/lit/ - Literature

>28
>have hardly taken any aesthetic pictures of myself doing interesting things or standing with friends

>>22896475
I haven't written anything either. Most I've ever written was in my high school creative writing class and that's about it. I've thought about writing but I, like you said, don't want to write just for writing's sake. So you're not alone on that. My own high expectations also stop me from ever trying again.

>>22896520
similiar problem. All through the school they though i am "gifted" in writing - mostly essays. I liked to write film reviews when got inspired, sometimes pretty long ones. Then for a long time nothing, now most of my writing is in journal - some days i try to write it in poetical, confessional prose, i am bit of proust stan but not sure if it has any artistic value. Some very short stories now and then and attempted longer novella once and posted fragments here and tried to publish it in &amp - almost always ignored

>>22896633
>>22896520
but what i regret most is i i never teached myself to write compelling fiction - how to tell what i wanted to tell as real story

why do you want to write so much? we have far too many words already, we're fucking drowning in them, if anything speech needs to be violently culled

>>22896637
for ego points of course

>>22896475
I didn't really start writing until I was 36 or so. I'm 41 now. for most of my life I was a guitarist and experimental music provocateur who played in three consecutive bands. I got a new guitar for Christmas but I need a proper amp and can start creating new songs. but I'll still write.

>>22896475
I am dipping my toes in recently, it is kind of fun. I made up my mind to start trying to write when I realized I could keep it all secret from the world, and take it all to my grave. Plus, now that I am more attentive towards style, it makes reading even better. My only problem is I've been writing on my work laptop, and I am afraid I will accidently upload my nigger-filled free association document to the companies shared OneNote drive, which, naturally, inhibits my expression.

>>22896636
taught*

>>22896475
I am the same, but with music. I wish I was a great musician. I keep telling myself that once I am settled financially I will finally take the time to produce something...

>>22896475
>"Every European is a writer, potentially or in fact." - Herbert Quain
There is no need to write. The role of the reader is the one that is more precious. A civilization must read more than it writes (a thousand books must be read to write one good book). If our culture does read more than it writes, it does so only insofar as we constantly read the fragmented thoughts of a online schizophrenics, or sub-B-list authors glaze their eyes over harlequin novels and pulp that belong on the burning heap.
Anon, my advice is to keep reading and thinking and sharing your musings with your inner circle. There is no need to write. Shape your desire not into reading, but, above all into living!

>>22896637
Expound on this idea. Using words unironically.

>>22896726
the signal to noise ratio has dropped catastrophically, i'm not even going to bother defending that claim because nobody could seriously contest it, but things are even worse than that. there's a fetish for words that is unbounded and therefore trends towards absurdity. just look at this can of beans. it's literally just beans and they've plastered HUNDREDS of words on the beans. this excess of words, particularly words that are perceived as noise, trains you to discount things that you read (or hear). it devalues language as a whole. it makes communication difficult and therefore isolates us.

>>22896762
delillo already wrote a book about that, bud.

>>22896768
interesting, which?

>>22896762
This nigga can’t talk because beans

>>22896772
White Noise, you should look into baudrillard too if you're not already familiar.

>>22896772
Not that anon but 'White Noise'

>>22896789
>>22896787
i fucking hate "postmodern americana" or whatever you call this genre, but i just ordered the book and i'll read it. thanks.

No. I’ve written a few short stories and poems which I’ve never published but I desperately want to be a successful writer.

>>22896701
It’s not as simple as “just read”. Something terrible has happened to this civilization’s literature and we need to try to fix it.

>>22896795
delillo doesn't consider himself postmodern, you might like it. it certainly hits on the topic you were talking about. a world overflowing with meaningless symbols, white noise...

>>22896795
ha, gottem

>>22896475
About a decade ago I was pretty much in the same place as you, been a reader my whole life but never had even the slightest interest in writing. Then a write thread caught my eye and I came up with what at the time I thought was a hilarious response but as I started writing it it started to evolve into something more and every sentence was giving me ideas on how I could expand and develop it beyond the literal pants shitting lark it started out as. I never stopped writing and here I am a decade later nearing the publication of my third novel and have had a few dozen short stories published as well, not quite sure what happened.

