Struggling Writers discussion
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Writers, why do you write?
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Whether you like the works of J.R.R. Tolkien or not, he says some very interesting things about escape in relation to literature in his essay On Fairy Stories in his book, Tree and Leaf. Here is some of what he says:"I have claimed that Escape is one of the main functions of fairy stories, and since I do not disapprove of them, it is plain that I do accept the tone of scorn or pity with which Escape is now so often used: a tone for which the uses of the word outside literary criticism give no warrant at all. In what the misusers are fond of calling Real Life, Escape is evidently as a rule very practical, and may even be heroic. In real life it is difficult to blame it, unless it fails; in criticism it would seem to be the worse the better it succeeds. Evidently we are faced with a misuse of words, and also by a confusion of thought. Why should a man be scorned, if, finding himself in prison, he tries to get out and go home? Or if, when he cannot do so, he thinks and talks about other topics than jailers and prison walls? The world outside has not become less real because the prisoner cannot see it. In using Escape in this way critics have chosen the wrong word, and, what is more, they are confusing, not always by sincere error, the Escape of the Prisoner with the Flight of the Deserter."
Marc wrote: "Areeb wrote: "Yeah, Death in itself is another real huge escape from reality. Isn't it? and then it has more dimensions: Murders, Suicides, Biological decay and so on. I don't feel ugly writing abo..."Perfect!
Language portray too many things in a single word. Sometimes a word contain whole history, an event or a memory. The interesting thing about 'word' is: Everyone can relate it to his own personal experience, hence it creates a different relative meaning in his mind, which creates a different perspective (another dimension) of the writing.. and finally the writer himself is unable to see those hiding multidimensional meanings in his words..
Philip wrote: "Whether you like the works of J.R.R. Tolkien or not, he says some very interesting things about escape in relation to literature in his essay On Fairy Stories in his book, Tree and Leaf. Here is so..."Glad! You've shared a beautiful thing from the works of J.R.R. Tolkien:
The world outside has not become less real because the prisoner cannot see it..
Areeb wrote: "Yeah, Death in itself is another real huge escape from reality. Isn't it? and then it has more dimensions: Murders, Suicides, Biological decay and so on. I don't feel ugly writing about death. In f..."I agree, but wonder how you square that with a search for aesthetic beauty & purity in writing?
Marc wrote: "Areeb wrote: "Yeah, Death in itself is another real huge escape from reality. Isn't it? and then it has more dimensions: Murders, Suicides, Biological decay and so on. I don't feel ugly writing abo..."Now that's a difficult question to ask :)
Ellie wrote: "Writers, why do you write?"Why? Uhm ... because it's like therapy. Because I love the act of making things up. Because I love the response to what I write (which is mostly good). Because, if I don't write, you can lock me up in a padded cell. Just because. :)
I found fiction is the best way to express my thoughts.
Mod
agreed
I write to share the wonders I've seen in my mind.
F.J. wrote: "I write to share the wonders I've seen in my mind."can you share few of them?
I write because I have stories to tell, because I want to escape this dismal reality living in the hood, because I want to see my books in print, because I hope to get rich off my writing one day and get out of the ghetto, because I want to be somebody and not that weird awkward loser with a stutter. Once I escape obscurity and someone realises my works are awesome, at least by then I'd be a famous weird awkward loser with a stutter!
I suspect it's a basic flaw in my character.
I write because my mind is never quiet and until I manage to get them out they don't stop ever. It's like sitting in a room with five hundred million tvs on at the same time, each playing something different
Harsh wrote: "F.J. wrote: "I write to share the wonders I've seen in my mind."can you share few of them?"
One of them is a world that I spent the last 9 years exploring that's home to a race of sentient dragons. I've traveled the stars, explored worlds and encountered some interesting alien races. I've traveled through time.
A sampling of my journeys can be found in my writings.
Because it's illegal to murder people in the real world.
F.J. wrote: "Harsh wrote: "F.J. wrote: "I write to share the wonders I've seen in my mind."can you share few of them?"
