What are your core motivations for writing?

[Nateskate]

I'm sure that some people never really give this much thought. But writers tend to be deeper thinkers for the most part, and some more than others.

Obviously there are reasons why we do most things, and sometimes we don't even know why we do what we do. But dedicating yourself to a writing career, or a major writing project can be exasperating.

If you could list the reasons why you first began writing or why you keep writing, it might be entertaining, enlightening, and helpful to those who are jumping into the vocation.

You may have a hierarchy of reasons: Supplemental income, you think it will get you babes, you feel a need to vent, or express your creativity, you need affection, you want to save the world, and believe that through your characters you will touch many lives, it's better than pushing burgers at McDonald's.

I'll begin: This is a true and somewhat pathetic story. I remember making up an entire fantasy when I was between four and five. At the time it was not due to my natural purity of heart. Without recounting my entire dysfunctional childhood, I developed a fear of the dark, so much so that I was afraid to get out of bed and go to the bathroom by myself. So, I made up an entire mythology and hoodwinked my brother into believing it. Through the prototypical means of befriending and feeding Elves that came to the back door, I was invited to a fantasy world. And each night while my brother was asleep I ventured to this land. It was rather grand as you can imagine, something on the scale of Michael Jackson's Neverland ranch. And my brother bought it.

So, I'd recount the previous night's encounters, and as a carrot, I'd offer to take my brother there when I went back that night. Obviously, he would be ticked off. "You said you'd take me last night." But I'd said, "Don't you remember going? You were with me. Come on, you couldn't have forgotten already...Then I'd recount his night and what he'd seen, and he was somewhat pleased with that, although he was disappointed at not remembering."

Well, it was hardly a noble birth of a story telling career, but he'd get up and take me down the hall every night for a time.

Obviously, the creative bent to write may be a natural part of your personality. I've written for much of my adult life. And deep down, there is a part of me that really wants to change the world. But mixed in, I've seen my share of what I'd call "more impure motives..." to achieve some sort of status, or to become financially successful. I realize that some would not consider them impure motives, but in the sense of wanting to change the world for the good, I'd place the other priorities well below that, and if it came down to having option one) change the world for the good, while giving up all hope of fame and honor, or two) Fame and honor, but you'd simply be no more than a diversionary entertainer who had little true impact on the hearts of men, I'd hope deep down that I'd choose number one. But the heart of man can be quite deceitful, and who can know it?

[Stephenie Hovland]

I think you pretty much covered it -

For me, the creative outlet really makes me feel good. I feel dead and frustrated when I'm not doing something creative on the side. Writing brings more satisfaction than other arts for me.

I also like other people's approval. I try not to depend on it, but I have to admit I really like hearing that people like my writing.

There is some vanity involved, but I think that's mostly connected to the approval issue.

[rtilryarms]

I'm just documenting some interesting events for myself. Caught the writing bug here and decided to make it as professional as I can.

If I am pleased with the results, I will submit. Otherwise, I write exclusively for my future generations.

[TashaGoddard]

Hmm. Good question.

1) Because I enjoy it.
2) Because I have lots of stories rolling around in my head, and they're probably better off out than in.
3) Because I love reading and feel some need/desire to give something back.
4) Because I think I can write something that will give some people enjoyment.

And, yes, there's a part of me that would like to get some money from it, or some nice reviews, or some kind of recognition. Mostly, I think I want to write stories that people enjoy reading. Having a few devoted fans, who bought every book I wrote, would please me more than winning some literary award, such as the Booker.

[Nateskate]

Interesting answers. There's one I'd like to comment on.

There is some vanity involved, but I think that's mostly connected to the approval issue.

As altruistic as I'd like to be, I think that approval is a powerful aphrodisiac, and that disapproval can be as powerful of a crippler.

In a sense, although we are writing for an audience, I feel this is probably a weakness that all of us deal with to some degree, but others seem to have risen above being influenced by people's opinions. And I think it is a strength when you get to the point where a need for approval and fear of disapproval are not so powerful.

[katdad]

I've always been a writer. It seemed like the natural thing to do, like breathing or reading. I honestly don't think I could ever NOT be a writer. It itches at me, nags me, pulls at me nearly every day.

I was a lonely, dumped-on kid and I think that many writers come from this background.

Later, I began to make money from freelance, not enough to survive, but some money is a significant step in a writing career.

Finally the transition to full-time consultant & writer, with much of my income from retirement.

