8 Signs You're a Better Writer than you Think

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  • Опубликовано: 6 сен 2024
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Комментарии • 164

  • @Derekivery
    @Derekivery 2 месяца назад +314

    Typing this before watching this video: I'm kind of scared that rather than learning I'm a better writer than I think, I'll learn I'm a worse writer.

    • @ottz2506
      @ottz2506 2 месяца назад +32

      thisss. The voice in my head says 'this video isn't about you. I am right'.

    • @ogelsmogel
      @ogelsmogel 2 месяца назад +4

      Same

    • @apocalypso3427
      @apocalypso3427 2 месяца назад +18

      That's a good sign that you're likely a better writer than you think lol. Most people who are truly terrible writers are terrible because they are oblivious to their flaws (and end up never trying to get better). All good writers have self-doubt. Use it to drive you to work at improving. As long as you're doing that, you'll never be terrible! You got this

    • @alexe3700
      @alexe3700 2 месяца назад +4

      You haven't finished the key, but not because you are afraid to finish.
      You're afraid of finding you can't finish.
      You're afraid to go down to where the stones stand, but not because you're afraid of what may come once you enter the circle.
      You are afraid of what may not come.
      You're not afraid of the great world, Eddie, but of the small one inside yourself.

    • @Noplayster13
      @Noplayster13 2 месяца назад +2

      You and me both, brother.

  • @kempiro
    @kempiro 2 месяца назад +181

    It baffles me a little bit: writing a novel, sitting down over the course of years often, just putting to paper your own ideas, opinions, visions, enthusiasm. It has to be among the most self-esteem ridden things a human can do with their time. And yet, so many people don't seem to have access to that basic truth of the writing life. Whether the book even gets read by another person or not, you've given this time, all this effort, worked your own creative edge as hard as possible, to yourself. To your dreams.
    Whether we realize it or not, writing is self-esteem in action.

    • @idb1183
      @idb1183 2 месяца назад +9

      That's a beautiful way to look at it, thanks

    • @joelmarin5890
      @joelmarin5890 2 месяца назад +5

      I like that

    • @neofulcrum5013
      @neofulcrum5013 2 месяца назад +14

      As someone who suffered with self esteem for most of my Iife and am writing a novel, thank you for putting it like that.

  • @AlexDuggan68
    @AlexDuggan68 2 месяца назад +50

    I started writing at the age of fifty. Self published both true crime and fiction. The things ive learnt are: Go through the process of self publishing a book, its about progress not perfection. You will learn more writing your fourth book than rewriting your first all over again. You will know you are good when writing feels like playing music. Nobody picks up a guitar for the first time and plays an amazing solo. Dont write for fame, write for eternity. Your work is something that didnt exist in the universe until you created it, and will still be here when you're gone. Van Gogh never sold a painting while he was alive; if you were the literary equivalent, would you rather has his talent or sell a few mediocre books?

    • @KatAdVictoriam
      @KatAdVictoriam 2 месяца назад +2

      Great advice!!!

    • @canaisyoung3601
      @canaisyoung3601 Месяц назад

      Well, I don't want to cut my ear off, so I'll stick with the few mediocre books. With the way we praise mediocrity as excellence, they might be masterpieces in the making.

  • @akeelahbruce1821
    @akeelahbruce1821 2 месяца назад +114

    I write fanfiction.... the most negative thing I've received recently was them complaining that I didn't publish the chapter in months.
    I am outlining an original novel. Meaning it isnt fanfiction 😁

    • @missAlice1990
      @missAlice1990 2 месяца назад +7

      That's great! When I was writing fanfiction I got comments that I should be ashamed of my writing. It happened 10 years ago, maybe more. The person that wrote doesn't even remember it most likely but I'm here, still thinking about it...

    • @scloftin8861
      @scloftin8861 2 месяца назад +11

      Fan fiction writer also ... I have a couple of fans and a good number of "where's the rest of this" queries. I've also been told once that my writing caused the commenter to lose the ability to do higher math ... Best of luck on your original. If you can, invest in some help for marketing. Fan fiction has a built in audience. Original doesn't ... unless you let everyone on your fan fic list know what you're doing! Again, go for it!!!!

    • @tymondabrowski12
      @tymondabrowski12 2 месяца назад +3

      If your fanfiction is popular, use some of the common marketing strategies like mailing lists for people interested in your writing. Mailing lists in particular sound outdated but it's recommended by a marketing expert for indie games, so for an audience that you'd think be even less likely to subscribe.

