The Learning Curve.

      Okay, here is a random observation that I have just made in my tiny littel brain. I have written four books now and each time I have finished one, I think wow, that's the best thing I ever wrote. At the time I said it of course, it was true, looking back, I cringe.
     I have really written some craptastic stuff! I guess that is the normal progression, the learning curve as it were, that with each book you get better. I would imagine that most authors see huge difference in writing skill between their first book and say, their thirtieth. 
     Now the first book that I wrote, really was the best thing I had ever written, at that time at least. It was 200 pages, so it was by far the largest thing I have ever tackeled. Rereading it now gives me a head ache. There is jus much wrong, its not even fixable or salvagable in any way shape or form. It might, no, scratch that, it would make excellent fire starter though. 
     My second book, which was even longer still was better that the first by leaps and bounds and I still love the story, but the book itself, I realized, though fixable, was more of a detailed outline or synopsis rather than an actual novel. I mean sure, I walk the reader through the chain of events culminating in the climax, then the resolution etc... but thats it. My setting aren't clear, the time line is confusing and the characters are flat, completely lacking emotion and personality. Who the hell wants to read on and see what happens when they don't care enough about the characters their reading about, to give a damn.
     The third book I wrote I can look back at now and say it was a decent effort. The characters have evolved into people to me, where the others never really did and I think it was because I relized that to make a character convincing there had to more to them that just the story. They had to have a past, to be real, to joke and laugh and cry and use dialoge that a person would use in the real world and not just some stick up their behind proper Grammer conversation, which sounds nothing like how real people talk.
     I learned to make the worlds I was creating, into worlds that my readers could envision, that they could see, sence, hear, feel, touch, taste, breathe...
     All this learning and experience has brought me to my most recent book, and finally I feel that I have something that is publish worthey. I have crafted characters in this book that are so real to me, I feel that I know them, I can place them in the real world in real life situation or say, Yeah so and so loves that too or what's-his-name is just as hot as that guy. 
     I have created bonds, friendships and enemies that are almost tangable and everytime I read about them I get excited. I feel a great sense of accomplishment that the people have taken on a life of their own all from just the seed of imagination I had planted in my mind.
    I guess this is a normal thing for begining writers or at least I would think so, there has to be a learning curve or how does one improve?
     I wonder if when I get to my thirtieth Novel, I will look back at my Fourth, or this blog and laugh saying "Wow, and I thought that crap was good."
     I don't know, but what I do know is that at his point, I feel pretty confident in my writing and look forward to getting better every day. As to how I'll feel when I get to number 30, I dont know, I'll let you know when I get there. :)