Does the artist love the creating, or the finished product?

Captshady · Feb 22, 2009

Is there any part of the process that you loathe? I've never liked developing character profiles as an independent project. I've always been able to look at people and have an immediate opinion of them and their depth. Of course that initial assessment has been wrong many times, but I've never not had a feeling about them. That's why I've always loved to people watch (especially at the mall), making up whole backgrounds of people as they walked by.

So, the questions I have are:

- Do you like the creation more, or meeting the goal of having a finished project?

- Is the any aspect of writing a novel that you just hate?

- If yes, how have you handled it?

Stunted · Feb 22, 2009

-Jeez, I don't know. Good question.

-Not really.

-N/A.

KTC · Feb 22, 2009

Captshady said:
- Do you like the creation more, or meeting the goal of having a finished project?

I love the creating. I don't particularly care after the project is finished. I often delete after getting it polished. I just can't seem to give a shit after getting to that point.

- Is there any aspect of writing a novel that you just hate?

Finishing.

- If yes, how have you handled it?

Stop before I finish.

.

Ken · Feb 22, 2009

...nothing is as enjoyable as creating when things are going well.
But when they are not, there is no greater torment on Earth.
To get through these times I often ease back and approach the difficulty at a later time and work on something else.

Feidb · Feb 22, 2009

I love everything about it except the generic rejections.

I also don't like the "asshole" critiquers. They are the ones that use the "tough love" excuse for being a total asshole when they critique you. You can critique people withouth being harsh and totally negative.

Otherwise, I like all of it, the creation, the editing, the slim thread of hope...

Red.Ink.Rain · Feb 22, 2009

Writing. The writing is the best part, because during the writing you are swept into the glory of creation and you are blind to all your grammatical flaws and cliche characters. Then, the second you are done, BAM. The stupid novel sucks and you're scrambling through revisions and edits trying to reclaim the beautiful creature you started with. But it's no use. It still sucks.

Until you start a new project and the sucky creature falls by the wayside, and you start the process all over again.

nighttimer · Feb 22, 2009

The enjoyment is in the creating, not the creation. The end result rarely matches the flawlessness of the invisioning.

firedrake · Feb 22, 2009

For me, it's getting caught up the creation, especially when the story gains momentum and the characters take on a life of their own.

I don't even mind the polishing, especially if I've had a sound, no holds-barred critique. I'm not good enough to think that I can do this on my own. I don't like writing into a vacuum and the feedback just helps me to finish the job.

Enzo · Feb 22, 2009

Writing is fun, creating characters, creating situations.
The headache is keeping it all straight, and the rewriting and rewriting afterward. Once that looks completed, I just move on to the next project, because I don't want to be rewriting the same story for 10 years.

Matera the Mad · Feb 22, 2009

I like both. But I like the creating partly because it is the way to the finished product.

I hate hunting inconsistencies in timeline :rant:

But I do it, and Excel is my friend.

archerjoe · Feb 22, 2009

I agree with Enzo. Re-re-re-re-re-editing is no fun. I enjoy the initial creation and the reactions once it's done.

Fade · Feb 22, 2009

I love writing the project itself, but what I really think is fun is editing it until it's exactly as you imagined.

There's no greater joy than polishing your novel until it shines.

Marie · Feb 22, 2009

I love thinking about what I'm going to write and I love writing once I am in 'The Zone' (when I've been typing for a few pages and everything seems to flow) I just hate getting started.

JamieFord · Feb 22, 2009

I love the writing part. And the research beforehand. Once the book is actually printed, some time has passed, so I'm a bit disconnected from that story...

Prawn · Feb 22, 2009

My guess is I will like getting paid for it, but I have no idea what that feels like.

backslashbaby · Feb 22, 2009

I really do like it when it is finished, and it looks so much easier than it was to write! I love seeing people enjoy the reading of it.

I do love the writing, but I come from a performance background. There's nothing better than The Show, where all the hard work looks clean and easy and shining

And the d$(&#d editing is over with, too!!

Judg · Feb 22, 2009

Planning is fun. Writing is fun, although very demanding. Revising can sometimes be tedious, but re-reading a part that now shines is a real rush.

tehuti88 · Feb 22, 2009

Captshady said:
- Do you like the creation more, or meeting the goal of having a finished project?

