Does anyone else feel like a fraud as a writer?

Question

I've wanted to be a writer for as long as I remember. I've read writing books, kept a journal on and off, collected notebooks and notebooks full of writing notes, writing practice, and so on, and I've worked on short stories--finished one but wasn't happy with it, so I've been "revising" it for about four years--written down ideas in the middle of the night and so on.

But I have yet to get any real writing done. I've had friends in the past tell me I wrote well, and my creative writing professors in college seemed to think I had potential. But other than that, I feel like a total fraud. I have a blog that no one ever reads (or at least, if they do, they don't comment on it like on other people's): it's reachingforourdreams.blogspot.com. And I can't even come up with topics to write, much less ones that people would find interesting. Does that mean I'm not a real writer? Because I can't imagine doing anything else with my life. Does anyone have these issues and any insights?

Answer 1

There is a secret to become a writer:
IF YOU WANT TO WRITE, WRITE.
Anything, everything, an hour or all the day
Inspiration?
It Comes and goes
Now... write.

John

Answer 2

No, I don't think you're a fraud at all; I'm going through the same thing as well...in a sense. I haven't written anything decent in over three years now, but I've wanted to be a writer for about five years. It isn't that you or I are frauds, but that we cannot write something that we both like deeply. I've found an interesting story to write, but still I do not write because I do not wish to write it by myself. I'd love to write the story with someone else but the problem is once I do find someone they turn out to be lacking something that I need them to have. >.<; So; you are a real writer with perhaps writer's block. Just take some time and keep writing notes. Find something that really interest you and then write little pieces of it. If you'd like for me to read something of your's just send me a message and I'd be more then happy to read it.

And remember "If you have a dream, you have to protect it."

Answer 3

Don't be so hard on yourself. I feel like I am in the same situation. I have written a novel and am working on 1 or 2 more. I just keep telling myself that I may not be a compensated author, but as long as I have the drive and discipline to keep writing I am still a writer. Just know that there are about a quarter of a million books published every year and the majority of them go widely unnoticed. There are very few overnight success stories about writers. It takes time.

Answer 4

It's the ability to take ideas and make them into stories that makes a writer. It's putting word after word onto the page to construct something that's believable, interesting, and new.

Simply, writers write. If you don't, then you're not a writer--you're a reader, reviser, and midnight-note-taker. Toss aside the story you've been revising for four years and write something new. Once you've finished it, write something else.

Answer 5

you're not a fraud just because you might not be able to brainstorm interesting ideas. I think we all get this sometimes...we come up with great ideas and don't realize that they are really good, even though everyone tells us that they are good ideas.

Perhaps you should consider this: a person who likes to write may come up with ten brilliant ideas, but discarded them all. Any of these ten ideas could become great novels, like the Lord of the Rings trilogy, Harry Potter series, or His Dark Material's trilogy. All we need to do is look closer...maybe even research the genre of writing that people likes so you can maybe sell stuff that appeal to the readers.

hope you find this advice helpful!!

Answer 6

I was stuck for a while. I got the book "How to Write a Damn Good Novel" by James Frey (this is not the same Frey that was on Oprah), and it helped me get started.

I always believed I was a writer, I just have trouble believing that I am good at it.

CDB

Answer 7

Sometimes i feel the same way. have been writing since before i can remember and i read all the time. Sometimes i get good ideas for stories and i'll wake up in the night with great ideas, but then i don't like them later and i trash them. i just finished my first real story and im still editing its taken two years. Sometimes i feel like im not meant to write and i should give it up, but them i get another idea or i sit at my computer and just start wrting and i know that theirs nothing else i could ever do, because writing and reading is my life and i know i'm meant to do and the same is true for you. When you get lost in your writing you should know you're meant to write and i think that you are too!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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