# Wow, I did that damn well!



## Tettsuo (Jun 2, 2015)

Doesn't it feel great when you read something you've written and just have to say, "Damn, that was great!"  LOL!


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## Kyle R (Jun 2, 2015)

If you could bottle that feeling and sell it to struggling writers, I bet you'd make a fortune.


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## Bloggsworth (Jun 2, 2015)

I'll tell you if I ever manage to do it...


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## bazz cargo (Jun 2, 2015)

I'm just a jealous guy...


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## Sc0pe (Jun 2, 2015)

Short answer: Yes.

Long answer: Absolutely.


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## InnerFlame00 (Jun 3, 2015)

I love the feeling! It doesn't happen every day but when it does it never fails to urge me forward through the tough writing patches


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## Phil Istine (Jun 3, 2015)

Oh yes, I love those delusions of competence.


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## Gavrushka (Jun 3, 2015)

Tettsuo said:


> Doesn't it feel great when you read something you've written and just have to say, "Damn, that was great!"  LOL!



Well get it damned well posted so we can all learn a little from your blast of awesome!

It would be great to have a thread where everyone could share their personal literary paragon.


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## Sonata (Jun 3, 2015)

I'm not a writer
just a sort of poet
sometimes they're good
and then I know it

But sometimes 
they do really stink
which make me wonder
and then think

Why I try
to write at all
when knowing that
I'm bound to fall


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## Bevo (Jun 3, 2015)

Agreed!

An even better feeling is to look at something you really felt good about from the past, seeing your progress is really cool!
One of my short stories I have redone a few times, each time with new things I have learned such as grammar. 

Great fun!


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## John Galt (Jun 3, 2015)

I usually sit down to write thinking: "By the gods this is awful."
Then four hours later: "OH, YAS. This is the best thing ever. They shall flock to read my work. *fantasizes about writing career*."
Then a reread: "Oh wow. I can't believe I wrote this. It's beyond awful. Worst thing ever written." After which I go to sleep and carry on the next day.

That's pretty much my process - a cycle through self-depreciation to narcissism. Interspersed with swearing, popcorn and ruminative pacing around my desk, as if circling my project could whip it into literary surrender.


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## dale (Jun 3, 2015)

i usually have to read something i wrote a month or so after i write before i finally start thinking it's good.


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## Schrody (Jun 3, 2015)

Gavrushka said:


> Well get it damned well posted so we can all learn a little from your blast of awesome!
> 
> It would be great to have a thread where everyone could share their personal literary paragon.



I second that idea, only if placed in the Workshop. And yes, I do have one-liners and paragraphs I'm proud of


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## John Oberon (Jun 3, 2015)

I often read a great piece of writing and think, "Man, I wish I'd written that!", and sometimes, I _did_! Then usually, I get an acute case of Imposter Complex and think, "Well, that was a fluke...no way I can do that well again. That was when I was younger; now I'm older and my mind's not as sharp. I was just on a roll...and even though I think it's great, nobody else does, so what's that say about my opinion? But then I'll remember all that I did to make it great, and it definitely was no fluke, and I can do the same again. and I'm not _that_ old, and...and...and. It's like a little war in my head every time I enjoy a piece of my own writing.

I'd be willing to post a piece of my novel that makes me tingle. Maybe we should start a new thread.


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## Tettsuo (Jun 3, 2015)

Gavrushka said:


> Well get it damned well posted so we can all learn a little from your blast of awesome!
> 
> It would be great to have a thread where everyone could share their personal literary paragon.


Sure, I'll post it in the Workshop section as suggested.

Of course I'm still in the middle of editing, but once done, I'll drop it there.

I'm not sure if it'll come off as good as I feel it is, as the context the scene happens in is important as well as knowing the characters involved (the scene is close to the end of the novel).


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## T.S.Bowman (Jun 3, 2015)

Gavrushka said:


> It would be great to have a thread where everyone could share their personal literary paragon.



Considering the beating I take every time I enter the LM with what I think is pretty good...I would never post anything of mine, no matter how good I thought it was, in a thread like that.


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## John Oberon (Jun 4, 2015)

Chicken, lol.


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## T.S.Bowman (Jun 4, 2015)

John Oberon said:


> Chicken, lol.



A little. But I am also beginning to lose confidence (again) in my ability to write decent prose.


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## InstituteMan (Jun 4, 2015)

There's more than one way to write great, or at least good, prose. I'm always thrilled when I bumble into one of them.


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## Tettsuo (Jun 5, 2015)

http://www.writingforums.com/threads/157588-The-Great-War-(780-words)?p=1867000#post1867000

There ya go.

I still have a lot of editing to do.  Plus, it'll probably seem somewhat disjointed and confusing for ya'll because there's a huge amount of context that'll be missing (this is close to the end of the novel).


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## John Oberon (Jun 8, 2015)

Well, no, Tettsuo...I don't mean posting a piece of your writing with an apology in front of it. I mean you post a piece of your writing introduced with something like this: "This is mint! I'm not changing a thing no matter what any of you say, because any changes would spoil it. This is my best writing polished to a shine. It's great and needs no changes. Just thought I'd share it."