    • @plebdoge7509
      @plebdoge7509 2 месяца назад +2

      currently writing a rather long One Piece fanfic where all the characters are my own, simply put in the OP world. It's not popular enough for me to get enough feedback but hey, maybe once I reach chapter 200 (I'm at 113 rn)

  • @apocalypso3427
    @apocalypso3427 2 месяца назад +99

    I have been a writer for over 30 years and have never published any of my fiction due to a horrible combination of imposter syndrome and fear of failure. Currently I fight to even finish a novel because if I'm not going to publish, what's the point? I've also lost my entire stash of finished work not once, not twice, but three times during the past few decades due to a multitude of reasons (house fire, rogue lightning that decided my computer had to die, etc.), which is one of the most gut-wrenching things to happen to a creative. I'm finally fighting to finish my current project and I've got writer friends who are refusing to let me talk my way out of finishing it or publishing it. And even though the imposter syndrome is still showing itself, after 30 years of daily practice and studying the craft, I think I can finally push through it. As for the fear of failure, after 30 years I don't even care if it sells a single copy...just finishing it will be a huge win for me. TL;DR: Keep going. The only way to get better is to keep trying

    • @ottz2506
      @ottz2506 2 месяца назад +4

      some of my fear stems from, bizarrely, fear of a certain type of success. I'd hate to be a successful writer for all the wrong reasons. Sure, you made bank and you're well known but your stories are wildly mocked as bad writing and used to make people feel better about their writing e.g ' It's a better love story than [your book name]'. So the success wouldn't be worth it at all and my mind would be plagued with 'God, I wish I never wrote this' especially if close friends and relatives were being regularly bullied or mocked for being associated with me.
      Basically, I'm sure some members of Stephenie Meyer's family have at least once wished she hadn't written the Twilight series.

    • @fragwagon
      @fragwagon 2 месяца назад +3

      I'm with you, apocalypso. If I finish the rough draft at all, it scores a major personal victory. One step at a time. Actually, writing in itself has taught me some great perseverance lessons - one word at a time, I’ll get there. We'll get there (and let's back up our work, ha!)

    • @ottz2506
      @ottz2506 2 месяца назад +6

      @@fragwagon I finish a manuscript and remind myself that even if I don’t ever get published, I can still use it as an example to people that I can commit to a project and see it to the end even if the end is just to have a draft.

    • @fragwagon
      @fragwagon 2 месяца назад +2

      @ottz2506 same with me. I've never finished anything, and have the end in sight here. Got a solid outline, but an ambitious story with a big ending that I've been dragging my feet on.

    • @lisev415
      @lisev415 2 месяца назад +3

      When i finish something, even if just a paragraph, i send it to myself via email

  • @KatAdVictoriam
    @KatAdVictoriam 2 месяца назад +24

    After working on my first novel for over 5 years, taking the leap to self-publish was one of the most terrifying things I've ever done. I didn't tell anyone I was doing it and hoped it might be seen by one person somewhere, somehow. It's first 24 hours up I made 755 KDP page reads and earned almost $4 in royalties. For me, that was an enormous victory because I had zero expectations. No reviews came with those reads but it's the fact it was read and downloaded at all that keeps me encouraged to finish the series and brave the process. Self-publishing and by that I mean doing everything by yourself, sent me to tears multiple times because it's arduous. Tedious. A learning curve. I've had to take the book down to fix formatting errors for example.
    Just here to say that this video is encouraging and I want to encourage anyone reading to complete their work and keep writing and publish if it's your dream. The voice that says you're crap or "only" getting a few readers and zero reviews means you're trash might not be entirely accurate. Keep going.

    • @apocalypso3427
      @apocalypso3427 2 месяца назад +1

      But you DID it

    • @KatAdVictoriam
      @KatAdVictoriam 2 месяца назад +1

      @@apocalypso3427 Thank you! I get really down on myself and am super perfectionistic about my writing but it was a life goal to do it. I hope you will accomplish that dream for yourself too.

    • @apocalypso3427
      @apocalypso3427 2 месяца назад +1

      @@KatAdVictoriam Thank you! I'm determined that I'm going to be successful at it this time :D I'm also a perfectionist about my writing and get down on myself...we can be really awful to ourselves...but - just look at how amazing this comment section is on this video. As mean as we all seem to be to ourselves, we sure do support each other! It's beautiful and inspiring to see :D I'm so happy you achieved a life goal! Maybe next time you'll be able to be a little easier on yourself since you've done it before :)

    • @narnia1233
      @narnia1233 2 месяца назад +3

      I am new to the writer side, but I’ve been an editor (non-professional) for several years. I know there are websites where you can post your writing for editors to review. I think there are some that keep your work contractually confidential.
      Anyways, it might be a good idea. So you get feedback on your books.

    • @user-ets
      @user-ets 2 месяца назад

      ​@@narnia1233Can you name these websites please?

  • @pmull6784
    @pmull6784 2 месяца назад +23

    I read in an interview, Stephen King said, "I just wrote a book called, 'It'. Should have called it, 'Sh*t'." It happens...

  • @ladyjatheist2763
    @ladyjatheist2763 2 месяца назад +30

    bitter and burnt out? Been there did that.. Quit writing for about a decade, it almost killed me to deny the need to exercise creativity, that was after my first book... 11 books (working on number 12) later. I'm happy as a clam just getting them out there.. Doin it for me!

