Why Do I Feel So Bad?

I love writing. My sister is writing a book that will probably come out in three or four years. I also love reading, but when I do, it makes me feel worse about my writing. I’m a comic writer, but I’m no good at romance or description or action, or anything else. Why do I feel so bad when I read other books?

 

I know I’m probably going to take up too much space, but I really need some advice and solace. Umm, this is awkward, but I’m a Mormon. I only read things that are pure to the mind, or at least I try to. My mom doesn’t mind, but it always feels like I’m reading porn. I really don’t mind, but it makes me feel awkward when I read some of Alices situations. I know I shouldn’t say this, but I’m thirteen and I’ve been reading your books since I was nine. Do you think that reading Alices situations is wrong?

 

This will (hopefully) be the last one. I have so many stories that I wanted to turn into books one day, but I never finish them, and I always get writers block when I write too much at one time. When I reread my stories, I always think they suck in comparison. I just don’t know how to develop a plot. How do you get over writers block, and how do you think of so many cool ideas for your books? Sometimes I wish I could jump into an Alice book, and never jump out. I really wish that writers block was a proven disease, and that you could take medicine for it, but it isn’t. My imagination is broken. How do I fix it?

 

You’ve brought up a number of issues, but first let me say that there are many writers of humor who don’t write romance or suspense, and they get along just fine.  Why do you feel you must write other kinds of stories?  If you feel your imagination is “broken,” however, I think what you are really telling me is that you need to broaden your experience of life in general–mixing with other people who are different from you, listening to other ideas, entering into discussions to present your own point of view, debating…just plain experiencing life in all its fascinating combinations.

I’m wondering too if you might have the wrong idea about keeping your mind “pure.”  You worry that you are reading porn, yet you’ve been reading the books since you were nine, and your mom doesn’t mind.  I certainly don’t mind, and would let you read them if you were my daughter.  Would it help if you and your mom read the books together, she reading a chapter aloud, then you, then talking about them afterwards?   Alice and her friends, as they are growing up, are becoming more aware and more interested in their sexuality.  That’s natural.  That’s normal.  Just because you have sexual feelings doesn’t mean you’re going to jump on the first guy who comes along, even though you may fantasy about guys.  If people didn’t have sexual feelings, there wouldn’t be any children.  And you don’t press a magic button when you’re married and suddenly start feeling sexual…it’s happening all along.

I just have the feeling that you may be restricting yourself unnecessarily, not only in what you read, but in what you allow yourself to talk about with other people, to think about…  Sharing ideas with others doesn’t mean you have to change.  Would you feel comfortable talking this over with your mom and seeing what you might do to extend yourself a little, broaden your experiences, try different things, and see if this doesn’t do wonders for your imagination?