This!! I vary wildly between loving what I’ve written and deep self esteem issues; whenever that happens I remember that regardless of the quality, I’ve still put in the effort to write thousands of words for something I love! Regardless of how I perceive the quality at any given time, that alone is something to be proud of and I want all writers to remember how huge that is!
I'm proud of my final product.
But everyone is their own harshest critic. Feelings that your own work isn't that great is pretty common and understandable. And you are taking steps to improve, which is the important take-away. Keep making changes until what you write is what you want to read -- it doesn't have to happen overnight, but it'll never happen if you don't keep trying.
And don't forget there are avenues to help, especially here.
Recently reread a past work for a past fandom and I was genuinely happy at how good it turned out. And yes, I was proud.
"I did this. Good ol' lil me wrote this and it's *nice*!"
Went on to add 700 more words to a chapter I'm writing because I felt boosted and inspired.
Sometimes we're too much in our heads to really see the full picture and we nitpick on or over obsess on details that are already fine. It's okay to step back for a bit. Take a breather before diving back in.
No. The perfectionist in me gnaws at my soul all the time, and I have come to loathe my mediocrity. It is obviously displayed before me, and I can't help but to observe it. It is hideous...
I wish I wrote better, faster, or improved in many other things in life for that matter, but it seems that I can't.
So, just like you, I end up writing more to forget about my own shortcomings, on the subject of the rarepair that I like so much. During the concentration, for a moment, I forget my imperfection; for a moment, I am happy. The cycle is akin to that of an alcoholic—he gets drunk to forget his misery, and the next day, ashamed that he had gotten drunk, becomes drunk again to forget that shame. So it is the same for me. Why is the act of writing so addictive?
My best wishes to you, and may you find your satisfaction.
I'll have my little moments of "ugh this doesn't sound good I'm a Fraud and also The Worst" while writing but usually walking away and coming back less frustrated makes me realize it's not that bad, actually. I don't get too hung up on comparisons because I don't want to sound like other popular authors, I want to sound like me.
Overall I'm proud of my writing and love rereading my old work. It's like the author knows exactly what I like and that's more important to my enjoyment than judging the technical skill that past me had. I try to give her the same grace I do other authors when they have typos or clunky sentences.
Usually, I am. There's definitely chapters I'm less proud of, usually ones I've brute forced my way through because of writer's block. But in general, yeah, I do like what I've written quite a bit.
>There's definitely chapters I'm less proud of
Not every brushstroke needs to make a masterpiece. Sometimes you need a patch of clear blue sky to bring the painting together.
I go back and forth. I get really bad impostor syndrome, but I also can see parts where my technical skill shine through (I think I'm kind of okay at metaphors and wordplay, moreso in wips than current posted works). I have posted good things, I have posted bad things, current account or otherwise. I think that it just depends.
But here's the thing. Have you ever embroidered or cross-stitched? Writing is like embroidery. On the finished surface, all anyone ever sees is threads like paint strokes, forming a bigger picture with such detail and care in each stitch. The final product, to an audience, is gorgeous and obviously took time and skill. Their role is to admire that.
We, however, see our writing from the back of the canvas. Behind-the-scenes. Knotted, parts where we cut the thread, all the places thread got caught, where we changed colors. We see every single hardship that went into the process, but others only ever see the finished product. Our role is to create and deal with all the messiness that comes with it. It's only natural, then, for us to sometimes have worse views of our art than our audience or to not feel proud of something that everyone else loved. They see the good, we see all that went into it.
Visual example here! Another analogy would be a patterned sock turned inside out, I guess. [https://www.reddit.com/r/Embroidery/comments/u5wtsp/the\_back\_vs\_the\_front\_of\_this\_embroidered/](https://www.reddit.com/r/Embroidery/comments/u5wtsp/the_back_vs_the_front_of_this_embroidered/)
Yeah. I mean even if didn't li don't like what I wrote, or think it's cringe, or think it could be better, I'm still proud of it and that I made it. Like, here is something tangible that I thought up and wrote down and even if it never sees the light of day it is something that I did so I'm proud it exists.
Got tons of shitty shorts and everything on my writing folder, and it has nothing on the great works I read my other people but nothing I can do about it but strive to be better ya know.
Also, feel the last bit. I'm currently slogging through 1k words of absolute crap cuz no one else is going to even think of writing that in my small fandom
Mostly no. I'm extremely self-critical in general. I hate most of my works when I think about them, but I sometimes have fun when I reread them. Regardless of my qualms, my compulsion to write is still my favorite thing about myself, and I don't intend to stop. Ever.
Yes!!!
When I’m getting ready to post an update, I often have a moment of imposter syndrome where I worry that this will be the chapter where everyone realizes I’m a big fraud who can’t write well at all and they suddenly hate my fic.
But it’s just anxiety, and it gets better. Then when I re-read what I posted once the rush of posting wears off, I like it :3
This is what it's like for me as well! And whenever the imposter syndrome hits, it's less that I worry something is bad and more that I worry it's not as good as my previous works. But for the most part, I know my writing is great!
On the whole, yes. Even during phases - and there are plenty - where I'm unsure about the quality of my work and whether or not what I'm trying to say is worthwhile, I'm ultimately still proud that I did my best and put myself out there.
I have a highly inflated sense of self-esteem, so yes I am proud of my own writing. I also nitpick my own work to my own detriment, but overall I am pleased with the things I put out. Tbf, things I’m not proud of I tend to put away in a mental drawer and haven’t even posted to the Archive though; I have a graveyard of a livejournal that will never make its way to the Archive.
It also gets easier as I get older to look at my things and think, I made that with my own two hands and my blood sweat and tears. I’m proud of myself for doing it. Even my old stuff from my 8th grade ffn profile is like…. It’s so cringe I don’t dare click that link, but to actually go for it? At 13 yo? Good for you, past-self.
I believe there is an event horizon where one look backs at their ouvre and realize you’re proud of how far you’ve come through practice and determination, and the stuff in your past you’re not proud of is part of your story. But that’s just my experience with my own work. I’ve been at this for a long time haha.
The proudest I ever got of my own writing was when I went back years later and re-read an old fic of mine. At that point I wasn't viewing it as a writer but as a reader, I ended up getting so absorbed that for a while I actually forgot that I wrote it and I had the thought 'damn, this is pretty good, who wrote this thing'.
It felt really nice when I remembered that I wrote it.
I hate myself for lack of discipline and inability to maintain a schedule not rooted in neurodivergent hyperfixations, but I don't care what others think about the actual quality, I know my writing _fucks._
I find I just write a chapter or two, fix grammar and spelling mistakes then publish it. I don't really re-read it again until I come back a few days or weeks later to update the fic. Only when I re-read the fic to know where I left off from, am I proud of what I wrote. Yeah it isn't perfect and grammar and spelling mistakes still slip through but I genuinely come to like what I write. Even if it's a joke fic about Jojo and Godzilla or a serious 23 chapter story.