  • @duckdialectics8810
    @duckdialectics8810 2 месяца назад +22

    1) Gonna get your book, I was unaware of its existence
    2) All you said is true, and there is that plus that I think I commented on your first video that I watched, a couple of months back: writing is mystified by almost everybody. Schools treat it in the worst ways possible, with methods that are not very effective for dozens of reasons, plus it is almost exclusively essays. Almost all people that want to write have no idea what exercises they should do, how practice in the context of writing works, how reading plays into that, how translation plays into that, how having a community is half the job, etc etc.
    One of the most fun exercises I ever did was rewriting a Keats poem as a Weird Horror short story. We did that for Grad School (so see how far we were from the average educational experience of the average person), we did that to test semiotic translation (Jakobson jargon for translating one genre/media into another). It was super fun.
    Last, but not least, people don't understand how plagiarism works in writing, that kinda clicked for me seeing illustrators discussing their processes, and they have it very well articulated the difference from designing from references/allusion from plagiarism. I don't feel people have "process" very clear in the context of writing.
    Keep up the good work

  • @Garrison_the_Barbarian
    @Garrison_the_Barbarian 2 месяца назад +4

    As a self-published author who also posts stuff online, yeah, this video is exactly what I needed to hear today. I constantly feel like shit because it's a long time between writing sessions, or doing anything creative, for that matter. I'm a schizophrenic and autistic person with a broken spirit, so that's probably why I'm mentally exhausted all the time. But you know what? Just like you said, I'm not a loser. I'm just in a tremendous amount of emotional pain. My writing career will continue until my heart stops beating. It'll be a slow agonizing crawl instead of hitting the ground running, but I won't turn back now or ever. Thank you for the encouragement! You're fantastic!

  • @robertrdbrooks7658
    @robertrdbrooks7658 2 месяца назад +10

    Thank You. It has been said. It takes 7 compliments to overcome 1 insult.
    👍💥

  • @heal41hp
    @heal41hp 2 месяца назад +14

    I find it frustrating that other artistic media, like painting and singing, can so readily be shared. You can post a short on RUclips and get massive attention. But there's no quick and snappy way to share writing.

    • @stoneyq4259
      @stoneyq4259 2 месяца назад +5

      I have been performing music for a long time unsuccessfully and i can promise you the oversaturation of music in these mediums make it almost impossible to get your work out and seen

    • @narnia1233
      @narnia1233 2 месяца назад +1

      I kind of disagree in a way with this. There are websites where you can get reviews by editors and have the editors sign non-disclosures. Plus it is possible to change from writing traditional novels to writing for video games for example.
      I’ve been a non-professional editor for a couple of years as a side hobby. But now I’m starting to work on writing my own story and making my own video game out of it.
      I’m kind of lucky in the sense I’ve found a niche community that’s pretty active. So I’m pretty sure that there’ll be some feedback.
      But yeah, it is possible nowadays to do this.
      You might even consider getting on discord and looking for a team to bring your story to life as a video game.
      Because there’s actually a lot of artists, programmers, etc. out there who are wanting to make something for free just to practice working on something.
      A lot of times these people making indie video games aren’t really great at writing-just being frank-and so if someone came in with a completed story and was willing to adapt it to a game that would definitely be desirable I think for some video game team out there.

  • @ianbrooks4516
    @ianbrooks4516 2 месяца назад +2

    Whether Im any good as a writer is difficult for me to know, nobody has read my stuff yet, but I know Im better than I was when I compare myself to when I first started writing.

  • @TheDukeofMadness
    @TheDukeofMadness 2 месяца назад +5

    One of the best books I've ever read I found in a remainder bin in Dulles Airport. It's called Weight of the City by Will Rhode. I've asked at several top end book stores and they've never heard of the book or the writer. It has of the 13th of June 2024 zero reviews on Amazon and it came out in 2007.

    • @apocalypso3427
      @apocalypso3427 2 месяца назад +2

      Maybe you should give it a review :) I'm sure the author would be over the moon to hear that his book is one of your favorites!

  • @deborahminter6231
    @deborahminter6231 2 месяца назад +13

    Criticism does not necessarily mean your a bad writer. It's the same as creating a painting or a sketch, noticing the flaw improves the entire composition. Although authors and critics may occasionally focus on the flaws it does not mean an author is a bad writer. And of course it's up to the author to weigh a piece of advice or criticism and choose which may or may not apply their work.

