Are you a writer? Bottom line questions.
My gut tells me it's time to ask the bottom line questions again.
Do you feel better on days that you write than when you don't?
Would you continue to write if you knew you'd never be published (again)?
If someone offered you $10,000,000 if you promised to never write again, could you take the money and not break your word?
May writing be a pleasure for you today
posted by FantasyAuthor RobinDOwens | 8:08 AM
5 Comments:
I feel guilty wanting to answer these when I'm not a writer. Reader, absolutely. Dabbler at writing , yes. But not a true "writer" per se.
I'm going to offer my two cents anyway....
Do you feel better on days that you write than when you don't?
I sure do.
Would you continue to write if you knew you'd never be published (again)?
Yes. Since I have no expectations, what I do, I'm doing for me anyway.
If someone offered you $10,000,000 if you promised to never write again, could you take the money and not break your word?
Not in yours or mine wildest dreams. That is tantamount to losing a part of myself. Even if it never goes anywhere, not being able to write....*shudder*
Money could not replace what I'd be giving up. I would not take the money in the first place. I know me. I'd break it in a NY minute.
Thanks for the questions. They did what I believe you wanted; made me think.
Do you feel better on days that you write than when you don't?
Well, I am really good with the whole guilt thing. I felt crummy last night but still managed a page. Yay me! So, yes. I feel better when I write. I feel even better than normal when I write something that rocks.
Would you continue to write if you knew you'd never be published (again)?
I started with fanfic. I could go back to that pretty easily. BUT I would still be writing.
If someone offered you $10,000,000 if you promised to never write again, could you take the money and not break your word?
I realllly thought about this since that is a LOT of zeroes. But no. I don't think I could. Unless I could work around the actual "writing" and revive the oral tradition.
;)
terri
My first reaction to #3 was Yes! Yes! Take the moolah! Then I remembered it was hypothetical. While farmers are sometimes paid not to grow crops, writers are rarely paid not to write.
Plus, I looked back at Question 1 and realized there's no way I could go the rest of my life feeling the way I do on days when I don't write.
#2 is the toughest. There's no way to KNOW you'll never be published, and you have to operate on the assumption that you will be published, or if you already are, that you'll continue to be published if you work hard and improve your craft and keep aware of the market.
I feel lucky for the small amount of success that I've had, happy that I've been able to amuse a few people. It'd be different, I think, to have a once-stellar career go into the toilet. That would be grounds for serious depression, let's not kid ourselves.
In the end, I consider myself an entertainer more than an artist. I do it for you (and you and you and you times many thousands, I hope), not for myself, although I'm an important member of that audience.
So if there were an enforceable law passed that no one could ever read my stuff, even self-published, I'd find another creative outlet. I've always wanted to try film editing. Or maybe I'd just hit the karaoke bars.
But then there's Question 1 again...
Glad you ladies thought about this...the problem with question #2 is that it addresses expectations, I think, like Michele said.
How many of us got into writing because we wanted to be published? The reason most of us start, is a story comes and we plink it down and it feels good. Once you start joining writers groups, the goal subtly shifts to being published, and the fun of writing is lost.
So, I think, what we must cherish most is the fun...and now I gotta work on my writing, and today I think it's going to be WORK.
Love,
Robin
Hmmm, maybe that's another good reason not to join a writer's group. They're definitely not for me. I know I'd write "to the group," wanting the immediate gratification of their approval (the entertainer coming out again), and I wouldn't keep the story true to itself. I love getting feedback once the novel is complete, but I think the journey to that point should be a solo one, for me at least.
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