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To all who write, I'm curious. Why do you write? I'm genuinely curious, and I don't want anyone to draw ideas from others' comments, so I'm screening comments for a day or two. I just want a really honest opinion. And if you don't want your comment to be seen, say so, and I won't unscreen it. I'm just really curious.
(no subject)
Date: 2009-04-04 06:26 am (UTC)Ended up with a 23 chapter fic that took me 22 months to write. I'd love to have the time to go back and smooth it out.
Severus and Drusilla were my muses back then.
So I guess I caught the writing bug from editing others' work and now I document all of my ideas whether big or small. I've even started growing characters for an original fiction... *scary huh?
(no subject)
Date: 2009-04-05 06:30 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2009-04-04 06:46 am (UTC)Since my HP muse has seemingly dried up most of my writing takes the form of blogging about life as an expat in Japan and that really is more about communicating with my friends and family back home. But mostly I write because I have something to say, because I have a sense of accomplishment when I finish, and because I amuse myself and hopefully others with my words.
(no subject)
Date: 2009-04-05 06:32 pm (UTC)That's totally true for me, too.
I love your blog posts, by the way, even though I'm terrible with commenting. But I do love the glimpses you give us into life on a different continent and all your adventures. :)
(no subject)
Date: 2009-04-04 06:46 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2009-04-05 06:33 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2009-04-04 07:12 am (UTC)Why do I write? Sometimes (as with research papers) it's to make money, though that's never the only reason. Sometimes it's to communicate essential information (when I'm outlining a program I want to put in place with my theatre company, for instance) or silly stuff (why my inability to peel hard boiled eggs is an ongoing source of frustration). Sometimes it's to provide a monologue that displays my acting abilities. Sometimes it's to express a sensation or an emotion or a truth I think I've understood (a lot of my poetry comes from that impulse). Sometimes it's because I have a story I just have to tell, and I want to hear how people reading it will react.
Sometimes it's simply because the act of typing out words, of finding a structure and syntax and rhythm and balance that satisfy me is such a wonderful art. Through writing, I can create something tangible and connected from nothing--from dust and symbols and organization and design. I love writing, I am amazed by it, I share myself through the act of writing, and I revel in its possibilities.
Mostly, I write because I can. I write because it's easy--and because it's completely impossible. I write because I have to.
(no subject)
Date: 2009-04-05 06:38 pm (UTC)I write because I have to.
That rings very true for me as well.
(no subject)
Date: 2009-04-04 08:02 am (UTC)It basically serves two purposes: artistic release (because I can't draw or paint or sing -- or even cook, truth be told), and it's an escape from the "daily grind".
I've made up little stories since I was a kid, but I didn't start writing for people to read until Harry Potter, and even then it was a gradual transition from stream-of-thought writing to a style that would (hopefully) allow others to "see" what I see in my head in a given scene.
The latter, I've found, is much more fun and allows me to get lost in the fantasy/story/scene for a moment and leave the mundane behind - just as the HP books themselves did for me. (Clarification: That sounds like I'm 'putting myself into the story', aka: Mary Sue, but I don't "see" it like I'm there living it so much as like a movie in my head in which I can see the strugles of the characters, relate to their emotions, and enjoy their triumphs with them - not "as" them.)
And that's pretty much it. A long winded way of saying that its an escape and allows the kid in me to come out and play. :)
(no subject)
Date: 2009-04-05 06:41 pm (UTC)And if we all allowed our inner child to come out and play, the world would be a more peaceful place. :D
(no subject)
Date: 2009-04-04 08:19 am (UTC)I can't seem to keep it simple however, and they always turn into epics as everyone wants their own 15 minutes (or ch) of glory. Bloody characters.
Loves you, Sonia :)
(no subject)
Date: 2009-04-05 06:43 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2009-04-04 10:34 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2009-04-05 07:18 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2009-04-04 10:56 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2009-04-05 07:28 pm (UTC)Writing slowly is not a bad thing I'd say. I used to find it fascinating how some writers can produce 4k in one evening whereas I feel highly accomplished if I write more than 500 words in a day. Then, of course, adminning taught me that often, the fast writers are the ones who take short-cuts with editing, and with many, it comes down to sloppiness. Writing slowly effectively means you think a lot about what you write, which generally shows in more complexity of the plot/characterisation and cleaner work, so I find that definitely positive. There is, maybe, one fast writer out of a hundred who can actually produce decent work. The majority cannot, and if they do, it shows. Of course, sloppiness with editing is my pet peeve, LOL.
(no subject)
Date: 2009-04-04 12:14 pm (UTC)I can travel anywhere, do anything, meet anyone.
It allows me to create something in what could otherwise be a very boring day... and because I get a nagging feeling to write, if I don't.
And it's addictive... I get to meet new people, talk about things. If I stopped, I'd have to give that up. And I don't think I'd be able to do that!
I don't mind if you unscreen this comment ;p
(no subject)
Date: 2009-04-05 07:30 pm (UTC)I absolutely agree that it's addictive! ;)
(no subject)
Date: 2009-04-04 12:16 pm (UTC)So now, for me, its a fun, intelligent hobby I have. I am learning how to be a better writer, meeting many lovely people with the same interest! And nothing beats the feeling of getting an idea that WANTS to be written, like you need to exorcise it. Writing is addictive and soothing and difficult and frustrating and just exhilarating when you've finished something of which you can be proud. Not much beats that feeling.
(no subject)
Date: 2009-04-05 07:32 pm (UTC)I totally agree on the feeling about the idea that wants to be written, and, oh, yes, addictive and all else you said; I totally agree with that!
