I’ve noticed that there are three different types of stories. Fics, To be published, and personal.
Fics are the things you write with an audience in mind but eventually go ‘fuck it’ and post anyway no matter how trash you feel it is.
The ‘to be published’ stories are the ones you dream of sitting next to Harry Potter, Percy Jackson, or Narnia (depending on your taste in authors/writing). You pour over every word, scrutinize details, try to add symbolsym, profound imagery, and obscure references to scripture most people won’t recognize. ‘What would people want to read?’ ‘What do publishers want to publish?’ ‘What will be remembered for generations?’
Then there are the personal stories. The stories that hide in the depths of your laptop. The stories you open when you need a break. Those are the ones you never plan on showing another soul, the ones you truly write for YOU. It could be an AU where your family is filthy rich. An AU where your enemies bow down before you. Or (my personal favorite) the story where you insert yourself into your favorite fandom and gain godlike powers (its an amazing self esteem boost).
The best part of personal stories is that you stop overthinking and just WRITE. ‘Does this contradict an earlier moment in the story?’ ‘Would the readers find this too cliche?’ ‘It that terribly worded?’ ‘Is that scientifically accurate?’ All those questions stop mattering because no one but yourself is ever going to read it!
I’ve reread my personal stories. Then I’ve compared them to my fics and my ‘to be be published’ stories. The personal ones are always better. And you know what’s also amazing? They actually got finished.