[cwfgal]

As altruistic as I'd like to be, I think that approval is a powerful aphrodisiac, and that disapproval can be as powerful of a crippler.

There's no denying the power of such approval but I find that disapproval sometimes motivates me even more. I have a stubborn streak in me that can be most irritating (or so I've been told) and there are times when I simply refuse to give up on a thing. Having someone tell me I suck at something imbues me with an "oh, yeah, well I'll show you" attitude that makes me even more determined to figure out what I'm doing wrong and how I can do it better. Undoubtedly that has happened with my writing and I'm a better writer because of it.

There have been other things I've tried that I eventually did give up on. I finally had to accept the fact that my musical abilities were mediocre at best but I didn't come to this acceptance easily. I spent years and years learning to play a number of musical instruments and writing dozens of absolutely horrible songs before I reached the inevitable conclusion. I've finally become resigned to being a great enjoyer of music rather than a great creator of it, but I hated giving in.

Beth

[Daughter of Faulkner]

Good question. I believe that writing is my calling in life. I was born to write. If I don't write I will die. :\
Composing comes easy for me like washing my hands and everything else I have to work at.
My core motivation is answering my calling while giving it my very best.

[AncientEagle]

Second try to respond - sorry if this shows up twice.

At a very early age, I listened to family members read aloud and fell in love with the printed word. Once I learned to decipher it, I read voraciously thereafter.

Living in poverty-stricken circumstances, I entertained myself by daydreaming, though I thought of it as "telling myself stories." These narratives filled all my spare time and a log of work time. I followed them while doing chores, walking a long distance to and from the school bus stop, and in the period before falling asleep at night. I could hardly wait for the school day to end so I could continue the current story. And I could hardly wait for the conclusion of the current story so I could begin the next one in a line of topics waiting in the wings of my imagination. I was the hero of every piece, of course.

I began writing short stories in third grade, but it took another dozen years before I finally sold one to a magazine, for what was at that time a princely sum. Then I diverged into a totally unrelated career and submerged my love for the written word into a fair amount of formal and informal writing required by my profession. Only recently have I turned again to the writing of fiction, in addition to an opinion column.

Like others, I also find that approval is the sweetest payment of all.

[Richard]

For me, it's something that I've just always known I wanted to do. Back in school, many, many years ago now, I remember we had a writer in to talk to our English class and almost everyone was saying the same thing. I had a mini-epiphany of 'Wait a minute, none of these people are ever going to lift a finger to make it happen - heck, I'm probably going to sit around not doing it either.'

So I decided that I'd be the one that would. And here I am.

[preyer]

because it's usually better than dealing with real people. i just wish i could write stories for dogs.

being an only child, something had to fill in the dead spots. i considered formal art training, but i'm just not interested in that. i can string a few chords together on guitar and have it sound no worse than a lot of garbage on the radio, but i'm a far cry from jimmy page. i tried sculpting and discovered i utterly suck at it.

i'm just another shlub who has pretentions of creativity and writing seems to be that thing that gets the best response. i had some encouraging teachers, too. if i won the super-lotto tomorrow i'd still write. it's simply a part of my own entertainment and hopefully it can be a part of other people's, too. i simply fall into the psychological criteria of someone who likes to write. it's the only thing i ever wanted to be besides master of the universe and the world's greatest lover, which is no surprise if ever anyone did an in-depth profile on me.

i guess i want to be a writer because no one's going to mistake me for anything else.

[PumpkinJazzy]

I'm new to this forum so I guess this is a good place to first post. :)
I've been reading since I was four years old and for a long time reading was an escape for me, from the real world. Even before I started writing I always loved to tell stories and hear them from others. I started writing short stories when I was eleven and it quickly became my favorite thing in the world to do and I can't ever see myself doing anything else.
My main reasons for writing are:
-I love it. Creating characters and worlds and bringing them to life is exhilarating.
-I hope to create an outlet for other people, It's great to imagine someone else reading my words and being touched in some way by them.
-It's the best way to get out my opinions and feelings.

[Elizabeth Genco]

Because it's my personal declaration of independence; it's my way of telling the world that I exist.

To relieve the pressure of what's going on in my head.

Because it's a fricking blast.

[HConn]

Groupies.

[triceretops]

I'm God of my own universe--the fictional one that I create. That's power--I'm the puppet master. Shy, quiet and a very reserved little agoraphobic, writing is the only medium in which I am truly the brave hero. Others (my characters) do my bidding. It is a form of control.

