How serious are you?

[Jac]

A lot of people write. They tell me they write for themselves, that it is something they have to do. In a way I feel the same but in a way there is more to it that that. A good book touches me in a way that no other medium does. It gets inside my head and changes my life. That's what I want to do.

I also want money. I want fame and I want riches. Stupid amounts of money. I'm talking Steven King riches here. I know it is unlikely, I know most professional authors don't make much money at all but I know damn well I'm good enough to. I even have a plan... How about you? How do you feel about writing? Do you do it for the sake of doing it or do you want to be published and make money? Do you have a plan? If so how's it going?

Mine's going pretty well so far btw. I'll ellucidate later if the thread warrants it...

J

[GrimmRiffer]

I often think I'd love to write, and the riches thing sounds damn good. But I have a full time job, and I like to go out and kickbox and ride and drink and roll in the mud. This isn't some sideways swipe "I couldn't write cos writers are gloomy indoorsy types" comment - I reckon as a full time writer I could fit hobbies in too (not that writers are slackers!) - but as a full time softy AND a full time writer? No chance.

And I don't see how ya can be a full time writer until you've already written a book, but I've gotta admit I don't know the ins and outs - dunno if that even made sense.

Anyhoo - Can't wait to see some more original/fan fic pop up here - and I bet it has more swords in it than it used to.

[Cj]

"How serious are you?"

Blood sweat and tears serious

No foolies

Writing has been the surest thing my entire life, when I wanted fleetingly to be a palaeontologist (before Ross!) I still wanted to write, when I wanted to be a teacher I still wanted to write, now that I’m gonna be an artist and probably a bum for the rest of my life being a writer still fits and I’m no less passionate, I’m probably more so.
I write stories all day everyday (in my head but it counts), scenes repeated a zillion times till perfection
Money would be nice, riches would be pleasant, fame would be blissful, but in the end I couldn’t give a crap about it. If I gave one person an ounce of the feeling I have writing my work while they are reading it I’ll be happy.

And GR I’ve always had Katanas in my stories, its no fun without the sliceage!

[Jac]

I'd love to be a full time writer, but then I'd miss the forge... I write when I can, usually I write something every day. On those days when I can't get my head round it I try and edit something I've already written. I have six novels on the go as well as a couple of short stories and a long list of ideas. Currently I have two short stories out waiting for a response, and two others ready to be sent. I doubt it will ever make me rich but tghere is a part fo me that truly believes I can do it. But then there is a part of me that thinks I should be making music for a living too...

Swords in stories? To be honest I tend not to use them that often. When I get to talking about swords it sounds like a lecture!

J

[Mouse]

Much like Cj, I'm very serious about my writing. I write every day, mostly on my novel projects but sometimes on short stories. I've had a few final round rejections from ASIM, you know those nice ones that say they liked the work but couldn't place it in an upcoming issue. I'm determined that I'm going to get published someday. But, while money and all that jazz would be nice, I'd be deadset happy keeping my day job as long as I get to share my stories with people, as long as there are people who enjoy and feel my stories like I did when I wrote them. Well, that, and I really want to see a pretty book with my story on the pages and my name on the cover someday too. : )

[Chirugal]

I'm WAY serious too. Though lately I've come to realise that I don't have what it takes - deadlines and inspiration and all that. It might take me twenty years to write something novel-length, and even if it becomes a bestseller (ha! I wish!) I'd not be able to give up the day job. Just cause I can't write to order, really.

And that's a kind of depressive statement. So: when I do write, it's the best thing in the world, whether or not it turns out to be any good. Yay, escapism!

[Jedi]

"I also want money. I want fame and I want riches. Stupid amounts of money."
Good luck on that, I hope you get there someday ^_^
Writing was never my thing really no matter how good at english I was, or at least thats what things seem to me at the moment. I could possibly make it as a poetry writer (undoubtedly probably no, I'm not good enough), but not a story writer, I have a bad habit of starting something and never finishing....hehe think I'll stick to the working with animals idea...

[Sheyana]

LOL, I write all the time...but I can't finish anything with more than a few chapters, cause I get bored, or I loose focus, or SOMETHING. I still haven't let my stuuuupid English teacher put me off my style (He's one of those 'write what you know - NO FANTASY' idiots, who doesn't realise that fantasy is what I know ).

He tried to teach us to plan every second of our 800 word short story, before we wrote it...I wrote mine, then I did a miniscule plan to keep him happy

Oops, you got me into rant mode...anyway...I'd never make a living from writing, but it's great fun in my large amounts of spare time.

[Sheyana]

Oh yeah, and swords a necessary, they add that lovely slice appeal to the story. ;D

[Chirugal]

sheyana said:

I still haven't let my stuuuupid English teacher put me off my style (He's one of those 'write what you know - NO FANTASY' idiots, who doesn't realise that fantasy is what I know ).

Our script teacher was like that last year. I was so pissed off! Our criteria were 'no sci-fi, no fantasy, no horror and no children's writing' - what did we have left? Not a lot. Soap operas and romantic sagas. *le sigh*

[Sheyana]

LOL, took me a while to figure out where Marianne mis-posted to...

marianne said:

Yes, it's a real pity when 'teachers' are so limited in their outlook. Unfortunately it perpetuates the idea that genre fiction is inferior when in fact it is quite the contary.

You need to educate them with some mainstream crossover genre - like 'A Handmaids Tale' - then they say...'oooh is that science fiction?'

MDP

I still haven't worked out why that guy is a teacher...but I watered down my fantasy a smidgen just for him...(NOT! It just turned out that the story wasn't as magic- and fantasy- in your face...and I made it a kinda metaphor... )

Amy, I sympathise! Drama in the junior school was a killer for the genres we had to improvise in.

[Kuja]

admin said:

I'm WAY serious too. Though lately I've come to realise that I don't have what it takes - deadlines and inspiration and all that.

Says the woman who if I remember correctly was totally finished a good distance from her latest deadline...

I have no illusions of being a professional writer. It would be nice if such a thing were to happen but I'd be equally as happy doing it in my spare time or as a hobby. I tend to have too many ideas and not enough motivation to get them all on paper so it is probably for the best in any case.

[Chirugal]

You have the annoying habit of not finishing what you start, but if you could kick that one you'd be fine.

Hey, I was only totally finished because of the awesome power of having a new laptop which I needed to be on every waking minute of every day... with no Internet connection. XD

[Sheyana]

I just noticed (a little off tack here) how long has Kuja been 'loser'? The habit of not finishing what you start is one I'm sure most of us share...

anyone got any ideas on how to kick it?

[Chirugal]

I changed it just before Christmas I think... *can't remember* I can customise you if you can think of anything...

How to finish what you start: sit down and write with grim determination, even if it's utter crap, then go back and do extensive rewrites. Or at least, that's the theory.

I find that planning ahead stops you from writing yourself into corners.