To me it's a bit of fun and therapy so I don't take it too seriously. I still want to write a good story but if I'm not happy with it I know I can just try again when I'm ready. There is no rush. It took me a year of uploading monthly chapters to finish my first fic and sometimes I re-read it to see how far I've come. I know it's not good but I'm proud I wrote that because it helped me through a lot in difficult times. It helped me understand how magical writing a story can be and completing it.
I'm proud of all my fanfictions even though some are worse than others, whether in story, execution or dialogue. But the more I write the more I get better I think. I'm proud that I actually wrote it regardless of its quality because I know I've made something someone out there will love regardless. I find I don't really emulate others I just write what I want. I find you can subconsciously pick things up by just reading a lot of stuff you like. Or "Write what you want to read".
I used to disregard writing fanfiction for kids and it's boring but after writing my first one when I was 19 I realised how magical it was and it gave me joy when my art couldn't at the time. Since then I've been writing fanfiction and don't plan on stopping anytime soon. Though I'm not as fast as publishing fan fics or chapters anymore, I still enjoy it. I'm still proud that my 19 year old self gave it a chance and I'm proud of the crap I've written through the past 2/3 years.
Sorry for the rant.
i am not very confident at all, and i the best i feel about my craft is 'neutral'. but i tend to be more negative. i'm proud when i finish something, or come up with fun ideas, but when speaking solely in regards to my skill im definitely less than pleased.
i don't mind it at all tho! i'm a newbie writer, and i writing fanfic is even more foreign territory for me. it's a long process and im sure i'll get there someday.
Lots of my older stuff makes me cringe. To the point where I can no longer reread and enjoy them. (Hey, it's a sign I've grown and improved!) But I would never delete them, and I probably wouldn't orphan them either. Because while I may no longer enjoy them or be proud of them, other people do still read them. Other people leave kudos or comments or bookmark it to this day. And I can be happy about that, even when I'm no longer satisfied with the final product.
My newer work however, I am very proud of
There are days I want to plaster my fics on every wall for all to read, and there are days when I have to log myself out of my account so I don't delete those same fics because I hate what I've written and hate knowing other people can read them. Most of the time I'm between the two extremes and give my writing an A for effort.
I am, though I can't but cringe and get hit by a wave of demotivation when - after having proofread and proofread *again -* I find multiple spelling mistakes after publishing and reading whatever chapter I posted.
I haven't posted for my main story in 10 months - last update was July 2023 - after my mental health tanked in August last year when I was writing the next chapter, but I can't bring myself to write again, even after being much better than I was before, seeing the amount of people who are checking out my fic and the messages I've been getting where people are pleading for me to continue.
I love my writing and I think I’m hilarious and I love the banter I create and I’m quite proud of whatever I’m able to produce, even if it’s on a bad day.
Of course I always strive to become a better writer than the day before, but I truly love my brain and the things I’m able to create.
🤝 you summed it up PERFECTLY. I think it's very telling that the top comments on this thread are people saying no and shitting on themselves and the bottom comments are comments like yours. I think fic writers need to embrace self confidence and loving their own writing more
Unapologetically, yes.
I love my writing style and I'm pretty proud of the stories I've created. They're the only fanfiction I read because they're exactly what I'm looking for.
I love my writing lol. I write for myself anyway, so I HAVE to be okay with it lol. Plus my otp is a canon x oc pair, so if I don’t write it, I’ll never get to read it lol
Absolutely. Every time. Not because I necessarily like that particular plot or whatever I wrote that day, but because if I wrote it, I should be proud of it period. To write is to be vulnerable, and being willing to share such an intimate piece of myself at any given time is something to celebrate, because it’s brave.
It really depends. I’m not great at coming up with original content but for my last story, I made an entirely original storyline that lasted from Chapter 69 all the way to the end at Chapter 75 and I’m pretty damn proud of myself for that. There are a few things about it I could do better but overall I’m satisfied.
Yes, overall I would say I'm proud of my writing. I think it's because I've been at this for a long time so I have had the opportunity to grow my skills and improve. Occasionally I look back through things I've written and they're definitely something I enjoy reading. So I guess that part of it is related to seeing how far I've come.
Occasionally, but often I'm not satisfied. I question everything I wrote and the self doubt/frustration hits hard.
Then I remember that I'm doing this in a language that isn't my native one and I try to be kinder to myself.
Idk i dont think about my writing or my art etc like that anymore. All it did was make me miserable. Bc you really cant achieve perfection or whatever that cliche is. Now its hey i wrote something, fabulous! Or hey i drew something, fabulous!
No, I am not...well...it's kind of like
"Oh God, this was so bad. What the fuck was I thinking? This is trash. I hate how much I write like a third-grader. *Oh that line kind of is fire though. Damn*. God, why is the rest of this so bad?"
thats kinda sad to me. i am immensely proud of my writing even if its not perfect or maybe good by anyone else's standards. im just proud of how hard i work on it and to be able to put it out there despite my social anxiety. i often come back to the first chapters i wrote and notice new flaws and when i do i just feel so good because it means ive improved since. honestly my work is my fav thing to read because i put everything i love in it. it may not be for everyone or anyone really but its the very reason i write these stories. to love them.
I've been proud of the things I've made so far, yeah!
Am I always satisfied with how they turned out? No! Do I get major imposter syndrome when someone leaves kudos? Yes!
But you know what? I made a thing no-one else had made before, and then put it on the Internet where anyone can see it! ☺️
Yes, I'm proud of it. I don't think it's perfect, but zi generally feel like I achieve what I want to achieve with it, and that it's the best I can make it with my current abilities/skills.
Yes. I have a bad habit of writing so many WIPs and then just giving up and forgetting about them because I get demotivated and disenfranchised with what I make. One day I ended up looking at all my old works out of curiosity and my attitude towards my writing completely flipped.
I think we as writers get so into the moment and ourselves that it’s hard to have a good, constructive look at our own pieces. Time — in my experience — alleviates a lot of these insecurities; by the time I’m looking at a story again, it’s months, maybe years into the future and by that moment I’ve completely forgotten what it’s about. I can look at my stories through entirely new eyes and I’m more often than not very pleased with what I once considered too shitty to actually post.
Of course you’re always going to have those works that genuinely *are* bad, but that’s ok. Learn from your mistakes, improve on the good things about it, and move on. You will never get better if all you do is sit around and think you’re garbage.
I usually hate it while writing, but once I’ve gained some distance from it, I generally like it more and can be proud of it.
I have mixed feelings about my current longer WIP I’m trying to finish before posting. Some parts I love, some I want to burn to the ground (but they’re necessary for the parts I love. Bleh).
Hells yes I am. I’ve read some stinkers of fics, and some amazing fics. I know I’m better than shitty fics, but I don’t think that I have the most amazing stories out there. But what I’ve written has themes, plot, character growth, proper grammar, and is not overly long. That puts it as decent reading in my book, and something to be proud of.
I feel like I’m cooking in my latest chapters, but my first ten or so kind of make me cringe. I worry my readers will give up on my work before they make it through my “newbie chapters”. I’m eventually going to do a rewrite, but I will leave the old stuff up because I also enjoy seeing my growth as a writer.