Prestige. Fandom. A legacy left behind. I write non-fiction books for money only. I honed my craft as a teenager writing love letters to girls. Was too shy to face them. I won their hearts with words. Been a scribbler ever sense.

Tri

[twoeyesgrn]

I write because I love to read. When I was in elementary school I fell in love with reading despite the fact that no one I knew liked to read. I visited the library a lot because my family couldn’t afford to buy me books (and honestly they didn’t think books were worth the money). Because I never saw anyone buy a book, I though that by the time I was old enough to buy one, all the bookstores would be out of business. Eventually I realized that this was not the case, thank goodness. I met people who shared my passion, and now, I want to create something beautiful to share with other people.

[Writing Again]

There are only six things in life worth doing.

Learning something new.

Eating.

Having sex.

Practicing martial arts.

Riding a Harley and / or Hang gliding.

Writing and / or reading.

The rest is just killing time.

[Gala]

Things to say I want people to know.

[Vomaxx]

From the way things are going just now with agents and queries, it appears that my main reason for writing is to provide interesting reading material to.... me. >:

[Sniffleslover]

I write for me. It's simply a conduit to express my frustrations, joys, sadness, or boredom. I submitted one of my pieces for a contest and since then I don't share my work.

I'm a perfectionist and if my work isn't perfect I simply refuse to share it and I will be the first to admit I'm not a great writer.

I just like to tell stories and quite frankly I'm better at 'telling' stories than writing them.

But anyway, yeah... I write for me. Period.

[reph]

I like playing with words and ideas.

[mr mistook]

When I was 18-20, I wanted to be a writer basically to show off. I wanted to show the world what brilliant wordsmith I could be, and that my insights and attitudes were God's gift to the literate world.

After making a single attempt to write a novel at 21, it became clear after a few weeks that I had nothing really to say at all. So I told myself I'd try again when I was 40. I forgot about writing and became a musician / painter / cartoonist / wacky flake.

Despite all the creativity, life in general was boring, and not very hopeful, so I adopted a healthy regimen of recreational drugs. I began to daydream that just behind the scenes of my ordinary life, there were exciting plots unfolding. I began to see evidence of these plots in real events, conversations, in the lyrics of music, in everything I focused on.

For a while I lost sight of the fact that I was daydreaming an started to lose my grip on reality. It was quite frightening and so I eased off the weed and the alcohol and put the brakes on my daydreaming.

A few years later I began to notice that my internal monologue was beginning to write spontaneous dialogues. My train of thought throughout the day would continually derail and I'd find myself imagining a court scene, or a conversation between two lovers, or three characters discussing an absurd predicament.

Finally I realized that what I was doing was writing, and that if I didn't open the valve and let some of this stuff onto paper, my imagination might build up a head of steam and blow my skull open.

--------

Why do I write? You might as well ask why do I eat, or grow hair, or talk. It's just a natural function of my mind. Getting it onto paper is a wonderful experience. It brings both sides of my mind into the task, and in those hours where I'm writing, I feel like a whole person. The gap between fantasy and reality is bridged in a sane, legitimate way.

But venting isn't the only reason. I want to get to the point where my writing can engage other people. I want to record my own imagination in a way that can "play" on other people's systems, you know? If I can do that, then I go beyond self-integration to the higher level of social integration - true communication.

I guess I write to bind all the worlds together.

[XThe NavigatorX]

I'm with Hconn. I do it for the chicks.

Plus I love having people think I'm rich when I can barely afford ramen.

[Jamesaritchie]

I guess I'm the odd ball out. I never thought about being a writer until I read an article about Robert Heinlein writing his first short story to make enough money to pay an overdue bill. I needed money, so I read a grammar book and some Writer's Digests, then sat down and wrote a short story solely with the intention of earning some extra money.

The story sold for good money, and that was that.

But in writing the story I found I greatly enjoyed the process of writing. It produced a definite buzz. It was certainly far more enjoyable than manual labor at five bucks or so an hour, which was how I earned my money up to that point. When the check for the story arrived, I quit my job and became a writer.

So I first sat down to write with money in mind. Then I found it was a highly enjoyable process, and one that I apparently had a knack for since what I was writing was selling.

