# I Quit!



## Laughing Duck 137z (Jan 29, 2015)

Well guys it looks like this is gonna be my last post because I am done with writing. I think I'm this is the final time I decide to close this door and I think I'm gonna slam it. I know I have great ideas but I think I'm the last to realize I have no talent in this business. If you've enjoyed my previous work I'm sorry you won't see anymore. If you saw I had potential and couldn't move past the first stage of a writer then I'm sorry to disappoint you. 

I feel as if I've capped and was never destined to be a writer. 

I'm happy to have realized this now than 30 years down the line. I mean I've only wasted 10 years of my life. 

It was a lot of memories to look back on but now maybe I can be free from this whatever the hell it is I thought I had. That took a lot to say but I'm happy I said it. 

What's next of me? I have no idea what's next of this talentless hack, but my life always takes weird turns. 

Enjoy the forum without my horrible topics guys. I enjoyed my time with you and I hope you enjoyed mine.


----------



## escorial (Jan 29, 2015)

never say never dude


----------



## dale (Jan 29, 2015)

well, at least you still have your health.


----------



## Greimour (Jan 29, 2015)

Well, I don't know if you are still around to read this, but I would like to point out that there is more than one kind of writing open to you.

Have you ever read a Light Novel?

In short, it is a basic form of writing that originated in Japan. If you read a translated copy (for example: Legendary Moonlight Sculptor, Ark, Zectas, Sword Art Online, etc.) you will see a style of writing that isn't technically acceptable according to English Grammar and Literature.

Despite that, they are extremely popular globally and are far easier to write than a Novel. Obviously this will depend on your idea's, but not adhering to writing methods allows you to slam out a word count you may have considered impossible before.

I have started to apply a similar style to my 'Just Write' moments. 

Honestly, what I produce is so poor it should be considered sinful. Still, I pound out thousands of words that I can fix later if I desire it.


My suggestion, read some Light Novels and mimic the style.

There is one called 'Life in New World' (LNW) that is written in English by a non-English speaker. He isn't an author and writing seems to just be a hobby - he even uses words like though when he means thought, and witch instead of wish - but it is 4.9/5 star rating and incredibly easy to both read and understand. It is also enjoyable despite a lot of it lacking action. I enjoyed reading it so much that I didn't even offer corrections to his work and just continued to the next chapter.

If he can do it, you can too.

Instead of giving up on writing - try forgetting everything you know about writing and starting again.

It has worked to re-ignite my passion for creating new stories- maybe it will do the same for you.

Best Wishes and Good Luck in your future,



~Kev.


P.S. I should note, this suggestion is just given to get your passion going again. If you want to produce the next best seller on a shop shelf, you will eventually have to work back up to a level where you produce quality work.


----------



## Laughing Duck 137z (Jan 29, 2015)

Sorry man someone's blown out my fire and I guess I have a fictional passion towards writing.


----------



## popsprocket (Jan 29, 2015)

Well you'll never be any good at it if you quit. No one was born a good writer, and even those born with a certain level of talent had to earn their skills through hard work.

People seem to never realise this but writing well isn't something that you just decide to do. It takes years and years and your practice is never done.


----------



## dale (Jan 29, 2015)

Laughing Duck 137z said:


> Sorry man someone's blown out my fire and I guess I have a fictional passion towards writing.



i really hope that's not the reason you've decided to quit. don't let someone else's negativity douse your fire. 
if anything, use it to fuel the flame.


----------



## Cran (Jan 29, 2015)

Well, if your mind is made up, then so be it, and we wish you the best of fortune on your chosen path. 

Of course, not everyone at WF is here for the writing*, and not everyone in writing is here at WF. Both are choices you can make.

_*some stay for the cookies, but most stay for the friends they've found._


----------



## am_hammy (Jan 29, 2015)

I really hope that you take the time to really reconsider that. Writing is such a beautiful form of communication and expression of everything that is YOU. Words are extremely powerful and regardless of how you convey them on paper, through a computer, or whatever it is you use to record your thoughts it still means something. It means something because you took the time to actually process whatever it was going on inside of your head and make it a reality.

There have been plenty of times when I've sat down and cried because I felt like I had no reason or right to even consider the idea of writing. I really hope you take the time to reconsider and, like Greimour said, forget what you know about writing. Ultimately, there is no right or wrong to it. The only thing that would be a shame is if you gave up on it feeling like you had nothing to give through your writing.