    • @jacksonhorrocks4281
      @jacksonhorrocks4281 2 месяца назад +2

      Also, getting criticism means someone felt your writing significant enough to take the time

    • @melodyhollis4422
      @melodyhollis4422 Месяц назад

      I think writers need to be really choosey about who they let read their work for critique (reader reviews aside). You want to feel like the person who is critiquing your work is someone you trust and respect, otherwise, you won't really know whether or not their perspective is trustworthy. I've taken a lot of amateur writing classes/intro-level college writing classes, and that, in my opinion is the worst place to get critique. You are just opening your vulnerable self up to random strangers who may not even like the genre you write in, who may not be well-read, and may just be half-assing the assignment to give feedback...but as a new writer, you will absolutely be haunted for the rest of your life by that person who half-assed their critique and said they got bored while reading your chapter. I never got any useful feedback from other students in those classes, and I spent about 8 years not writing after getting useless, low-effort feedback that only served to stifle my creativity. I am still trying to decide whether it is worth putting my writing out into the world, or whether I should just keep it for myself. In my mind, my writing could actually be the most boring thing anyone has ever written, or it could be interesting to the right person who actually enjoys reading the genre I write in. I have no idea and I am way gun shy about letting random strangers read & critique my work.

  • @Oakleaf012
    @Oakleaf012 2 месяца назад +3

    Honestly this video just reminded me why I got the hell out of publishing 😅 I couldn’t write for years after. But now I think I have a better conception of my writing: if it makes me happy, then it’s good!

  • @MilnaAlen
    @MilnaAlen 2 месяца назад +5

    It probably helps that I'm a fanfic writer, I don't get rejections and negative comments really. Just ignored and the occasional positive comment 😅
    I feel like I'm pretty good at some parts of writing, but still struggle with writing a long story. And with polishing/finishing up my writing when it's not graded and have a deadline.
    It's definitely an ADHD problem, and lack of practice. My writing is basically 90% complete, an awkward patchwork of brilliant and mediocre parts. But my ADHD is definitely also my strengtht, the source of my creativity and associative thinking!

    • @MilnaAlen
      @MilnaAlen 2 месяца назад +3

      I would definitely benefit from a co-writer or editor tbh. Unfortunately I write very niche stuff, and I can't afford to pay an editor for a fanfic 😅
      But hey, Nijinsky's book is also not that good in some places, it doesn’t make the beautiful and brilliant parts any less so. Definitely turns off readers though...

  • @Arygo87
    @Arygo87 2 месяца назад +4

    I recently looked at the best earning movies of the past 40 years and that point is true , money doesn't mean it's good. Making loads of cash with a story probably means it appeals to a wide audience.

  • @yoavjacoby8246
    @yoavjacoby8246 2 месяца назад +2

    I'm definitely the second type lol.
    I'm only writing my first book and I feel like it's really good, while conciously knowing I should probably not expect too much success with it.

  • @jesterjay420
    @jesterjay420 2 месяца назад +4

    Writing storylines in a group dynamic…head-hopping every other paragraph 😳

  • @littlefiddlechick1513
    @littlefiddlechick1513 2 месяца назад +3

    I already wrote a book Mr. Fix It and Miss Sue but it is not that popular but I got some good feedback form friends, family and strangers to help my story evolve into what it is now.❤

  • @SpanishEclectic
    @SpanishEclectic 2 месяца назад +5

    This is great! The explanation of the timeline from writing the book to reviews of the published book 'years later' makes so much sense. I wonder how many authors make it a point to never go back and read their old published work. Would you cringe? Or be overcome by the urge to go back and tweak? Or (gasp!) do a complete re-write? I like that your advice is not 'one size fits all'.

  • @ottz2506
    @ottz2506 2 месяца назад +7

    With the 'we concentrate on the negative reviews' point, my mind does this and justifies focusing on that by saying 'hey, if you look at the positive reviews at all, it's clear you're just avoiding criticism and you're only reading what you want to read. You shouldn't be one of those people who only read the nice comments, so you're better off just focusing on the negatives because there's bound to be some good advice in there'.

    • @Bookfox
      @Bookfox  2 месяца назад +3

      Isn't it funny how we try to justify our self-sabotaging behavior? Right there with you.

    • @ottz2506
      @ottz2506 2 месяца назад +1

      @@Bookfox I think it has been harder to not justify it because there are actually writers who are like this and so my thought process justifies itself by saying that you're just protecting yourself from becoming a bad or worse writer. "Don't do this or else you'll become like that".
      In reality, it often ends up turning into procrastination and self sabotage, but in the moment, it seems logical.

    • @corkydouglas
      @corkydouglas 2 месяца назад

      I love negative feedback. In a vast majority of cases, if I can distance myself from it just a little bit and zoom out, I end up agreeing with it. There's no faster way to learn from mistakes.

    • @ottz2506
      @ottz2506 2 месяца назад

      @@corkydouglas funnily enough that's the reason why my inner critic tells me to focus on only the negative feedback at all.

  • @The3dge
    @The3dge 2 месяца назад +3

    Good points on the criticism to compliment ratio. This applies in a lot of professions.

  • @travisstoll3582
    @travisstoll3582 2 месяца назад +3

    I think this is your strongest video. I really enjoyed it.

    • @Bookfox
      @Bookfox  2 месяца назад +2

      Wow, thank you! Glad you enjoyed it.

