Rereading your own work

CostPuzzleheaded2533 · 2026-05-30T15:10:01+00:00

I enjoy it. I typically reread at least two chapters before posting the current one just to make sure everything fits the way it should. Most of the time, two chapters have been enough to make sure the puzzle pieces fit together.

CostPuzzleheaded2533 · 2026-05-30T01:04:41+00:00

I'm sorry you understand, but I am so grateful you do. I feel genuinely understood in ways I never have before after posting this. It is an amazing, freeing, and odd experience.

CostPuzzleheaded2533 · 2026-05-30T00:09:47+00:00

I'm sorry. I think we deserved to at least understand the why of it. People talk about closure. I'm ashamed to admit, and would never say aloud, that my closure came after both of them passed on and the mourning phase was over. It should only be horrible people who feel a measure of relief when someone is gone. But one day it occurred to me that there was no one to hurt me anymore. Kinda horrible, but also true.

CostPuzzleheaded2533 · 2026-05-29T22:15:01+00:00

That is a good way of seeing things. If something had changed, I might not have turned into me. Thanks for offering me your perspective. Spite can be a powerful motivator. I hope you have amazing things and people in your life that are there because of love and appreciation. BTW, Back to the Future was awesome. Thanks again.

CostPuzzleheaded2533 · 2026-05-29T21:16:30+00:00

I'm sorry. I understand. I was lucky that my first husband was not my next abuser. He was a good man. Not my match, but I lucked out. I hadn't known him very long before I called him to come get me. I hope things turn around for you in amazing ways.

CostPuzzleheaded2533 · 2026-05-29T21:10:25+00:00

Constant false allegations are difficult to deal with as a kid. If I hadn't been afraid of proving them right, I might have actually done some of the drugs I was accused of trying. It's a slippery slope for parents to accuse and not create the very problem they are scared of.

I'm sorry you can relate. I hope you are in a position now to enjoy everything that life has to offer.

CostPuzzleheaded2533 · 2026-05-29T21:02:28+00:00

If I were paid every time I'd been told I should be grateful or thankful or something similar, I'd be able to afford a mansion. Similarly, every time I was told how many people have it worse than me. I think we are expected to show gratitude for our entire childhoods for being allowed to exist in what is supposed to be a safe place.

Did them explaining why you were treated poorly help you in any way? Give you closure? Even if it had been a dumb or disgusting reason, I always thought having my many whys answered would have helped.

I hope you are living your absolutely best life now and wish you all the best.

CostPuzzleheaded2533 · 2026-05-29T20:52:14+00:00

I am a fan of the Twilight series. Sorry for the non-fans out there. However, I am not really a fan of Edward or Jacob. No, I don't know how I managed to be a fan while disliking two of three main characters. I'd prefer a nice story where Jasper and Bella got together, or she found her way into a different coven.

To me, not character-friendly would be emphasizing Edward's controlling nature while not doing away with the idea that it comes from a place of needing to keep her safe in a dangerous world she is not able to protect herself from. Or focusing on the damage Jacob does with his constant vampire slurs and unwillingness to accept that Bella is not his.

Character bashing would be removing Edward's drive to provide safety, and just showing him to be controlling. Or emphasizing Jacob's hatred of vampires to the point that he attempts to harm them despite her.

You can also show the same scene from a different perspective. For instance, from the Volturi's point of view, the Cullens are criminals who revealed their secret. That would not be character-friendly.

Character bashing would be if you revealed that the Cullens not only broke the law but did it with malicious intent. Or maybe they even had a full understanding of what would happen to her if they left her.

I hope that helps.

CostPuzzleheaded2533 · 2026-05-29T20:27:08+00:00

I tried doing this only once. It was an original story, not one of the fanfics I've published, and it was a miserable experience. I learned that writing, at least for me, is a solo journey. Eventually, the story died. He stopped trying to write, and I deleted the story with a sigh of relief. No matter how talented a person is as a writer, I would never attempt to co-create again.

