I wrote a story as an author but never read it as a reader

[Yuin]

I know this is a major red flag, but once I write a chapter, I don’t look back at it anymore. Until now, I’ve never read my story as a whole, and I’ve ignored all the mistakes because reading my own work is the least enjoyable part for me.
My story has some potential, and I am passionate about it, but the thought of reading it after I’m done writing is just dreadful. Has anyone else felt this way? Or do you usually review your work along with the previous chapters as you go?

 

[VertisGuguChalimoth]

Yep.
After writing a portion of my chapters, I usually take a break cause eh. I dread having to read it all over because I know I'll find some issues and whatnot.
Then again, I usually edit as I go to avoid that.

 

[Daydreamers]

Well, I'm not that good to not look back, I'd read a chapter a million times and edit it a million other times; till I hate my story and do not post it

 

[Yuin]

Yep.
After writing a portion of my chapters, I usually take a break cause eh. I dread having to read it all over because I know I'll find some issues and whatnot.
Then again, I usually edit as I go to avoid that.

I think I accumulated too many words to even be bothered finding out the mistakes like 40k words to correct ahhh it’s gonna be the end of me.

 

[RepresentingCaution]

Before I had a kid, I would write in a paper notebook, not touch it for a few months, type it with some edits, leave it for another month, and spend a week editing the chapter I was about to post. Now, my brain is so fried that I can't even do the first part.

 

[Fairemont]

There was a time when I thought anything I wrote was awful when I re-read it. Well, not awful, just not as good as it could be.

Now, I get the same feeling. I suspect it isn't as good as it could be, or that I screwed up somehow.

Then I read it.

I write some good shit.

 

[CharlesEBrown]

Usually, I reread everything as I upload it and (hopefully) catch the major issues then. Never really liked rereading my own stuff until the first time I had something published - then had fun comparing the final text to the rough draft (found two of the three best and two of the three worst bits were right there IN that first draft, exactly as they were in the final... and the other really good part was created by the editor, as was the absolute worst part - and a third part was utterly mangled in layout).

 

[Macha]

I know this is a major red flag, but once I write a chapter, I don’t look back at it anymore. Until now, I’ve never read my story as a whole, and I’ve ignored all the mistakes because reading my own work is the least enjoyable part for me.
My story has some potential, and I am passionate about it, but the thought of reading it after I’m done writing is just dreadful. Has anyone else felt this way? Or do you usually review your work along with the previous chapters as you go?

@StoneInky one of us.

 

[CharlesEBrown]

As an aside, I find a good (though clumsy) editing tool is an AI reader. Just learned this on some stuff being adapted to PocketFM....

 

[StoneInky]

@StoneInky one of us.

One of ussss! Welcome to the 'My Work Sucks' Group! :)

 

[Edenc2708]

I know this is a major red flag, but once I write a chapter, I don’t look back at it anymore. Until now, I’ve never read my story as a whole, and I’ve ignored all the mistakes because reading my own work is the least enjoyable part for me.
My story has some potential, and I am passionate about it, but the thought of reading it after I’m done writing is just dreadful. Has anyone else felt this way? Or do you usually review your work along with the previous chapters as you go?

For me, after I “finish” writing a chapter, I don’t touch it right away.
I move on to the next one and come back to it a day or two later.

When I revisit it, I try to read not as the writer, but as a reader just to see what stands out or needs improvement.
Reading it on the same day it was written doesn’t help much, since everything tends to look fine right after creating it.

Even for published chapters, I often go back and reread some. Not all, just a random pick.
I’m not a professional author, just an amateur one. So how do I cope with the pros?
By reading more, doing more, working harder, and most importantly, enjoying the whole process, especially it is fun to revisit your own creations and live with them.

Whenever I’m stuck with new ideas, I also flip through older chapters.
Sometimes that’s where inspiration hides along with a few typos I missed. ?

My story has some potential,

, and I’ve ignored all the mistakes

Since your story has real potential, it means you’ll keep gaining new readers and leaving mistakes uncorrected isn’t a good habit. If your current readers rate it 100 out of 100, why not aim for 110 for the next ones? And if you ever plan to publish on Amazon or elsewhere, fixing things regularly now will make future editing much easier.

Well, all of this is just my personal take. It works for me, but it might not be the right approach for everyone. Still, I think if your story has potential and keeps attracting new readers, it doesn’t hurt to keep polishing it. Even small improvements can go a long way, especially if you’re thinking about publishing for real someday.

 

[Yuin]

One of ussss! Welcome to the 'My Work Sucks' Group! :)

I’m still waiting for someone to roast my work properly… UGH it’s so hard to edit

For me, after I “finish” writing a chapter, I don’t touch it right away.
I move on to the next one and come back to it a day or two later.

When I revisit it, I try to read not as the writer, but as a reader just to see what stands out or needs improvement.
Reading it on the same day it was written doesn’t help much, since everything tends to look fine right after creating it.

Even for published chapters, I often go back and reread some. Not all, just a random pick.
I’m not a professional author, just an amateur one. So how do I cope with the pros?
By reading more, doing more, working harder, and most importantly, enjoying the whole process, especially it is fun to revisit your own creations and live with them.

Whenever I’m stuck with new ideas, I also flip through older chapters.
Sometimes that’s where inspiration hides along with a few typos I missed. ?




Since your story has real potential, it means you’ll keep gaining new readers and leaving mistakes uncorrected isn’t a good habit. If your current readers rate it 100 out of 100, why not aim for 110 for the next ones? And if you ever plan to publish on Amazon or elsewhere, fixing things regularly now will make future editing much easier.

Well, all of this is just my personal take. It works for me, but it might not be the right approach for everyone. Still, I think if your story has potential and keeps attracting new readers, it doesn’t hurt to keep polishing it. Even small improvements can go a long way, especially if you’re thinking about publishing for real someday.

Yep… I just edited my chapter 1 and omg, the overwhelming cringe!! It’s so embarrassing that people have to read what I wrote a year ago without checking the consistencies and whether it makes sense. But I got over that after 2 hrs.

 

[Golden_Hyde]

Well, I get that part, but reading my own work is essential for determining what's next if I'm writing an arc, assuming nobody here including me had a roadmap on how the plot goes.

And no, I'm not stroking my own ego in any sense.

 

[CharlesEBrown]

I've never seen anyone else who does this but kind of loved the system used by the late James M. Ward - write for four hours over a ten hour period in any combination. Do NOT look at any of it as you write, just write. The next day, you start by reading everything you wrote the day before then spend at least four hours of the rest of the day writing. Could be on one project or ten (he usually had three going on, unless he was nearing deadline on a fiction novel).

 

[Yuin]

I've never seen anyone else who does this but kind of loved the system used by the late James M. Ward - write for four hours over a ten hour period in any combination. Do NOT look at any of it as you write, just write. The next day, you start by reading everything you wrote the day before then spend at least four hours of the rest of the day writing. Could be on one project or ten (he usually had three going on, unless he was nearing deadline on a fiction novel).

Yea, other than that, I don’t do story planning. I just write and write so lowkey I’ve lost track of my story’s direction. That’s also why I stopped writing for a whole year. So, to any new authors here, don’t be like me: impulsive and irresponsible. Treat your story well and it will succeed.

 

[WhiteCrown]

after you write a chapter you really need to cool down for several hours or even day till you either forget the majority of what you write or your perspective get reset.
It will bring you different pov from what you write, by extension will also give you more idea or even make you notices what make your story weird. I usually do this to check mistakes or such.

Still, there are many things I miss somehow...