Today is blog hop day for The Insecure Writers' Support Group, started by Alex J. Cavanaugh and co-hosted this month by:
Diedre Knight, Tonya Drecker, Bish Denham, Olga Godim, and JQ Rose!
Many thanks to all who participate and make IWSG possible!
The March 1st Optional Question is:
Have you ever read a line in novel or a clever plot twist that caused you to have author envy?
Heck yeah. I think the first author envy I had was as a kid. I wanted to write like C.S. Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkien. They made it look effortless. My first novel draft written at age 12 went into the garbage can because I thought it was terrible. I envied/hoped/longed to be able to write well.
I still have that yearning, even after finishing several books, stories, and poems, even after getting some of my work published by professional small presses and traditional places, as well as publishing my own work. Even after I took second place in a poetry contest just recently. The yearning to improve my writing craft and become a "really good" author is still there.
However, I don't throw my stuff out anymore. I mine it for rough cut gems and polish them.
Yes, some days I read a book and sigh with amazement and envy over another author's perfect words, characterizations, plot twists, or resolutions, but then the longing to learn and improve and become the best author I can be with my strengths comes back to me. With that in mind, I head back to work.
I write to writing prompts, I read craft books, I write stories, poems, songs, articles, novels, and I keep on keeping on, hoping to learn, improve, and discover more heights and depths in my writing along the way.
The reality is, I'm not going to be an author just like someone else, and I have realized that I don't want to be an author just like someone else anymore. I want to be the best author I can be which means constantly moving forward, step by step. My writing has improved and continues to improve as I lean into my strengths and work slowly at my weaknesses. I'll never be Tolkien or Lewis, but I'll be the best Tyrean Martinson author I can be.
What about you? Do you ever struggle with author envy?
How do you work on and take ownership of the best version of your writing?
NEWS FROM THE WRITER'S DESK
I started a Substack. It's here: Tyrean's Substack
I have a different website over here: Tyrean's Tales
Dark Blade: Tempered (Dark Blade. Vol. 2) is going well on Kindle Vella.
Dark Blade: Forged is going through preparations for eBook and Paperback release.
Resonance (Rayatana 3) is spinning in a time loop, but eventually I will finish it.
I have a pseudonym (or two) and will be writing about that here in a few weeks.
And, as always, my family keeps me on my toes, and my health is making turtle-like progress.
14 comments:
One of the things I love about the craft of writing is how we can always grow and learn and improve. :)
Totally agree with this. You can look up to those authors, but you can't be those authors - so why try? Just be the best one you can be.
I too feel that for some writers the writing is effortless.
Like you I also don't throw my stuff out, I mean delete it. I also mine it for rough cut gems and polish them or use them as short stories.
Be the best author you can be, Tyrean!
From your writer's desk, I say you've been darned busy!
We can only keep learning or grow stagnant. And we can learn from bad writing, too.
Step by step. Word by word. You're well on your way!
I think wanting to be the best author you can be as you is the best thing to hope for. We're all unique with unique talents.
I love reading wonderful books that inspire and amaze. It makes me aspire to be better too :)
Like you, Tyrean, I wanted to write like Tolkien and Lewis. My first "novel" landed in the trash about the same time as your first. Fabulous writers and authors inspire me to write better and to not give up. Happy March!
We can always grow as writers. That's part of the fun of it for me. I'm glad you're not throwing away your writing anymore.
You hit the nail on the head- we can't be any other writer but ourselves. That's good food for thought for the day!
Those who write poetry could teach us how to craft the perfect phrase, use the perfect word. I really admire that.
Hi Tyrean - it's better to be unique - it's what we started out in life as someone completely different to everyone else! Keep going - you're trying lots of things - cheers Hilary
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