Writing Guilt. Do you ever feel it too?

[HisDivineShadow]

I stopped publishing new chapters in both of my stories so I could finish them without pressure and only then start posting again. I don’t have a big audience.
But my views were steady and readers weren’t dropping the story. Whenever I did post a new chapter, people read it.
But since I paused updates, views dropped to almost zero.
While on RR they’re still slowly growing.
So, do you ever feel guilty because once you start publishing, it feels like you’ve made some kind of promise to your readers?
And when you stop, it feels like you’re breaking that promise?
I’ve been fighting the urge to publish a couple new chapters for the past two weeks. The only thing holding me back is the promise I made to myself not to publish anything until the story is fully written.

 

[Representing_Tromba]

Every time

 

[Deleted member 84247]

Yep, all the time. I have like a Guilt-O-Meter that I'm filling up all the time. Right now it's probably overfilled.

 

[RepresentingWrath]

Yes.

 

[Zenftiy]

You bet

 

[RainyLiquid]

Nope. They get chapters when I post. My life and well-being come before my novel. If I ain't feeling like posting a chapter, they ain't getting a chapter.

 

[ParticleOfSand]

Not exactly guilt, but a constant reminder at the back of my head to start writing instead of doing whatever meaningless thing I'm currently wasting my time on.

 

[HisDivineShadow]

Nope. They get chapters when I post. My life and well-being come before my novel. If I ain't feeling like posting a chapter, they ain't getting a chapter.

For me, it’s more about sticking to promises once they’re made.

 

[Frowfy]

I stopped publishing new chapters in both of my stories so I could finish them without pressure and only then start posting again. I don’t have a big audience.
But my views were steady and readers weren’t dropping the story. Whenever I did post a new chapter, people read it.
But since I paused updates, views dropped to almost zero.
While on RR they’re still slowly growing.
So, do you ever feel guilty because once you start publishing, it feels like you’ve made some kind of promise to your readers?
And when you stop, it feels like you’re breaking that promise?
I’ve been fighting the urge to publish a couple new chapters for the past two weeks. The only thing holding me back is the promise I made to myself not to publish anything until the story is fully written.

I completely vanished for 3 months. My reader number 1 on Webnovel kept donating power stones every single day waiting for me. I was so stressed for the same reason as you and problems with my graduation.

When I came back not all the readers were there, some were harsh, some were happy and he was still there simply saying how grateful he was that I was still there and how much of an inspiration I and my stories were for him. When I opened my notifications and saw consistently his name there and the fact the story still had a lot of stones because of him I felt tremendous guilt.

It was then that I realized how much something I do as a hobby might be important to someone else. I decided to fix my schedule that day and while the readers now are less than before, after half a month they are comming back again with new ones.

I don't feel stressed anymore. I don't know why, I'm simply comfortable writing and doing my best. Some chaptes may be bad, but I just can do my best everyday.

 

[Eldoria]

guilt is human.

 

[Deleted member 166465]

IF you are gonna finish the story, then there is no shame.
Is a pain in the ass for the reader to wait, but maybe is worth it.
In my end, I have never left my (two readers) waiting. If finihs all my stories before I publish, I never publish anything that is incomplete (ever) I always finish all my stories (even if they are trash and I dont publish them).

 

[kosamsel]

Oh, absolutely, although my rationale is slightly different than yours—I post online to keep myself accountable because I’ve learned from experience that without an external motivator I will let my work rot for MONTHS lmao. So if I miss an upload or get stuck in writer’s block, I get frustrated for breaking a pact with myself AND letting down the readers who’ve been kind enough to take a chance on my story, because lord knows they have a hundred thousand other novels they could be reading instead lol.

 

[CharlesEBrown]

Only that the two potentially paid stories have kept me from getting back to Strange Awakening (though Kelly does get a cameo in Chapter 74 of Between Worlds) and the Jack Diamond stories (he's just too much fun to write to abandon completely though).

 

[UndyingFire]

I felt guilt before, but I've mind controled myself to not care. They'll get the chapters when they get 'em.
I still feel it a little sometimes though.

 

[HisDivineShadow]

To post or not to post — that is the question.
?

 

[CheertheSecond]

I did... when I destroyed the power grid of my neighbourhood when I was a kid. Only my family knew but no blamed me.

 

[SirContro]

Damn. I do now.

 

[Bobple]

Do I feel guilt? Yes, but it hasn't been too strong when it comes to writing. I haven't broke any major promises, pretty much only a chapter being late, and the only story I have taken down was an experimental thing that never really got off the ground in the first place.

Any negative emotions that happen during writing are usually a result of other emotions

 

[Kara_dija]

Definitely. I had a such a hectic routine last week I didn't even remember when Thursday came. So I of course, ended up not posting my chapter and boy do I still feel bad about it