  • @shepherd_of_art
    @shepherd_of_art Месяц назад +1

    "It is an honour to even have 100 readers." This is the absolute best takeaway here I think! We should all be writing with this in mind.

  • @DianaTBlack
    @DianaTBlack 2 месяца назад +3

    Thank you, John...subscribing and acquiring...best wishes

    • @Bookfox
      @Bookfox  2 месяца назад +2

      Much appreciated!

  •  2 месяца назад

    Honestly I kind of go back and forth about thinking I’m great and bad, I’m aware of my weaknesses (I need to get better at descriptions big time) but it kind of scares me. I want to create amazing stories chalked full of subtle and valuable advice. I want to literally want to help change people for the better through my writing, if a self centered person reads my book I want my stories to help them look at the world from others viewpoints. Also if someone contains a lot of hate in their heart I want them to realize nothing good comes from it. I do it for myself as well. I don’t know if it’s like this for others but when I’m writing I feel like I’m there and I’m living it. Which kind of helps me through my social anxiety.

  • @LiteraryStoner
    @LiteraryStoner 2 месяца назад +6

    #7 blew my mind. I never thought of the fact that it seems to be only art that people get imposter syndrome. Thank you!

    • @shadowsayer1516
      @shadowsayer1516 2 месяца назад +4

      He's dead wrong on this one. Everyone, especially in any technical field, gets imposter syndrome. It's very common and discussed pretty widely.

    • @LiteraryStoner
      @LiteraryStoner 2 месяца назад

      @@shadowsayer1516 Then... we're all equally faking it? 😂That seems oddly uplifting to in a way to me.

    • @corkydouglas
      @corkydouglas 2 месяца назад +2

      Software engineer here and it hits me HARD on a regular basis.
      Fake it tell you make it my fellow imposters.

    • @shadowsayer1516
      @shadowsayer1516 2 месяца назад

      @@LiteraryStoner For sure take solace in knowing you're not the only one who feels like you're going to be exposed! lol.

  • @MichaelRSchultheiss
    @MichaelRSchultheiss 2 месяца назад +2

    Excellent video! I relate to all of these, or at least to their indie equivalents (I'm self-published). I'm passionate about leveling up as a writer, so I bought your book and I'm looking forward to reading it.

  • @thenondualisticmystic
    @thenondualisticmystic 2 месяца назад +2

    This video transformed my outlook. Thank you.

  • @TedMattos
    @TedMattos 24 дня назад

    03:21 - "Comparison is the thief of joy." - Theodore Roosevelt.
    I used to tell my students (elementary school) - "It's unfair to compare your chapter one to somebody else's chapter 20."
    Compare yourself to yourself a week ago. THAT is fair.
    Now to live by my own advice! LOL
    Thank you for the video!

  • @yajy4501
    @yajy4501 2 месяца назад +1

    All you have to do to tell if your writing is good is show it to other writers. If they hate it, it’s probably good. If they give you a lot of compliments, it’s probably bad. Writers are a competitive bunch. They get more critical when they detect competition.

  • @BEAUTYFUL18
    @BEAUTYFUL18 2 месяца назад +1

    I BEEN DOUBTING MY ABILITIES FOR OVER 20 YEARS. I WAS ALWAYS A WRITER, I CAN WRITE ANY THING. I EVEN WRITE MY OWN QUOTES.

  • @jayarrington240
    @jayarrington240 2 месяца назад +2

    Thanks Bookfox. I'm really enjoying your posts. Very encouraging, very clear. Compelling, actually. Nice work. Keep posting.

  • @tmurphy3382
    @tmurphy3382 2 месяца назад +2

    This is a practical and encouraging video. Your points are so true. Thanks!

  • @Angbwillinspireu
    @Angbwillinspireu 2 месяца назад +2

    I just discovered your channel, and I am so thankful.❤

  • @kierasthoughts2480
    @kierasthoughts2480 2 месяца назад

    I’ve published various books and I have a handful of readers that I can count on one hand. I’m okay with that.

  • @RazuTales
    @RazuTales 2 месяца назад +2

    This was just the video I needed ❤

  • @sarahsander785
    @sarahsander785 Месяц назад

    "I'm not good enough. I will never be a writer. Nobody will read this." - I had this thought while revising a manuscript based on suggestions I get from my publisher (!) after signing a debut deal over a series (!). My friend constantly needed to remind me of that. I had already accomplished something spectacular with more or less just the main character and setting and tone of the novel. But yet I had never self-doubt as big as when I was revising that one manuscript.

  • @aix83
    @aix83 2 месяца назад +4

    I guess this video is only for trad published writers. Amateur writers are absolutely NOT their own worst critics. That's why 99.99% of what they write is unpublishable drivel.

