try to give to my fellow writers at least as much sympathy, patience and understand that I accord to my invented characters. I ought to be able to manage that much. This includes not expecting anyone else to see things my way.