Regardless, I do hope you find what you're looking for and maybe you can give it another go in the future


----------



## Laughing Duck 137z (Jan 29, 2015)

I've never felt absolutely compelled to do anything but write. For years I've attempted to to get better. At this point I've barely gotten a bit better. I feel the writing is on the wall. Now I'm a kid without a passion and who wants that. Maybe my work would be better posthumously, because it sucks now.

Thanks again.


----------



## squidtender (Jan 29, 2015)

"_May my haters live long to see my success_"

Never give them the satisfaction of quitting. Don't write for anyone else . . . write because you want to tell yourself a story. Who cares if anyone wants to read it? 

Writing is the only way I can let out my demons. Well, that and mass murder. But my parents seem to frown on that last one. So, I'm a writer . . .


----------



## TKent (Jan 29, 2015)

LD, how about sleeping on it buddy. EVERYBODY here has had days like that. I guarantee. Anyway, you know how I feel about this idea  Noodle on my pm a bit and hope to see you here this weekend.


----------



## Plasticweld (Jan 29, 2015)

The guy singing in the shower gets to fantasize about being on the radio and singing in front of an adoring audience.  For a brief moment as the sound echoes off the bathroom walls he can be all of those things.  Does it really matter what he sounds like to anyone but him?


----------



## TJ1985 (Jan 29, 2015)

None of us are great writers at this moment. Random House isn't cold calling any of us as far as I know. 

If you let one or two critics/critiques tear you down, I can guarantee that they will never call you. If you carry on, you'll improve and they might, but if you walk away I know they won't. I'm pretty sure every writer who's ever wrote for others has felt like giving up because the work they thought was a masterpiece wasn't seen as such by others. Because they became great writers I know they didn't let it get to them. 

Write for yourself. Who gives a crap what somebody says? Improve yourself, but don't let a critic make you question doing what you know you should be doing. Somebody else would have written something differently, So? I'd have taken about 200 _pages _of boring detail out of Moby Dick, you think Melville would have given a crap what I said? No, he'd have taken it under advisement, which is code for "So says you, dimwit". 

Critics will crit, haters will hate, potatoes will potate. Keep doing what makes you feel good. Some advice may improve your skills, other advice isn't going to help you, that's why we humanoids can select what we give heed to in our minds. Drive on.


----------



## Deafmute (Jan 29, 2015)

value is subjective. Saying your work is not good simple cannot be true, because good is not a real thing. Does writing make you happy? Do you enjoy writing? The obvious answer to the questions was at one point yes if you have spent 10 years working on the craft. Now if you are asking if you will ever make loads of money on your work or receive widespread fame and adoration then that is a different question. It takes a lot of things to become a famous rich or even just published writer, and the BIGGEST thing out of all those is luck. Never write to be accepted by others write for yourself. If other people wind up enjoying it along the way well that's great. 

It only takes one thing to be a good writer, and that is for good to come from your writing. If the only you ever get from your writing is a small pleasant escape from world around you into your own private oasis, then you are a rich man. If the only person who ever praises your own work is you then you are famous. Don't give up, take a break. Decide why you write, if at its core its for yourself then I doubt you will stay away long.

Be seeing you.


----------



## Sam (Jan 30, 2015)

Laughing Duck 137z said:


> Well guys it looks like this is gonna be my last post because I am done with writing. I think I'm this is the final time I decide to close this door and I think I'm gonna slam it. I know I have great ideas but I think I'm the last to realize I have no talent in this business. If you've enjoyed my previous work I'm sorry you won't see anymore. If you saw I had potential and couldn't move past the first stage of a writer then I'm sorry to disappoint you.
> 
> I feel as if I've capped and was never destined to be a writer.
> 
> ...



If you were really serious about quitting, you would just walk away. You wouldn't give a toss about starting a thread to say you wanted to quit, which leads me to believe that this is a cry for help. 

So let me help you, because what you have above is a combination of being too hard on and expecting too much of yourself. Ten years is a long time, but time doesn't equate to becoming better. What you do in that time does. For instance, in the last ten years I've written approximately 1.5 million words. With every 100,000 words, I've seen myself improve (sometimes fast, sometimes slow, but the improvement was always there). 

