Insights Gleaned From Writing Your Own Works

 Readers of works of fiction can be rather opinionated, and have a tendency to second-guess content creators on their creative decisions, if they don't think they can do even better. In response, some creators dismiss those complaints (whether valid or not) and reply that the critics' opinions are invalid because they've never made anything of their own. While this is merely a way to attack the critics and deflect criticism, I personally believe that there are some parts of the creative process that people who have not created their own works of fiction may not fully understand.

The first step, as always, is coming up with the concept. I find that this is the easiest step, since I often think of various ideas I would like to write about on a daily basis. The hard part, however, is sifting through the countless ideas to find the ones worth pursuing, which means eliminating some of the more ambitious, risky or controversial ideas. If you wonder why many creators go the relatively "safe" route of formulaic or even cliched works that are similar to others, then it's because that's what they're most confident in, especially when those works are the source of their livelihood. In short, coming up with ideas is easy, but making them work is difficult.

When you are in the process of creating your work, from the planning stage to the production, you may realize that there are some parts of your vision that are simply not feasible. For example, a fascinating subplot you envisioned might drag down the pacing of the main story, or there might not be a legitimate reason to give a popular character more of a role in the story. You may end up disappointed with the final outcome, and might not be the only one who feels that way, but in life, things don't always go as you envision, and producing works of fiction is no exception.

The last stage is showing your work to other people and observing their reactions, which might be different than you anticipated. Obviously, this includes their not liking the work you're confident is good enough to publish, but this can also include them becoming invested in a relatively inconsequential part of the story, or liking a relatively weak part of it. There might be times when the message they take away from your work is entirely different from the message you intended, whether because they misunderstood it, you failed to adequately communicate it, or both. Some readers might be convinced they could do a better job than you did. In short, the shoe's on the other foot, and this is an educational opportunity to see what it's like for your work to come under scrutiny.

For one-and-done works such as a standalone novel, the process ends here, but for ongoing works, the process repeats, with an additional step- how to respond to viewer feedback. Many viewers have valid criticisms, but writers should stay true to their visions as much as they can, rather than simply bend to reader complaints. If you find yourself faced with a decision between the path you had planned to follow and the path the readers want you to take, and choose the former, perhaps you will come to understand why content creators make controversial decisions.

In conclusion, critics' opinions on works of fiction aren't necessarily invalid just because they haven't written any works themselves, but the critics often fail to understand how much effort goes into creating the works of fiction they love or hate. Taking the time to try their hand at making their own works not only is a fulfilling experience in and of itself, but it can help them understand and appreciate the works of fiction they consume.