Fear of Writing/Creativity

[Azzagorn]

It's been a long time since I've been active in the forums. September's 75 word challenge was my first post in probably 5 years.

I took a step back from here because I became scared of sharing my ideas, I stopped writing full stop. I don't think I've put pen to paper or fingers to keyboard to write for almost as long as I've been missing. Ideas dried up and any ideas I did have I poo pooed away as drivel. In short my self confidence was shattered.

Thankful I have a really supportive wife and a group of friends I play DnD with, and through their support I've grown my creative confidence again. I still don't write all that much, and I am trying to be kinder to myself regarding ideas that drop into my mind.

I turned 40 this year, and part of a deal I made for myself was to reset my creativity. It's been hard, I dread sharing my work.

Anyway this has become a right ramble. Sorry about that.

Azzagorn.

 

[AnRoinnUltra]

Fair play. A writing group might be good too. Writing is obviously something you want to do so keep the flame lit

 

[The Judge]

Glad to see you back!

Sharing one's writing is the best way to improve, but there's no rush -- take your time with it!

Whenever you hear the nasty critic in your mind making comments about your work, stop it and say -- out loud! -- something along the lines of "Well, it's not perfect, but it'll do for now" or "It's a good basis for something to work on". ie talk to yourself as if a friend were asking for your opinion.

And instead of gettng het up about a (perceived) lack of creativity, recognise that life has cycles, and so do our emotions and our creativity. Sometimes writing is easy, and sometimes if's effing hard; sometimes ideas pour out, sometimes the well is dry. (Think I'm mixing metaphors there...) Take it as it comes and relax.

 

[Swank]

Two separate problems:

Ideas don't need to be brilliantly original. You could write a novel that is nothing more than a cover of a John Carpenter film - and that book could be wonderful and popular.

Which takes us to the second thing: Good writing is key. A wonderful concept written poorly is unreadable. A boring concept executed with vivid, fascinating prose is a page turner.


So don't sweat the idea part. Write, write, write and look for feedback on the way you are writing, not what you are writing about.

 

[THX1138]

Like what @Swank just said: So don't sweat the idea part. Write, write, write and look for feedback on the way you are writing, not what you are writing about.

I have had my fair share, and still do, of stumbling blocks in my writings. When I first joined Chrons, I was not as good as I thought I was, but I put some of my 75, 100 and 300 worders in for critique, (GULP!) and listened and keep trying. I had good ideas, just bad writing. I have two forms of sever chronic dyslexia that more often than not stop me in my tracks, especially in writing and reading.

Just keep writing and try not to worry, (easier said than done!) It's your story and that is all that matters!

 

[paranoid marvin]

Welcome back! For most of us as writers, our greatest critic is ourselves. It's a very special person who thinks their work is great, and everyone else agrees.

Sometimes you just have to follow the words of the great Lord Wellington: Publish, and be damned.

Ps if you are a regular player of D&D, you are by default a creative and imaginative person.

 

[Swank]

Ps if you are a regular player of D&D, you are by default a creative and imaginative person.

Especially if dice are available.

 

[Toby Frost]

I think sometimes creative writing is portrayed as a sort of mystical experience, where you're always supposed to be deeply inspired and trying to "write great prose". I think it's more like making a chair. Making a chair might be very artistic, but it still requires the basic work of cutting the wood and putting the thing together. Often telling the story and just saying what happened next is fine. The fancy stuff, if required, can come later.

Anyhow, good luck with it!

 

[Juliana]

Lots of great advice already so I'll just add: remember to have fun with it!

If I didn't still enjoy writing and have fun doing it, I'd have quit a long time ago...

 

[Phyrebrat]

Hi You particularly mention your fear of sharing your work.

I just wanted to chime in on that and say that a few years ago I stopped sharing my writing with all but a very small handful of people.

The reason why is that I was getting lots of my flash fiction and short stories published in literary journals and magazines but I was getting crits (here on Chrons) which were really inappropriate in terms of my genre and my style. So if you share with us it’s really important to remember just because we — or anyone else — has an opinion about your work they share with you, doesn’t mean it’s relevant or applicable.

