Obstacles

I had to write a discussion board post for class. This post was on specific obstacles I've found as I've written these last few months. This is me writing honestly. I'm sure it's grammatically incorrect and there's probably many spelling errors. I don't care. Here's my raw opinion of myself and my writing.

I want to write comics.

Hands down.

It's a medium I love and it's a medium I admire. I'm more than intimidated by the output I see from the authors of comics. I struggle to find stories, and when I do find a story, I'm never 100% confident on where to take it. I see names like Nick Spencer, Joshua Hale Fialkov, Kurtis J. Wiebe and not only the volume of stories they put out, but the quality of those stories and I can't help but be intimidated. Then there are the comics "superstars" names like Brian Michael Bendis, Geoff Johns, Ron Marz. I see them as a standard I can only hope to mirror and admire.

I see myself as a competant writer. I'm not the best, but I can hold my own. I understand story structure and what is needed to make a bad story mediocre, or a good story better. The most difficult thing I have as a writer are my own imposed restrictions and expectations. I don't know where it came from but there's a saying: "You're your own worst critic." and I find that to be more than true.

Any time I get a grade in any of my classes that's lower than a "B" I chastise myself and force myself to be better. Not "try to be better" to actually be better. If I want to be truly successful, I need to set aside my own ego and just write. I can't stand mediocrity (percieved or real) and to perpetuate it is my greatest fear.

I don't want to be the guy who is almost good. I have to be good. I have to be better than good.

And I will be, soon.