An Author's Goals

[SquishyB]

Hi everyone,

Sorry to make my first post a question, I’m sure you’re all sick of it by now :P

However, over the last 4 months I have been reading a lot about people's struggles to get published, to maintain, or even obtain, an income from writing. As a new aspiring author, I was wondering how other author's keep focused, or why they do it?

Obviously, writing for the fame and glory seems like something we shouldn't be focused on. How does one push through, with no sure agreement that you’re final works will be published?

Also, on a side note, I have be dabbing around in Contemporary Children's Fantasy. What is an ideal word count for books like these?

Thanks all

[Grimward]

Welcome to Chrons, SquishyB, and hope you'll enjoy the place.

Not an author myself, but would presume you'll find ample feedback from others who either have been or are "in your shoes" soon enough!

In the meanwhile, pull up a chair, kick off your shoes and take a stroll thru the forums, as this topic has been covered elsewhere here....

[Teresa Edgerton]

You push on through because you love what you are doing. Because writing is your vocation (in the sense of something you are called to do by some inner voice). Because there are stories inside you clamoring to get out.

And because you need to have an excuse for spending so much time listening to the voices of imaginary people.

[SquishyB]

Yeah, as I thought was the case


I just struggled knowing that possibly no one will ever get to read what you spend years creating.

However we all read books by published author’s everyday, so I guess thats proof that there is hope

[Teresa Edgerton]

There is no guarantee that if you keep on writing your work will ever be published.

The guarantee the other way (if you give up, you won't) is pretty much iron-clad.

[Peter Graham]

Hi SB,

However, over the last 4 months I have been reading a lot about people's struggles to get published, to maintain, or even obtain, an income from writing. As a new aspiring author, I was wondering how other author's keep focused, or why they do it?

A very valid question. There are no shortage of people only to eager to give you one (or, more usually both) of the following lines:-

1. Only 0.000000001% of aspiring authors ever get published (this drops to 0.000000000000000000000000000001% if you are not already famous as a dancing pixie in a pop group, a glamour model or the runner up on a reality television programme)

2. The average income for the lucky ones is approximately ten pence per annum (before tax and your agent's cut). The only ray of hope is that your losses are actually tax deductible against any other income, meaning that if you are committed enough to writing, Revenue and Customs might end up sending you a cheque.....

Although I exaggerate for comic effect, I think that author motivation falls into one of the following camps:-

1. A burning desire to write, whether or not publication ever happens. Clearly, if you fall into this category, you just get on with it regardless

2. A kind of general interest in writing which is more of a hobby or an outlet for creative energy (perhaps you have a job where brain doesn't need to engage much), but which isn't as strong as a burning desire.

3. A belief (reasonable or otherwise) that you are good enough to get published and that writing would be a good way to earn some sort of a living

4. A desire for fame and fortune.

I suspect that those in categories 3 and 4 are most likely to be disappointed, but nonetheless I don't see anything intrinsically wrong in an author wanting to write for personal glory and renown if that is what motivates them.

In summary, I think I'd say "write if you enjoy it", but if you want some spending money and a nice house, look elsewhere for the career path!

Regards,

Peter

[chopper]

1. Only 0.000000001% of aspiring authors ever get published (this drops to 0.000000000000000000000000000001% if you are not already famous as a dancing pixie in a pop group, a glamour model or the runner up on a reality television programme)

conversely, 100% of above-mentioned pixies, models & reality show losers will have a book published under their name within 3 weeks of their first appearance on page 23 of the Sun.

there's no justice, just us.

[JDP]

I write because I enjoy it, but also with the intention of being published. I understand that this may well never happen, but nevertheless, that's my ultimate goal; it's part of how I justify to myself the time and energy I put into writing.

I often read of writers/authors who are compelled to write and just can't do otherwise. At first this worried me; I enjoy writing immensely, but It's not something I have to do. Perhaps it's because I have other outlets to my creativity? Or maybe I'm just not as 'into it' as these other folks? I don't know, but I'd say:

Write if you enjoy it (everyone has to have a hobby, and this aint a bad one).

Write if you want to get published (if everyone gave up because of long odds, there'd be nothing to read and that would suck).

[Peter Graham]

Hi JDP

I write because I enjoy it, but also with the intention of being published. I understand that this may well never happen, but nevertheless, that's my ultimate goal; it's part of how I justify to myself the time and energy I put into writing.

I have exactly the same thought process - I'd very much like to be published, but I don't need to be published (either financially or for any reasons of personal validation). But you're right and perhaps my broad-brush hobby writer category should have made this point! Most hobbies have an ultimate purpose, even if that is building a scale model of the Ark Royal out of toenail clippings.

I often read of writers/authors who are compelled to write and just can't do otherwise. At first this worried me; I enjoy writing immensely, but It's not something I have to do. Perhaps it's because I have other outlets to my creativity? Or maybe I'm just not as 'into it' as these other folks? I don't know, but I'd say:

I agree with this, too. To be frank, I always used to think that it sounded a bit deranged when people acted as though a gasket in their head might explode if they didn't write. I don't think that way now, I hasten to add, but for me, writing is good fun more than anything else.