To thine own self be true and all that.

One other thing I’d bring up is the importance of character vs plot/concept. Well-realised characters carry the idea, not the idea itself (if that makes sense).

 

[Astro Pen]

I'll second trying to join a local writers group. I am in one and we have to create a piece of flash fiction on a given theme every week. We have published writers and absolute beginners. Crits are generally positive and encouraging. TBH People tend to be nicer face to face than when they have internet anonymity.
The challenges on here have a similar brief albeit restricted to SFF. Doing the challenges here is a good thing because often they can seed a bigger idea. If I were you I would do all the challenges here but avoid putting stuff in the critique section until you feel you have something you are genuinely pleased with.
But I have to say that, from what I have seen, writers website don't come much better than chrons

 

[Swank]

One other thing I’d bring up is the importance of character vs plot/concept. Well-realised characters carry the idea, not the idea itself (if that makes sense).

Hey Christopher,

I think this cuts both ways. John McClane and Luke Skywalker were somewhat uninteresting people until they were invited to die hard or attend a star war, respectively. The situation calls for the character and the character is the right person for the job. Together they become story.

 

[Phyrebrat]

Hey Christopher,

I think this cuts both ways. John McClane and Luke Skywalker were somewhat uninteresting people until they were invited to die hard or attend a star war, respectively. The situation calls for the character and the character is the right person for the job. Together they become story.

Hi long time…

Agreed — well not sure who McClane is but Luke not Han were particularly interesting to me as a kid (I was all about R2-D2) — but I’m cautious of comparing literature and film media just because a book has to carry more than (usually!) a 90 min to 2 hr runtime.

I think say Walter White (Breaking Bad) or (Gaius Baltar) are great examples of characters doing a lot of heavy lifting beyond the ‘story’ because they’re so nuanced and interesting. Without them there’d be no conflict in their storyverse but on top of this they’re so well written they exist outside of their stories, in their own rights. I think that’s easier to achieve (or perhaps address?) in prose than film.

When I apply this to my own writing, I see the successes/pride I’ve had are in my stories where I’ve loved the character, who’ve largely written themselves and been congruent, than more concept, flashy narratives.

OT:

My earlier post mentioned genre which I think is crucial to this discussion. When you write horror or weird fiction essentially ‘something bad is going to happen to the character(s)’. For that to mean anything the character has to be important to the reader. AND, a slow build is essential. Thus I spend so much time with my characters just passively in my brain and allow them to be real people on the page outside of their ‘purpose’ to the plot.

I really am coming to believe that so-called horror (that I like) starts off as almost genre-less or literary fiction until the uncanny element starts its insidious journey.

nb I’m not saying SFF doesn’t do this but I’m coming to the conclusion that all horror has to if it’s to be successful.

 

[paranoid marvin]

Hi long time…

Agreed — well not sure who McClane is but Luke not Han were particularly interesting to me as a kid (I was all about R2-D2) — but I’m cautious of comparing literature and film media just because a book has to carry more than (usually!) a 90 min to 2 hr runtime.

I think say Walter White (Breaking Bad) or (Gaius Baltar) are great examples of characters doing a lot of heavy lifting beyond the ‘story’ because they’re so nuanced and interesting. Without them there’d be no conflict in their storyverse but on top of this they’re so well written they exist outside of their stories, in their own rights. I think that’s easier to achieve (or perhaps address?) in prose than film.

When I apply this to my own writing, I see the successes/pride I’ve had are in my stories where I’ve loved the character, who’ve largely written themselves and been congruent, than more concept, flashy narratives.

OT:

My earlier post mentioned genre which I think is crucial to this discussion. When you write horror or weird fiction essentially ‘something bad is going to happen to the character(s)’. For that to mean anything the character has to be important to the reader. AND, a slow build is essential. Thus I spend so much time with my characters just passively in my brain and allow them to be real people on the page outside of their ‘purpose’ to the plot.

