Using my own past as reference, I’ve come up with what I see as the stages of writing. Which stage are you in?
Stage One
You realize that you hate everything you have written. You are learning style, form, you understand what you like and don’t. This critical eye is turned inwards, and there you are unhappy.
Because of this stage, you have stopped writing.
Stage Two
You start writing anyway. Coming off of stage one you believe only Greatness deserves to be written down, and nothing else will do. Eventually you overcome this and start to write. It helps if there are deadlines involved.
Stage Three
You realize you were wrong at Stage One. Not totally, this new critical eye is still there, but you have removed it further from yourself. But now you can find the style, the gems, the things from the past worth saving.
Stage Four
You write. Like a bad out of Hell.
Stage Five
You slow down. Here you are distracted. By life, love, school. The pen is second. the pen is third. The pen is when the pen fits in. You still dream, but your dreams are getting forgotten.
There is no Stage Six. There is only dragging your ass back to Stage Four.