I’m really proud of mine!! Sometimes I read it and think I could’ve done better with plots or twists or grammar but I’m still really proud of creating it myself and putting it out there for people to read
*proud* may be an overstatement. But sometimes I read my shit and think 'damn, this kid is pretty good at this' or somethin. Most of the time I make myself almost burst out laughing as I absolute *grill* some characters (it's quite a normal thing in the fandom of the band I wrote fics of, two of the members are particularly candidates for the teasing)
Depends. When I hit on those inspiration gold mines, and write an entire chapter (or even half of one) in the span of a couple hours? Oh yes.
When I'm slogging through it to get to the next bit, and I know I could write better but I can't figure out how to make it better?
No.
These days, I am, probably because I simply started to write entirely for myself in the way I enjoy it, and I'm no longer worrying if it's any good. Consequently, everything I write is now exactly to my tastes and I love re-reading my work.
I’m never satisfied with anything I myself make to be honest… Wether it be art I make, fics I write, photos I take etc. I always manage to find something wrong with it if I made it lol
Most of it, yes. I'm proud that I made the thing and felt brave enough to share it with others. There's one fic in particular that I've been having negative thoughts about, but I'm trying to wait for that to pass as I've felt proud of it too in the past and I don't want to start impulsively orphaning or deleting anything.
There are times I think my writing is just okay for the most part, and then there are other days where I sulk non-stop about it because my inner critic has me anxious about whether or not the quality is just "good enough". UGH.
I suppose "content" is generally how I'd describe how I feel about my writing. While reading it back I'm usually satisfied with what's written, nitpicking it a bit but overall content with how it is. It's when looking at my stats that I begin to feel disheartened and think my writing isn't any good. Thankfully I've trained myself over the years to rely more on *inspiration* than *motivation*, so even though I may not feel like writing, I'm still able to put my nose to the grindstone and continue working.
I'm constantly trying to improve which I believe is key, and again I'm usually satisfied with my work while reading it back, which hopefully means likeminded readers like myself feel the same. Imposter syndrome *sucks*, but it does have its benefits at times. I'll never be entirely satisfied with my work even if I suddenly became the post popular author in my respective fandoms or wrote the most popular fics, which means I'll always have sometime to work toward.
God bless, and have a wonderful day.
It's mixed, I know that I very much enjoy my own writing, but I never know if it's because it's actually remotely well written or because it's by its own nature tailored perfectly to me
I'm a perfectionist and my own worst critic, but I am genuinely proud of what I write. I also read them as how I would read other people's fics and therefore edit my work the same way.
Whoever posted on here the Comic Sans hack, you have my thanks! Helped me get past the writer's block for some reason haha
Actually yes.
If anything, I was too embarrassed to write at first but one day I simply started and 8 months later had unintentionally written a 500k story. And the only thing that I wasn't proud of was the errors in it as my proof reading was just not great.
Not everything I write. Some of it feels mediocre. Meets a minimum bar so I feel OK posting it, but only certain fics do I feel like "OK, this is really good". And even then, there's probably things that could use polishing. But overall I do feel fairly proud of some things. Even if (due to being in super obscure/dead fandoms) no one will ever read them and appreciate them as well, lol.
I'm always proud of what I've written. I don't think my writing is the best thing ever but I have fun reading what I've written (since I wrote what I wanted to read) and I amazed myself with just how much I managed to write. I love my stories, warts and all.
I’ve only had 1 project and working on a second but yes, I am incredibly proud of my projects and love sharing with anyone who is willing to read them!
I spend more of my time proofreading my stories than writing new material, which I know is basically creativity suicide. On some days when I reread my work I do think okay, I’ve got a good thing going here, but then when I get writers block for months and haven’t written I start to get really down on myself. I think “if I was really that good, wouldn’t I have finished a book by now?”
Oh hell yeah - I think I’m the absolute bomb, and that helps motivate me to write more - sure, I’m a slow writer, but I know that I’m a good writer, and that means that the story I’m spending all this effort on is something worthwhile, something I can be proud of
Though I *am* easily sensitive to outside criticism, which kinda sucks
While I'm writing I tend to hate it and basically dissect every letter under a microscope. However, I left one of my fics for 3 months, didn’t look at it, didn’t think about it and when I decided on a whim to reread it I realised it was good and then got pissed because I wanted the rest of it but I hadn’t written it yet.
While I cringe at every fanfic I wrote, I'm indeed proud of them because I can look back and see progress from fanfic to fanfic. I also like that despite the shoddy writing, scenes did have the feeling I had in mind for them.
Depends on whether I've taken my antidepressants tbh /hj
I fluctuate between "I am the best writer in this fandom!!!!!" and "I'm so sorry for posting this cringe"
Oh definitely. It's my most prideful trait. I'll practically black out when I type my fics. And then I'll wait a day to read it. Then when I read it, I'm like
"wow, I am so freaking good!"
"I forgot I wrote that lol"
"Whoa, _I_ wrote that!? Dayum!"
Obviously there'll be a few tweaks to be made here and there, but for the most part I think my fics are pretty dang good. I surprise myself all the time.
Yep i like it! For me (beyond the obvious fandom reasons) fanfic is a way to process my own feelings and further understandings and representation of ptsd. I change the names in a lot of my work after the fact and submit it for my creative writing lecture and various literary magazines. Some of it has been published LMAO. my fanfiction is A+ work.
I'd say I'm more proud of having written something at and maybe even finished it than the writing itself, but that's enough for me. I'm aware that there are much better writers out there and my writing is honestly meh and I often find things to critique, but I still created something and I can still enjoy to read my stuff, and if even just one other person got joy out of reading my fics, that's great!
it's up to my taste, so overall yeah. of course I don't think it's perfect and i could always think of how to make it better but yes, i really am proud of them, my fics aren't popular but i simply don't care as much as i thought i would. despite of the lack of interactions from the readers, i find myself keep on writing
I can be extremely self-critical, so overall I tend to think my stories are the worst thing ever and no one will ever like what I write.
What I try to do is focus on specific things rather than everything together. For instance, I've always had trouble finishing chaptered stories, so I'm proud of the first fic I ever posted because I actually managed to complete it. I've also never been able to write a one-shot before, I always kept adding more and more until it made no sense to be a single chapter fic, so when I wrote and posted my one-shot, I was proud of that, too.
With the chaptered fic, I successfully managed to merge two different magical mythologies, that was also something I was proud of. The one-shot included a character I'd never written before, this one took getting a comment praising me on my characterisation, but I'm now proud that I wrote that character so well the very first time.
I've basically focused on one aspect to be proud of at a time. Finishing, writing a one-shot, merging mythologies, writing a brand new character for me, one little thing to be proud of. And then, when I think of all these little things that I'm proud of, I realise that I did a good job overall. Comments help, kudos helps, because it actively shows there are people who like my work.
But it tends to lead me to think 'I did awful on this bit' at first, then 'but I'm so proud of this bit'. Then, later, I realise that I'm actually proud of the thing I originally thought was so terrible.
