>be me >decide to give writing a try >slowly but surely

what is your method for practicing writing?

>>18146880
just writing short stories for now

What did you expect? That your first few stories would be a masterpiece and in the space of a year or two you'd be the next Hemmingway? Your stories probably aren't good enough and the praise you got was most likely from people with even less talent and experience than you. If you think they are shit, then that means you already know how to start improving them.

If you're serious about writing, then you've got to treat it like you're aiming for a gold at the Olympics. And I'm serious about that level of dedication and work. Writing for at least an hour a day, thinking intelligently about your work, and pushing your craft as far you can.

Let me ask you this. How many short stories have you actually read? Why do you want to write short stories? How much time do you put into each one?

Most of the wannabe writers I know stick to short stories because they're 'easy', but they don't have any interest in the form. They've never even picked up a literary magazine in their entire lives. They don't give a shit about creating and writing a story - they just look at them as practice novels or a way to workshop style. Then they go around showing people a first draft they put all of three hours into like it was their magnum opus. I've put more effort into taking a shit in the past couple of days. If you're not on at least a complete third draft which required serious re-structuring, then I don't want to hear about it. It isn't good enough and you're just being lazy.

Now fuck off and go write something.

>>18146879
That's because improvement doesn't come in a straight line
I have been drawing for close to two years now and a month ago I managed a couple drawings a level above my usual stuff, I got really motivated and kept drawing non stop for the rest of the month
Looking back and comparing the drawings the couple that motivated me are still better than anything else I made since but every drawing is better than what I was doing before>>18146879

>>18146931
not OP but where can I actually find good short stories?
I like to read them at work but when I try to look online I find absolute garbage

>>18146879

dont worry about it? you're writing for fun, so whats wrong with it not being perfect?

also, why is it so important that you be immediately perfect? if every porkchop was perfect we wouldnt have hot dogs.

>>18146931
thanks buddy, kinda needed a rough scolding to get me back to work

>>18146949
well, my point is, I have this story that I really care about and I wanna make it perfect and my issue is when should I start working on it past putting down all the good ideas to be written later on

I don't wanna sit there and rewrite the same thing over and over again so I practice on other shorter things but my end goal is to write a book.

It also doesn't help that I write short stories for practice, get attached to the characters and start taking it more seriously than I should, eventually wanting to perfect my practice too

>>18146957

sucks to suck, but the only problem here is your mindset. ew can't suggest some algorithm or chant that will change that.

all you can do is accept the situation as is, and defy your instincts, the way your instincts might tell you to eat all the donuts, but your willpower tells you to only eat one.

you need to be stronger than your nature.

>>18146942

Most short stories are garbage even when you go to respected literary magazines or journals. They're rarely edited properly, the authors are often second-rate amateurs, and because they're only read by literary nerds they take on all that pretentious excess.

But just have a look at a few of the big ones like Crazy Horse, Tin House, or Granta. Even if you don't like them they're vital for growing writers because you actually get to see what's being put out there today by people who you want to be your peers.

For the better stories I'd go and look at short story collections by the big dicks like Richard Ford and George Saunders if you're looking for contemporary stuff. There are lots of reviewers and respected awards that will point you in the right direction as well.