I feel like writers can't complain about their writing. No, I don't mean "can't" in the way people use it to mean "shouldn't," as in,
"How are you doing?"
"Oh, can't complain."
What I really mean is that writers can't complain about their writing and get the response they're looking for. Because it sounds like fishing.
"Ugh my writing sucks."
"No it doesn't! I loved that one piece about the thing."
You don't understand. I'm not looking for reassurance. We can rest comfortably in the assumption that my writer's self-esteem will always be in the gutter, no matter what you say. I know this, the rest of you should know this, so stop trying to get it out. I could write a bestseller and still not be happy with my writing.
That's not what I want, anyway.
What I want is to produce something truly good. What I don't want is to produce something I know is bad, but be told it's good anyhow.
What we're looking for is sympathy over the mismatch between great effort and continued badness, and an acknowledgement that the problems are there.
Because if I can't write, I at least want to know that I can distinguish good writing from bad. Merely contradicting the "this sucks" sentiment not only feels insincere, but seems to imply that it's not only the writing that needs work, but the writers' taste as well.