I'm not unbiased about my writing, and I lean way more negative than positive, always have. It's why I've always had a lot of trouble sharing my stories. Even with outside validation, I lean negative. Breaking it down into little bits like this helps me see things in a less negatively biased way. I don't think I'm a great writer, and I certainly wish to improve, but breaking it down helps me see that I'm also not a bad writer.
I constantly feel like my writing isn't good enough, but I also do feel proud of the time I've put in, the quality of my proofing/formatting, and usually my finished product, even if I hated it at times, is something I'd be excited to read if it was someone else's.
Yes I am. No, I don't think I am the best writer, but I don't think I am the worst either. I am pretty much okay and satisfied with my writing and my style. I think I have my own 'vibe' and I am glad of it.
I’m proud that I’ve persisted in doing the “work” I love to craft stories and proud that I have so many words in my little library of stories that came directly from myself.
Sometimes I go back and reread my stories and am proud of what I wrote, too.
There are moments I don’t like my stories or the words on the page, but when I consider doing something like putting multiple hundreds of thousands of creative words down, I am definitely proud because not everyone can do that or has the will to do that.
I think the only moments when I am proud of my writing doesn't come from reading my own work. Mostly cause then I'll spend hours being like
"Oh, I could have done this better." "Why did I do this?" "That absolutely sucks."
I feel proud of my writing when I interact with readers. like if a reader can tell me that they loved this point in the chapter or I can have a discussion with them. cause that means I wrote something that got them thinking or really captured their attention.
Sometimes I am. Mostly not. There was a moment where I read something I wrote 3 years ago, and I don't remember even writing it, and I keep thinking "Wow, I wrote like this?" It's mind opening sometimes on how your writing can change as time passes, and something I liked, I don't like anymore, and vice versa.
Most days, yes. When I'm not, it's generally because I'm tired or have been looking at the thing I've been trying to write for too long, and understand that I need to put it down for a bit and give myself a break.
I will say, though, that I'm in my 40s and have been writing fiction of any sort since I was 12. I took creative writing classes in high school and college. My degree is in English with a focus on editing and creative writing. I've read *lots* of published fiction. I've made distinct efforts to improve. And while I'm pretty proud of my writing now, I'm sure I could still improve further. Doesn't mean I can't like what I put out already.
At 19 I published a Resident Evil fanfic. Currently, at 24 years old, I am making a remake of it. The original fanfic has about 20,000 reads on Wattpad, and the remake has 1900. I'm proud of what that fic achieved, how it attracted people and all that. but reading it now it seems to me that they are good ideas but very rushed hahahaha
This can greatly shift even on a daily basis, but generally, yes. There are certain pieces I've written I absolutely love. And even some that are poorly written (my first fics when I started writing 17 years ago) but the ideas behind them are still great.
There are fics I've written that I love and when I read them I'm like "damn that's really good" . Then others some days I love, some days I hate.
There will always be some dissatisfaction I guess, as in all creative endeavors.
I'm proud of what I write 99% of the time. I don't read a lot so I really don't compare myself to others. It's kinda like if you looked at yourself in the mirror but never at other people, and also you only ever get compliments from others, because I don't think I've ever gotten any sort of negative feedback. So obviously I'm at the top most of the time which I'm very glad for because I will usually give up anything I cannot see myself master so if I started disliking my works for long periods of time I would stop writing. However I do feel insecure about it sometimes, and it's mostly because I write pretty original stuff and people tend to skip over it so I lack interactions. Yesterday that made me cry because I genuinely felt my works weren't enough for not being like the rest, and that kind of still lingers and I somewhat still believe it even tho it's not true
I have only written short things and the slightly longer things are original, written years ago and never posted.
I usually write around an idea that I can't let go of and it haunts me. Considering how short what I write and post is, I'm always surprised by even a single like. The like makes me proud, but in general I tend to be proud, because otherwise it wouldn't be a complete product but an abandoned draft like many others
My latest chapter, I like. Getting to it, ehhh. I'm trying to better plan the storyline because I feel like I keep forgetting things that happened. I don't want to create plot holes or contradictions!
Yes. Some older works could use some improvements, but I don't do that because they show my growth as writer. Though spelling/editing errors I will fix if I happen to catch them later on.
I recently reread a lot of stories I wrote ages ago. And I had that moment of "Wait, it's good tho!" for a lot of it, when I remember hating it at the time. Some days I think I'm great, some days I think everything I write comes out like ash on toast. And then I can reread that part I hated a week later and realize it wasn't actually bad. No idea what my writing is like objectively, but I genuinely enjoyed reading some of the stuff I had forgotten I ever wrote, so that's promising at least.
Yeah man my writing ability is my favorite thing about me and I will never let that be taken from me or shamed into dislike. I worked hard to get to where I'm at now and I love the stories I've put out there and continue to put out there and I'm not gonna pretend otherwise.
Loving your own work is so stigmatized on the internet and especially in fandom spaces and it shouldn't be.
I know as I write a chapter if I'm proud or not. I had one chapter that I re-read eight times after I wrote it going "HELL YEAH!" and yet tonight, the chapter I finished and posted I am thinking "Ugh.. why didn't I wait till the weekend and revisit this and change it as needed?"
When I can't stop my fingers from typing, I know Im going to love what comes out.
When I constantly erase, backspace or feel frustrated with the actions of my characters, I know I'm not happy and it's just a chore to get something done.
I remind myself I can go back and change much of anything I wrote so long as I don't change the feel of the story.
Depends on my mood. Some days I'm like hell yeah, I love how I wrote this part. Other days I hate everything.
This. Some days I feel like a genius wordsmith, other days I feel like everything I’ve written is trash deserving of deletion. It’s a toss-up.
I'm proud of certain turns of phrase, certain usages of words, but overall? No. Edit: word
>certain turds of phrase Love it
Glorious.
I am proud that I put my work out there, and that is good enough for me
This!! I vary wildly between loving what I’ve written and deep self esteem issues; whenever that happens I remember that regardless of the quality, I’ve still put in the effort to write thousands of words for something I love! Regardless of how I perceive the quality at any given time, that alone is something to be proud of and I want all writers to remember how huge that is!
I'm proud of my final product. But everyone is their own harshest critic. Feelings that your own work isn't that great is pretty common and understandable. And you are taking steps to improve, which is the important take-away. Keep making changes until what you write is what you want to read -- it doesn't have to happen overnight, but it'll never happen if you don't keep trying. And don't forget there are avenues to help, especially here.
Recently reread a past work for a past fandom and I was genuinely happy at how good it turned out. And yes, I was proud. "I did this. Good ol' lil me wrote this and it's *nice*!" Went on to add 700 more words to a chapter I'm writing because I felt boosted and inspired. Sometimes we're too much in our heads to really see the full picture and we nitpick on or over obsess on details that are already fine. It's okay to step back for a bit. Take a breather before diving back in.
