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Growth mindset
Nov. 9th, 2017 10:40 amWriting in a new fandom is tough but a fun challenge. Getting the world right, hearing the voices of the characters, and learning the right type of words can be overwhelming. I've been writing for over 22 years but it's still something I struggle with. It doesn't help that I've always been a middle of the road writer despite my best efforts to improve. My stuff is for some people but definitely not for everyone. So I've been playing with this whole growth mindset stuff to help me improve and change my outlook. I'm more willing to take criticism and not feel defined by one fic. It would just be nice if after having written over 100 fics it would come more naturally by now.
Not that my last fic wasn't received well. Actually, I assumed it would just get lost entirely in the crowd but it still got some likes and I gained several followers so not a failure at all. (I realize MLP is the largest fandom I have ever seen and fics get thousands of likes but I don't see that happening for me any time soon and I'm okay with that.) I'm just looking at writing more fic and finding myself so hesitant with every line. I'm worried about getting the voices right and I have so many ideas I can't really sort through them all.
Ugh. Growth mindset. Gotta remember that. Rarely does a fic start out perfect. It takes time and patience.
What is a growth mindset? Click on the link and find out. I think a good way to describe a growth mindset is to consider the following questions: "Are good leaders born or made?" In the writing world this becomes, "Are good writers born or made?" The truth is, I think some people are naturally good writers but I suspect more just read a lot and practice until they become better. I'm not sure that means anyone can become amazing, but I do think it's rare to find someone who just naturally sits down and write their first fic and it's amazing. It takes time to learn about active vs. passive voice (and MLP fics seem filled with passive voice...) or to learn how to show and not tell.
I tell my students this all the time in terms of mathematics. Most of them feel they are bad at math and that this is a defined part of who they are. My job is to help them understand how that is a fixed mindset and why they need to switch to a growth mindset. I figure if I have my students write essays on this, I probably should address the areas in my life where I have that fixed mindset. I'd hate to be a hypocrite.
I think when it came to writing for the last 22 years, I've always believed I never had the ability to get much better than I am. Seriously, 100 fics with lots of efforts to make each fic the best I can, and I still find myself not much further than where I was. However, I'm not sure that means I can't grow. I just have to find the right way to grow. The old advice for art is to hang out with people who are better artists. I suspect this is true for writing. If I want to improve, I have to hang out with better writers.
I'm thinking of all of this right now because I'm writing a Rainbow Dash fic and I am overwhelmed trying to catch the right voice and world. I don't know how many drafts it would even take to make this work, but I really want to try and not give up right away. Of course, I probably should be working instead, but this fic will not leave my head. I'm really hoping it will be a short story because I'm better at short stories over all and I don't have time for a long fic. Unfortunately, the fic seems to choose its length and I have no control. I just hope, with my growth mindset, I can make it a story others will find worth reading.
Not that my last fic wasn't received well. Actually, I assumed it would just get lost entirely in the crowd but it still got some likes and I gained several followers so not a failure at all. (I realize MLP is the largest fandom I have ever seen and fics get thousands of likes but I don't see that happening for me any time soon and I'm okay with that.) I'm just looking at writing more fic and finding myself so hesitant with every line. I'm worried about getting the voices right and I have so many ideas I can't really sort through them all.
Ugh. Growth mindset. Gotta remember that. Rarely does a fic start out perfect. It takes time and patience.
What is a growth mindset? Click on the link and find out. I think a good way to describe a growth mindset is to consider the following questions: "Are good leaders born or made?" In the writing world this becomes, "Are good writers born or made?" The truth is, I think some people are naturally good writers but I suspect more just read a lot and practice until they become better. I'm not sure that means anyone can become amazing, but I do think it's rare to find someone who just naturally sits down and write their first fic and it's amazing. It takes time to learn about active vs. passive voice (and MLP fics seem filled with passive voice...) or to learn how to show and not tell.
I tell my students this all the time in terms of mathematics. Most of them feel they are bad at math and that this is a defined part of who they are. My job is to help them understand how that is a fixed mindset and why they need to switch to a growth mindset. I figure if I have my students write essays on this, I probably should address the areas in my life where I have that fixed mindset. I'd hate to be a hypocrite.
I think when it came to writing for the last 22 years, I've always believed I never had the ability to get much better than I am. Seriously, 100 fics with lots of efforts to make each fic the best I can, and I still find myself not much further than where I was. However, I'm not sure that means I can't grow. I just have to find the right way to grow. The old advice for art is to hang out with people who are better artists. I suspect this is true for writing. If I want to improve, I have to hang out with better writers.
I'm thinking of all of this right now because I'm writing a Rainbow Dash fic and I am overwhelmed trying to catch the right voice and world. I don't know how many drafts it would even take to make this work, but I really want to try and not give up right away. Of course, I probably should be working instead, but this fic will not leave my head. I'm really hoping it will be a short story because I'm better at short stories over all and I don't have time for a long fic. Unfortunately, the fic seems to choose its length and I have no control. I just hope, with my growth mindset, I can make it a story others will find worth reading.
