What’s it like for a author to read their own works?

[RootBeerBert]

Something that popped in my head just now. I was wondering what it would be like for an author to read something they’ve written without the intention to edit or proofread. Instead just read it as a reader, I’m curious about what that’s like.

 

[Minx]

I don't know about others, but I feel excited for the first few reads.

 

[Monaka]

It's a therapeutic and enlightening experience.

 

[RisRizRitz]

A traumatic experience each time.

 

[K_Jira]

I once read it to fix a mistake and ended up reading it all the way till the end. I'm easily immersed when reading even if it's my own I guess

 

[Paul_Tromba]

Depends. Sometimes I enjoy it because it shows how much I've grown but other times I am nitpicking scenes for things that could potentially be seen as a plothole or making notes about how I need to fix a scene during the editing process. it's really interesting but it's difficult to do much with it emotionally as you already know everything that is going to happen. The scene that was supposed to be there entirely to shock your reader with some twist doesn't feel the same to you because you know the twist is coming or maybe a character's death doesn't have that emotional attachment that you felt when writing it because either you bring them back later (which you should try to avoid) or you know that they weren't that important and their sacrificial death helped no one. This is why beta readers are great. Strangely, there are times when you had forgotten about a scene and when you get to it there is a sense of joy in reading something you can't remember writing. Perhaps it was some profound set of dialogue or a description that was so well done that you had brushed it off like any other before rereading it.

 

[NotaNuffian]

If you have a memory problem, then it might be an enjoyable work because the work is a self wank. It scratches that itch.

Or you might be pissy because you find a bunch of errors and missed opportunities and go full editor mode while cursing at your past self.

 

[Yi_San]

I enjoy it. Although my story is a complete bullshit beyond belief. Since I know the upcoming story, I will wonder about how will it be like when I write it. Generally, the story presentation in my mind and the real presentation is different. So I sometimes feel like it's someone else's story. And I am the reader. And without doubt, I dropped it.

 

[Ymadthepirate]

Sometimes I make a book, forget about it and two weeks later I find it in my closet I read it and I cringe like Nicole's Death which I could make a whole nother post on

 

[ArcadiaBlade]

Me(Reader) ranting to me(Author) about why hasn't this novel been completed yet:

 

[TotallyHuman]

When I put in effort, I enjoy what I write. I can say without modesty that some parts I've written are very very good.
However, most of the times I find that I hurry to the parts that I want far too quickly, and that either ends up boring but bearable - when I keep being decent and actually try - or just plain bad.
Most of the time, however, I feel somewhat regretful.
Understanding my intentions when I wrote particular places in particular ways, I can tell what I wanted to do and where I wanted to take the story, but as I keep writing, I get all these ideas and plans for the story, and it all snowballs into a bunch of awkwardly-combined places that make no sense thematically.
I can't help but feel regretful because on their own, those ideas could be good, and even when combined with more care and more sparingly, they could be good, but I usually end up too greedy and can't help and mess it up, even when I know I should take it slow, and when I know I can make it good.

My dialogues are terrible however and I can't help it because the idea of actually talking to another person in person make me want to throw up.

 

[Anon_Y_Mousse]

Pain. It is painful. Feels like I massacred my own creation.

 

[Paul_Tromba]

Me(Reader) ranting to me(Author) about why hasn't this novel been completed yet:

I feel that. However, I also have IRL friends who read my stuff and constantly bother me about editing my work and writing more chapters.

 

[Agentt]

Cringe. Pure cringe.

 

[aimless]

Something that popped in my head just now. I was wondering what it would be like for an author to read something they’ve written without the intention to edit or proofread. Instead just read it as a reader, I’m curious about what that’s like.

Imo I hate it, I feel like it’s way too fast paced and realise I don’t write things that would draw me in as a reader

 

[OfficialGENESIS]

Cringe. It's hard for me to. Lol. The more I read over my work, the more mistakes I see. Then I feel like deleting everything

 

[Noel_Elitia]

i recently started editing my volume 1 which was my first story, and believe me or not, i felt half the words and sentences were useless, and when i ended up going through half of the story while editing, the number of words in the document just doubled.
How did that happen is till a mystery to me.

 

[Toripuru-S]

Well, everything I write HAS the intention of going through editing or proofreading eventually , even if it's not the first round of fixing . Upon every re-read, I usually catch something along the way whether it's a tiny tiny tiny mistake, or making something great sound even better with extra energy.

It's an overall 50/50 experience. It's fun seeing my own progress, and getting skilled enough to even notice where an issue is without anyone needing to point it out . The actual editing part post re-reading can get grindy and boring , but hey it's work, and we all need to do the work

(you know what , I might've misunderstood your question a bit, sorry lol. That is how it is though, I really can't put myself in a "reader only + no editing" mindset when reading over my novels)

 

[BearlyAlive]

Ever stepped on a lego brick, stubbed your foot on a desk and cut your finger on paper, all at the same time?

 

[Deleted member 57675]

Cringe. Or surprised, not bad..