I really am coming to believe that so-called horror (that I like) starts off as almost genre-less or literary fiction until the uncanny element starts its insidious journey.

nb I’m not saying SFF doesn’t do this but I’m coming to the conclusion that all horror has to if it’s to be successful.

I agree with the slow build up. But I think that rather than the character have importance, the reader has to be able to view the world from their perspective. We aren't scared because the spider/clown/alien/monster is going to get them, we are scared because it's going to get us.

 

[Phyrebrat]

I agree with the slow build up. But I think that rather than the character have importance, the reader has to be able to view the world from their perspective. We aren't scared because the spider/clown/alien/monster is going to get them, we are scared because it's going to get us.

Now you’re making me think/wonder if I feel fear … I think because I find horror ‘cool’ I’m never scared. But… recently read a SK short story where a man is wrongly accused of rape/murder and I was really angry and invested.

 

[KGeo777]

I had fear of making things once--literal dread of doing something creative. It was a strange quirk of anxiety.

I never had fear of showing my work---even though I don't like being a focus of attention.
Generally if I like what I make--I won't be reluctant to show it.

If you are extremely self-critical then you don't really have as much problem with getting criticism from others--especially if you are far more critical of your work than they are!
I like it when someone--especially a stranger, says something that makes me realize I can improve.
It's harder with people you know unless they are inclined to give honest criticism.


But it can also work the other way--where you have friends and family who don't support your creative endeavors at all. That has got to be horrible--I can't imagine that --only had a little of that experience---but I have heard of people who had that issue.

 

[Swank]

Hi long time…

Agreed — well not sure who McClane is but Luke not Han were particularly interesting to me as a kid (I was all about R2-D2) — but I’m cautious of comparing literature and film media just because a book has to carry more than (usually!) a 90 min to 2 hr runtime.

I think say Walter White (Breaking Bad) or (Gaius Baltar) are great examples of characters doing a lot of heavy lifting beyond the ‘story’ because they’re so nuanced and interesting. Without them there’d be no conflict in their storyverse but on top of this they’re so well written they exist outside of their stories, in their own rights. I think that’s easier to achieve (or perhaps address?) in prose than film.

When I apply this to my own writing, I see the successes/pride I’ve had are in my stories where I’ve loved the character, who’ve largely written themselves and been congruent, than more concept, flashy narratives.

OT:

My earlier post mentioned genre which I think is crucial to this discussion. When you write horror or weird fiction essentially ‘something bad is going to happen to the character(s)’. For that to mean anything the character has to be important to the reader. AND, a slow build is essential. Thus I spend so much time with my characters just passively in my brain and allow them to be real people on the page outside of their ‘purpose’ to the plot.

I really am coming to believe that so-called horror (that I like) starts off as almost genre-less or literary fiction until the uncanny element starts its insidious journey.

nb I’m not saying SFF doesn’t do this but I’m coming to the conclusion that all horror has to if it’s to be successful.

I used Die Hard and Star Wars movie references because they are more universal than rattling off some book characters. And while I don't like comparing film and novels overly, I can think of several SF novels where the MC starts as something of a tabula rasa and takes on "character" in the prosecution of the story - much like those two.

The 'slow burn' strikes me as a narrative structure rather than a different approach to character, largely because I see the character and plot as two faces of the same thing. While the amount of 'stage direction' might be low in the beginning, there is a story going on with the character reveal that is little different to how a mystery story unfolds: The reader is offered crumbs of something interesting, and turn the pages to see if they can solve it. Who is this curious man? With horror or tragedy, the answer to that question can the immolation of the MC in a manner only fitting to what the reader comes to believe about them - much like how a hero gels by winning in keeping with their character.


All plot could be considered the interception of events with character in a manner that satisfies the reader. And for that to happen, the MC has to embody the plot events - either in opposition or alignment.


So I made that sound spooky and complicated, but I don't think it is any weirder than The plot is the stuff that the character emerges from to act.

 

[Azzagorn]

Thank you everyone for the kind words and sound advice. I've been reading all the responses to my post and while I am still not ready to share quite yet I've started planning out ideas and saving ideas on my phone.

I forgot how nice this community is. Thank you so much.