Good, bad, I just want to be the one with the cash.
Starting to agree with you about that club membership thing... we're up to, what, at least six in this thread alone?
@lynestjules
@surenlicious
@Scarlet_Cryptid
@littlelilylee5683
(also everyone)
These responses have been crazy supportive. I honestly thought I would get replies for actual coping mechanisms for how to call it quits.
Some after a good nights rest thoughts:
I love telling stories/ making up stories. And my passion is creating.
I am not in it for money.
I need to figure out goals that will make me feel accomplished. Before this, my only goal was to traditionally publish the one book (which I did write, edit and rewrite so that's an accomplishment).
I have no actual attachment goal-wise to my comic. that was been fun and I know it's not everyone's cup of tea. Maybe the next comic I will put more into. And maybe make it a more sociable genre?
Please can we have a womens 30ish+ creater a support group??
This thread is a very emotional read for me (turning 35 soon... married... all our friends are having kids... dirty messy house lol). And I know friends and family probably think I'm absolutely just blindly insane for hoping to get anywhere with this comics/art thing that I'm not good at (let's please add "yet" - it's a nice word).
There are definitely reasons to drop things you love to focus on other things in your life - it really hurts but there's only so much time and we have to make choices about how to spend it. Just... make sure you make the choice that's important to you.
Reading this made me hope really hard that you keep writing and drawing. If making stories is your dream... screw the cleaner house, and there's nothing silly about spending your time on the thing you love.
Also, congratulations on writing a book! That's amazing 
.
I'll never tell someone to quit creating. Because, I know how fulfilling it is for me. Removing that aspect would make me very depressed. I need it.
I mean, the pandemic put a halt in a lot of things. But, I make time for the people who are allowed to be in my bubble according to the rules here we have in place here for our pandemic level. I might not have the life society pushes me to have because I'm a woman, but I'm actually very happy with my life. I have a wonderful family, terrific friends and a great job. On a bonus side, I get to create on my spare time. Life is good.
This was great. I had zero expectations when I threw my work on here and I have had some of the sweetest, most beautiful comments and reactions. Never in my life would I think someone would connect to my characters or story that way. It just takes one person and their single comment to make me crazy happy. And it makes me just as happy to read and comment on other novels and comics here too (when I somehow manage to find the time), because most of us are all in similar places and just want to share what we love.
Yup. I'm in the same boat. I read and comment when I have the time or really feel like sitting down to read stuff. If I'm feeling creative, I just close everything up, put on my headphones and some music and just draw all day. Today, is one of those days, but I need to have a snack break.
I think... of course you'll get supportive responses here, because many of us are just like you. Or were. Or understand where you're coming from. And we've seen unexpected results after taking that chance.
It's difficult to realize you're not exactly the way you want to be or that things aren't following the path you wanted to take. So many things in my life didn't go the way I planned, for reasons way beyond my control. But that's also just an opportunity to pause, think about what you REALLY want, and then take steps toward that instead. I think it's great that you're going to reassess and start making some achievable goals. Everyone has to grow, and unless you're a natural savant, everyone takes those small steps forward (and sometimes back ^^).
Yesterday was a binge day for me. I said screw it, I'm not writing anything, I'm just catching up on some of these novels and comics! It was a very nice way to procrastinate. Like I'm doing right now in this thread... 
And now... next week's episode are calling... 
So your plot is solid, and you have faith in your characters, but the way you express these ideas is not up to task for you?
The answer is so simple it might shock you. Read more. I mean read more good content, I mean really good content, the kind you get in a bookstore, instead of just wandering around Tapas hoping you'll find someone with bulletproof prose. I even take notes when I read other people's works for studying purposes, sometimes on (almost)every page!
Reading the works of others is just a good way to find inspiration in general, actually. Just don't grade your work against theirs, because those guys have the support on full-on editors to help clean up the mess.
And if all else fails, you can just go find some reviews of authortube books to laugh at. Despite giving a lot of writing advice, there's a lot of authortubers who aren't so hot at writing themselves. Here's a review to get your browsing started:
Answering the thread title plainly, "I (you) continue striving to improve"
Getting deeper into the post content, I think that it's absolutely never too late to start! Try not to fret about starting to learn a skill later in life (or picking back up an old one to practice). No two people's journey is the same, and just because someone starting writing novels or making comics in elementary school doesn't exclude you from starting now.
Especially considering your most recent reply:
I think that you can definitely find a way to continue creating that works for you and your life style 
As others have stated, turning art into a career is a massive undertaking and rather difficult, so if that was the only motive then... choosing to forego it and pursue a different hobby might make sense, especially if financial stability was a concern. BUT if money is secondary/not a factor then there's nothing holding you back from having a blast and making great content as a hobby that might blossom into something more later on!
