The problem with reading other people's work (the musings of a newbie) · 6:27am Jan 15th, 2014
To put it bluntly, it's better than mine.
Now that may sound like a sweeping and a broad statement, but I feel that it's one that many writers (as well as many musicians, artists and any other creative type) can identify with.
I'm still fairly uncomfortable identifying myself as "a writer". The title feels to me as if it makes everything that much more official and with it brings an expectation of competence in the field. A competence that I still feel I somewhat lack. This is a sentiment that is only enhanced when I go and read stories by the masses of amazing authors here on FiMFiction.
Back before I started writing my own works, my only thoughts when reading a great piece of text was "Wow, this is great! I'm so glad that I get to enjoy this fabulous piece of work!". Now that I've started producing my own pieces though, that same appreciation still remains, yet there is also another part of me that gets to say "Wow, this is what I'm competing with?! Why would anyone take the time to read my silly little dabblings when things like This are readily available instead?".
It's an easy and very discouraging trap to fall into, and one I myself am not yet entirely clear of. It's easy to look at the work of others and feel a sense of inadequacy and self doubt regarding your own. It's easy to feel as if you'll never be able to produce something on a similar level.
What's hard though is plodding on anyway. To continue writing, not to stand amongst the giants of the featured box and reap their accolades, but to keep working unnoticed in the shadows for the sake of practice. Even if you know the piece of work you've poured yourself into will likely disappear into the depths of the archives to never be seen again; you keep going anyway so that the next story you write might not.
These things are hard to do, but with each new piece you write, you learn something new. And over time you'll find yourself looking back at your previous work and thinking "how the heck did I write that? I can do better", and it'll be true. You can write that sequence better than you could have a month or even a week ago. It wont be easy and there will be bumps along the way, but you will improve as you learn, take criticism and grow as a producer of content.
I have a long way to go, but maybe one day I will produce something on par with those that populate all of our favourties lists.
- I am a newbie, and these are my musings.
Just remember, the man who gives up will never fail. But the only the man who doesn't can succeed.
Love the new avatar BTW.
Don't worry, I don't have any plans to go anywhere just yet. These are just some thoughts that I wanted to put down on paper (or pixels). Maybe I'll do it again sometime.
And yea, I saw someone who was also using my previous avatar. Decided this couldn't stand so went with something new that wasn't likely to pop up within the pony fandom