Loving the idea of being a writer vs loving writing itself?

Windcutter · Jan 24, 2012

Loving the idea of being a writer vs loving writing itself.

I keep seeing this in different discussions, but I never quite grasped the meaning, and it seems different people mean different things when they say it. Is there a universal concept behind this? Maybe the source of the original quote. What do you think about it? Do you also notice the difference?

scarletpeaches · Jan 24, 2012

I would think the thread title says it all. Some people like the idea of being a writer because an idea is all in their head. It doesn't take any work to think about being a writer, to talk about being a writer, to wish you were a writer.

The work comes in when you realise books don't write themselves. You're required to get off your arse and do something. Or rather, sit said arse down and get your fingers on the keyboard.

Me, personally? I can sort of relate. I love writing. Of course I do. But the feeling of having written? My God, you can't beat it.

Polenth · Jan 24, 2012

Loving the idea of being a writer means not writing. You talk about the stories you're going to write and the things you want to do (from book signings to being a bestseller). You join writing communities and spend time getting to know people. But you don't write anything. There's always an excuse. From writer's block to the dog needing to go to the vet, there's never enough time to write something.

If someone suggests you ought to write, you may even get angry with them for not understanding that your life is a billion times more difficult than theirs (obviously, no one else ever gets busy with stuff). Suggestions of cutting down on community time to make writing time are also met with resistance.

I don't think a writer needs to love the process of writing, but they do need to actually write stuff.

MJNL · Jan 24, 2012

Sometimes I go to a coffee shop to write. When I'm there I'm working. One day I met another writer there--he went on and on and on and on about writing, made a big show of having his laptop out and his blank word file open and his nice little notebook at his side. I'd say we had a long conversation about writing, but really it was a lot of him gushing about how being writers put us on this "other intellectual level" and me politely nodding. Eventually I had to stop him and politely told him that I only had another hour and I really had to get my word count in. He grudgingly left me alone, and when I left he had a game open next to his blank page. In the two hours I was there I wrote 2,000 words. He wrote zero.

True story.

I'm biased, but which of us do you think enjoys writing and which enjoys the idea of being writerly?

lastlittlebird · Jan 24, 2012

It makes me happy to daydream about being a writer.
Not just any writer, of course. Not someone who knocks out a mid-lister a year and eventually builds up enough royalties to scrape by without a second job (or stay comfortable with a part-time job on top of the writing).

No, I dream about being A Writer. A tortured soul who probably smokes (maybe even a pipe) and drinks heavily and writes Deep and Meaningful words which only a handful of people understand (until, of course, I die and then somehow the world will realize my greatness).

Or A Bestseller who also smokes, but lights that pipe with $50 bills and drinks vodka that's been filtered through diamonds (That is actually a thing. Diamond filtered vodka. Drunk from a crystal skull. Look it up if you don't believe me!)

I do love the idea of being those kinds of writers. I also love the idea of being an astronaut.
I don't much like the thought of going through decades of military training to get myself into space, though.

While I do like the act of putting words on to paper.

Only time will tell whether I'm going to end up in space or drinking diamond vodka I suppose...

Al Stevens · Jan 24, 2012

People who want to be writers don't always want to become writers.

Filigree · Jan 24, 2012

I am reminded of the lyrics to Rush's 'Limelight', in particular this stanza:

'Living in the Limelight,
The universal dream
For those who wish to seem.
Those who wish to be
Must put aside the alienation,
Get on with the fascination,
The real relation,
The underlying theme.'

Love the act, the joy of writing and spinning stories out of your head. Learn your craft. As the artist Louise Nevelson once said, 'Do your work.' Only then will you be able to really write stories that mean anything to anyone else.

If you lose yourself in the daydream, all you will ever have is the daydream. After all, it's much easier to dream than *do*. Plus, the reality is never quite what you think it will be. It can thrilling and wonderful without the diamond vodka. I know too many 'artists' who are hipsters in love with the idea of being an artist, but they will never put in the work to earn their chops. Also, the myth of being a 'tortured artist' is complete bullshit: trust me, life will throw enough drama at you without you trying to add to it, in the belief that it will somehow inspire you.

lwallace · Jan 24, 2012

Idea of Writing vs. Loving Writing Itself

I thoroughly endorse what Polenth and MJNL said--they are really on point. There is some cachet with being a writer and whatever romantic, artistic, devil-may-care notions go along with that. An unsuccessful, unpublished writer can easily be a serious writer because he or she is devoted to writing, caring about character and story, caring about making the writing as good as possible. One who is only in love with the idea of writing (and being a writer) probably doesn't do much writing for any extended period of time, but instead does a lot of thinking about writing and a lot of talking about writing. Real writers write--whatever their levels of success. Writers who are posers don't do much writing, or they give up easily and don't work at the craft.

COchick · Jan 24, 2012

I think the "idea" of doing many things is attractive to people. For example, I know of a woman who was in love with the idea of being a mother...until the baby was born. Now all I ever hear is how much she hates all of it. (Which is incredibly sad, but don't even get me started on that.)

I think writing is a lot like that. The "idea" (for me) involves these romantic ideals of a cabin in the snowy woods with a cup of coffee, pounding out all these fantastic stories that everyone loves. But the reality is a lot different. It's work. Hard work. And some people aren't prepared to make that sort of commitment.

Mr. Anonymous · Jan 24, 2012

George R. R. Martin once said that he likes writing when it's going well, but he LOVES having written.

For me, it's similar, though when writing is really going well, I think in a lot of cases you don't even notice/think about it.

CharacterInWhite · Jan 24, 2012

Loving the idea of being a writer: thinking about that gushing fan in line at your book signing.

Loving writing itself: thinking about what you're going to write for your next scene, while you're still writing it.

