I think my writing went downhill

[CheertheSecond]

When reread the two older stories I did, the writing was much more poetry. It flows smoothly and satiates the mind. However, the one from my latest story is no where near as masterful.

I have no idea what I did wrong that I lost touch with my writing. Have you encountered a similar problem before? Do you have any advice?

 

[Paul_Tromba]

When reread the two older stories I did, the writing was much more poetry. It flows smoothly and satiates the mind. However, the one from my latest story is no where near as masterful.

I have no idea what I did wrong that I lost touch with my writing. Have you encountered a similar problem before? Do you have any advice?

Read less webnovels. Read more of what you were reading before you started writing.

 

[RepresentingEnvy]

I actually got better. I went from basic writing to trying to be flowery and then back to simple. But the simple got much more refined. If I go back to my writing in middle school and highschool it is also flowery.

 

[greyliliy]

Writing styles definitely change and evolve like any other art form.

If you want to write like you used to, read your old works and note what you liked about them.

Then make a conscious effort to include it in your new works.

@Paul_Tromba is also correct that expanding your reading options will help.

 

[LilRora]

It's more likely your style is just shifting to what you're more comfortable with and/or more exposed to. To some degree it's inevitable, and in long term it can make huge differences that aren't noticable on day to day basis, though it shouldn't be taken as a direct measure of writing ability.

The main for that is, there can be huge differences in your mindset, in your attitude to writing. For me, when I was just starting, writing was something new, exciting, something I was consistently making sure was as good as it was going to be. Now? There's much less pressure, much less novelty, it got somewhat more mundane.

Second thing, your knowledge and attitude to the language itself. There's a fair amount of fresh writers that think the more flowery and sophisticated their prose is, the better, which isn't true. As you learn the language better, interact with it more, you understand it better and understand when some things are fine and other things unnecessary.

Combine those two, and the result you got is well within the possiblities.

 

[Lloyd]

You can say that again.

 

[K5Rakitan]

Make sure you are getting plenty of exercise and proper nutrition. Also . . . use condom!

 

[ElijahRyne]

When reread the two older stories I did, the writing was much more poetry. It flows smoothly and satiates the mind. However, the one from my latest story is no where near as masterful.

I have no idea what I did wrong that I lost touch with my writing. Have you encountered a similar problem before? Do you have any advice?

Edit more, maybe…?

 

[Gryphon]

I usually don't have these issues since I usually change up my writing style depending on what the story I'm writing demands. If the topics need me to be more detailed, I will be. If it needs more simplicity so everything is clear, I can do it. The best way I can describe it is, imagine the consistently changing artstyles of animated shows like Amazing World of Gumball and Smiling Friends, but as writing styles.

The only style I can't do well is purple prose. My vocabulary, and also my skill, means I'm not able to write extremely flowery. I do hope to get better at it in the future cause there are some scenes I write that would work marvelously with purple prose, but every time I attempt it, it just reads like what a middle schooler thinks poetry is.

The only advice I can give is to, instead of change back to your old writing style entirely, refine your newer style and then relearn your older style so you can use both interchangeably.

 

[CSDestroyer]

When reread the two older stories I did, the writing was much more poetry. It flows smoothly and satiates the mind. However, the one from my latest story is no where near as masterful.

I have no idea what I did wrong that I lost touch with my writing. Have you encountered a similar problem before? Do you have any advice?

Same.

I think it's the way I write now. I write simply at first, then I edit it to be flowery in the revision.

 

[Suczka]

As everybody wrote obvious I will tell you something else.

Go to shrink, or to therapy, or both.

The way you write, or generally engage and perform in "artistic" hobbies, may be indicator of your mental health.
If you had one day or week of bad writing, you may had been under the weather or tired from work.
If this persists for longer period, and you feel uncomfortable with your performance, that may be indicator of something more serious.
Maybe you are overworked for a long time and that is beginning of depression?
Maybe you are stressed for quite time because some things in your life?
Maybe those are beginnings of anxiety?

I will not try to diagnose you over a forum, nor I will tell you that you 100% have some mental health problems.
Just want to point that this is also a possibility.

It can even be physical health thingy. Long term inflammation, acid reflux, hormonal imbalance, teeth problems, cancer ...
Those things can influence your mood in countless ways, and by that your writing performance.

Just be wary that some medicines from shrink can make you unable to write anything at all.

 

[doravg]

When reread the two older stories I did, the writing was much more poetry. It flows smoothly and satiates the mind. However, the one from my latest story is no where near as masterful.

I have no idea what I did wrong that I lost touch with my writing. Have you encountered a similar problem before? Do you have any advice?

As @Paul_Tromba suggested, it might be because of what you are reading. Even someone who has written 1,000 novels gets unconscious suggestions from the books they read. For style and so on. Maybe you can start reading poetry+novels by experienced writers you admire?

For me, I don't care how a story is written. The important thing is to have fun and tie up all the loose ends.

And, also, a novel is like cheese. Right after it is made, or during the production, it is simply not as appealing as something that had time to mature. Maybe finish the novel first, proofread it, then let it rest for a while.

I nearly shelved tons of my novels written in English, but when I started rereading them after about a year since they were completed, I found that there was nothing wrong with them. My readers even subscribe to them, so I know for a fact that someone enjoys them.

Happy writing!

 

[GoodPerson]

It seems like you have high radiation emitted by this... Strange thing.

For me, I don't care how a story is written. The important thing is to have fun and tie up all the loose ends.

You sound strangely familiar, sis. Hmm...