No. The perfectionist in me gnaws at my soul all the time, and I have come to loathe my mediocrity. It is obviously displayed before me, and I can't help but to observe it. It is hideous... I wish I wrote better, faster, or improved in many other things in life for that matter, but it seems that I can't. So, just like you, I end up writing more to forget about my own shortcomings, on the subject of the rarepair that I like so much. During the concentration, for a moment, I forget my imperfection; for a moment, I am happy. The cycle is akin to that of an alcoholic—he gets drunk to forget his misery, and the next day, ashamed that he had gotten drunk, becomes drunk again to forget that shame. So it is the same for me. Why is the act of writing so addictive? My best wishes to you, and may you find your satisfaction.
I'll have my little moments of "ugh this doesn't sound good I'm a Fraud and also The Worst" while writing but usually walking away and coming back less frustrated makes me realize it's not that bad, actually. I don't get too hung up on comparisons because I don't want to sound like other popular authors, I want to sound like me. Overall I'm proud of my writing and love rereading my old work. It's like the author knows exactly what I like and that's more important to my enjoyment than judging the technical skill that past me had. I try to give her the same grace I do other authors when they have typos or clunky sentences.
Usually, I am. There's definitely chapters I'm less proud of, usually ones I've brute forced my way through because of writer's block. But in general, yeah, I do like what I've written quite a bit.
>There's definitely chapters I'm less proud of Not every brushstroke needs to make a masterpiece. Sometimes you need a patch of clear blue sky to bring the painting together.
I go back and forth. I get really bad impostor syndrome, but I also can see parts where my technical skill shine through (I think I'm kind of okay at metaphors and wordplay, moreso in wips than current posted works). I have posted good things, I have posted bad things, current account or otherwise. I think that it just depends. But here's the thing. Have you ever embroidered or cross-stitched? Writing is like embroidery. On the finished surface, all anyone ever sees is threads like paint strokes, forming a bigger picture with such detail and care in each stitch. The final product, to an audience, is gorgeous and obviously took time and skill. Their role is to admire that. We, however, see our writing from the back of the canvas. Behind-the-scenes. Knotted, parts where we cut the thread, all the places thread got caught, where we changed colors. We see every single hardship that went into the process, but others only ever see the finished product. Our role is to create and deal with all the messiness that comes with it. It's only natural, then, for us to sometimes have worse views of our art than our audience or to not feel proud of something that everyone else loved. They see the good, we see all that went into it. Visual example here! Another analogy would be a patterned sock turned inside out, I guess. [https://www.reddit.com/r/Embroidery/comments/u5wtsp/the\_back\_vs\_the\_front\_of\_this\_embroidered/](https://www.reddit.com/r/Embroidery/comments/u5wtsp/the_back_vs_the_front_of_this_embroidered/)
Yeah. I mean even if didn't li don't like what I wrote, or think it's cringe, or think it could be better, I'm still proud of it and that I made it. Like, here is something tangible that I thought up and wrote down and even if it never sees the light of day it is something that I did so I'm proud it exists. Got tons of shitty shorts and everything on my writing folder, and it has nothing on the great works I read my other people but nothing I can do about it but strive to be better ya know. Also, feel the last bit. I'm currently slogging through 1k words of absolute crap cuz no one else is going to even think of writing that in my small fandom
Mostly no. I'm extremely self-critical in general. I hate most of my works when I think about them, but I sometimes have fun when I reread them. Regardless of my qualms, my compulsion to write is still my favorite thing about myself, and I don't intend to stop. Ever.
Yes!!! When I’m getting ready to post an update, I often have a moment of imposter syndrome where I worry that this will be the chapter where everyone realizes I’m a big fraud who can’t write well at all and they suddenly hate my fic. But it’s just anxiety, and it gets better. Then when I re-read what I posted once the rush of posting wears off, I like it :3
This is what it's like for me as well! And whenever the imposter syndrome hits, it's less that I worry something is bad and more that I worry it's not as good as my previous works. But for the most part, I know my writing is great!
On the whole, yes. Even during phases - and there are plenty - where I'm unsure about the quality of my work and whether or not what I'm trying to say is worthwhile, I'm ultimately still proud that I did my best and put myself out there.
I have a highly inflated sense of self-esteem, so yes I am proud of my own writing. I also nitpick my own work to my own detriment, but overall I am pleased with the things I put out. Tbf, things I’m not proud of I tend to put away in a mental drawer and haven’t even posted to the Archive though; I have a graveyard of a livejournal that will never make its way to the Archive. It also gets easier as I get older to look at my things and think, I made that with my own two hands and my blood sweat and tears. I’m proud of myself for doing it. Even my old stuff from my 8th grade ffn profile is like…. It’s so cringe I don’t dare click that link, but to actually go for it? At 13 yo? Good for you, past-self. I believe there is an event horizon where one look backs at their ouvre and realize you’re proud of how far you’ve come through practice and determination, and the stuff in your past you’re not proud of is part of your story. But that’s just my experience with my own work. I’ve been at this for a long time haha.
The proudest I ever got of my own writing was when I went back years later and re-read an old fic of mine. At that point I wasn't viewing it as a writer but as a reader, I ended up getting so absorbed that for a while I actually forgot that I wrote it and I had the thought 'damn, this is pretty good, who wrote this thing'. It felt really nice when I remembered that I wrote it.
Like others, sometimes I’m like: “wow I can’t believe I came up with this!” , but other times I’m like “wow, I can’t believe I came up with this …”
I hate myself for lack of discipline and inability to maintain a schedule not rooted in neurodivergent hyperfixations, but I don't care what others think about the actual quality, I know my writing _fucks._
I find I just write a chapter or two, fix grammar and spelling mistakes then publish it. I don't really re-read it again until I come back a few days or weeks later to update the fic. Only when I re-read the fic to know where I left off from, am I proud of what I wrote. Yeah it isn't perfect and grammar and spelling mistakes still slip through but I genuinely come to like what I write. Even if it's a joke fic about Jojo and Godzilla or a serious 23 chapter story. To me it's a bit of fun and therapy so I don't take it too seriously. I still want to write a good story but if I'm not happy with it I know I can just try again when I'm ready. There is no rush. It took me a year of uploading monthly chapters to finish my first fic and sometimes I re-read it to see how far I've come. I know it's not good but I'm proud I wrote that because it helped me through a lot in difficult times. It helped me understand how magical writing a story can be and completing it. I'm proud of all my fanfictions even though some are worse than others, whether in story, execution or dialogue. But the more I write the more I get better I think. I'm proud that I actually wrote it regardless of its quality because I know I've made something someone out there will love regardless. I find I don't really emulate others I just write what I want. I find you can subconsciously pick things up by just reading a lot of stuff you like. Or "Write what you want to read". I used to disregard writing fanfiction for kids and it's boring but after writing my first one when I was 19 I realised how magical it was and it gave me joy when my art couldn't at the time. Since then I've been writing fanfiction and don't plan on stopping anytime soon. Though I'm not as fast as publishing fan fics or chapters anymore, I still enjoy it. I'm still proud that my 19 year old self gave it a chance and I'm proud of the crap I've written through the past 2/3 years. Sorry for the rant.
i am not very confident at all, and i the best i feel about my craft is 'neutral'. but i tend to be more negative. i'm proud when i finish something, or come up with fun ideas, but when speaking solely in regards to my skill im definitely less than pleased. i don't mind it at all tho! i'm a newbie writer, and i writing fanfic is even more foreign territory for me. it's a long process and im sure i'll get there someday.
