this post was submitted on 27 Jul 2023
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Keep Writing

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CaspianXI
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"You start out writing crap and thinking it's good stuff, and then gradually you get better at it." (self.keepwriting)
submitted 1 year ago by CaspianXI to c/keepwriting
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You don't start out writing good stuff. You start out writing crap and thinking it's good stuff, and then gradually you get better at it. That's why I say one of the most valuable traits is persistence.

-- Octavia E. Butler

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[โ€“] [email protected] 3 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) (1 children)

One way to think of it is the stages of competence.

  1. Unconscious Incompetence - You're bad at it, but you haven't learnt enough to yet see you are bad
  2. Conscious Incompetence - You are bad at it, and now actually understand you're bad at it!
  3. Conscious Competence - You're getting better, but only because you're really applying your skills hard and putting in effort
  4. Unconscious Competence - You're good at it, and being good comes easily

2-3 is the low point where people tend to give up, because you go from that euphoria of being a new writer where you are cranking work out so fast and easily to the depths of self-loathing where even 1 page feels like a huge effort.

I feel it, because I'm there.

But this progression of skill applies to a lot of things in life other than writing. I work in IT and I've seen it there in myself and in others, so I know if I keep going then maybe one day 4 can be a reality :)

[โ€“] CaspianXI 3 points 1 year ago

I love this way of looking at it. My first novel was crap -- I just didn't know it.

But the only way to advance through the levels is to write.

Keep writing!