Have any of you written something like that? Something that really makes you proud? I have. I'm just debating whether to post some or not. So often, people mistake enthusiasm and confidence for arrogance, it seems like you almost _have_ to introduce your writing with some kind of belittling disclaimer. But I _know_ great writing, whether I read it or write it, and I can tell you why it's great.


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## Tettsuo (Jun 8, 2015)

John Oberon said:


> Well, no, Tettsuo...I don't mean posting a piece of your writing with an apology in front of it. I mean you post a piece of your writing introduced with something like this: "This is mint! I'm not changing a thing no matter what any of you say, because any changes would spoil it. This is my best writing polished to a shine. It's great and needs no changes. Just thought I'd share it."
> 
> *Have any of you written something like that? Something that really makes you proud? I have. I'm just debating whether to post some or not. *So often, people mistake enthusiasm and confidence for arrogance, it seems like you almost _have_ to introduce your writing with some kind of belittling disclaimer. But I _know_ great writing, whether I read it or write it, and I can tell you why it's great.


Huh?  That's not what the thread is about.  It's about simply being happy with something you've written.

The disclaimer was needed simply because no one would even get what the scene was about as it's at the tail end of what's probably going to be nearly 500 page novel.  It's totally lacking in context.  Plus, it was completely not reviewed by my editor... at all.  That's raw text that I reviewed once.

I've written and entire novel that I'm proud of.


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## Tettsuo (Jun 8, 2015)

Just to add... 

I'm not apologizing for anything.  I'm explaining why the scene would be difficult to understand.  I'm not *sorry* for any of it.


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## Kyle R (Jun 8, 2015)

John Oberon said:


> I mean you post a piece of your writing introduced with something like this: "This is mint! I'm not changing a thing no matter what any of you say, because any changes would spoil it. This is my best writing polished to a shine. It's great and needs no changes. Just thought I'd share it."
> 
> Have any of you written something like that?


I feel that way about every story I submit for publication.

Whether or not slush-readers and editors agree with me, though, is another thing.


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## John Oberon (Jun 8, 2015)

Fine...you're not sorry for it, but you're not happy with it either, Tettsuo. I just never see anyone post anything and stand behind it as something finished and good. It's ALWAYS "Well, I know it still needs some editing", "raw text", "needs review", or whatever. I would just be interested in someone posting something and saying "This is me hitting on all eight, baby!". Then maybe someone else says, "You think that's good? Look what I wrote last night!" No more damn apologies, "quick drafts", or "a few problems", just "Look at this awesome piece I wrote. I feel like Hemingway when I show this to people." Have you written anything like that?

I wasn't asking for writing you're not sorry for, big deal...I'm not sorry for any of my stuff either. Post something and introduce it with something like "This is some of my absolute best writing. I really can't do much better than this. I love showing this to people because it shows what an outstanding writer I am."


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## Schrody (Jun 9, 2015)

Thanks to Gav's idea, we now have a thread - click


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## John Oberon (Jun 9, 2015)

Alrighty....I'll pick something of mine out and post it there.


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## voltigeur (Jun 10, 2015)

The one time that I can say this to myself is at my critique group.  We are allowed 2500 words each session so for me that is 2 to 3 scenes or a chapter. 

The last 2 months I keep getting comments during the reading that tell me readers are emotionally buying in.  

I have heard murmurs like “I like where this relationship is going.” Or “he is so getting laid.” 

Even if the comments are left handed like, “I like this character and I think you’re an ass hole for what you are putting her through.” 

And one reader expressed rage at a scene where there was a fly by. She was got caught up in the story to the point she complained “all this danger all this expense all this planning for a flyby?” 

I get thrilled with this kind of emotional buy in. Honestly I have no idea how I am doing it.


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## Mesafalcon (Jun 10, 2015)

Slippery slope... 

So many times I think something is so good and someone points out flaws I cant dispute... 

If someone else says to ME I cant believe you wrote that... then were talking


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## Tettsuo (Jun 10, 2015)

John Oberon said:


> Fine...you're not sorry for it, but you're not happy with it either, Tettsuo.


Yeah, I am.  You're wrong.


> I just never see anyone post anything and stand behind it as something finished and good. It's ALWAYS "Well, I know it still needs some editing", "raw text", "needs review", or whatever. I would just be interested in someone posting something and saying "This is me hitting on all eight, baby!". Then maybe someone else says, "You think that's good? Look what I wrote last night!" No more damn apologies, "quick drafts", or "a few problems", just "Look at this awesome piece I wrote. I feel like Hemingway when I show this to people." Have you written anything like that?


That's nice if you believe that's what this post was about.  Others appear to understand what I was saying.

So the real question is:  Why are you asserting a perspective that totally different than everyone else?



> I wasn't asking for writing you're not sorry for, big deal...I'm not sorry for any of my stuff either. Post something and introduce it with something like "This is some of my absolute best writing. I really can't do much better than this. I love showing this to people because it shows what an outstanding writer I am."


John, you brought up the whole, "_I don't mean posting a piece of your writing with an apology in front of it. " _I wrote no apology. Again, that's you reading into something that didn't need to be read into.


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## John Oberon (Jun 10, 2015)

Whatever. You're happy with raw text that needs review and editing. Fine. I guess I have different standards. To each his own.


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