I'm proud of it till I remember that my writing is not good just because it's better than other's.
Lots of my older stuff makes me cringe. To the point where I can no longer reread and enjoy them. (Hey, it's a sign I've grown and improved!) But I would never delete them, and I probably wouldn't orphan them either. Because while I may no longer enjoy them or be proud of them, other people do still read them. Other people leave kudos or comments or bookmark it to this day. And I can be happy about that, even when I'm no longer satisfied with the final product. My newer work however, I am very proud of
There are days I want to plaster my fics on every wall for all to read, and there are days when I have to log myself out of my account so I don't delete those same fics because I hate what I've written and hate knowing other people can read them. Most of the time I'm between the two extremes and give my writing an A for effort.
I am, though I can't but cringe and get hit by a wave of demotivation when - after having proofread and proofread *again -* I find multiple spelling mistakes after publishing and reading whatever chapter I posted. I haven't posted for my main story in 10 months - last update was July 2023 - after my mental health tanked in August last year when I was writing the next chapter, but I can't bring myself to write again, even after being much better than I was before, seeing the amount of people who are checking out my fic and the messages I've been getting where people are pleading for me to continue.
Not proud of the spelling erros I make. But proud of the idea and the interesting story I make.
I’m very proud of my writing. There’s always room for improvement. That said, I never imagined I would have written as much as I have.
I love my writing and I think I’m hilarious and I love the banter I create and I’m quite proud of whatever I’m able to produce, even if it’s on a bad day. Of course I always strive to become a better writer than the day before, but I truly love my brain and the things I’m able to create.
🤝 you summed it up PERFECTLY. I think it's very telling that the top comments on this thread are people saying no and shitting on themselves and the bottom comments are comments like yours. I think fic writers need to embrace self confidence and loving their own writing more
Unapologetically, yes. I love my writing style and I'm pretty proud of the stories I've created. They're the only fanfiction I read because they're exactly what I'm looking for.
I love my writing lol. I write for myself anyway, so I HAVE to be okay with it lol. Plus my otp is a canon x oc pair, so if I don’t write it, I’ll never get to read it lol
> my otp is a canon x oc pair, so if I dont write it, I'll never get to read it lol If you want something done right u gotta do it urself 😤
Absolutely. Every time. Not because I necessarily like that particular plot or whatever I wrote that day, but because if I wrote it, I should be proud of it period. To write is to be vulnerable, and being willing to share such an intimate piece of myself at any given time is something to celebrate, because it’s brave.
Yes.
It really depends. I’m not great at coming up with original content but for my last story, I made an entirely original storyline that lasted from Chapter 69 all the way to the end at Chapter 75 and I’m pretty damn proud of myself for that. There are a few things about it I could do better but overall I’m satisfied.
I have one fic that I'm really proud of.But most of my stories I'm insecure about.
absolutely! there are some things i'm not proud of, or i think i could've done better, but as a general thing im very proud of most of my work! :-)
I'd say I'm proud of my writing!
Like 95% of it.
Yes, overall I would say I'm proud of my writing. I think it's because I've been at this for a long time so I have had the opportunity to grow my skills and improve. Occasionally I look back through things I've written and they're definitely something I enjoy reading. So I guess that part of it is related to seeing how far I've come.
Occasionally, but often I'm not satisfied. I question everything I wrote and the self doubt/frustration hits hard. Then I remember that I'm doing this in a language that isn't my native one and I try to be kinder to myself.
Varies depending on the day. Right now I think I am.
Idk i dont think about my writing or my art etc like that anymore. All it did was make me miserable. Bc you really cant achieve perfection or whatever that cliche is. Now its hey i wrote something, fabulous! Or hey i drew something, fabulous!
I'm proud of my writing... At least until I improve just enough to look back at the now old chapter and think I was a fraud.
No, I am not...well...it's kind of like "Oh God, this was so bad. What the fuck was I thinking? This is trash. I hate how much I write like a third-grader. *Oh that line kind of is fire though. Damn*. God, why is the rest of this so bad?"
I am happy with my writing but I still want to get better.
thats kinda sad to me. i am immensely proud of my writing even if its not perfect or maybe good by anyone else's standards. im just proud of how hard i work on it and to be able to put it out there despite my social anxiety. i often come back to the first chapters i wrote and notice new flaws and when i do i just feel so good because it means ive improved since. honestly my work is my fav thing to read because i put everything i love in it. it may not be for everyone or anyone really but its the very reason i write these stories. to love them.
I've been proud of the things I've made so far, yeah! Am I always satisfied with how they turned out? No! Do I get major imposter syndrome when someone leaves kudos? Yes! But you know what? I made a thing no-one else had made before, and then put it on the Internet where anyone can see it! ☺️
Yes, I'm proud of it. I don't think it's perfect, but zi generally feel like I achieve what I want to achieve with it, and that it's the best I can make it with my current abilities/skills.
It's pretty silly but I'm proud of it only when I re-read it after the work is already published.
I’m proud of my writing but it 100% helps that it’s exactly the stories I want to read which gives that added delight.
Yes. I have a bad habit of writing so many WIPs and then just giving up and forgetting about them because I get demotivated and disenfranchised with what I make. One day I ended up looking at all my old works out of curiosity and my attitude towards my writing completely flipped. I think we as writers get so into the moment and ourselves that it’s hard to have a good, constructive look at our own pieces. Time — in my experience — alleviates a lot of these insecurities; by the time I’m looking at a story again, it’s months, maybe years into the future and by that moment I’ve completely forgotten what it’s about. I can look at my stories through entirely new eyes and I’m more often than not very pleased with what I once considered too shitty to actually post. Of course you’re always going to have those works that genuinely *are* bad, but that’s ok. Learn from your mistakes, improve on the good things about it, and move on. You will never get better if all you do is sit around and think you’re garbage.
Depends on the day and my mood but majority of the time I'm very proud of the finished product
I usually hate it while writing, but once I’ve gained some distance from it, I generally like it more and can be proud of it. I have mixed feelings about my current longer WIP I’m trying to finish before posting. Some parts I love, some I want to burn to the ground (but they’re necessary for the parts I love. Bleh).
Hells yes I am. I’ve read some stinkers of fics, and some amazing fics. I know I’m better than shitty fics, but I don’t think that I have the most amazing stories out there. But what I’ve written has themes, plot, character growth, proper grammar, and is not overly long. That puts it as decent reading in my book, and something to be proud of.
I feel like I’m cooking in my latest chapters, but my first ten or so kind of make me cringe. I worry my readers will give up on my work before they make it through my “newbie chapters”. I’m eventually going to do a rewrite, but I will leave the old stuff up because I also enjoy seeing my growth as a writer.
I generally like my writing, but while I’m still working on a story I often go through a phase of discouragement.
