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Why do we write?
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Charles
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Jun 24, 2011 06:35PM
Why do we write? Are we egomaniacs? I think not. I write because I can. I have new ideas that have never been published before. Let us write because there are voices to be heard. Join in please.
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As per the Samuel Johnson quote? For money?
well, I like money but even without that incentive I would write.
Good for you, but to be quite honest I would never have become a writer until my back was against the wall. I had no other means of making money, but being broke overrode my lack of confidence. No matter how many people had told me I could write and write well, I didn't take them seriously and up until then making a living by other means was more immediately available. Once I had no choice, I went for it. That was back in 1993. The other precious commodity that came my way back then was time. Suddenly I had lots of it - and no more excuses.
I write because I enjoy it, but it ties in nicely with my life mission of breaking down cultural barriers. I write to give people a taste of the different ways people live and an understanding of why they behave differently.
I like the comments so far. Keep them coming.
I once attended a lecture given by P D James. She said she was immediately published once she had taken on board that a work of fiction must entertain. I've told stories verbally since I was a child. It comes naturally and I enjoy doing it. It may be very simple compared to high ideas about bridging cultural differences, though the books I wrote as Jeannie Johnson are woven around the social anomalies of the time. i.e. WW2. White GIs allowed to marry the white English mothers of their illegitimate children, black GIs not, and early 19th century, the end of slavery in the British colonies, though not the end of bigotry. So you do have a point, Murray.
A couple of years ago I began crafting my novel. Hungry for knowledge on writing I gradually purchased about fifty books on writing. Most of them admonished me not to give up my day job. No problem, I was a seagoing doc for the Navy's Military Sealift Command. My book is out and I'm retired. Not worried about money, I can write because I can't not write. I'm a writing junky--one of society's more acceptable addictions.Jim
And you have the time. You also have the experience of living. Beats golf doesn't it?
Like my protagonist in Point Deception I ran away from home at fourteen begining a young Indiana Jones style adventure by lying about my age to join the Coast Guard at fourteen. However, I had a lot of time to write during deployments to the Persian Gulf now ashore my writing has to compete with my wife Laura's honey-do list. I usually get up around 6 AM while she's still sleeping. With luck the sequel will be available in about three months. Please visit me at www.pointdeception.comJim
I just started a new novel. It is different from anything I have written before. I don't care if it sells or not. I just think it needed to be told. I like the challenge of producing something that no one has read before. I will die a happy man if my writings inspire just one new author to this planet.
Way to go Charles! I feel the same way. As most first novels start, mine started as a fictionalized autobiography which took on a life of its own and became a Coast Guard story. Jim
Mine is going to scare the hell out of anyone who reads it.
I write because it's who I am and because I can.
There's a vast difference between a Stephen King, Tom Clancy or Ernest Hemingway and John Locke. To me, Locke is more like the razzle dazzle marketing guy selling "Sham-Wow." My personal view is that John Locke doesn't worry about women reading his books with the leggy girls on the cover. He's more interested in them reading his $5 book that advocates churning out quickie Ebooks that generate a fast revenue stream rather than giving readers value for their money. As an author, I find the money-at-all-costs mentality offensive. If enough people, I won't dignify them with the term "writer" churn out trash for cash, then Indie EBook publishing will fail and traditional publishers will grin and use a holier than-thou-approach as they say: We told you so!
Money seems to rule the roost. Most writers seem to not care about content but cash a count. I think money is the cure. Why we write is because it is easier than working a 9 to 5 job.
Jim wrote: "A couple of years ago I began crafting my novel. Hungry for knowledge on writing I gradually purchased about fifty books on writing. Most of them admonished me not to give up my day job. No problem..."Good for you Jim, as I noted elsewhere in this group: I write because I am, and because I can.
BUT: Just don't ask me to reverse rolls with you and practice medicine. :-)
Charles wrote: "Money seems to rule the roost. Most writers seem to not care about content but cash a count. I think money is the cure. Why we write is because it is easier than working a 9 to 5 job."Sorry Charles, but I couldn't disagree more. There's a difference between churning out trash and writing. Any who thinks writing is easier than working a 9 to 5 job obviously has no clue. Let me have your telephone number via a private message and I'll call you next time I'm sitting at the keyboard at 1:30 a.m, where' I've been since morning.