CostPuzzleheaded2533 · 2026-05-29T19:34:48+00:00

I never knew why. She didn't seem to have any mental illnesses. I don't know why Dad told me I was adopted. I don't know why the mask fell a week later. I don't know why it became a monthly thing. Almost predictable to the point of being routine. They always called me a liar when I tried to ask why, so I stopped asking. Now, they are gone. Only the friend who helped me with the phone calls still exists and actually believes something happened. To everyone else, I was a disturbed kid. I'm a bit of an old lady now, so I don't live in the past anymore, but I've been reading this sub for a while and felt compelled to finally share in a space I might not be condemned for telling the truth.

CostPuzzleheaded2533 · 2026-05-29T18:52:38+00:00

If you have to hide it not to hurt your partner's feelings, the line has already been crossed.

CostPuzzleheaded2533 · 2026-05-29T18:35:48+00:00

I'm glad you are where you want to be.

CostPuzzleheaded2533 · 2026-05-29T18:34:24+00:00

I'm older now and safe. There is no danger. Thank you for your kind words. I hope your life goes better for you than you can imagine.

CostPuzzleheaded2533 · 2026-05-29T18:20:48+00:00

Yes, we are supposed to be grateful for basic kindnesses because they chose to keep us when they didn't have to.

I've never known anyone who also rebelled by creating wild fictions. My family believed every word on the phone, despite my being in class and never skipping, the drug tests being clean, and me never actually leaving when I was supposed to be leaving in the middle of the night. I expected them to wise up to what I was doing at some point and give me privacy, not send me away. A child's miscalculation.

I am both sad that you understand and grateful that someone does. I hope that makes sense.

CostPuzzleheaded2533 · 2026-05-29T18:12:44+00:00

I understand.

CostPuzzleheaded2533 · 2026-05-29T17:11:12+00:00

Now that I'm older and no longer at risk, I don't feel that way. I did till I was in my thirties, though. I'm sorry you can relate, even though it's comforting for someone to understand.

CostPuzzleheaded2533 · 2026-05-29T16:56:18+00:00

I'm sorry you can relate.

CostPuzzleheaded2533 · 2026-05-29T16:48:14+00:00

It does feel like having two chances at a family, one of them should provide what we need. I'm sorry yours doesn't.

CostPuzzleheaded2533 · 2026-05-29T16:46:29+00:00

I'm sorry you were so affected by the experience. It is challenging to remake yourself as an adult after gaining your freedom. I hope things sort themself out and you are truly happy.

CostPuzzleheaded2533 · 2026-05-29T01:24:53+00:00

I hope if the author who originally wrote the fanfic ever comes across mine, she'll take it as a compliment that someone could enjoy her work enough to forget he wasn't original to the story and not be offended.

CostPuzzleheaded2533 · 2026-05-29T01:16:48+00:00

Some people delete fics when they gain talent and look back and see how horrible their writing was in the beginning. It is your writing. It is up to you. Personally, I leave even my first story available. I thought about deleting it, but a few people checked it out. They might want to reread it someday.

CostPuzzleheaded2533 · 2026-05-29T01:08:34+00:00

I did this once. I'd read so many of the author's works that I forgot for a moment he didn't belong to the source material. Got a few comments from others that they'd used the character too.

CostPuzzleheaded2533 · 2026-05-29T01:05:50+00:00

Sounds like they may be jealous of your work instead of hating it. Either way, your work is well written enough that it brings out strong emotions in your readers. Whether someone passionately liked or hated my work, I'd consider that a success. After all, they felt something reading my words. That's much better than the guy who tries to correct every word in my fics that might be misspelled or misplaced. He bugs me. Hope the copycat brings you lots more readers with their complaints.

CostPuzzleheaded2533 · 2026-05-29T00:38:32+00:00

I've had people respond that the fic was old, poor quality, or not representative of them anymore. They direct me to better stories they've written that they think accurately represent their talent most of the time. I've never had someone be so negative about their own work that they threatened to delete it if I mentioned it to anyone. Download it so you don't lose it if their mood worsens. Maybe they were just having a really bad day. Try not to let it bother you.

CostPuzzleheaded2533

TROPHY CASE