Writing
In reply to the discussion: Why do people who hardly read books think they can be authors? [View all]SheilaT
(23,156 posts)Beyond that, someone who has never tried to write just can't fathom how difficult and tricky it is. Anyone can sit down and type out stuff like this, quick comments that don't need a lot of thought or editing. But to write an entire short story? A novel? Until you've tried you just don't have a clue.
Almost all writers understand that the real secret to writing is rewriting. I'm working on a novel and even though I've been writing for years on and off, and been published once or twice, it's still shocking to me how much work and reworking is involved.
You've also hit on the other basic problem which is that if you want to be a decent writer you have to be a reader. You have to read and read to internalize what goes into making a good work of fiction, and then you need to read and read some more while consciously paying attention to what's gone into making a particular novel work.
Personally, my biggest problem connected to my writing is that I have no one to discuss plotting problems and issues with. I recently tried two different critique groups and they didn't work for me, although I did get some useful feedback. Just not as useful as I'd like. Sigh.
I have discovered a writers conference in Colorado Springs. Went last April, plan to go again next year. I did spend time with one of my fellow writers in the second critique group encouraging her to attend next year. She's actually a good and talented writer, but needs a kind of direction that I, as a fellow novice, can't really give. I'm going to call her up in a couple of months and remind her she ought to attend.