Ugh. Everyone is judging my Forbidden Love Affair(Writing)
i feel like it's super hard to have your work really appreciated and seen in the correct light. obviously everyone gets this (case in point the dude who wrote watchmen), but it feels discouraging when there isn't love for your characters by many other people. i can't exactly point out something in real life and relate to one of my own characters the way you would a character from more popular media, and it makes me feel like i'm hiding a part of my life from everyone that i'll never be able to articulate or express.
- Anonymous (2/8/24)
I understand what you’re saying. But it’s that last line which makes writing, for those who enjoy it, so important. Where else will you have complete control to speak your mind, and then be able to revisit what you’ve said to edit, retype, and improve what exactly you’re trying to express? Writing is a way to let out all the steam boiling in your brain. It’s self-expression regardless of mode, and in an era where media must walk the line between being authentically engaging and prioritizing profit, that individuality with which you bring to a story is going to sustain you more than anything else.
Write from the heart (ignore the cliché)
The most important kind of writing is the authentic kind, where you bare your soul onto the pages, and the words just pour out from inside of you. Readers can spot the difference between “phony” (cue Holden Caulfield) and real writing. It’s important to remind yourself that some of the most famous works of all time were ignored at first, but it didn’t stop those authors from writing what they felt, and you can’t let it stop you. What kind of world would we be living in if everyone only wrote about what they thought the mass media would want to consume?
It’s cliché, but quite simply, the love’s gotta come from you. It feels silly every now and then to place importance on characters you’ve created, but I find it helps to remember that the seriousness with which other authors have treated their works have allowed them to become incredibly successful. Franchise worthy, even. But in order for others to come to love your inventions as you do, they have to be useable. Something can be completely new and head scratching in its mechanics, but if people have something to hold onto, something that grounds them, they will be quicker to grasp your creations.
So, when you say that you “can't exactly point out something in real life and relate to one of [your] own characters,” there is a problem. What can your audience hold on to? I’m sure the writer of Sherlock Holmes wasn’t gay, coke-addicted, or a murder detective— yet they understood on some level what it felt like to be different, “strange”, or anxious. And because of that small relatable detail, people can catch on to the story’s message (never judge things at face value) despite its ridiculous delivery. Never hesitate to be ridiculous.
Put heart into it, be unabashed by it, and find people who will respect that drive within you and are willing to help your writing grow. Easier said than done, but once you start pushing your writing onto other people you become giddy at what they’re going to say because this will drive your piece to reinvention and will always keep it fresh in your mind. You’re going to have to become that person, unfortunately, (read my manuscript!) but when you find a social circle where people do care about your writing it’s quite invigorating, hence our goal with SoFA.
Patience is a Virtue, in Love and Craft
In terms of hiding, or popularity with characters… Yes, that will take a while. There are more writers in the world than ever before, so it’s hard to break out onto the scene and be recognized. Even back in ye olden days, it took some authors till their fifties to have their big break, or even to finish their debut novel. Good writing doesn’t come out of a person seeking success, it comes out of a person who will continue writing regardless of if anyone ever reads them. It’s frustrating to have people who will only degrade or dismiss, but that just means they aren’t writers, and if they are, they certainly aren’t good people.
Remember to stand proud in your writing. It takes a lot to find the courage to be personal in your writing, to be exposed to the world in such a terrifyingly intimate way. Sometimes it’s easy to become protective over your writing when you’re actually feeling ashamed of what you’ve revealed about yourself in it, but you must always remain proud of what makes it different, for what makes it you. The greatest loves are always embarrassing.
Simply put, you got to grind, and it’s that much more helpful if you have anyone who would be willing to sit down with your piece for a night and truly read your piece. And read! I’d recommend reading Station Eleven for this – It’s honestly not my favorite book, there are some dull moments, but the comic book writer seeking replenishment for her soul prior to an apocalyptic flu outbreak was captivating, and feels relevant here.