Writers do books because we're all a little insane. I'd make more money at McDonald's than writing then having to worry whether a book priced at 99 cents will sell.
I guess you are right. The money you get for the hours you write is really less than almost any 9 to 5 job.
At first I started to write because I thought it would be something I'd enjoy while generating another stream of income. Well, so far the stream of income is into other people's pockets, but I'm glad to help the economy. The writing of the novel was difficult, but fun. The editing was laborious and not so much fun. The marketing of the novel is disturbing and no fun at all. I had to ask myself why I want to continue writing. I've come to the conclusion that I really want to give readers the best possible entertainment I can deliver. I get a special joy when someone tells me how much they liked the novel, especially when they point out certain aspects that really connected with them. So, what's the problem? I'm not good at marketing, and it takes time and/or money, but if I don't do it, book lovers will not have a chance to enjoy my work. Is there a Catch-22 here?
Dan wrote: "At first I started to write because I thought it would be something I'd enjoy while generating another stream of income. Well, so far the stream of income is into other people's pockets, but I'm gl..."Dan, I must commend you for a desire to write to entertain people rather than just being after a quick buck.
I'm pretty good at marketing having grown Harlequin Books to huge popularity and also wrote the first PR program for the Cabbage Patch Kids. BUT, product promotion is the highly important evil twin of writing for authors these days. Decades ago publishers used to promote a wide variety of their book lists, now they just focus on the top few bestsellers and and tell everyone else to do their own, without providing any guidance. That's why I wrote Self-Promotion for Authors as it distilled my thoughts and the successes of a dozen other writers into a marketing guide that allows authors to tailor an plan to fit their needs and capabilities.
There is no shortcut to marketing success. But without doing the marketing, you may as well have not written the book. It will simply get buried among all the others competing for attention. But just remember one thing. You are not there to promote your book, but yourself. You are the brand. The goal is to have people looking for the latest book by Dan ____. Then you'll be successful. Hope that helps.
Best,
There is no quick buck in writing. Fame and fortune are all part of the fiction. I did it because I had nothing else to do and absolutely no income whatsoever. I guess it took my mind off things. I've had 28 books published so far in three languages. I know what the draughty garret is all about - it gives you wings!
I think that authors are headed toward a strange new world. Bookstores and libraries are failing daily. Soon the only hope for writers is the electronic world. Dare I say we must evolve?
Writing is who I am. It always has been for as long as I remember. It's my therapy, and I consider myself fortunate to be able to make a living off of it, in some form or another.
Why do I write?The things that motivate me to write are as follows:
It is cheaper than fuelling my huge appetite for reading; at one stage I had a book-a-day habit.
It is more absorbing and entertaining (for me) than watching TV.
Now that I have got to the stage of having published a novel I love getting feedback from people and knowing that I have entertained someone and made them laugh.
It puts my daydreaming to good use.
I really never concerned myself with making money. There are so many books on this planet that I really don't expect my work to makes its way to the top of the surface and get huge attention/make a profit. But I do enjoy the thrill of seeing how many have sold on Amazon, even if it only brings in enough to buy a new handbag. I won't be giving up my day job any time soon, and in any case I enjoy being out in the world. Being a full time writer is a little claustrophobic.
We are getting many good comments. But no one has commented on where are we headed? Are we destined to become a product of machines? I think so. Let me hear from you.
Charles, I'm not sure what you mean . . . a product of machines? If machines got that smart they wouldn't make us, they'd replace us. I think stories and story tellers will always be in demand, just like musicians and song writers. However, I'm not so sure about the written word. I see so many people who do not read books or magazines. You can see the decline in newspapers. People want their stories to stimulate all their senses. Notice all the 3D movies with Dolby surround sound and special effects. For some reason the imagination as stimulated by the written word seems to be on the decline. Physical books will go first, being replaced by ebooks because it's too costly to print, store and distribute physical books. Witness Borders' bankruptcy . . . and B&N is having financial problems, too. Utimately, even movies as we know them will not exist. We will be using virtual reality first via special glasses, but after that we will participate in holographic virtual reality, as was predicted in Star Trek's holodeck.