I'm not in an entirely comparable situation, but I would say our motives for creating are similar. I'm in my late 20's and single, but work full time and just pursue comics as a "serious hobby'. It's not something that I ever see becoming a career, but I'm dedicated to continuing to hone my craft and wouldn't mind finding a large readership someday~
I think the two tips/pieces of advice that I would give are the following:
1.) Take it at your own pace. As you get older and have more familiar/work commitments, it's understandable that you won't have as much time to pour into a hobby like this as someone younger, necessarily. But that's not a problem~ Don't extend yourself beyond your means and just create what you can, when you can. Sure you might not post a webnovel chapter every day or 2 or finish a whole comic update in a week like some folks can, but that shouldn't stop you from making them if you want to! Better to make something slowly than nothing at all.
2.) Work smarter, not harder- look for ways to maximize what time you do have. When practicing, try to be really focused on areas that you want to improve rather than letting your pencil or keyboard wander. Try not to be shy about asking your peers for feedback or questions, rather than trying to work things out on your own. If you're worried about how long it might take to complete a huge epic, especially at a slower pace, maybe consider taking on small-to-medium projects instead where you can see the light at the end of the tunnel. Things like this. Of course it's up to you to decide what you want to do, but finding ways to maximize output with minimal time is a valuable skill
You'll have to discover your own goals, of course, but hopefully you'll be able to find your groove and make lots of great stories!
I won't be blindly optimistic, because if you're the same age as me, and you struggle with writing, it's not likely to 'suddenly click'. It may just be that longform narrative writing is not for you. That'll be a hard pill to swallow, but that doesn't mean that your dream of writing a book is out of reach! It may just be that you're not working in the right medium for your skillset.
You mentioned you dabbled with drawing a comic. Yes, the shine of novelty will leave anything over time, and comics are intensive work. But, if your comic looks good, and it reads well, it may well be the medium you're best suited to working in.
So, you have a few options, here. You could commit to telling the story of your book as a comic instead. (And have a look at the different 'styles' of comic writing as well. Most modern comics use limited narration, like a TV show - but some older ones, like Sandman, lean harder into the author's narrative voice. It's a valid option, and may be the happy middle ground you need.) You could try making the first chapter as a test-run, posting it here and on WEBTOON. Or, you could go page-style, and attempt to pitch a 'Chapter 1 + Script' to Image, or Dark Horse. If you get picked up by them, it'll be like a traditional publishing contract, and you'll be paid an advance.
One last thing. You've stated that the 'guts' of the story, such as plot, character development and so-on, but your narrative writing is weak. Have you sought out industry-level critique on that writing? Not every book needs to be a literary masterpiece. Many books which are more plot-focused are rather plainly written. You may be viewing your work more harshly than others would.
I'd seriously consider it if I had any idea how... but I've also never moderated anything in my life, so I also would have no idea what to do when/if I did.
Slow and steady wins the race, every time. The truth is it's easy to work hard for a while. The difficulty thing is working every day, improving slowly and without rushing.
We're all too impatient. None of us is good enough. That's why we have to work on those things. We have to develop patience as well. It doesn't matter if you're a late bloomer or not, rushing thinks only leads to dissapointment.
That said, it isn't because taking classes once didn't yield the disered results that taking classes as a whole won't help. Consume the content you're interested in making, learn from those who are good at it. Beg, borrow and steal. That's the journey of a creative person.
I also am a 30-something mostly female-identifying married person with no plans for kids xDD
and I totally get those negative feelings as well.
It's like, what is my life? What have I been doing? I should have pushed myself when I was younger so maybe I would have advanced more by this age. Regrets abound.
Getting "good" can take a long time for people, especially if they're learning by themselves and are self-taught. We can only really keep working at it, learn from our mistakes, keep producing work, and get better with each new thing produced, even if they're baby steps of progress.
Also if you want to find out specific ways to improve, definitely seek out feedback from trusted friends or acquaintances first if you're hesitant to open it to a public space.
Savor the time you have for telling stories (your passion) now! Life is short.
Practice makes perfect! I never started off good or even decent at writing. I looked at a lot of examples of what I wanted to write then practiced. I took creative writing classes in school and practiced just thinking about a small story plot, fleshing it out, writing the rough draft, editing (lots of editing because somethings you thought were amazing you look back on and don't like it anymore), Using words that aren't basic but aren't too huge (never use words you don't really understand because using it in the wring context will make everything make no sense), ad always have fun and never write for anyone else but you.
I have been writing small stories about my oc's for awhile usually just in my head after hearing some music or seeing some scenery that gives me some inspiration. I use it as a way to cope with my feelings about life troubles, joys, etc.
Just never give up and continue to pursue your dreams. Even if you think that it is terrible now it will get better. I hope this helped you.