[hider=quote from Zeroth][quote=@Zeroth]
So like a lot of us in the narrative roleplaying community, I've made numerous attempts to write my own stuff. Novels, short stories, tabletop campaigns, etc. Recently, though, a recurring problem I've been wrestling with really just has me doubting, on the whole, my ability to ever make any of it successful. I've always felt that I have a lot of strengths in different areas of writing. I feel confident in worldbuilding, designing stuff like magic systems, making characters, and writing direct action (like arguments or combat). I think my ability to describe things and pace events is okay.

But when it comes to an "overall plot," especially one that has a strong meaning or theme, I feel like I'm falling short. I always reach a point in my writing where I'm asking myself "Why would the reader care about these characters? Or about what they're doing? And what value does this story really have to anyone who's not me?" I can sometimes come up with smaller scale plots, that basically boil down to "Character A wants something really badly, but can't have it for reasons. So they do XYZ about it." But then, when I start trying to string those plots together with some kind of overarching structure, it feels really slapdash even if I try to keep all the events focused around the same thing.

I don't feel like I can really "grab" a reader, or give them an experience that leaves them with the "just finished a book blues." I don't feel like there's any "point" to reading a particular story I, specifically, wrote versus any number of other stories out there on the shelves. I'm not sure "why" I'm writing these things beyond just a "wouldn't it be cool if..." idea that pops into my head. Like, I'm not trying to change the world with some ground-shaking philosophy or anything, but I feel like there needs to be some kind of strong message that serves as a kind of glue to really make everything else in the story fit together.

Has anybody else experienced this struggle, or gotten past it? Those of you who have successfully published your writing, or at least finished a draft or two, do you have any advice? Anyone else feel free to chime in of course, but I'd be especially interested to hear from those who have become "pros," in a sense.
[/quote][/hider]

Hi [@Zeroth]. 

I'll start by saying that all the doubts and fears you experience are rather common for writers, or any type of artist for that matter. If every writer who encountered these struggles decided not to continue their story, there wouldn't be many books on the bookstore shelf. What you feel is natural, and we are all our own biggest critic. As for plots, they don't need to be fully developed before you start. Sometimes, it takes writing to have the plot fall into place. 

From someone who has had their work published, I can tell you it's okay to restart, restart again, to angst over your story, its characters, to want to do better. Even in the reading of your own work, you can only speak for yourself when it comes to what is liked and not liked. In my own opinion, the best thing you can do is [i]really[/i] enjoy the journey, the story, for I firmly believe that the best stories out there were written by those who truly loved writing them. Throw what others might think to the wind, and just love what you do. Love your story. Love your characters.

For me, if after a session I feel like I'm waking up from some surreal dream, then I know I've done well. 

It's easy to say, "don't have doubts", but we both know they will come when they do. I think you should just breathe into your work. Give it life. Give it your heart. Don't hold back a single thing. Become a part of it and punch it out. Then, your best will come. No regrets. Clean it up later. 

Don't stop. Keep going.