Thoughts on your older work?

[Neriad13]

I recently went through the contents of an old thumb drive and was shocked to discover hundreds of pages of things I'd written in the past and even more blown away by what a treasure trove of ideas they were. I tend not to look at my old stuff too often, thinking of it as inferior and blindly charging ahead to write something better. I've even gone so far as to leave behind old stories and poems and whatnot whenever I got a new computer.

But I did find a lot of genuinely good, creative stuff that's worth keeping. The experience wasn't without its cringe-worthy moments, though. A couple stories had me going "Oh, ick. The heck did I write that in first-person?" or "Why is this narrative so rushed?" or "Holy crap, just stop narrating and tell the story" or "Ugh, I would've done that more subtly if I'd written that today."

Of particular interest was this one unfinished short story whose main character was a girl who spoke almost entirely in Old English...in a modern-day High School setting. It was so hilarious to read and ridiculously over the top. I'm almost tempted to go back and finish that one, just to write some more for this one character. The funny thing is, I remember thinking the story was stupid at the time I was writing it.

What's your relationship with your old writings?

 

[dunklunk]

I still have my clippings from my college days, writing for the school's paper. Since I was the sports editor and wrote mostly about sports, there wasn't much space to be creative. Just the facts, ma'am. Definitely wasn't able to "waste" an entire paragraph on setting the mood/scene/character. It was more like: These guys played those guys, and those guys won the game. Interviews. It's a wrap.

Looking at a more recent piece of work, my thesis of eight years ago. Man, time sure flies. But anyway, I'm happy and proud of it, but mostly for my fourth chapter, Findings and Results. I came up with the idea of presenting my findings based on a radio call-in show. I played the host, and I would "take calls" from around the state who might want to ask questions. I also had a Panel of Six. The questions were the actual ones I asked the Panel of Six during my interviews with them whether by phone, or face-to-face. They answered the questions; they pretty much wrote my thesis for me. Well, chapter four anyway.

After my committee signed off on it, I had six copies made and bound in a spiral-type binding and sent a copy to each of the Panel of Six, in appreciation.

 

[Uther Pundragon]

Ah... I have none of my earlier works. None. I wished I did. I think I was a much better writer when I was younger. The stuff I try to write now... well, it can't even compare. If only I could go back in time for just a little while. Back when I could write dozens or stories of any length and they were all good. Now I struggle with writing a few paragraphs a week. I think our older selves tend to be more critical then when we were younger and sometimes that plays a huge role in how things unfold. At least in my opinion.

 

[imaginepageant]

I always feel somewhat embarassed, reading through things I wrote when I was a teenager. I suppose some of my ideas had merit, but most were over the top, emotional trainwrecks of plots; the technical quality of the writing itself also started out quite cringe-worthy. But, I do enjoy seeing how I improved and evolved as a writer over time, and it makes me appreciate all that I know about writing today.

I think we should all share some older work of ours for a laugh.

 

[Neriad13]

Ah... I have none of my earlier works. None. I wished I did. I think I was a much better writer when I was younger. The stuff I try to write now... well, it can't even compare. If only I could go back in time for just a little while. Back when I could write dozens or stories of any length and they were all good. Now I struggle with writing a few paragraphs a week. I think our older selves tend to be more critical then when we were younger and sometimes that plays a huge role in how things unfold. At least in my opinion.

The way I see things is this:

At this stage in your life, at this very moment, you know more than you have ever known before. You have seen more than you've ever seen before. You've read the most you've ever read thus far. As the hours go on by, you've lived through the most life that you've ever lived through before. You're at your smartest and strongest right now - and there is no place to go but up. While I do think that my older work has a certain youthful vividness that can't easily be replicated, I also think that my current work makes up for it in depth.

The way I managed to tear down a good chunk of the "barrier of awkwardness" that's made up of assorted negative thoughts toward writing including excessive self-criticism, shyness in expressing opinions and feelings and whatever else, through journaling. My rules are and continue to be this:

1. You must write at the very least, one entry per day, of variable length. Sentence or novel length - as long as you write so much as one word per day.

2. Whatever you write must be absolutely true. Whatever you say, you cannot lie to the pages and you cannot lie to yourself. Write about hideous, unthinkable things or express admiration that you can't easily say aloud. In doing so, you learn to see and accept things as they are. You take off the veil between your true and physical self and begin to see past the shortcomings of each.

 

[Neriad13]

I always feel somewhat embarassed, reading through things I wrote when I was a teenager. I suppose some of my ideas had merit, but most were over the top, emotional trainwrecks of plots; the technical quality of the writing itself also started out quite cringe-worthy. But, I do enjoy seeing how I improved and evolved as a writer over time, and it makes me appreciate all that I know about writing today.

I think we should all share some older work of ours for a laugh.