CrastersBabies · Jan 24, 2012

For me, I daydream of being able to support myself fully with writing. Not much more than that.

It's an aspiration and of course I'm going to ponder it. It's a goal. It keeps me going when my muse stops talking to me.

Filigree · Jan 24, 2012

Maurice Sendak had some pithy things to say about book signings and fans tonight, during an interview with Stephen Colbert. Basically, that they're not thrilling.

Jonathan Figaro · Jan 25, 2012

So true! Some people like the idea of being a writer like anything else. But when they realize they have to really put in the time and effort, for what it really takes to achieve a dream. Then, Darwin's theory truly comes into place. Survival of the fittest B-otch!

- J. Nova

shaldna · Jan 25, 2012

Windcutter said:
Loving the idea of being a writer vs loving writing itself.

I keep seeing this in different discussions, but I never quite grasped the meaning, and it seems different people mean different things when they say it. Is there a universal concept behind this? Maybe the source of the original quote. What do you think about it? Do you also notice the difference?

I've found that there are folks who like the idea of being 'a writer' mostly because they have an urge to be seen as creative or special and because it sounds like an exotic and interesting job that immediately marks them out as being interesting and intelligent. And they think we all hang around coffee shops all day, wear a lot of black and make millions.

Then there are teh people who just like to write. Those people who would continue to scribble out their stories with passion, even if they knew that not a single one of them would ever make it into print.

seun · Jan 25, 2012

I've run into a few people who fit the first half of the thread title. They talk about what writers are like, they tell me their plot ideas...they don't write a feckin word.

They're no more writers than I'm a great athlete.

Mutive · Jan 25, 2012

I'm going to add that there are a lot of people, too, who like the idea of being a writer. (And fantasizing about who is going to play their characters in movies, etc.) Some of them even write. But a lot don't really go to the kind of work it'll take for most people to get published (i.e. finding people to critique their work, taking the critiques seriously, learning a bit about the business, finishing what they've started, editing their work, setting time aside most days to write, etc.)

There's a huge difference between taking writing seriously (i.e. dedicating time to it and genuinely trying to improve) vs. fantasizing it and popping out a story once in a long while.

Jamesaritchie · Jan 25, 2012

I suspect it goes back to the old saying, "Everyone wants to be a writer, but few want to actually sit down and write."

The difference is usually pretty obvious. Those who love to write sit down and write on a consistent basis. They write damned near every last day because there's nothing else they'd rather be doing with their time.

Those who love the idea of being a writer find excuses not to write, all sorts of excuses, or they take ten years to do something those who love writing routinely do in a few months.

They consider endless research writing, they pretend thinking about writing is writing, and talking about writing is, of course, the same as writing.

PulpDogg · Jan 25, 2012

I think I at the moment I am more of the first half of the thread title, sadly. My biggest problem is to get myself to sit down and actually write. Put the procrastination on hold and just do it ...

Self discipline should be made into pills and sold in stores or something ...

KaiaSonderby · Jan 25, 2012

I don't love the idea of being a writer, because to me being a writer means hours of work, of research, of hunting down every single typo in my MS, of worry, of thought--sometimes I can't sleep for the ideas in my head.

I think when people love the idea of being a writer, it's because they think being a writer means getting lots of gushing, adoring attention for doing an easy but still artistic job. Or I should say, some people.

heza · Jan 25, 2012

There's a quote: "I hate writing. I love having written." I usually attribute it to Dorothy Parker, but I've seen it attributed to writers anywhere from Mark Twain to Dan Brown. Apparently, so many writers have said this or similar that Google has no idea where it started.

It seems to be a very common feeling. I do love to write, and I love the stories I want to tell. Now that I'm writing with an eye toward publication, I'm a bit disillusioned and less in love with the reality of birthing a novel.

I do love to drift off every once in a while and imagine how my "writer" life is going to be after I'm published and wildly successful and how great it's all going to be. But then I have to knock myself out of the daydreaming and focus on the work it's going to take to get there.

Filigree · Jan 25, 2012

It may also come back to the trope of the creative person who can only create when 'inspired'. Bollocks. Good work habits and discipline can be learned in any creative field. They don't sully pure inspiration, they facilitate it.

Did anyone see the recent Simpsons episode 'The Book Job'? Lisa plays the dilettante writer who does everything but write. Bart and his focused team actually get the job done. A good moral lesson for those still dreaming of diamond vodka...

heza · Jan 25, 2012

Filigree said:
Did anyone see the recent Simpsons episode 'The Book Job'? Lisa plays the dilettante writer who does everything but write. Bart and his focused team actually get the job done. A good moral lesson for those still dreaming of diamond vodka...

I loved that one! I especially loved when she came up with the plot for The Little Mermaid.

Phaeal · Jan 25, 2012

I think writing is singularly attractive to poseurs.

For example, I would love to think of myself as a ballerina, but such dreams are demonstrably absurd. I don't weigh ninety pounds, all muscle. Dance on my toes? Not happening. Wasn't ever happening.

However, anyone who can scratch words on paper or tap them onto a screen can set up as a writer. Quality's subjective, right? Maybe I'm a groundbreaking genius -- go ahead and DEMONSTRATE that I'm not. You're all just jealous, anyway. And so what if it's been ten years and I haven't finished that novel yet? It's because I'm not some hack that can spit out copy on demand. I'm a speshul snow -- I mean, sensitive soul dedicated to the exploration and explication of the deepest facets of the human psyche! These things take time and plenty of gazing off into space! I refuse to compromise my ideals! Barbarians, nobody understands....

Filigree · Jan 25, 2012

<Snort>

I see your speshul snowflake and raise you the Blowtorch of Reality.

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