I also found few things on earth, and none I've experienced, except maybe a purely lazy day spent lying on the bank of a stream pretending to fish, beats the life of a writer.
I work from home, I set my own hours, I have no boss, and I get paid for doing something I find enjoyable. And if I buy a pencil, a notebook, or a magazine, or a novel, I get to deduct it from my taxes. What more could I ask?

Changing the world for the better never entered into it, and still doesn't. The best way I can change the world for the better is to entertain people and take their minds off their problems for a few hours.

It isn't what we write that changes the world for the better, it's the people we write about. There are people out there fighting and dying to change the world for the better. There are people who risk all sorts of horrible and deadly diseases in an effort to change the world for the better. There are people like Mother Teresa who spend their entire lives among the sick, living in poverty and filth themselves, to change the world for the better. There are lone young men who stand in front of an oncoming tank to change the world for the better.

I sit in a comfortable office, in a Lazy Boy recliner for first drafts, and in a plush leather-covered executive chair when at the keyboard. I have air conditioning, a coffepot and a small refrigerator holding my favorite beverage within easy reach. I have a great stereo and cable TV. I even have a drawer full of snacks. I write short stories that entertain people for an hour or so, and novels that may entertain them for seven or eight hours. It seems rather pretentious to think this changes the world. And if books do change the world, then it seems the majority of books I read would change the world for the worse, not the better.

I think reading is an important activity, but if books change the world it's only because, like newspapers, they tell the stories of people who change the world. Writer's are just the middlemen.

In writing, I don't think we get such options as changing the world or gaining fame. And I would, in fact, say diversionary entertainers often have far more impact on the hearts of men than all the serious written attempts in the world. I'd be willing to bet that that far more people have changed how they behave based on genre novels that are pure entertainment than on serious books meant to change the world.

[Tish Davidson]

Writing is a drug. When I get totally engrossed in what I am writing, fiction or non-fiction, time passes in a dream. It is a version of being in the zone. It isn't that I don't know what I'm doing or that I'm not aware of the craft aspect of writing, but the entire outside world falls away, and when I'm finished writing and return to the outside world, I am always refreshed as if I have been away on a vacation. I occasionally have the same experience when playing the piano. I think it is because doing either activity well for me requires total mental engagement. I don't always achieve this state when I am writing, but I always aim for it and it is addictive in a way that no other job ever has been.

[SRHowen]

If I didn't write all the characters in my head trying to get out would make a big mess when my skull exploded.

Therefore--I must write. (or I'd have to clean up a big mess)

Shawn

[three seven]

just behind the scenes of my ordinary life, there were exciting plots unfolding. I began to see evidence of these plots in real events, conversations, in the lyrics of music, in everything I focused on... I began to notice that my internal monologue was beginning to write spontaneous dialogues. My train of thought throughout the day would continually derail and I'd find myself imagining a court scene, or a conversation between two lovers, or three characters discussing an absurd predicament.If I didn't write all the characters in my head trying to get out would make a big mess when my skull exploded.What they said. I can't put it better than that.

[Nateskate]

I was a lonely, dumped-on kid and I think that many writers come from this background.

I wonder how many other writers found this to be the case Katdad, and others who are reading this? It was the case for me. And it's not that I was always alone, but growing up I never felt like I fit in. Inadequate parents who were not equipped to raise children to say the least. Even outside the home, I was a terribly late bloomer with a rather misfit traumatized childhood.

But being a stubborn fighter, I never gave up, and life turned around. I became a scholarship athlete, and had thousands cheer my name as a crowd favorite, and later in my life, I had the chance to speak in front of tens of thousands on a regular basis. Yet, no matter what I accomplished in life, deep down, there was always that lonely dumped on kid, as if it was indelably stamped inside me. And still to this day, I have this tendency to go off by myself quite a bit, although in a crowd, I can be the life of the party. Obviously, there's unresolved issues in that I have many friends who love me dearly. But, I sometimes feel like I have this hole in my soul, a wound that refuses to heal.

[Nateskate]

Beth, I relate.

There's no denying the power of such approval but I find that disapproval sometimes motivates me even more. I have a stubborn streak in me that can be most irritating (or so I've been told) and there are times when I simply refuse to give up on a thing.

You indicated that you also were musical. So am I. I once was in a band that almost made it big. I'm considered a good to excellent song writer. We were to tour with a super group back in the early eighties. Our musical style was something in between Fleetwood Mac and the Eagles. We had great harmonies and everyone in the band could write except the drummer. But our lead singer, who had all of the connections, cheated on his wife, and she gave him an ultimatum, leave the band, or I'll leave you. He quite the band just before we were to go on tour.