One of them is a world that I spent the last 9 years exploring that's home to a race of..."
Intresting..
Lee wrote: "Because it's illegal to murder people in the real world."Haha...nice one ;)
Lee wrote: "Because it's illegal to murder people in the real world."lolz! true that!! :) I enjoy playing god too, smiting those i hate at will.
You must stay drunk on writing so reality cannot destroy you. ~Ray BradburyA quote the describes why I write. I don't drink or anything like that. Writing is my escape from the real world.
There's another one too, I don't remember who said it or exactly how it was phrased but the basic idea is "Writing is the only socially acceptable form of schizophrenia" lol
I write what the voices tell me to write. Kidding, I write because it is a cathartic form of expression that won't hurt anyone.
Patrick wrote: "I write what the voices tell me to write. Kidding, I write because it is a cathartic form of expression that won't hurt anyone."well, it beats pimp slapping and shanking folks you don't like :)
I want to write because of my desire to create good stories, surreal images, and characters that readers could like.I also want to write because I'm pretty much fed up with the same generic material that are being published nowadays. I want to be fresh and create something new, or at least something that stands out.
Jonathan wrote: "I also want to write because I'm pretty much fed up with the same generic material that are being published nowadays. I want to be fresh and create something new, or at least something that stands out. ..."Good luck with that. I started out that way 10 years ago before I got snarky jaded and drunk. No matter how "unique" and "different" your works are, folks want mainstream malarkey. It's like comfort food or something.
BUT don't let that stop you from pushing forward! I keep hammering away on *THAT ONE HOPE* that because of my different awesomeness, someone would take notice and then I'd finally get *somewhere*. Yeah, it might make you neurotic, but if it gives you a reason to get up and *do something*, then by all means, effin do it.
I write because I always have done. I have always thrived on the use of language and imagery. Even as a small child, I was fascinated by all things dark and mysterious. I write as a way to keep me sane. I have so many thoughts and feelings that I simply cannot avoid writing about them. It is also the biggest form of enjoyment for me. I get a kick out of it. There are plenty of other reasons but I may never know exactly why I write, that's for whatever higher power to tell me... Or not.
Continuing from my previous comment.. [' write because i want to record those thoughts, ideas and visions that apear in my head and my mind on paper for others to 'see'. I write because i feel that one's imagination can be brought to life in an explosion of color and glorious brilliance. I write to express myself. To share an insight with others of my personal visions and to provoke thoughts and interpretations by others. I write to share my passions with the world, recorded down for re-living those moments']
..filling a need. something broken inside me might mend. to try and find something useful/ meaningful within my random jumbled thoughts. face fears without constraint.
I start in a fit of inspiration, the need to communicate something. For instance, my next novel is all about truth and lies. The impetus was Picasso's observation that art is a lie through which the artist tells the truth. But since all art, including fiction, is a lie we artists are making up, using a lie to tell a truth is an oxymoron. And yet, there are truths that art does reveal.
After inspiration, though, comes the work. I keep writing until the story, and not the inspiration and/or writing-style are front-and-center.
So that same next novel includes a Hector Arroyo who is am effective Toltec shaman. Who learned his craft from a fraud who, it turn out, has zero Amerindian blood. Worse, he made his teachings up, whole clothe.
And yet Hector is effective. His practice draws spirits to him, allowing him to help others.
Truth, lie... and yet there is a Big-Letter TRUTH...
Problem is, moving from idea to story takes work to make it interesting. A lot of work. People don't read fiction like they read philosophy. And good thing, too. Since fiction is the only art-from that deals with people's insides, and we think in stories naturally.
I've been writing all my life - To put it simply, It's who I am, I couldn't stop even if I wanted to
me too, it informs all my writing.
But there ugly human behaviours which reacquaint us with gross material reality. Important to explore, but unlikely to foster the purity of the world of perfections & forms.
By the way, I also examine language's contribution to Plato's notion of ideal forms, although probably from the reverse position of you, in that language groups together too many things under such singular classifications (nouns) and thereby simplifies and obscures meaning.