Is it Egotistical to Enjoy Reading Your Own Work and Outlines?

[M.G.Driver]

 

[miyoga]

I don't think it is at all. When going through the act of writing your story, if you don't enjoy it then its very unlikely that others will. Adding on to that, the first audience for any author is themself. For me, this boils down to the question of "if you don't enjoy what you're doing, why do it in the first place" and then you can take this question and apply it to pretty much anything else. If you are a teacher, but you don't enjoy what you're teaching, why teach that subject? If you're in medicine but don't enjoy the ER, why are you in emergency medicine? We can always go back and gain new skills, or abilities, that gives us perspective or purpose. I may come back to my story in a year and ask why I wrote in such an off the wall manner. I would still enjoy the story or the concept, but maybe not the execution in its entirety.

 

[CheertheSecond]

I thought egotistical people are those bragging about how great they are.

 

[georgelee5786]

Enjoy them? No. Think they are the supreme outline of all time? Yes.

 

[Prince_Azmiran_Myrian]

It's fine to enjoy something that was well done.

 

[TotallyHuman]

Eating the food you made and enjoying it is kind of egotistical and self-indulgent

 

[Tabula_Rasa]

If you don't like or enjoy what you write, why write them?

 

[Nekroz]

There is nothing here that I need to say because someone already said it.

 

[QTBrewer]

Nah not at all. I think it's healthy to be able to look at what you've done and acknowledge ways you can improve, but feeling proud of your own work is a wonderful thing, as long as you don't brag and get cocky about it/use it to tear down the work of others.

 

[Deleted member 54065]

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As a writer, the first supporter you'd want is yourself. One may ask, "But I don't like the work I post!"

First, then why post it? Second, is it your attempt to gather sympathy for your work, when actually, you like your work and is only playing 'humble' so as not to be branded arrogant? Get real.

It is not self-indulgent. For your readers to enjoy your work, you have to enjoy writing it yourself first. You have to pour your feelings to its every word and pages. Only then, you can share it to others to see if they will enjoy it as well. (If not, it's their problem. I'm speaking from experience.)

Arrogance is when you shoot down others just to promote your own.

 

[TheMonotonePuppet]

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No way! No offense to your brother, but he's talkin' outta his Atta. I would bet good money that he isn't a writer. I specifically chose to get into writing because there was a specific style I wanted to make and a specific story that I wanted to enjoy with every sentence I wrote. I would not have done otherwise, and I think that's the same for other authors. If you are hyped, that's frickin' awesome! I can't wait to read about those based ideas once you put them to paper!
Edit: Also, big fan of your fiction "A Black Market Litrpg"

 

[nowme_cres]

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If you are too much pride its egotistical but simply enjoying your work isn't

 

[Olga_Haus]

Being excited about your plans is a helpful fuel to carry you through executing them.

And being aware of when you've done something well is an important part of being self-critical. Noticing your flaws as a writer is helpful, but so is being able to notice when you've got something right, take satisfaction in that... and then push on the extra step into figuring out what exactly you did that made it work and learning from that.

 

[Rhaps]

I enjoys writing and proud of my work.

 

[doravg]

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If you can't stomach reading your own novels, then you haven't put enough love in them. If that is the case, perhaps you should start to do that. Find what made you start writing, and go back to your roots. Don't think about views, or about the people who will read the novels. Just do it for your soul. I hope that answers the question. (And yes, I have read my own novels too. Some, more than once... (I am looking at you, Breaking the Mold, Anti-cake Dungeon Delving and When you are dead, but not.)

 

[Jemini]

If you don't enjoy your own work, then you shouldn't be writing it in the first place.

There is a saying among writers, you should write the book you want to read. If you're not enjoying reading it, then that automatically means you failed to write the kind of book you would want to read.

EDIT: What would be egotistical would be to think that because you wrote it and you enjoy it, everyone else is automatically going to enjoy it as well and you are somehow owed the views you think you should get.

 

[Leti]

Enjoying your work wouldn't be egoistical. What would be egoistical would be to reject a valid critism and feedback from someone because they don't enjoy your work like you do.

 

[Ssthat]

No, but I can't remember the last time I enjoyed reading my work.

 

[HelloHound]

you write what you wanna write; it wouldn't make sense if you didn't enjoy it at all

 

[Paul_Tromba]

If you didn't enjoy rereading it then something is wrong. You're supposed to enjoy what you write so it isn't egotistical at all. Be proud of yourself for what you've accomplished but be discerning enough to grow from whatever mistakes you come across.