Sense of pride

Good, I know there's some things I"ve written that when I look back at them later I'm slapping myself asking why I thought enough of that piece of crap to send it in.

Just for the fun of it, I looked through my stories here (forget the serials and the "poems") to see which ones I would consider for a top three list, and I ended up with exactly half of them (23 out of 46). Some of them would probably never have a real chance (perhaps because there is a rather similar one that I consider better), but they are still close to my heart. Which ones would eventually end up on the top three list probably depends as much on mood and circumstance as anything else. What is more interesting is that the top half includes some stories I didn't think much of when I wrote them, but which have since grown on me. In the other directions, there are stories I thought the world of when I wrote them, but which now look contrived and over-ambitious.

Pride? Hey, I have a story with that very title! But it's not the piece I'm most proud of. Instead, I take a particular pride in "The Woman of the Well" and have been buoyed by the words several commenters have used to compliment it over the years. But.........if anything can humble one's pride it's the total number of comments one can get even for a story you kind of know from your own gut, and others' reactions, is worthy of better reception. So, I try to avoid pride since it's a painful journey from the pride one feels when a new story goes up and starts getting a few very nice comments, and then goes cold and fades from view after only a handful of reactions.

But I have a question based on some of the responses here. To those who said they think a portion of their own work is "garbage" or "rubbish": in the case of an effort that you yourself think has not hit the intended mark, do you send it in anyway, or is it deleted or stored away out of view? And obviously the follow up to that is, if you send it in anyway.........why?

I can tell you why, at least in my case. When I finish a story, I'm too close to it, I wrote it, I sweated over it, maybe it took me a long time to write it. I'm too close to it to be a good judge of it's worth, of course I think it's worthy, I did it. Later, after it's put up on the site, and I get some not glowing comments on it, I may reread it and wonder why I sent it in. Plus we tend to be our own worst critics.

I am slightly embarrassed to say that I came to this forum question immediately after indulging my conceit by re-reading on site what I am sure is my best work. Never too old is a novella about a man and an older woman which takes place over a period of about fifty years.

Then I read the comments just to try to expand my head further.

As to what is not such a worthy part of my oeuvre, I think that my first ever story, Weird, a story about ... (well, I'll let you dear reader decide) meets that billing. Why did I post it? I didn't know any better at the time, and it was first of all on a site with no quality gatekeepers, you just popped it up yourself, then it was migrated over here with the rest of my outfall when I joined this site

I concur that Kdpierre's Woman of the Well is a very good

One that comes to mind because it explores the psychological effects of teachers in different relationships and times in their lives. Teacher's Panties Come Down Too, By Cherry Red my author's name has been my most daring dive into their reactions that may explain those with a spanko gene.

I usually try to introduce a little humour into my stories, so most tend to be somewhat flippant and not very believable. But I am pleased if they help lighten the mood. However, the story I am most proud of is completely different. It is the poignant 'Fifty Red Roses'.

I remember reading a comment some time ago saying that you have nothing to be bashful about. I'll look up "Fifty Red Roses."

I've had people who purport to know me tell me that I am flippant, I tell them they don't know me or haven't been paying attention.

stevenr
It's very much worth reading. Somehow he had managed to find one I hadn't read.

Alef

These three stories are some of my favorites; "Botticelli Eyes" is exceptionally good, and I encourage everyone to read it.

In response to the call of the question, I feel pride when re-reading my stories. Whatever shortcomings I find, I chalk up to my skill level when writing it. And I am occasionally proud of the results and evolution of that skill in the time since. I continue to admire, learn from, and comment on the stories of my fellow authors, among whom I am proud to be.

The Spanking Agent