In general, Im very self-conscious about by writing. No matter how - TopicsExpress

In general, Im very self-conscious about by writing. No matter how many likes or kudos my works receive, I always feel like this could have been better. Its one of the reasons why I never want anyone I know personally to read my fanfiction. But looking back on some of my older works... yeah, Ive had a few wow, that was the most painful thing Ive ever had to read moments, but Ive also seen all of the beautiful and emotionally engaging moments in my writing. Some of my own writing has brought me to tears. And I realized, the fact that I can look back on my writing and see how awful some of it was... is a sign of progress. My cheesecloth of a filter was once an open-weave canvas, letting grammatical errors or terrible metaphors occasionally slip through without my notice. And when I was a kid, I was told that writing was a profession. It was what authors did. It took most of your time and dedication. And if you couldnt make a living off of it, it would never make you happy. But thats not true. Writing is what writers do. If youve ever picked up a pen or opened up that word processor, and gave your thoughts free reign, you are a writer. It doesnt take lifelong dedication to produce something fit for publication. Hell, Ive written enough quality work to fill multiple TRILOGIES. All this in my spare time. Writing a few pages to wind down at the end of the day. And I enjoy it. Writing makes me happy (despite occasionally worrying about how others will receive it). So many people will come to the conclusion that they shouldnt write recreationally, or professionally, because theyre not good enough. Thats bullshit. Everyone starts out writing crap. Everyone. The more you write (and the more you read, for that matter) the better youll become. Writing is a SKILL, not a talent. It can be developed, and improved. This goes for all the arts. Painting, sculpting, playing an instrument, etc. How badly do you want to refine these skills? Everyone has the potential. But do you have the DRIVE?