(no subject)
Date: 2009-04-04 12:34 pm (UTC)It's a compulsion, really, and one that is necessary for my overall health.
(no subject)
Date: 2009-04-05 07:34 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2009-04-04 12:52 pm (UTC)If I am writing poetry it is usually because there is something deep inside I need to get out and the only way I can express it is in verse.
If I am writing technically it is because I have to for work.
Then there is fanfiction. I write fanfiction for the challenge (hmm who was the one who originally challenged me?). I am not an aspiring author driven to create, but someone who simply tries new things. I find the writing of fanfiction to be the most difficult avenue I have explored. I have very little faith in my own imagination and/or abilities.
(no subject)
Date: 2009-04-06 03:22 am (UTC)Thank you for sharing!
Faith, I think is overrated. I tend to see writing as a stream of consciousness happening. Once it's done, I can always go back and either make it better or delete.
(no subject)
Date: 2009-04-04 02:13 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2009-04-06 03:28 am (UTC)(no subject)
From:(no subject)
Date: 2009-04-04 02:22 pm (UTC)I write for me, because I love the words. And, I find, I love making people squee, so that's a nice piece, too. But mainly, I think I write for the stories and the characters. I want to put the emotions I feel and the images in my head down in a way that they can be shared, and although I don't know that I'm always successful, I do enjoy the attempt. :) And I like finding new ways of writing that makes my very loudmouthed inner critic stutter and shut up, she's been the death of me for more years than I can count.
(no subject)
Date: 2009-04-06 03:45 am (UTC)I love what you say here. Thank you for sharing it. Sometimes, some forget that writing isn't about receiving reviews but a process of communicating, often an inevitable one.
(no subject)
Date: 2009-04-04 02:38 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2009-04-06 03:48 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2009-04-04 02:42 pm (UTC)When I was younger, I wrote lots of poetry. I used it as an escape if I didn't like what was going on around me. It helped me with my feelings and emotions, and perhaps any anger issues I had. I think it would be correct to say I still do that, though I haven't written much poetry lately.
Ever since I can remember, I have always wanted to write and be a writer. But I am learning it takes more than just the desire. However, since it is something I want to do, I think it is worth striving to become better. I have learned more in the last year than I learned in my entire life. I thank you for that.
~Stef~
(no subject)
Date: 2009-04-06 03:53 am (UTC)I think we've all learned a lot since the first chapter we wrote. It's a natural thing, as in practice makes perfect, I think. ;)
Aw, thank you for your kind words! It takes quite a bit of willingness to work on improvement, and I think I do no more than pushing you in the right direction. You are the one who's doing the work. :D
(no subject)
Date: 2009-04-04 03:19 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2009-04-06 03:59 am (UTC)I so hope you'll share your writings one day!
(no subject)
From:(no subject)
Date: 2009-04-04 03:25 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2009-04-06 04:13 am (UTC)I, too, find driving incredibly helpful. I do it when I'm stuck with plot, even if it's just for a few miles, but it works perfectly well for me, and I far prefer it over cleaning the kitchen, LOL.
Thank you for sharing!
(no subject)
Date: 2009-04-04 03:30 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2009-04-06 04:21 am (UTC)Your words remind me just how much fanfic has done for so many of us. I did not write for years after leaving home. At school, I used to write short fairy tales for the school magazine. Then I left the country and spent years making another language my own. And it was finally through discovering fanfic that I started writing again, this time in English.
Thanks for sharing, dear Subversa!
(no subject)
Date: 2009-04-04 04:53 pm (UTC)I've written stories, ficlets, etc. since I was quite young. It was yet another creative outlet for me. Nowadays, it's a good way to get thoughts on paper. I always have some plot bunny running 'round in my head, and to get the bunny to leave me alone, I write down the thoughts, and if I'm lucky (or if the Muse allows it), those thoughts just might lead to a coherent story.
I can't honestly say it's my life - at this point, music occupies that slot - but it's a good thing to do when I'm not practicing.
(no subject)
Date: 2009-04-06 04:24 am (UTC)Writing down the thoughts... I do that a lot, too. I even have a mic for the iPod in case I can't write, like when I'm driving. I'm not obsessed or anything, really. LOL :)
(no subject)
Date: 2009-04-04 06:48 pm (UTC)It's my creative outlet, to discover a new world, a new bunch of people to write about.
I write the stories I do because they aren't there yet.
...Writing is like letting go, and discovering more about yourself through what you put on the page.
But that's just me. I don't know about everyone else. :-)
(no subject)
Date: 2009-04-06 04:26 am (UTC)Thank you for sharing your thoughts here. I think it's wonderful to have so many different replies and from such a wide variety of age. :D
(no subject)
From:(no subject)
Date: 2009-04-04 09:56 pm (UTC)I was talking to a gal I used to teach with. She was telling me some of her adventures in homeschooling and mentioned how active my imagination is. I guess that's really it. Overactive imagination.
(no subject)
Date: 2009-04-06 04:27 am (UTC)I don't think an imagination can be overactive where writing is concerned. I mean, the more active it is, the more plot there is likely to be, no?
(no subject)
Date: 2009-04-04 11:13 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2009-04-06 04:28 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2009-04-04 11:42 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2009-04-06 04:35 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2009-04-05 12:03 am (UTC)I write to get the story out of my head ... and because I think maybe someone other than me might enjoy it.
(no subject)
Date: 2009-04-06 07:48 pm (UTC)(no subject)
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