If, in the last ten years, you've only written 50,000 words, that's your problem. I'm liable to be pilloried for what I'm about to say, but it doesn't make it any less true: the only way you get better at writing is by writing. *A lot.* I dare you to try to master any discipline in the world by doing it sporadically. A person of exceptional talent may (unlikely) get there on the back of their natural ability, but almost everyone else will not. You only get out of writing what you're willing to put into it. 

What is the 'first stage' of a writer? What's stopping you from moving past it? If you expect to produce exceptional prose without putting in the time and effort, you're going to be automatically disappointed. No one ever masters English. I had a professor who was 78 and came out of retirement to be a substitute for my English class in college. When he read one of my papers, he said he had never seen such creative use of language in 50 years of teaching. This was someone who had published multiple articles in multiple journals over the years; who had written six academic tomes; who had been teaching English before I was born -- and_ he_ learned something new that day. 

Stop being too hard on yourself and, most of all, stop expecting so much of yourself. One of the main reasons why some writers become paralysed and unable to write is because they read the masters and think they can emulate them in two seconds. By comparison, everything that person writes feels like rubbish. Of course it does! What else would it be when you try to compare yourself to the masters? You don't start taking martial arts classes and compare yourself to the late Bruce Lee, do you? You may aspire to be like he was one day, but you don't compare yourself to him.

But I don't know you. I've never read anything you've written, so I can't give you advice on that end of things, but I don't think that's where your problem lies. Take a step back, relax, stop being so hard on yourself, and *just start writing. *


----------



## Deleted member 56686 (Jan 30, 2015)

Cran said:


> Well, if your mind is made up, then so be it, and we wish you the best of fortune on your chosen path.
> 
> Of course, not everyone at WF is here for the writing*, and not everyone in writing is here at WF. Both are choices you can make.
> 
> _*some stay for the cookies, *but most stay for the friends they've found*._



Like me. Yes, I'm still writing too (note my infamous duel with Schrody), but I'm really here for the camaraderie I feel at WF.

As for the writing, it's easy to have some self doubt,. I think all of us have gone through it at one time or another. I don't have a magic cure for it. All I can say is keep plugging away. Sooner or later you'll some up with something you'll really like.

And if someone else doesn't like your work (and you do), you can always give them this :strawberry:


----------



## jenthepen (Jan 30, 2015)

Laughing Duck 137z said:


> I've never felt absolutely compelled to do anything but write.



You've received a lot of good advice here, LD. You obviously have a good many folk who care about you. The thing is, no advice will keep you writing and no criticism will make you stop. You are a writer. Your words in the quote above prove that. Just like the rest of us, you are 'absolutely compelled to write.' That's who you are. Crits hurt, but they'll never beat that compulsion. Be true to yourself and write what you enjoy. Don't concern yourself beyond that.


----------



## Bishop (Jan 30, 2015)

I've always been of the mindset that anyone who is good at anything does it for themselves. So if getting published was the only reason you're writing, then... yeah. You might not want to write. If you were writing for you, it wouldn't matter how long it's been or whether or not you've been published... you'd just have to write to tell the story. It's never been a concern of mine enough to where I would stop writing if I never got published. Who cares? It's your craft, it's your passion. I also love playing guitar and video games, both of which have professionals doing it full time, neither of which I will stop doing if I don't become the next Van Halen. They're part of who I am, and while sometimes to improve at any of my hobbies/crafts I have to work my ass off, like writing 2000 words on a day I really would rather just watch funny cat videos, I do it because I can't fathom a world where I'm not doing that. I do it to get better, to make a good story, and to be able to sit down and reread my own novel six months later, surprising myself with how much I improved over the novel I'd written previously. I grow just to grow, I suppose...

Publishing will just be a nice bonus if I ever get around to it.


----------



## Morkonan (Jan 30, 2015)

Laughing Duck 137z said:


> I've never felt absolutely compelled to do anything but write. For years I've attempted to to get better. At this point I've barely gotten a bit better. I feel the writing is on the wall. Now I'm a kid without a passion and who wants that. Maybe my work would be better posthumously, because it sucks now.
> 
> Thanks again.



Ya know...

This is the moment that comes to many writers and it's why many writers call it their "turning point." The look to what they've done, examine the criticisms they've faced, then realize "Yes, that sucked."  Almost all of them crash, experiencing new lows and frustration. Then, it dawns on them - "I think I can make it not-suck."

