This is a bit of a random rant. Something I see all the time, especially online, really irks me: people claiming they can write better than [insert popular author here]. It’s usually directed towards bestselling writers or someone whose book is trending, and the comments are always along the lines of—“I could write better than this in my sleep.”, etc
Here’s the thing: no, you probably can’t. I’ve read writing on platforms like Wattpad, and even the best stuff is often… not great. Writing something readable isn’t that easy. Even experienced writers struggle to turn out something consistently good, let alone something worth publishing. And that’s not even getting into the editing, pacing, character development, and narrative arcs that make a book actually readable.
As someone who writes for fun, I get how you can write a chapter and think, “Wow, I could totally do this!” Writing a single chapter or an essay for some course you’re taking is easy. Now try writing 50 more, setting the right pace without dragging or rushing, ensuring the characters develop in a way that makes sense, avoiding repetitive scenes or dialogue, and tying all your plot threads together in a satisfying way. It’s a creative exercise I enjoy, but it’s also exhausting—and I don’t even publish my work! The arrogance of thinking you can casually outdo authors who have slogged through all of that to bring a full story to life is just wild to me.
by brooke_157