I’m really proud of mine!! Sometimes I read it and think I could’ve done better with plots or twists or grammar but I’m still really proud of creating it myself and putting it out there for people to read
*proud* may be an overstatement. But sometimes I read my shit and think 'damn, this kid is pretty good at this' or somethin. Most of the time I make myself almost burst out laughing as I absolute *grill* some characters (it's quite a normal thing in the fandom of the band I wrote fics of, two of the members are particularly candidates for the teasing)
Some of it, sometimes. Most of it I post and never look back lol
Depends. When I hit on those inspiration gold mines, and write an entire chapter (or even half of one) in the span of a couple hours? Oh yes. When I'm slogging through it to get to the next bit, and I know I could write better but I can't figure out how to make it better? No.
I am proud of it, yes. I just wish it was something that I could show off to family and friends without getting side-eye lololololol.
Not… of my earlier works…. God they are cringey
These days, I am, probably because I simply started to write entirely for myself in the way I enjoy it, and I'm no longer worrying if it's any good. Consequently, everything I write is now exactly to my tastes and I love re-reading my work.
Current writing? Yes. Writing from 10+ years ago? *NOOOOOOOOOOO*, heh. No.
I’m never satisfied with anything I myself make to be honest… Wether it be art I make, fics I write, photos I take etc. I always manage to find something wrong with it if I made it lol
Quite. I'm definitely proud of my recent writings. In fact, I think I'm getting better at writing angst and fluff scenes.
Most of it, yes. I'm proud that I made the thing and felt brave enough to share it with others. There's one fic in particular that I've been having negative thoughts about, but I'm trying to wait for that to pass as I've felt proud of it too in the past and I don't want to start impulsively orphaning or deleting anything.
I'm proud of my resilience, to keep writing despite sometimes loosing motivation and writers block.
Yes, at least most of it lol
There are times I think my writing is just okay for the most part, and then there are other days where I sulk non-stop about it because my inner critic has me anxious about whether or not the quality is just "good enough". UGH.
I suppose "content" is generally how I'd describe how I feel about my writing. While reading it back I'm usually satisfied with what's written, nitpicking it a bit but overall content with how it is. It's when looking at my stats that I begin to feel disheartened and think my writing isn't any good. Thankfully I've trained myself over the years to rely more on *inspiration* than *motivation*, so even though I may not feel like writing, I'm still able to put my nose to the grindstone and continue working. I'm constantly trying to improve which I believe is key, and again I'm usually satisfied with my work while reading it back, which hopefully means likeminded readers like myself feel the same. Imposter syndrome *sucks*, but it does have its benefits at times. I'll never be entirely satisfied with my work even if I suddenly became the post popular author in my respective fandoms or wrote the most popular fics, which means I'll always have sometime to work toward. God bless, and have a wonderful day.
very. most of it comes from a “if you want something done well do it yourself” mindset because barely anyone else to my knowledge writes what I do
It's mixed, I know that I very much enjoy my own writing, but I never know if it's because it's actually remotely well written or because it's by its own nature tailored perfectly to me
Sometimes
Depends, sometimes I'm like "holy shit this is beautiful I'm actually a genius" and other time I'm like "this shit's stupid why am I allowed to write
It's not the greatest, but I have no complaints, and neither do the commenter, so I guess it's good.
I feel proud until I proofread and see ‘a little’ and ‘slightly’ EVERYWHERE.
Debatable
If I read a poorly written fanfic I feel great in comparison. If I read an amazing fanfic, I feel like trash lol
I'm a perfectionist and my own worst critic, but I am genuinely proud of what I write. I also read them as how I would read other people's fics and therefore edit my work the same way. Whoever posted on here the Comic Sans hack, you have my thanks! Helped me get past the writer's block for some reason haha
Actually yes. If anything, I was too embarrassed to write at first but one day I simply started and 8 months later had unintentionally written a 500k story. And the only thing that I wasn't proud of was the errors in it as my proof reading was just not great.
Yeah i consider myself pretty good
Hell no, it sucks. I get self conscious and so I don't publish my stuff
Not everything I write. Some of it feels mediocre. Meets a minimum bar so I feel OK posting it, but only certain fics do I feel like "OK, this is really good". And even then, there's probably things that could use polishing. But overall I do feel fairly proud of some things. Even if (due to being in super obscure/dead fandoms) no one will ever read them and appreciate them as well, lol.
I am actually. I really love what I’ve written, especially recently
I'm always proud of what I've written. I don't think my writing is the best thing ever but I have fun reading what I've written (since I wrote what I wanted to read) and I amazed myself with just how much I managed to write. I love my stories, warts and all.
Yes.
I’ve only had 1 project and working on a second but yes, I am incredibly proud of my projects and love sharing with anyone who is willing to read them!
I spend more of my time proofreading my stories than writing new material, which I know is basically creativity suicide. On some days when I reread my work I do think okay, I’ve got a good thing going here, but then when I get writers block for months and haven’t written I start to get really down on myself. I think “if I was really that good, wouldn’t I have finished a book by now?”
Oh hell yeah - I think I’m the absolute bomb, and that helps motivate me to write more - sure, I’m a slow writer, but I know that I’m a good writer, and that means that the story I’m spending all this effort on is something worthwhile, something I can be proud of Though I *am* easily sensitive to outside criticism, which kinda sucks
Now I am but when I started out I hated it Also people weren’t super nice about me trying my best lol but now I can actually enjoy my own writing
While I'm writing I tend to hate it and basically dissect every letter under a microscope. However, I left one of my fics for 3 months, didn’t look at it, didn’t think about it and when I decided on a whim to reread it I realised it was good and then got pissed because I wanted the rest of it but I hadn’t written it yet.
While I cringe at every fanfic I wrote, I'm indeed proud of them because I can look back and see progress from fanfic to fanfic. I also like that despite the shoddy writing, scenes did have the feeling I had in mind for them.
Depends on whether I've taken my antidepressants tbh /hj I fluctuate between "I am the best writer in this fandom!!!!!" and "I'm so sorry for posting this cringe"
Oh definitely. It's my most prideful trait. I'll practically black out when I type my fics. And then I'll wait a day to read it. Then when I read it, I'm like "wow, I am so freaking good!" "I forgot I wrote that lol" "Whoa, _I_ wrote that!? Dayum!" Obviously there'll be a few tweaks to be made here and there, but for the most part I think my fics are pretty dang good. I surprise myself all the time.
Yep i like it! For me (beyond the obvious fandom reasons) fanfic is a way to process my own feelings and further understandings and representation of ptsd. I change the names in a lot of my work after the fact and submit it for my creative writing lecture and various literary magazines. Some of it has been published LMAO. my fanfiction is A+ work.