Writing can be learned. Writing well can be learned. You can learn _how_ to write well. You can even learn how to look at your own writing and truly see through the self-criticism in order to discover those things you actually did well! Don't let the haze of frustration and self-condemnation blind you to the fact that, though many feel intimately attached to and a part of what they write, writing is simply the act of putting words in a logical order that can be understood by someone else. Yes, it's complex, but you managed to express yourself well here, didn't you?

Didn't you?

You wrote a compelling plea, a scream in the jungle that writers must navigate. You expressed your frustration and your contempt for what you've valued so highly for so long. You wrote a post that was obviously created by someone who is facing their demons...

If you can write that and if you can communicate that in the posts you have made in this thread, you can apply that very same sort of passion to crafting the stories that you want to craft. It's that simple. It will take work, but everything worth doing is hard. This may be your own personal turning point. Open your eyes and see it and open your hands to grasp it if you truly desire it.

If you don't want to write anymore, that's fine too. You are your own master, you determine what it is that you value. For myself, I try not to do things that I feel I am not good at doing.  For me, that works out pretty well and it also means that I have a lot of practice faking my own incompetence so I don't have to do what I don't want to do. If you ever call me to help you repair your house, fix your car or, heavens forbid, to write poetry, you'll see this special skill in action! 

Whatever you decide to do concerning writing, know that there are others who have been where you are, felt what you have felt, and have overcome it to journey on, doing whatever it is that they find enjoyment in. Writers are naturally empathic - We know what you're feeling.

Best wishes, no matter where you go!


----------



## Folcro (Jan 30, 2015)

I could give you a very long list of people who kept writing in spite of having no talent at all. I'm sure you're better than half of them. Even Ed Wood had a following because of his passion, which it sounds like you have. At the end of the day, that is all you truly need. Trust me, people will be drawn to you. 

And if you are the only one who likes your own work, well, I'm the only one who enjoys my latest Fallout playthrough, and I have over 500 hours into that game, and I'll continue to do things that I alone can return to and enjoy.

Just know that nobody will call you fickle if you change your mind and return.


----------



## Jeko (Jan 30, 2015)

> Well guys it looks like this is gonna be my last post



If you've already failed in this respect, I don't know how you're going to spend the rest of your life never using the brilliant ideas that pop into your head.

And if you think the last ten years were a waste, you're not going to go anywhere; no time invested in something is a waste. Use what you've got to move on. The people that throw away what they've worked on in order to work on something else are the people who never get anything done. For a few years I was one of those people. I went from WIP to WIP thinking 'this is the one', like I'd make my breakthrough while I was still under 16. 

Then I stopped taking writing seriously, stopped trying to 'be' something with my work, stopped whining to myself and others about how hard everything was, and thought 'shit, this is supposed to be fun'. From then on I've written nonsense that makes me smile, with each new bit of nonsense launched into my intellectual stratosphere from a previous bit of nonsense. Now I'm always improving, whereas before I was going round in circles.

I think all you need is to write differently. It's like finding a new job. The one you've got isn't working for you, so do some research. Read something you've never read before. Write something you've always wanted to write but have never thought would work. Criticise the living daylights out of a book you hate and write it better. As long as it involves putting one word in front of another, your options are infinite.

If you were someone I knew at my school, I'd put money on you not being able to stay away from the craft. A lot of money. Like, more money than I would have. Something like the tuition fees I'm going to pay next year, that'd be nice.


----------



## Guy Faukes (Jan 30, 2015)

Harsh criticism, especially the first time receiving it, can be really demoralizing. At the beginning, it seems like it's all about gaining some self-assurance that, yes, you can write. People who critique might forget that early sensitivity. Some people can be overly critical. I sometimes fall into this category and give reviews that are too blunt and hyperdetailed.  Sometimes I assume the person can take it, objectively pull out what is valuable out of my critique and not see it as a personal attack on their capabilities. But not everyone can and I need to remind myself that there is no value in reviews if they are not well taken.

You'll learn that it's not about knowing or feeling that you can write, it's the quality in which you can. There can be good or bad things with a piece, and a third party can objectively tell you one from the other, regardless of ego. If you're down, you can always recover. There are days I kick myself for a string of bad prose, but it's just a phase. The despair will fade. 

