"...but I do feel an outsider perspective can be really useful for my writing...."
Sure, if that's what you want and how you feel. Honestly, I don't care how other people write or how many betas or editors or story-ripper-aparters they have, as long as that's what they want.
What I object to is being told I should want it. And I've seen the brutality of it directed to others, and I want no part of that. Ever.
"...and I'm not sure how much of being unable to experience an uncomplicated, out-and-out pride in my work has to do with others, versus with myself being too self-critical (and/or how much those two things have influenced the other)..."
Yes. I have no way of knowing which is which of course. Sometimes even we ourselves don't know. For myself, I'm super-critical of every word I write while I'm writing, but when I'm done, that's it, and I'm never going to rip it apart and start over. If that makes me a bad writer in the eyes of others, I simply don't care. But if other writers like this 'process', that's fine with me. I think people should write the way that works for them.
But being super-critical can be disabling, I think. :-)
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branchandroot
no subject
Date: 2014-06-26 07:51 pm (UTC)Sure, if that's what you want and how you feel. Honestly, I don't care how other people write or how many betas or editors or story-ripper-aparters they have, as long as that's what they want.
What I object to is being told I should want it. And I've seen the brutality of it directed to others, and I want no part of that. Ever.
"...and I'm not sure how much of being unable to experience an uncomplicated, out-and-out pride in my work has to do with others, versus with myself being too self-critical (and/or how much those two things have influenced the other)..."
Yes. I have no way of knowing which is which of course. Sometimes even we ourselves don't know. For myself, I'm super-critical of every word I write while I'm writing, but when I'm done, that's it, and I'm never going to rip it apart and start over. If that makes me a bad writer in the eyes of others, I simply don't care. But if other writers like this 'process', that's fine with me. I think people should write the way that works for them.
But being super-critical can be disabling, I think. :-)