  • @omeuprimeiroromance
    @omeuprimeiroromance Месяц назад

    Your vídeos are superb! Thanks :D

  • @Beatrixarts0
    @Beatrixarts0 2 месяца назад

    I'm an artist who want to make my story into an illustration. I am coming back into writing again and maybe I'll draw it digitally someday. This really helps me a lot ❤

  • @WankiTank
    @WankiTank 2 месяца назад

    I think you are one of my favorite human beings on this platform by now

  • @sarahsander785
    @sarahsander785 Месяц назад

    I will share a little secret I learned while reading on the life of classical composers:
    There was this guy named Franz Schubert who wrote an extensive amount of music. Mostly he made popular poems into songs, but he also wrote bigger pieces. He was great, he was extremly talented and fielld with passion to the point that he just could not not write music. He would stray away from an ongoing party to write down his ideas. He would skip his work as a teacher to compose. But he lacked a good sense of himself and his talent. He wasn't able to live off his music at all, even when his friends (who were also artists and one was what you would call an agent nowadays) tried to help him. Schubert died young, poor and would've been forgotten if not for his friends who saved as much of his work as they could. Franz Schubert is the base of middle-european folk songs today. But I wonder if you've ever heard of him.
    Then, a generation and a half later, at the end of the 19th century, there was this guy named Richard Wagner. I bet you all have heared of him. He wrote opera based on middle European folklore and Germanic mythology. He was venerated by Hitler (with whom he had several things in common, tbh. But the cause of the veneration might be Wagner's wife. I degress). Thing is, his music might be bombastic, but mediocore. His works where too long, too tiresome (as stated by several contemporaries of him, one of which was Tchaikowski). There are even accounts of him stealing works from other composers, at least Franz Liszt (who was his father-in-law). But Wagner, this angry little misanthropical man, had one thing Schubert lacked: He had self-esteem for a whole army. He would go and pester rich people to pay him for his works. He would send out chrsitmas cards and birthday greetings with pictures of him and his wife to every single person who was unfortunate enough to give him their address. He would go begging for regocnition. And it worked. Wagner was a pretty rich guy, especially for a composer at that time. He was rich enough to build his own opera theatre, for God's sake. Was he a terrible person? Probably. An unlikable fellow? For sure. Did he display any talent? Maybe, but there were better composers in his day. What he did great was marketing and networking. The only skill Schubert lacked.
    What I want to say with this: The art industry (not only writng, but all of the arts) is, like almost every industry, made for excentric and somewhat self-centered people. But only for those who are loud and shameless in their endeavors. The rest of us needs luck as well as skill. And that's the reason why you will find sloppy, badly written works in the listings of publishers. Because thos authors know how to sell themselves and this in turn makes their books marketable. At least that's my take from this.
    That said, I prefer the path in between those two individuals. Persitence, luck and a steady honing of my skills with a look back on the lives of some composers (really, they are authors, just writing with sounds instead of words) who struggled, but perveiled in the end. Don't be Wagner. But try to be Liszt or even better, Chopin. I think Chopin's life illustrates it well. A talented, but extremly introverted guy meeting the right people, be ready to let them help him and sh** on his critics (but he was very self-critical). I will forever treasure his statement after he failed having success in Germany: "I am to quiet for German ears" - and thus stayed in France, where he was really popular.

  • @nathangrover1655
    @nathangrover1655 2 месяца назад

    Thank you for this. Much needed.

  • @myself2noone
    @myself2noone 2 месяца назад +1

    I am the greetest! Now I am leafing earth for no raisin!

  • @joshuabjohnson88
    @joshuabjohnson88 2 месяца назад +5

    I'm a plumber, and yes, I certainly have imposter syndrome.

  • @levvellene570
    @levvellene570 2 месяца назад

    Heh, that thing about feedback (somewhere in the middle) is so true! I absolute hate it when Amazon, or whoever, sends me a mail and asks me to submit a review. Well, I can give it 'stars' it looks like at first, and that's quick and OK, but THEN the blighters suddenly want me to actually waste my time writing a review of sorts. I hated that in school, and I still hate it too many decades later! My reaction to books are either 'Meh' (I find another book to read), 'Well, not too bad' (I finish it), or 'WOW' (I start looking for another book by the same author immediately after I'm finished).

  • @alfredomaclaughlin1185
    @alfredomaclaughlin1185 2 месяца назад

    Thanks John! I'll keep this one saved for when I need it! =)

  • @robertrdbrooks7658
    @robertrdbrooks7658 2 месяца назад +1

    Brian? I think your names Brian Fox? After hobbling around with arthritis for 5 years, last year I had succumb to it. Unfortunately, I suffer from hips erosion. I became disabled, loosing my housekeeping job. (I loved). Instead of sitting around feeling sorry for myself, I decided to do something I've always wanted. Write a book! And boy was I surprised! Starting with, Show don't tell, the long lists I've been collecting polishing, sharpening my writing skills? I compare writing to. Painting with words. After receiving my 2nd. prosthetic hip replacement implant 2 weeks ago. I've graduated from the wheelchair to the walker, to the cane, hobbling around. I've enjoyed gaming Dungeons and Dragons over the years. An, idea came to me one day. Why not take these little collections of adventures and put them in a book. I'm 3/4th's through self editing. My friend's Dungeons and Dragons (like) adventures. Thank You Brian for you much needed help!
    👍💥

  • @BoWestcott
    @BoWestcott 2 месяца назад

    🙏🏻👍😊thanks…very encouraging ✏️😃

  • @oldguyinstanton
    @oldguyinstanton 2 месяца назад

    Thank you.

