A Good Reminder
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At Magical Musings today, their guest blogger, Jennifer Estep, said something that was a very good reminder for me.
She said:
Write the best darn book you can. It may be a cliché, but it’s true. I always get a bit depressed every time I read J.K. Rowling, Robin McKinley, or Donald Westlake. Because there’s no way I could ever possibly write anything as magical, beautiful, or funny as them. I can only write the stories in my head the best way I know how – and that’s enough. It’s got to be, since I don’t want to take an express trip to the funny farm. Do your best, then push yourself to do a little better, give a little more. That’s all you can do.
I feel better knowing I’m not the only one who gets a little down when I read fantastic prose or a riveting, non-stop plot, or deep, unique characters. And it never hurts to be reminded that you are as unique as the next person and that if you keep working at it, learning and growing as a writer, you’ll get there.
J.K. Rowling was once where I am now. That’s a strong reminder.
>A Good Reminder
>
At Magical Musings today, their guest blogger, Jennifer Estep, said something that was a very good reminder for me.
She said:
Write the best darn book you can. It may be a cliché, but it’s true. I always get a bit depressed every time I read J.K. Rowling, Robin McKinley, or Donald Westlake. Because there’s no way I could ever possibly write anything as magical, beautiful, or funny as them. I can only write the stories in my head the best way I know how – and that’s enough. It’s got to be, since I don’t want to take an express trip to the funny farm. Do your best, then push yourself to do a little better, give a little more. That’s all you can do.
I feel better knowing I’m not the only one who gets a little down when I read fantastic prose or a riveting, non-stop plot, or deep, unique characters. And it never hurts to be reminded that you are as unique as the next person and that if you keep working at it, learning and growing as a writer, you’ll get there.
J.K. Rowling was once where I am now. That’s a strong reminder.
Ever look back?
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I did today, and … **cringe**
A fellow writer posted a request for someone who spoke Portugese — Brazilian Portugese, which is different than regular Portugese. My first novel was based in the Amazon Rain Forest, so long ago, I’d elicited the help of another writer’s cousin to translate a few things for me.
In offering those translations to this other writer now, I went through that manuscript and found myself reading a passage here and there.
**double cringe**
It wasn’t pretty. While I like the premise and the setting and the characters, it will have to be completely torn apart and created anew. I’ll have to just take the kernels worth keeping and rebuild something completely different around them to make it work.
Do you ever look back? When/if you do, how do you feel about what you’ve written in the past?
>Ever look back?
>
I did today, and … **cringe**
A fellow writer posted a request for someone who spoke Portugese — Brazilian Portugese, which is different than regular Portugese. My first novel was based in the Amazon Rain Forest, so long ago, I’d elicited the help of another writer’s cousin to translate a few things for me.
In offering those translations to this other writer now, I went through that manuscript and found myself reading a passage here and there.
**double cringe**
It wasn’t pretty. While I like the premise and the setting and the characters, it will have to be completely torn apart and created anew. I’ll have to just take the kernels worth keeping and rebuild something completely different around them to make it work.
Do you ever look back? When/if you do, how do you feel about what you’ve written in the past?