My wife was in the band, and like the lead singer, has a world class voice. We had the talent to keep going, but she got pregnant and when our first was born, said she didn't want to tour anymore. We were still good enough to go on, but by this time, I'm thinking tours that took me on the road for weeks at a time would not be healthy for our marriage, I left the band and took on a "real" job.

Yes, I had that stubborn, "I'll show you." But that worked for me in sports. For some reason, it bothers me when someone picks apart something I write. Even if ten love it, if one hates it, it bothers me. I'd prefer it didn't. But I haven't quite mastered that yet.

[arkady]

It's a compulsion. The stories and characters are constantly spinning away in my mind, and not getting them on paper irritates me in a deep way that's hard to communicate to non-writers. I suppose I could compare it to coming home and finding a message on my answering machine from the most beautiful and bright girl I could ever hope to meet, inviting me over to her place for the weekend. Not putting my stories on paper would feel like not answering that call.

God, even my metaphors are little mini-stories, aren't they?

Another reason is immortality of a kind. When I'm gone, I want something left behind to prove that I've been here. I want to have touched at least a few peoples' lives and minds with the products of my imagination, to know that in my own small way, I've had an influence on the world.

And, of course, I believe that I have something worth saying, and that I can say it to people in an entertaining and enjoyable way. I want to be able to share the pleasure I experienced in creating my work with as many others as possible.

Yeah, some money would be nice, too. But those are my primary incentives. They must be strong ones, or I'd have quit long ago.

[Jules Hall]

I need to create things. That has always been true. I write software, I write books, I write music (and don't have the patience to learn to play other people's music!). These are my three hobbies.

It started when I was a kid, about 12 or so -- I started inventing my own world for no real reason. Just little fantasies that played out in my head. New characters all the time, just thinking and mentally acting out what might happen. I spent hour after hour daydreaming about it.

By the time I was 15 I couldn't contain it any more. It had to get out onto paper. I finished reading a novel ('It' by Stephen King, I recall) and realised I should do the same thing. By that time the characters had become real to me, and there was a definite plot. A series of conflicts, spread over two worlds. But no definite end, at least not until I wrote it. It took several years, but I wrote the 75,000 word first draft of a novel just because I had the story to tell.

And then I stopped. After I wrote that first draft, I did very little for years. I had a couple of other novel ideas, but generally got little more than 10,000 words in. Years passed.

In the end, a few things came together. I'd been working as an IT consultant (I still am) and was getting bored of it. I wanted to do something different. I picked up a short story anthology in a 2nd hand book shop that contained some stories from the Writers of the Future contest, along with essays about writing from a few well known authors. I got a copy of Orson Scott Card's Speaker for the Dead which had an introduction that talked about the stages he went through while writing it. I found a few web sites where I could discuss writing with other people. And all of these things encouraged me to start again.

Now, nearly two years later, I'm a much better writer. I now have a grasp of the discipline I'll need to be a successful writer. I've rewritten that first novel, and completed a draft of a second one. Right now, it's being able to improve what I do that's keeping me going. I need to learn how to tell the best story I can. Learning always keeps my interest, that's something that has always been true for me. And here is a field where I doubt I will ever be satisfied with what I know -- there will always be room to improve.

[Terra Aeterna]

I'm with Shawn. Writing gets the characters (and their stories) out of my head. ;)

[underthecity]

Here are a few things I've never revealed to ANYONE. Until now.

I started reading Charlie Brown collection books when I was 5. Throughout my childhood, I admired Snoopy sitting on his doghouse typing away at his typewriter. It was his determination at writing weird little stories that inspired me to write myself. However, it was Charlie Brown that I was most like: ordinary and not very good at anything in particular. I also wanted to be like Linus: wise and philosophical. And I wanted to be like Schroeder and play the piano. It was Schroeder who introduced me to the works of Beethoven and made me want to learn the piano. I took lessons when I was 18, but never made a serious go at it.

