Wow! Yes, this is exactly what I've started doing, without really realizing it. I was in the hyper-critical stage for a verrrry long time. Might still be, with my books at least. But I'm starting to focus less on what I'm doing poorly and more on what I'm doing right. I'm also figuring out what I love about other books and trying to replicate that in mine. Because if I love it and so do others, maybe they will like it in my book too!
I think it's SO hard when you start having the hyper critical feelings about your own books. You have fewer outside opinions (pre-publication, anyway), and if one of the people saying how good the book is is your mom . . . Well, she has to like it. :P
Good move, thinking more about your strengths! Keep it up!
I really like this post. So much of what you said here rings true, and it’s a great read for any writer. (And even just for readers! Understanding why something might be a hit for others but not you is important!)
As for what’s being done right... That ties in nicely with what I discussed earlier in the week on my SS. Going to link people to this post now. ;)
Twilight is *such* a good example of a book that's done something big right -- something *so* significant that it outweighs everything else. I have a feeling a lot of writers came away from that book trying to pin down what that was.
I'm naturally an analytic reader. I mean, I'm analytic. I walk out of movies and analyze what worked and what didn't. I analyze tv shows at the season episode and series level. It's like a fun game my brain likes to play with things. But, you're right, it's so easy to see what went wrong that it's important to focus sometimes on what went right.
As a writer, I think it's so much harder to cultivate what works, you know? Like I want the pace to be this or I want that romance to be that. Learning to evoke that response in someone else is so much more work than simply recognizing if someone else has pulled it off :)
Wow! Yes, this is exactly what I've started doing, without really realizing it. I was in the hyper-critical stage for a verrrry long time. Might still be, with my books at least. But I'm starting to focus less on what I'm doing poorly and more on what I'm doing right. I'm also figuring out what I love about other books and trying to replicate that in mine. Because if I love it and so do others, maybe they will like it in my book too!
I think it's SO hard when you start having the hyper critical feelings about your own books. You have fewer outside opinions (pre-publication, anyway), and if one of the people saying how good the book is is your mom . . . Well, she has to like it. :P
Good move, thinking more about your strengths! Keep it up!
I really like this post. So much of what you said here rings true, and it’s a great read for any writer. (And even just for readers! Understanding why something might be a hit for others but not you is important!)
As for what’s being done right... That ties in nicely with what I discussed earlier in the week on my SS. Going to link people to this post now. ;)
Your post about entertainment being the most important thing -- it's so true. I hope anyone seeing this post jumps over to yours too.
Oh my gosh, I had this EXACT experience with Twilight! An important reminder about figuring out what works. Great post!
Twilight is *such* a good example of a book that's done something big right -- something *so* significant that it outweighs everything else. I have a feeling a lot of writers came away from that book trying to pin down what that was.
I'm naturally an analytic reader. I mean, I'm analytic. I walk out of movies and analyze what worked and what didn't. I analyze tv shows at the season episode and series level. It's like a fun game my brain likes to play with things. But, you're right, it's so easy to see what went wrong that it's important to focus sometimes on what went right.
As a writer, I think it's so much harder to cultivate what works, you know? Like I want the pace to be this or I want that romance to be that. Learning to evoke that response in someone else is so much more work than simply recognizing if someone else has pulled it off :)