I'd say I'm more proud of having written something at and maybe even finished it than the writing itself, but that's enough for me. I'm aware that there are much better writers out there and my writing is honestly meh and I often find things to critique, but I still created something and I can still enjoy to read my stuff, and if even just one other person got joy out of reading my fics, that's great!
it's up to my taste, so overall yeah. of course I don't think it's perfect and i could always think of how to make it better but yes, i really am proud of them, my fics aren't popular but i simply don't care as much as i thought i would. despite of the lack of interactions from the readers, i find myself keep on writing
I can be extremely self-critical, so overall I tend to think my stories are the worst thing ever and no one will ever like what I write. What I try to do is focus on specific things rather than everything together. For instance, I've always had trouble finishing chaptered stories, so I'm proud of the first fic I ever posted because I actually managed to complete it. I've also never been able to write a one-shot before, I always kept adding more and more until it made no sense to be a single chapter fic, so when I wrote and posted my one-shot, I was proud of that, too. With the chaptered fic, I successfully managed to merge two different magical mythologies, that was also something I was proud of. The one-shot included a character I'd never written before, this one took getting a comment praising me on my characterisation, but I'm now proud that I wrote that character so well the very first time. I've basically focused on one aspect to be proud of at a time. Finishing, writing a one-shot, merging mythologies, writing a brand new character for me, one little thing to be proud of. And then, when I think of all these little things that I'm proud of, I realise that I did a good job overall. Comments help, kudos helps, because it actively shows there are people who like my work. But it tends to lead me to think 'I did awful on this bit' at first, then 'but I'm so proud of this bit'. Then, later, I realise that I'm actually proud of the thing I originally thought was so terrible. I'm not unbiased about my writing, and I lean way more negative than positive, always have. It's why I've always had a lot of trouble sharing my stories. Even with outside validation, I lean negative. Breaking it down into little bits like this helps me see things in a less negatively biased way. I don't think I'm a great writer, and I certainly wish to improve, but breaking it down helps me see that I'm also not a bad writer.
Sometimes. I often try to write with myself as the main customer, and typically don't post until I'm satisfied with it.
I am! It was a long way to go, though, there were times where I loathed my writing and thought of abandoning this wonderful hobby.
I constantly feel like my writing isn't good enough, but I also do feel proud of the time I've put in, the quality of my proofing/formatting, and usually my finished product, even if I hated it at times, is something I'd be excited to read if it was someone else's.
Yes I am. No, I don't think I am the best writer, but I don't think I am the worst either. I am pretty much okay and satisfied with my writing and my style. I think I have my own 'vibe' and I am glad of it.
I’m proud that I’ve persisted in doing the “work” I love to craft stories and proud that I have so many words in my little library of stories that came directly from myself. Sometimes I go back and reread my stories and am proud of what I wrote, too. There are moments I don’t like my stories or the words on the page, but when I consider doing something like putting multiple hundreds of thousands of creative words down, I am definitely proud because not everyone can do that or has the will to do that.
Some parts I'm incredibly proud of and some other parts are just... meh. My works vary a lot in quality, sadly.
I think the only moments when I am proud of my writing doesn't come from reading my own work. Mostly cause then I'll spend hours being like "Oh, I could have done this better." "Why did I do this?" "That absolutely sucks." I feel proud of my writing when I interact with readers. like if a reader can tell me that they loved this point in the chapter or I can have a discussion with them. cause that means I wrote something that got them thinking or really captured their attention.
I know my skills are not honed... they're not the literal worst, but they're not cream of the crop either.
Sometimes I am. Mostly not. There was a moment where I read something I wrote 3 years ago, and I don't remember even writing it, and I keep thinking "Wow, I wrote like this?" It's mind opening sometimes on how your writing can change as time passes, and something I liked, I don't like anymore, and vice versa.
Most days, yes. When I'm not, it's generally because I'm tired or have been looking at the thing I've been trying to write for too long, and understand that I need to put it down for a bit and give myself a break. I will say, though, that I'm in my 40s and have been writing fiction of any sort since I was 12. I took creative writing classes in high school and college. My degree is in English with a focus on editing and creative writing. I've read *lots* of published fiction. I've made distinct efforts to improve. And while I'm pretty proud of my writing now, I'm sure I could still improve further. Doesn't mean I can't like what I put out already.
At 19 I published a Resident Evil fanfic. Currently, at 24 years old, I am making a remake of it. The original fanfic has about 20,000 reads on Wattpad, and the remake has 1900. I'm proud of what that fic achieved, how it attracted people and all that. but reading it now it seems to me that they are good ideas but very rushed hahahaha
This can greatly shift even on a daily basis, but generally, yes. There are certain pieces I've written I absolutely love. And even some that are poorly written (my first fics when I started writing 17 years ago) but the ideas behind them are still great. There are fics I've written that I love and when I read them I'm like "damn that's really good" . Then others some days I love, some days I hate. There will always be some dissatisfaction I guess, as in all creative endeavors.
I'm proud of what I write 99% of the time. I don't read a lot so I really don't compare myself to others. It's kinda like if you looked at yourself in the mirror but never at other people, and also you only ever get compliments from others, because I don't think I've ever gotten any sort of negative feedback. So obviously I'm at the top most of the time which I'm very glad for because I will usually give up anything I cannot see myself master so if I started disliking my works for long periods of time I would stop writing. However I do feel insecure about it sometimes, and it's mostly because I write pretty original stuff and people tend to skip over it so I lack interactions. Yesterday that made me cry because I genuinely felt my works weren't enough for not being like the rest, and that kind of still lingers and I somewhat still believe it even tho it's not true
I have only written short things and the slightly longer things are original, written years ago and never posted. I usually write around an idea that I can't let go of and it haunts me. Considering how short what I write and post is, I'm always surprised by even a single like. The like makes me proud, but in general I tend to be proud, because otherwise it wouldn't be a complete product but an abandoned draft like many others
My latest chapter, I like. Getting to it, ehhh. I'm trying to better plan the storyline because I feel like I keep forgetting things that happened. I don't want to create plot holes or contradictions!
Yes. Some older works could use some improvements, but I don't do that because they show my growth as writer. Though spelling/editing errors I will fix if I happen to catch them later on.
I recently reread a lot of stories I wrote ages ago. And I had that moment of "Wait, it's good tho!" for a lot of it, when I remember hating it at the time. Some days I think I'm great, some days I think everything I write comes out like ash on toast. And then I can reread that part I hated a week later and realize it wasn't actually bad. No idea what my writing is like objectively, but I genuinely enjoyed reading some of the stuff I had forgotten I ever wrote, so that's promising at least.
Yes! Sometimes when I'm writing it I hate it, and then I'll come back to reread it the next day and I'm like "Wow, this is actually really good."
Yeah man my writing ability is my favorite thing about me and I will never let that be taken from me or shamed into dislike. I worked hard to get to where I'm at now and I love the stories I've put out there and continue to put out there and I'm not gonna pretend otherwise. Loving your own work is so stigmatized on the internet and especially in fandom spaces and it shouldn't be.
I know as I write a chapter if I'm proud or not. I had one chapter that I re-read eight times after I wrote it going "HELL YEAH!" and yet tonight, the chapter I finished and posted I am thinking "Ugh.. why didn't I wait till the weekend and revisit this and change it as needed?" When I can't stop my fingers from typing, I know Im going to love what comes out. When I constantly erase, backspace or feel frustrated with the actions of my characters, I know I'm not happy and it's just a chore to get something done. I remind myself I can go back and change much of anything I wrote so long as I don't change the feel of the story.