After I started growing up I found that I enjoyed radio, and when I was in college in the early 1990s, I majored in the technical side of radio broadcasting, and minored in Theater. I wanted to be an engineer and had always enjoyed electronics. But--and this is something I just recently realized--I was never destined for electronics or broadcast engineering. I sucked at math. I flunked precalculus, and had to repeat it. I flunked Digital Electronics, and had to retake it too. I also flunked Introduction to Probability, and dropped out of a Linear Mathematics class. This was a distinct pattern. I loved the one creative writing class I took; I did great in that class and learned a lot from the instructor. In another English class, my professor told me flat out "You're a good writer." Despite all my shortcomings in electronics, I graduated in 1996, and between 1997 and 2002 I worked as an assistant engineer for a pair of top 10 radio stations, where was downsized in 2002.

Throughout all this time I was writing various things, short stories, attempts at novels, and between 1990 and 1996 wrote commercials and comedy pieces for the campus radio station in which I worked.

Since the early 2000s, I decided I was a better writer than anything else.

Which brings me to the question, why do I write?

I write because I'm good at it, although I write nonfiction better than fiction (and am tinkering around with a horror novel whenever I feel like it). I'm a better writer than I am anything else I've done.

I also write because I can get paid real money for it. I've written numerous articles for radio trade magazines, and am paid well for them. In 1997 I started researching for a book on the subway in Cincinnati, and had it published in 2003. I did my second book in 2004, and am currently working on book number 3 for the same publisher.

Plus, I have several workable ideas for future nonfiction books, and a historical fiction book for children.

I work full time doing data entry for an investments company. In my downtime and spare time, I write my articles and my books.

I write for pleasure, and also write for money. The topics I've chosen fill necessary holes in local history, and my book sales reflect the interest people have in the topics.

Besides, there's no heavy lifting in writing. No ladders, no wires, no speakers to install on ceilings, none of that. I love writing. It's easy for me to do. Apparently I wasn't cut out for engineering, and I think this is better. Maybe I don't get paid as much as an engineer, but I'd rather do something that is easy for me to do, rather than an unpleasant chore.

underthecity

<a href="http://www.allensedge.com" target="_new">My books</a>

[James D Macdonald]

Everyone's got their own reasons for writing, and none of them are 'wrong.'

Just this: If Fame and Fortune are in the number one and two spots for Why I Want To Write, you might consider doing something else instead.

[detante]

If Fame and Fortune are in the number one and two spots for Why I Want To Write, you might consider doing something else instead.
Yeah, pick one or the other, but don't be greedy about it. ;)

I spent so much time complaining about how bad other people's books were, I decided it was time to put up or shut up. That's why I write.

[Nateskate]

I have to say that so many of your posts here are great reading, and it's helping me to get to know some of you better. Whether you are here to get chicks or save the world, this isn't about a correct answer, but simply thinking about our own motivations.

I wish I had time to respond to every great post, but I only have time to respond to some.

Here's a comment I'd like to ponder: In writing, I don't think we get such options as changing the world

People change the world one way or the other by the introduction of ideas. The most profound tools for changing the world are books. And as far back as the myths of old, stories were used to impact thinking and even change societies. You have "Animal Farm" and other novels whose goals were just that. I'm not saying I agree with "Animal Farm" ideology, but many books are not simply stories, but allegories and metaphors.

Not everyone is as deep as Plato, but nonetheless, whether trivial or not, introducing an idea can be like an earthquake. After "Back to the future", my kids called each other "Butthead" for years. Those seeds birth Beavis and Butthead. And I can't say that is the way I'd like to change the world, but every fad begins as an idea.

In terms of "Mother Theresa", I for one think you have two means of affecting change, getting out and doing things or inspiring others to get out and do things.

Books can have a moral of the story, and that can impact others. Sometimes a song or movie or book will be there at a time of a person's vulnerability, and something in what they see or hear may be what makes them go on instead of giving up. Many children's authors are goal motivated, "How to deal with bullies" "Why you shouldn't be a bully".

[TashaGoddard]

<blockquote><strong><em>Quote:</em></strong><hr>I spent so much time complaining about how bad other people's books were, I decided it was time to put up or shut up. That's why I write.<hr></blockquote>

That's great. I wish people would do that in the field of politics, too. I get very annoyed about people who sit in pubs moaning on about how awful the government is and how all politicians are evil and so on. Every time, I say "So, what are you going to do abou it?" and all they can come up with is "Maybe I won't vote next time. That'll show 'em." What exactly will it show them? If you're that bothered about it, go and stand for election yourself, or find a candidate who wants the same things as you and campaign for them.

Oops, went off on a little tangent, there. But I really like that you took a positive step to act on what you didn't like, rather than just complaining about it.

