Writers block: Spoiled?

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« on: May 14, 2013, 09:37:00 pm »
Quote from: Callan S.
I was thinking of whether one can simply get spoiled by the level of entertainment various books and movies might provide.

This might raise ones own expectation of entertainment quite high. Well over ones capacity to write.

So what if this chokes off the capacity to write?

If you lowered your expectation of entertainment to the level you can actually produce, it would make creating enjoyable. The act of creating would become fun in itself.

As is, is what you create never enough?

Just some thoughts, just on the odd chance it helps anything.

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« Reply #1 on: May 14, 2013, 09:37:06 pm »
Quote from: Camlost
I don't know that that is such a bad thing. I might argue that a high expectation of entertainment might compel you to demand a greater quality in your own work. While Bakker may seem a megalithic character in respect to his novels, wouldn't you rather produce something of a quality nearer to his works than Rowling's (no ill will towards her, I think she did very well at what she was trying to do, but I can't consider her of the caliber I do Bakker)? It's my opinion that you should always try and strive to rival or surpass your idols, otherwise we could end up with dozens of Twilight sagas: simple writing and straight forward plot. Always aim to raise the bar.

I also think that the act of creating should be enjoyable in and of itself, you can worry about the quality of your writing but you shouldn't let it hinder your creative process/flow. I know that Bakker is a proponent of continual writing as a means to improve; quality comes with practice and no doubt your creative endeavors will evolve alongside.

As for myself, I'm slow to actually engage in writing, I find that I plan alot before actually getting down to it. That's just my style though, I've learned that extensive outlining helps to assuage my feelings that things in my writing are inadequate to my aspirations. When I do get around to actually writing what I've outlined, I have to focus on not continually editing as I go or else I get very little done exactly because I'm too concerned it doesn't match my ideal. Just reminding myself that there is always time to edit later, that things are unlikely to come out perfect the first time, helps me to get past those initial pangs of self doubt.

Hope that offers some insight for your thoughts

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« Reply #2 on: May 14, 2013, 09:37:11 pm »
Quote from: Callan S.
Well, the very question is "who's" greater quality? One mans trash is another mans treasure.

I really have no quorum that I belong to to acknowledge anything I do as anything that fits anything, nor do I want to join anyone else's quorum and accept their particular 'how it's done' as 'how it's done' (sans qualifier). At times I barely belong to myself.

I've sort of been raised on various conventional media, yet can't produce them in anything like the required quantities. Do seem to be able to string together words in a phantasmal acid trip poetry like way, en masse. But it's a bit like hearing english all your life, then suddenly writing fairyese. Or speaking in tongues. It doesn't make sense to my life. Never mind the dark sense it's just enacting a random word generating program.

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I also think that the act of creating should be enjoyable in and of itself
Well, that's what my post talks about - expecting something and if not getting it, the whole act of creating becomes less enjoyable.

Never mind you could have been doing the vacuuming, when you proudly try and declare you wrote something. When it all feels like its something you shouldn't be doing as you have so much banality to get done.