Still have not figured out how to use that first piece, I have reworked and rewritten it over and over, developed it into more than one short story, developed my first novel from it but by the end it did not really fit in anymore so got the cut, tried to work it into both of my subsequent novels and even tried to turn all the various versions and revisions and edits into their own work, just can not figure out what to do with it and how to make it really work in a larger context.

>>22897129
link novels

>>22896823
But you have nothing to say. Fade out.

>>22896828
While I agree, I think that a solid step is just reading the old greats and to imbibe as much as their wisdom as possible.
Personally, I am a writer and I want to create works that will try to help 'this civilization's literature'. The point remains that not everyone needs to become a writer. I welcome anyone to come in and try if they have something worthwhile to say, but, if, like OP, someone wants to only read, I welcome that. There are great readers just as there are great writers. Honestly, I wish I was more of a great reader than I am.

>>22897535
yeah but how can you read no modern literature and be modern writer? Everything changed so much, entire modus of communiciation and meaning, do you think literature does not changed at all in last 100 years?

>>22897542
I do read modern literature. While I have a background in classics, I am reading plenty of works that have been written over the last 50 years, including garbage fan-fic novels.
My point for OP is that reading in and of itself should be a fulfilling experience without the need to write. One can read for the sake of reading and let that personal drive end there, because that drive is itself a proper end.

>>22897555
Bro you're supposed to read a book not "have a background in it"

>>22897557
Apologies, anon. Let me clarify:
I have spent a lot of time reading ancient Greek and Roman authors, as well as learning the rudiments of Hellenic Greek and Classical Latin.
Is that a more satisfactory response?

>>22897129

Is it genre or literary?

>>22896512
Felt that.
Should start instagrammaxxing for 2024? Post reading lists and autist stuff?
Or just pics of doing fun things with my normie friends.

>>22897207
Are you going to also dox yourself in return?
>>22897730
lit fiction.

>>22897129
>Still have not figured out how to use that first piece

Just post it here so we can tear it apart

>>22896475
Start NOW

>>22897849
I don’t know I just feel like it’s nice to have nice shots of your young years when you still look cool

>>22896475
>turning 25
>can write very well, be it professionally or creatively
>got high remarks on poetry and essays submitted while in college
>buddies consistently give me high praise on writing, RP buddies think Im elder-god tier at writing characters and love my prose
>life's dream to become a published author
>wet dream is to screen-write a live-action Captain Harlock before pedowood can desecrate it
>know for a fact I could pull it all off if I put my mind to it
>have zero ability to put my mind to it
I love creative writing and there's a lot I want to do, but there's like a mental block preventing me from ever getting started. I constantly feel like I'm wasting my time and should be doing something else that's "more productive" (literally what I tell myself), but I just end up websurfing or playing vidya whilst reminding myself that I should write. I really wish I knew how to just get over myself and get on with it. Is my brain just zoomerfied?

I’m taking this thread as my inspiration to start writing

>>22898274
2024 is going to be my year of writing and reading. Join me, and we can help each other get motivated to actually reach these dreams.
https://discord.gg/ADrxYzgK

>>22898211
Nah, someday I will figure out how to use it. I post random bits in random places on the board, did one last night but I was fairly drunk and I don't even remember what thread it was in.
>>22898289
Good luck, anon.

>>22896475
A "writer" writes because he wants to be seen writing. A writer writes because he must.

Tomorrow I shall begin my sonnet sequence. Hopefully I am in the Muses’ favour.

>>22898274
Start with something small but require constant commitment. You mentioned writing for RP sessions, so you are probably familiar with structuring your story around audience response. In that case you can check out >>>/qst/ . You dont need anything elaborate, just some simple notes to guide the first thread of your quest, and the commitment to daily updates should keep you schedule.
Whatever you choose to do, I wish you the best of luck anon.