Oh, heck yes. And the most ridiculous thing I can dredge up is...Alien Invaders. It's a five volume, multi-generational sci-fi epic that I wrote between the ages of ten and twelve. Unlike a lot of other things, I've meticulously preserved it in solid form for years. I was really proud of it at the time. It was the first big thing I ever wrote, though it is almost entirely written in my nearly unreadable cursive. And honestly, I do believe that it set the tone of everything else to come and was the one thing that really got me into writing.

With that said, does it contain paragraphs? Quotation marks? Proper grammar and spelling? Does any character's name sound remotely realistic? Do I have any concept of the meaning of the word 'alien?' Nope.

The introduction to part two is particularly bad. Exclamation points everywhere, ahhhhhhhhhhhhhh! My eyes...

Alien Invaders II​

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Hi! My name is Zoe. My parents are on a vacation on Mars. I'm staying at my aunt Floria. It is so boring! I've spent most of my time at the library reading about my two favorite heroes! Jessica Leo and Ashley Becker. They saved the world! They made peace with the aliens! The aliens switched bodies with humans and were trying to take over the world! But Ashley and Jessica escaped and saved all these kids from Depew Middle School. They leared to operate the alien's control panel. They were really brave. I've also been reading the dairy of Danny Buckingham. He was a part of the crew and he was trapped on Mars! But when you read alot it gets boring after awhile and you have to find something else to do. Hey! I just got an idea! A really good one! You can get phone numbers and addresses at the library. I could find out where Ashley and Jessica live and give them a call! I walked up to the counter. Um, Mrs. could you give me the adress and phone numbers for Ashley Becker and Jessica Leo? I'm sorry. The numbers are under unlisted. Darn it. So much for that idea. Hey. Maybe I could find their houses myself. Aunt Floria wouldn't let me go out looking for someone's house. Oh ho! I could sneak out tonight. At midnight I heard my alarm clock ring softly. (I'm a light sleeper) I got up and got dressed. I snuck down the stairs and tried to open the door. Darn it. It was locked. I went over to get the house key. Darn it. It wasn't there. I think I know how to pick a lock. I took a toothpick and stuck it in the lock. Then I twisted it around a few times, the door didn't budge. Then the light went on. Miss Zoe Golferman! What are you doing down here? Um, I was just getting a midnight snack. Why is there a toothpick sticking out of the lock? I don't know. I just found it stuck in the door and I was trying to pull it out. And why are you in your clothes? I guess I forgot to change into my pajamas. Aunt Floria narrowed her eyes at me. I went back up the stairs.​

 

[dunklunk]

Oh, heck yes. And the most ridiculous thing I can dredge up is...Alien Invaders. It's a five volume, multi-generational sci-fi epic that I wrote between the ages of ten and twelve. Unlike a lot of other things, I've meticulously preserved it in solid form for years. I was really proud of it at the time. It was the first big thing I ever wrote, though it is almost entirely written in my nearly unreadable cursive. And honestly, I do believe that it set the tone of everything else to come and was the one thing that really got me into writing.

With that said, does it contain paragraphs? Quotation marks? Proper grammar and spelling? Does any character's name sound remotely realistic? Do I have any concept of the meaning of the word 'alien?' Nope.

The introduction to part two is particularly bad. Exclamation points everywhere, ahhhhhhhhhhhhhh! My eyes...

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That deserves a Creative icon, especially for all those years ago!!!!!!

 

[Uther Pundragon]

Heh. Well I find that when I was younger I was way more creative. I mean I didn't know stuff I did now and I was free to do whatever I wanted in regards to writing. I think the more you know, the less creative you can be. Or free. Well, somewhat anyway.

 

[Neriad13]

Heh. Well I find that when I was younger I was way more creative. I mean I didn't know stuff I did now and I was free to do whatever I wanted in regards to writing. I think the more you know, the less creative you can be. Or free. Well, somewhat anyway.

I have to disagree. I'm a big believer in research. I love learning about past civilizations and their customs, what it was really like to be living inside of them. In my opinion, everything you learn opens up the world to you a little bit more. By discovering more, you find out methods of storytelling and plot progression that you never would have known about otherwise.

It's sort of like planning an assassination or breaking out of a prison. The better you know the locale, the cleaner the kill and the swifter the escape.

 

[imaginepageant]

I've also been reading the dairy of Danny Buckingham.

This made me chuckle. Reading the dairy.

 

[Uther Pundragon]

I have to disagree. I'm a big believer in research. I love learning about past civilizations and their customs, what it was really like to be living inside of them. In my opinion, everything you learn opens up the world to you a little bit more. By discovering more, you find out methods of storytelling and plot progression that you never would have known about otherwise.

It's sort of like planning an assassination or breaking out of a prison. The better you know the locale, the cleaner the kill and the swifter the escape.

Well, I should have said for me personally. I mean I can still be creative and all... but that magic you had as a child just seems a bit faded. A bit dated now.