I wonder if there is any qualitative difference between the work of the "driven" writer and the "hobby" writer?

Regards

Peter

[The Bloated One]

I agree with Peter - publishing is totally secondary to the process for me.

I write because I like to be creative and I enjoy other people saying they like to read what I write. Doesn't cost me anything, nor does it bring in any money, but it is a great feeling to produce something people enjoy.

If I didn't write, I'd do something else creative.



TBO

[Malloriel]

I feel the same way, Peter. I would say I'm passionate about writing, and creating in general where it relates to my writing, and it's something I've done almost constantly in one form or another since I was about five or six. I think it would be grand if I could make a pound or two, and even better if people actively enjoy what I provide, but . . . I would say it's a personal drive, a need to write, but not a compulsion. I'm not so obsessed that I absolutely MUST sit down and right immediately right now OMG get out of my way! I DO, however, keep a pen and pad of paper near me at all times so I can scribble out my notes and ideas as the strike me. This leads to a very paper pad filled house. Though all my actual writing occurs on the computer.

So to really address the question, though, I find it personally most satisfying and actually soothing to write simply because it's what I love most to do. There's no sense of urgency to write a certain kind of concept, no need to write what you THINK the public will most appreciate, that which will make you famous with glory and a little pocket money. Obviously if you become published with an advance for another novel in the same vein then you've got deadlines to worry about and no more casual leisure time to play around the same as before (or as I have all my life), but one assumes that by the time you're ready for that you'll be ready to put in the effort for deadlines. I know that I'm not even going to TRY for publication until I know my world well enough that I'm not still developing it as much as I'm developing my stories. Working on stories exclusively takes much less effort and time than to write several cris-crossing storylines WHILE figuring out what's going on in the world, why and where.

That's just me, though. ^_^ I like a lot of work like this on my plate and don't feel daunted since it just means there's always something for me to do.

What I NEED to do right now, though, is eat. I'm starving.

[SquishyB]

Wow. Thanks to all, that's great! I know that I enjoy writing, and if becoming a published author ever came around, like all of us, I would be over the moon. But all this seconds my thoughts on WHY I should write.

It all comes down to the fact that I write best when I'm not trying to become rich and famous like J.K Rowling.

You do it for the love

[jenna]

I write because it is my favourite way to release my creativity. I also paint, dance, sew, make stupid crafty things and just sit and imagine things. But writing is my main focus, and it's what I do best (although I'm getting a lot better at painting, and I'm dancing in a showcase ball in a few weeks, so they're both coming along too!)

I wouldn't say I absolutely HAVE to write, but what is critical for me is expressing my creativity in some way. Sometimes writing is the last thing I want to do, but there's always something to replace it, even if it's just dancing around the house. I think I would lose my mind if I couldn't let my creativity out as my imagination is well beyond overactive, so that's probably what people are getting at when they say they MUST write and that's that.

As far as publishing, that is a definite goal for me. It's not the only reason, but of course I will want to share my creations with others when they're complete. That's the extent of it though, fame does not interest me in the least, and I can get my money from other means, it's really only having others share and appreciate my work that matters to me.

[Malloriel]

I like to imagine that my epic, epic noveling will catch the interest of passing movie makers and not only will my gargantuan fan-base be screaming for more stories, but they'll be clamoring for the film versions of their new favourite characters.

Of course I insist on full creative in put so they can't Eragon my precious vision to a slow and mockingly painful death.

Seriously, though; I'm so not in it for the money, which means I can literally wait forever to get exactly what I want. If that means never being published, never having movies (a much less important goal and more of a quirky little day dream), then so be it. I know for a fact I've made something (many somethings) I'm terribly proud of and I find that so much more important. You spend so much time on a project or set of projects that to simply give it away to the first publisher to bite just to watch it be hacked apart by an editor who perhaps doesn't share the same vision or taste or scope is almost the most tragic thing I can think of. THE most tragic would be to have made it through publishing, your precious one beaten, bloody, but whole and alive, only to have it further mangled beyond recognition or respectability by some hack movie maker attempting to jump onto the fantasy-book-to-film bandwagon, which, by the way, has very few movies to its credit worth the cost of rental. The books upon which they're based, however, hold more merit than their writer's weight in gold. And so I say to you, HOLD OUT! Be willing to wait! FIND that editor who will preserve your vision and polish it to such a blinding gleam that even you had no idea just how great your story, characters, and vision could become.

HOLD OUT!!

[Ursa major]

I keep writing because I want to find out how the stories I've begun end. (In a way, it's like reading a book, but rather slower and a lot more interactive; it's also like trying to solve a very complex problem in logic, time and space.)


As a creative hobby, writing has two major advantages over most others: it's safer and it isn't that messy (unless you use pen and ink). You're not likely to lop off a finger (a risk in many hobbies), stain the carpet (a problem with painting, for instance), or catch something nasty (as you might if you're an avid gardener).