Yes!!! you got my point. I only will publish e-books in the future. Libraries are failing. The published book is only for the great ones like Stephen King, Clancy and the likes, the rest of us will have to deal with the internet and its phobias. I just hope we will survive.
I write because I enjoy telling the story. I have a good job, so money isn't a motivator.
I write for various reasons. Initially it was therapy for me as I have always been an introvert and journaling gave me a way to express my thoughts. I've heard great authors say they write because they can't not write. At times I may slip into this category. But as Dan said above, I am not good at marketing so my self published books have cost me more money to publish than I got back. I guess I published them because I hoped my words might help others -- I've always been altruistic.
I write because I love creating new worlds and discovering new characters. Of course I'd love to be a bestselling author someday (who wouldn't?!), but it isn't about the money for me, it's about the adventure and the people I meet along the way.
I am writing a new novel that is in my opinion a work of art. It is about the end of the world. Every author that I have ever talked to has an opinion about the end of the world. Maybe we write because we know that the world has to end some time. Maybe it won't. I am writing this new book because I just don't know.
Charles wrote: "Yes!!! you got my point. I only will publish e-books in the future. Libraries are failing. The published book is only for the great ones like Stephen King, Clancy and the likes, the rest of us will..."A published book is a published book. It is printed books from traditional publishers that are rapidly disappearing, followed by brick-and-mortar stores. Borders is being sold in pieces. Part of the stores will remain. Others are being taken over by auction companies and will vanish. B&N is in bankruptcy. If Google succeeds in the huge copyright lawsuit brought by the American Association of Publishers and the Author's Guild, then even POD and EBooks could be in danger. But for the foreseeable future, printed books will remain. Even bestselling writers such as Stephen King and Warren Adler are exploring EBooks.
Charles wrote: "I am writing a new novel that is in my opinion a work of art. It is about the end of the world. Every author that I have ever talked to has an opinion about the end of the world. Maybe we write bec..."Ahh, a modest man. :-)
I've been a writer for too many decades to even consider my scribbling a work of art.
Larry wrote: "Charles wrote: "I am writing a new novel that is in my opinion a work of art. It is about the end of the world. Every author that I have ever talked to has an opinion about the end of the world. Ma..." So, writing is no longer an art form. I guess Mark Twain traveled the west just to write about jumping frogs and the end of the true American, the indian.
Charles wrote: "Larry wrote: "Charles wrote: "I am writing a new novel that is in my opinion a work of art. It is about the end of the world. Every author that I have ever talked to has an opinion about the end of..."Writing is a craft that occasionally is elevated to an art form by some of the masters. Rarely does someone without years of developing their craft become an "artist."
As a writer for more than 45 years, I find a writer with almost no credentials except for one book that received three stars from an anonymous reader to be presumptuous. Indeed, the reviewer has only reviewed three books and both of the others were rated higher.
While I admire anyone having the fortitude to take on a new career, calling your uncompleted second manuscript a work of art, then becoming defensing when challenged is incredible. Then implying your "work of art" rises to the level of Samuel Clemens, one of America's finest writers, is hubris.
Then there's the matter of your first publishing house, Eloquent Books, an obvious vanity printing house rather than a traditional and/or independent publishing house.
Hopefully, I've misinterpreted all of the information I've been able to locate about you. Please, fill me and other members in on the depth of your writing experience. A Google search failed to turn up anything other than your Kindle profile saying you are writing your second book. Please, tell me where I'm in error.
Aabra wrote: "Sherry wrote: "I write for various reasons. Initially it was therapy for me as I have always been an introvert and journaling gave me a way to express my thoughts. I've heard great authors say th..."Larry wrote: "Charles wrote: "I am writing a new novel that is in my opinion a work of art. It is about the end of the world. Every author that I have ever talked to has an opinion about the end of the world. Ma..."