  • @LaFabin
    @LaFabin 2 месяца назад

    please!! teach us on how to promote our book before it is finished 😭🙏 (sorry if my english is bad

  • @theAsperist
    @theAsperist 2 месяца назад

    Thanks! ❤️

  • @polibm6510
    @polibm6510 Месяц назад

    In my country to sell 1000 copies means almost a bestseller (definitely for poetry)...

    • @Bookfox
      @Bookfox  Месяц назад

      Well, poetry is another matter entirely.

  • @Kuro_neko_OG
    @Kuro_neko_OG 2 месяца назад

    For absolutely no reason i find my story similar to many fantasy stories out there like the lord of the rongs ,harry potter,the begening after the end ( manhua),star wars when i havent even watched them in my entire life.i wrote the story when i was 16 and still couldnt figure out if its a good thing or a bad thing for the story to be similar to the works already out there.damm its exgausting

  • @ghg8701
    @ghg8701 2 месяца назад

    1. Ratio 0:0
    2. Publish - feedback 0:0
    3....
    I think I need to check it after finishing the first book

  • @stevensandersauthor
    @stevensandersauthor 2 месяца назад

    Excellent

  • @ravensthatflywiththenightm7319
    @ravensthatflywiththenightm7319 2 месяца назад

    Subscribed. 📖

  • @Starburst514
    @Starburst514 2 месяца назад

    Do you have any ideas for when you just can't seem to find a starting point for your book?

  • @rustneversleeps85
    @rustneversleeps85 2 месяца назад +2

    Daily workout will fix all those things. It does something to your brain, raises happiness levels, rewires it. Strenght lifting, bodybuilding, running, brisk walking, anything... I find I get my best ideas and solutions to problems in the gym! Many writers would agree, Joyce Carol Oates and Murakami to name two.

  • @AceFreehley
    @AceFreehley 2 месяца назад +1

    Been in the self published world about 10 years. I've noticed the majority of texts produced stink. Like a lot. The problem being, the author oftentimes are delusional and think they are truly great when in reality they struggle with writing correct language, varied sentences, avoiding repetition. And I haven't even started to discuss if the story is compelling or not.
    Some bare minimums for the aspiring author.
    1. No spelling errors.
    2. The characters keep their names through the story.
    There, now you are 1% on the way.

  • @YouilAushana
    @YouilAushana 2 месяца назад

    1:11 - "Criticisms are like tapeworms, they stick with us. Compliments are like lollipops, taste good in the moment then they are gone."

  • @danielyeatts491
    @danielyeatts491 2 месяца назад

    I don't get negative feedback - I just get rejection notices. That isn't the same as negative feedback, I just haven't yet been published which FEELS adjacent to negative feedback.

  • @richardbuchanan7124
    @richardbuchanan7124 2 месяца назад +1

    The problem is, you could be talking to someone who thinks he's a better writer than he actually is.

    • @Bookfox
      @Bookfox  2 месяца назад

      Yep -- tried to address this at the end of the video.

  • @corkydouglas
    @corkydouglas 2 месяца назад +2

    As a software engineer I am intensely familiar with Imposter Syndrome - it's always present with my writing too but I'm used to squashing it from my choice of career at least.
    I'm in the final stages of reviewing my first book before I self-publish and unleash it on the world in the next few weeks. I just remind myself every time I work on it: "even if people think it sucks, a crappy published book is infinitely better than no published books."
    I could end up with only one star reviews - but that's better than all the people who couldn't even get that far. Even if people hate it, I can use that feedback as a learning experience and do better next time.

  • @danibleglitch7092
    @danibleglitch7092 2 месяца назад

    Good video

  • @mr.foxasmg
    @mr.foxasmg Месяц назад

    I want criticism but im not getting it just compliments,
    Its nice but i wanna know where I went wrong.
    Sometimes I think they're just being nice to me

    • @The_Xutsiders
      @The_Xutsiders Месяц назад

      If you have your work posted online somewhere I'd be willing to help you out :)

  • @KRbopper
    @KRbopper 2 месяца назад

    Hello, I'm an aspiring writer with an odd question. I had a passion for creating stories for years, but I have no talent. I was born with a litany of mental disabilities and with a low IQ. Despite my attempts, I've been unable to improve my intelligence in a way that would yield any merit, both in writing and in a number of pursuits. I'm in my late 40s and I believe it's too late to build any career in writing.I've been wasting my time and energy in trying to write a number of books to no avail. This passion for story creation will not leave me. Any advice on how to eliminate this passion for writing? It's not going anywhere and there is no extrinsic value for me if I continue with this dream.