- Is the any aspect of writing a novel that you just hate?

- If yes, how have you handled it?

1. Both. Creating is more fun and interesting, but there's a real sense of accomplishment when something is finished, and when I can move on to something new.

2. I'm sure there must be something but I'm not sure what. Well, sometimes I wish I could put the words on the page a lot faster than I do. I'm currently struggling with my writing. I love writing to death but it's very hard for me lately. I realize it's not meant to be easy, but sometimes I wish it could be easier.

3. I haven't quite handled it yet. Still dealing with it.

Ah, I do hate the loneliness of writing. I don't really have anybody to bounce my ideas off of and chatter to incessantly about my plots and characters etc. without boring them to death or having them stare at me with no idea what I'm talking about. I miss the days when I had somebody who cared about what I write. *sigh*

CaseyMcG · Feb 22, 2009

I recently thought the best part was in the creation until today I started reading my WiP (after draft number like 7!) and finally got to see the finished product and fell in love with my characters and plot all over again and found myself flipping through like "holy crap did I really write this?!" I've began plotting out the sequel and now can't wait to get back into the grind. So I guess the whole process I like!

Clair Dickson · Feb 22, 2009

I like writing. I like my finished stories. I like when I come up with a particularly good or clever part. (Some times I think I enjoy my own cleverness a little too much.) I like editing because I make it better. I don't care so much for polishing and tedious things of reading REALLY careful to make sure I haven't gone and confused your's or made some other typo that's also a word (form/ from, etc.)

I don't care much when I know my story too well. If I've been working on it too much/ too long, it feels... too familiar. Like I know everything in there. I don't even appreciate my favorite lines when this happens. Gotta put it away and work on something else so I forget some of what I've written and it doesn't feel all blahblahblah, 'read this before' to me.

Claudia Gray · Feb 22, 2009

I love both writing and having written. It's a win-win for me.

The only part I hate is the suspense -- the long wait to discover if the publisher says yes or no, how the sales are going, what readers will think. But I am learning to live with it.

mscelina · Feb 22, 2009

- Do you like the creation more, or meeting the goal of having a finished project?

For me, they're part and parcel of the same process. I don't start a project without the goal of finishing it, and the creation process is continuous for me.

- Is the any aspect of writing a novel that you just hate?

Writing the damn query letter. That's about it. I can write an 86k novel without turmoil, but a one page query letter rips my guts out and hangs 'em on a clothesline.

- If yes, how have you handled it?

I have offered money in the past, but I'm not rich enough to get someone else to try to encapsulate my stories in one paragraph. So, I write and rewrite and edit and revise and throw it out and start all over and eventually figure out something that will work. Then I originally submit to people who want to see samples of writing with the query letter and pray for the best.

blacbird · Feb 22, 2009

I love the creating. I love the editiing, rewriting, massaging, trying to get the thing into pleasing form.

I hate the fact that the end product always sucks.

caw

Does the artist love the creating, or the finished product?

Captshady

What happened to my LIFE?!

Stunted

Ich heiße Superphantastisch!

KTC

Stand in the Place Where You Live

Ken

Feidb

Been Here A While

Red.Ink.Rain

Not your kid brother's YA

nighttimer

Am I Evil? Yes, I Am!

firedrake

practical experience, FTW

Enzo

Matera the Mad

Bartender, gimme a Linux Mint

archerjoe

Fade

The Captain of My Soul

Marie

JamieFord

giving resonant directions

Prawn

Writing is finite,revising infinite

backslashbaby

*

Judg

DISENCHANTED coming soon

tehuti88

Mackinac Island Fanatic

CaseyMcG

Clair Dickson

A dark core to every cloud

Claudia Gray

mscelina

Teh doommobile, drivin' rite by you

blacbird

Does the artist love the creating, or the finished product?

What happened to my LIFE?!

Ich heiße Superphantastisch!

Stand in the Place Where You Live

Been Here A While

Not your kid brother's YA

Am I Evil? Yes, I Am!

practical experience, FTW

Bartender, gimme a Linux Mint

The Captain of My Soul

giving resonant directions

Writing is finite,revising infinite

~~~~*~~~~

DISENCHANTED coming soon

Mackinac Island Fanatic

A dark core to every cloud

Teh doommobile, drivin' rite by you

*