You'll begin to value people calling you out. I still write cringworthy lines and think "man, that is soooo goooood" and I need another pair of eyes to shake their heads and tell me otherwise. 

It's a long process,  but please, stick with it. You have some skill in writing, particularly dialogue. Don't underestimate it. Take some time to yourself, patch up and revisit it. You might surprise yourself when you find your strengths.


----------



## belthagor (Jan 30, 2015)

Want to try teaming up before you officially quit?


----------



## Poet of Gore (Jan 30, 2015)

cream always rises


----------



## patskywriter (Jan 30, 2015)

If you compared my writing to that of my sister's, you'd probably say that she's much better—and, you know, I wouldn't feel bad about it. But who's the writer in the family? I am. My sister writes sporadically, for special occasions only. She can mimic Shakespeare, she's witty, she's creative, but she doesn't take writing seriously. My style is plain and straightforward, and I realized early that it's perfect for journalism. So I'm a journalist, and I'm very happy with the way I help people in my community with the information I share with them in every issue. 

Sometimes I get the impression that people who want to write and people who admire writers think that we all do the same thing and have the same skill set. That's not true. Step back and look at yourself and your skills objectively. Could it be that your outlook isn't broad enough and that you're forcing yourself to chase a goal that's too narrowly focused? There are SO many different "jobs" in the writing field. Take another look.


----------



## Poet of Gore (Jan 30, 2015)

patskywriter said:


> If you compared my writing to that of my sister's, you'd probably say that she's much better—and, you know, I wouldn't feel bad about it. But who's the writer in the family? I am. My sister writes sporadically, for special occasions only. She can mimic Shakespeare, she's witty, she's creative, but she doesn't take writing seriously. My style is plain and straightforward, and I realized early that it's perfect for journalism. So I'm a journalist, and I'm very happy with the way I help people in my community with the information I share with them in every issue.
> 
> Sometimes I get the impression that people who want to write and people who admire writers think that we all do the same thing and have the same skill set. That's not true. Step back and look at yourself and your skills objectively. Could it be that your outlook isn't broad enough and that you're forcing yourself to chase a goal that's too narrowly focused? There are SO many different "jobs" in the writing field. Take another look.



sounds like you got sister issues. do you want to talk about it?


----------



## Laughing Duck 137z (Jan 31, 2015)

Thanks a whole bunch guys and now I'm back in full swing.


----------



## Pluralized (Jan 31, 2015)

Happens to the best of us, mate. Sally forth! 

*Snaps suspenders like an old man*


----------



## dither (Jan 31, 2015)

Laughing Duck 137z said:


> Thanks a whole bunch guys and now I'm back in full swing.



Hooray!

You just gotta do it for you man.
Yes we'd all like to be good, even i harbor aspirations. Why not?


----------



## Jeko (Jan 31, 2015)

> I'm back in full swing.



That means you're a stronger writer than you ever were before. If something's made you want to quit, it's  been getting your writing down, distracting you from the stories you're trying to tell. If you now want to write again, you've overcome that and aren't thinking about it any more, and that means your characters can get more attention.


----------



## bazz cargo (Jan 31, 2015)

I came to learn to write, I stay for the cat pictures.


----------



## TJ1985 (Jan 31, 2015)

Laughing Duck 137z said:


> Thanks a whole bunch guys and now I'm back in full swing.



Glad to hear it! There's a tired old line that's run through my family for years, wisdom of my great grandpa who was essentially a walking book of great advice. I never met the guy, but he lives on in his words. His thought? 

"The best about having a motor all tore down to nothin'? That you can make it better buildin' it back up. Works with motors, works with people too." 

Go get 'em, Duck. Hard working writers never die, they just smell that way because the manuscript has made 'em forget that people should shower once in a while.


----------



## Loveabull (Feb 16, 2015)

TJ has it down son, you don't just give up writing. You can be blocked for decades but it's still in there "A writer must write"...finding where it's going to go is the challenge but you have it in there.


----------



## BobtailCon (Feb 17, 2015)

Laughing Duck 137z said:


> I think I'm the last to realize I have no talent in this business.



It isn't about talent. No one came out of the womb writing like the Legends. It is hard work and dedication and working through the walls you hit. Even when you feel you make no progress, you keep moving. It takes severe *dedication* to be successful and proficient in any artform. You have to want to be better, and then challenge yourself. If you don't have that drive, then I wish you luck in your travels.


----------