    • @SaraL22
      @SaraL22 2 месяца назад

      Dungeons and Dragons is a great outlet for creativity and storytelling

  • @SkepticalSkeptic
    @SkepticalSkeptic 2 месяца назад +1

    But if were all better writers then the criteria for average goes up and if the criteria goes up then we’re all technically still the same

  • @neofulcrum5013
    @neofulcrum5013 2 месяца назад

    I’m still doing my rough draft, The writer’s bloc is hitting hard because of the fear it might not be good.

    • @sean748
      @sean748 2 месяца назад

      A first draft unfinished will always be bad - a first draft done is only worse than the second.

  • @MM-ki7ic
    @MM-ki7ic 2 месяца назад

    I have a book that I wrote it 3 years ago and published it on Wattpad where I got good reviews. I’m now publishing on kdp. I am already feeling distant from it and cannot bring myself to immerse into it. Every single step feels tedious. When I wrote it I was very passionate about the story but now I cringe at it. I already feel it’s going to flop and I’ll make a fool of myself in front of friends and family. I haven’t let any of them read it and will be using a pen name so no one can trace it back to me 😢😢😂😂😂

  • @neosapienz7885
    @neosapienz7885 2 месяца назад +1

    Yes I think I’m a terrible writer, but I’m a hoarder, so I don’t throw anything away.

  • @adriang6259
    @adriang6259 3 дня назад

    Yeah, I think I’m a way better editor than writer. And I see heaps of crap that I often think, I’d have written that differently/better and how did that get published? And that’s not hubris, some things published are just dross. It gives me hope that someone will like my crap.
    I think I’m between okay and good. No illusions about that.

  • @ascorvinus
    @ascorvinus 2 месяца назад

    I’m an author who works as a pharmacy technician in my day job. I get imposter syndrome in both roles 😂😭

  • @ProgLover77
    @ProgLover77 2 месяца назад

    I would to send you my book

  • @johndoe-rq1pu
    @johndoe-rq1pu 2 месяца назад

    These don’t really support the premise of the video though. E.g. If lag time between publishing is a sign that you’re a better writer, does frequent publication mean you’re a worse writer? Maybe the title was just an engagement trap, in which case you win I guess.

    • @Bookfox
      @Bookfox  2 месяца назад +1

      It just means you've improved between books, but the feedback you're getting is for your earlier writing self.

    • @johndoe-rq1pu
      @johndoe-rq1pu 2 месяца назад

      ​@@Bookfox So, if we begin with the assumption that someone is improving over time, we can show that they are improving over time? Yes, agreed.

  • @What-is-a-handle-is-it-a-tag
    @What-is-a-handle-is-it-a-tag Месяц назад

    Watching this video having never written more than 20 words:
    👁️👄👁️

  • @matthewkjames4498
    @matthewkjames4498 2 месяца назад

    I can't get people to sell 20 copies

  • @bluecannibaleyes
    @bluecannibaleyes 2 месяца назад

    I don’t know, I think I’m just as good of writer as I think I am. But I think no one will ever really appreciate my talent because if the LeBron James of the book world is any indication, most people would rather read badly written smvt instead of decent writing. Apparently that makes me a bad writer for thinking that, though.

  • @trump9075
    @trump9075 2 месяца назад +2

    1. You make a living from writing

  • @djohns9295
    @djohns9295 2 месяца назад

    Truly you have a dizzying intellect.

  • @zagorsk1
    @zagorsk1 3 часа назад

    "you read lebron james books"
    I rarely read at all.

  • @sultanalshirah
    @sultanalshirah 2 месяца назад +1

    Am here again procrastinating my writing by watching video about writing. Am not mad at myself, just disappointed.

  • @purplechili2512
    @purplechili2512 2 месяца назад

    I wish I knew how to promote my book so I wouldn't be a bad writer according to you

  • @cerebrumexcrement
    @cerebrumexcrement 2 месяца назад

    just here for my dose of ego. 😅

  • @kell_checks_in
    @kell_checks_in 2 месяца назад

    Amazon is not the world.

  • @JesusSaves383
    @JesusSaves383 2 месяца назад

    Jesus-Christ is Lord and Savior. Whoever believes in him will not perish, but have Eternal Life 🙏

  • @melindamara8802
    @melindamara8802 2 месяца назад

    Since you took my comment down, i will not follow you. And i reported you.

  • @duskgod
    @duskgod Месяц назад

    I just want to chime in and say that software engineers DEFINITELY also get imposter syndrome 😭😅

  • @myself2noone
    @myself2noone 2 месяца назад

    I am the greetest! Now I am leafing earth for no raisin!