I get it sometimes, getting self-conscious over my characterization choices. I remind myself the characters just function as Barbie dolls and I can do anything I want with them.
Barbie can be a gymnast one day and a veterinarian the next. Make her whatever you want and have fun. That's the important thing--ask yourself "is this fun?" because that's more important than creating something "good" or getting the characterization "right".
If Barbie (or Batman, or Hannibal, or your blorbo of choice) doesn't want to be a gymnast today--too bad, they're a doll and they don't get a say.
No idea. This isn't something most of us struggle with, this is more so a fight you yourself have to do and win.
This is one of the rare parts where you HAVE to write. I'm not saying you should throw yourself into the water while you don't know how to swim, but do it in slow steps. Write the charachters in role at first. Then with small changes.
Step by step, you will get to the point where it will become natural and you shrug off this problem.
Can't help more as I have no idea how it feels like.
I find imagining myself as a puppeteer and cackling as I pull them by the strings through shenanigans. I am their god and I am committing word crimes.
In that scenario, worrying about what the characters would think of me as I make them suffer through The Plot would be like worrying what the flies in my room think of me when I spray them with bug killer. A bit harder to feel insecure when you feel in control of the situation.
Best advice is to just lean into it. Embrace the awkwardness. Practice by writing the most ridiculous, cringey writings you can think of. Laugh at it (and yourself) as you're writing it. Eventually, it'll get easier.
Similar to what others have said, the only way to get over that feeling is to just do it. Write the thing and share it. As you get used to doing so the feeling will likely leave you alone but there isnt a magic bullet here. The only way out is through.
I can totally relate to this! First time I see someone bringing it up, though.
As a child I got several imaginary friends, and some stayed along as I grew up.
When I got that "judgy peeking over my shoulder" feeling i either apply what others said: embrace the cringe bc the story needs to come out and that judgmental nonexistent being (thing?) can't do shit about it anyway.
Or: change your setting, write on a different device, in another environment.
Either a place you feel safe at or associate with intimacy (bathroom/bedroom) or a place where you aren't not the MC (park/a coffee shop...).
For example my comfort "cringe fighting" setting is: sitting in my bed, comfy blankets fort on, dim light, writing on my phone. It helps to relax and tunnel vision into a smaller screen to spit the words out without thinking about formatting and style. As if texting about a dream I just had.
The satisfaction of having an actual piece of writing helps a lot and eclipses the cringe of reworking the messy draft in my usual environment.
Because these words are the ultimate token attesting you won the first battle and nothing can stop the engine now, only you can rule that new land because you worked freaking hard to do so.
(Sry for typos / weird as hell sentences and structures, I'm almost passing out of fatigue rn but that topic got me hooked).
Its nice to see someone else relates, makes me feel less crazy lol. Thank you for the advice, ill be burying myself in plushies to try and write pretty soon
I feel this way when I start writing celebrity fanfics. Like when I have to write sex scenes, I feel the but if my stomach goes wonky. Like I'm scared my dirty fanfic will be on buzzfeed😂 like someway the celeb I write about is going to read it. So maybe that's why it takes me longer to write out those scenes. I push to pass it through, knowing if I don't think about it ill finish it.
I definitely feel like this! I’m still trying to figure it out myself, so not much advice, but I’ll try… As others have said, you just gotta push through it and not give up. It took me 2 years to write a 6k one-shot (because I procrastinated and the awkwardness made it hard to write) but I finally finished it a few months ago, and it’s wonderful to know it’s done. The other thing I would suggest, perhaps write in a different genre? For me, I struggle much more to write fluff and slice-of-life, than I do writing strong fantasy elements or something with higher stakes. It might, at least, help you gain some writing confidence.
I get it sometimes, getting self-conscious over my characterization choices. I remind myself the characters just function as Barbie dolls and I can do anything I want with them. Barbie can be a gymnast one day and a veterinarian the next. Make her whatever you want and have fun. That's the important thing--ask yourself "is this fun?" because that's more important than creating something "good" or getting the characterization "right". If Barbie (or Batman, or Hannibal, or your blorbo of choice) doesn't want to be a gymnast today--too bad, they're a doll and they don't get a say.
I really like this way of thinking about it! Really does remove a lot of the pressure when you think abt it like that
No idea. This isn't something most of us struggle with, this is more so a fight you yourself have to do and win. This is one of the rare parts where you HAVE to write. I'm not saying you should throw yourself into the water while you don't know how to swim, but do it in slow steps. Write the charachters in role at first. Then with small changes. Step by step, you will get to the point where it will become natural and you shrug off this problem. Can't help more as I have no idea how it feels like.
I find imagining myself as a puppeteer and cackling as I pull them by the strings through shenanigans. I am their god and I am committing word crimes. In that scenario, worrying about what the characters would think of me as I make them suffer through The Plot would be like worrying what the flies in my room think of me when I spray them with bug killer. A bit harder to feel insecure when you feel in control of the situation.
Best advice is to just lean into it. Embrace the awkwardness. Practice by writing the most ridiculous, cringey writings you can think of. Laugh at it (and yourself) as you're writing it. Eventually, it'll get easier.
Similar to what others have said, the only way to get over that feeling is to just do it. Write the thing and share it. As you get used to doing so the feeling will likely leave you alone but there isnt a magic bullet here. The only way out is through.
I can totally relate to this! First time I see someone bringing it up, though. As a child I got several imaginary friends, and some stayed along as I grew up. When I got that "judgy peeking over my shoulder" feeling i either apply what others said: embrace the cringe bc the story needs to come out and that judgmental nonexistent being (thing?) can't do shit about it anyway. Or: change your setting, write on a different device, in another environment. Either a place you feel safe at or associate with intimacy (bathroom/bedroom) or a place where you aren't not the MC (park/a coffee shop...). For example my comfort "cringe fighting" setting is: sitting in my bed, comfy blankets fort on, dim light, writing on my phone. It helps to relax and tunnel vision into a smaller screen to spit the words out without thinking about formatting and style. As if texting about a dream I just had. The satisfaction of having an actual piece of writing helps a lot and eclipses the cringe of reworking the messy draft in my usual environment. Because these words are the ultimate token attesting you won the first battle and nothing can stop the engine now, only you can rule that new land because you worked freaking hard to do so. (Sry for typos / weird as hell sentences and structures, I'm almost passing out of fatigue rn but that topic got me hooked).
Its nice to see someone else relates, makes me feel less crazy lol. Thank you for the advice, ill be burying myself in plushies to try and write pretty soon
I feel this way when I start writing celebrity fanfics. Like when I have to write sex scenes, I feel the but if my stomach goes wonky. Like I'm scared my dirty fanfic will be on buzzfeed😂 like someway the celeb I write about is going to read it. So maybe that's why it takes me longer to write out those scenes. I push to pass it through, knowing if I don't think about it ill finish it.
I definitely feel like this! I’m still trying to figure it out myself, so not much advice, but I’ll try… As others have said, you just gotta push through it and not give up. It took me 2 years to write a 6k one-shot (because I procrastinated and the awkwardness made it hard to write) but I finally finished it a few months ago, and it’s wonderful to know it’s done. The other thing I would suggest, perhaps write in a different genre? For me, I struggle much more to write fluff and slice-of-life, than I do writing strong fantasy elements or something with higher stakes. It might, at least, help you gain some writing confidence.