Thanks for the tip, Aabra; I will definitely look into the Kindle thing. My book is one of daily meditations based on scripture so it is not a book one reads all at once but day by day. To me, this works best with an actual rather than a digital book, but half the battle is getting people to check it out so offering it in a place where I can control price makes good sense.
Larry wrote: "Charles wrote: "Larry wrote: "Charles wrote: "I am writing a new novel that is in my opinion a work of art. It is about the end of the world. Every author that I have ever talked to has an opinion ..."I actually am writing a third book. My second is in editing and I have a book of short stories that I am updating that I wrote in the sixties. I will agree that I am no Stephen King or a Mark Twain but I am writing. And will finish what I am working on. I think you took me too seriously.
Not sure quite why I write, but this I do know: it's engrossing and satisfying too.
Charles wrote: "Larry wrote: "Charles wrote: "Larry wrote: "Charles wrote: "I am writing a new novel that is in my opinion a work of art. It is about the end of the world. Every author that I have ever talked to h..."No, I took you at your word. Thus illustrating the power of the word. :-) There's a saying to the effect: Say what you mean and mean what you say.
Moving on, congrats on the third book in progress. I'm trying to get two manuscripts rolling and revise a third.
When it comes to the end of the world, there were a couple of great books out in the early 1980s. But perhaps the greatest was about the end of civilization. That's Pat Frank's Alas, Babylon. Super fiction with heavy doses of truth and is even now used by teachers.
I chose Eloquence as publisher for my first book as it was only going to appeal to a certain readership. My second book is a fantasy and will probably go the Smashwords route. My short stories will probaby go the same ebook format. My third book is still a puzzle. I am new at this game and that is why I have started this group.
Charles wrote: "I am writing a new novel that is in my opinion a work of art. It is about the end of the world. Every author that I have ever talked to has an opinion about the end of the world. Maybe we write bec..."The end of the world! Please! Can we try to write about something that hasn't been done to death in hundreds of books and movies. Try writing about vampires instead. Now there's a genre that no one has tried lately. (And I won't even comment on what "a work of art" could possibly mean in this context!)
Peter wrote: "Charles wrote: "I am writing a new novel that is in my opinion a work of art. It is about the end of the world. Every author that I have ever talked to has an opinion about the end of the world. Ma..."Really, Peter? What hasn't been done to death in any genre you pick? In my opinion it's not the basic plot, which is hardly ever new, but the way the plot evolves and is dealt with by the interaction of the characters. If you can think of a plot not already overdone (not vampires), please let me know so I can use it in my next novel.
Dan: There's a difference between the theory that there are only a very stories which are told over and over again and using the same mechanisms to tell those stories. That's where originality comes in. Would you read a mystery that repeated the same story that was done by Conan Doyle or Raymond Chandler? I'll admit that there's always the possibility that a vampire or end of the world story can be original, but the vast majority are immitative and have already been done.
To write a book is easy; it only requires pen and ink and the ever patient paper. To read a book is more difficult, because of the tendency to go to sleep...but the most difficult task of all that a mortal can embark is to sell a book." -Sir Stanley Unwin
Peter: In order for you to know if the vast majority of "end of the world stories" are immitative, you would have had to read more than the vast majority; or at least read as many credible reviews. Now, to me, that sounds unlikely. Please explain how you came about with your statistics. (Are we having fun,yet?):)
Ali wrote: "To write a book is easy; it only requires pen and ink and the ever patient paper. To read a book is more difficult, because of the tendency to go to sleep...but the most difficult task of all that ..."Wise words.
Good one, Peter! You see, as a sci-fi author, that's a methodology I can appreciate.
Ali you may be new - but you're a breath of fresh air! Why is it so many authors are afraid (or shy) to admit they want to sell their book. I'm not! Let's face it, that's the reason why so many books are turned down by 'Traditional Publishers' - not because they're not well written, but because - bottom line - will it sell in sufficient quantities?