Personally, it's mostly the books and authors I really enjoy reading who inspire me. Especially the authors who are very prolific, and who have complete shelves to themselves on my (many) bookcases. I'm not sure about awful books. I tend to feel bad about classifying a book as awful and usually just assume that it's a matter of taste.

I do get annoyed by badly edited books, though - especially the ones where the editor (or possibly the author - but I'd lay bets on it's being the editor) has gone overboard with trying to get grammatical accuracy to the detriment of style and ease of reading. (Non-split infinitives are one of the biggies for me. There really are places where infinitives should be split and it just sounds stupid to change the sentence round to un-split them.) I think badly edited books were definitely an inspiration for me becoming an editor.

Edited to add: those last couple of paragraphs above really belong in the 'Who inspired you more?' thread - oops and sorry!

[Nateskate]

Speaking of editors, I wonder how they would approach a brilliant story, yet badly in need of editing, would they:

a) See it as their chance at making it into a Rembrant. "I can't wait to fix this one up into a work of art!"

b) Say, "what an idiot," if they have great ideas, why can't they punctuate.

c) Say, "I can't be bothered fixing these people's train wrecks." and toss it in the garbage?

[James D Macdonald]

a) See it as their chance at making it into a Rembrant. "I can't wait to fix this one up into a work of art!"

b) Say, "what an idiot," if they have great ideas, why can't they punctuate.

c) Say, "I can't be bothered fixing these people's train wrecks." and toss it in the garbage?

All of the above. From the same editor.

The trick is to put your manuscript on the desk of an editor who will love it as much as you do.

[TashaGoddard]

Well, personally (and I only really edit non-fiction, so my opinion isn't necessarily relevant here), I would be torn between wanting to do a) and c), I would moan about them to my husband and my other freelance editing friends (without using names, of course!), but I would go ahead and do d) fix it to the extent I can within the time I have and the budget the publisher has given for it and within the remit I have been given - i.e. if I had been told only to look for spelling errors, grammatical errors and phrases that don't make sense, that's what I would do, but I would also (usually free of charge, because I'm a martyr like that) include some diplomatic suggestions for other changes which I feel would improve it.

(And, blimey, a sentence that length would never get by me if someone else had written it!)

[maestrowork]

Shoot, I was going to say fame and fortune.

Oh well.

[reph]

a) See it as their chance at making it into a Rembrant [sp.: Rembrandt]. "I can't wait to fix this one up into a work of art!"

b) Say, "what an idiot," if they have great ideas, why can't they punctuate.

c) Say, "I can't be bothered fixing these people's train wrecks." and toss it in the garbage?

If you have the assignment already, you can't toss it in the garbage; it's work you're supposed to do. That takes care of option c. My thoughts include something like b ("Look at Mr. Big Famous Hoo-Ha Author there, can't be bothered with trivia like grammar and spelling") and something like a ("I'd better make it right before it gets into print; these mistakes set a bad example for readers").

[Stlight]

I'm not mocking Uncle Jim's wonderful lessons, indeed, there is a mirror thing going on there. At least with why I write. (Can you tell I just got my copy of Atlanta Nights?)
Here's the long and short - my mother gave my doll house away before I was ready to let go of it and the world I created in and around it. There was nothing else to do but put that world on paper.

Stlight

[mr mistook]

I have to admit, I do think about fame and fortune, but it's just another layer of daydream. I think the way you view fame and fortune makes all the difference.

I was in a band with my brother for five years, and he was the type to dream big. Every step of the way, he was absolutely positive we were destined for fame and fortune. So positive was he, that like the Hare in Aasop's fable, he spent most of his time resting on his imagined laurels, and celebrating his incumbent success. Meanwhile we weren't getting any work done and we sucked.

but then again, if we had found that lucky break, maybe we'd have been spoiled of success and ended up sucking once again.

To me the best fame is when the people of the world can accept your work as legitimate, if they ever hear you explain yourself at a coctail party, and the best fortune is to have enough money to afford new furniture and prescription glasses when the need or want arises.

[Nateskate]

When I read people's blurbs here, sometimes I want to take them and fix them up, or at least add some flavor. So, I presume that editors would like to take people's stories and make them better. But I'm certain they'd feel under-appreciated, because I'm certain that some of the greatest books weren't even publishable until they fixed them. So, they should have a co-authorship.

I'm grammatically challenged, no doubt. I literally skipped years of primary education, and now I regret that. But even so, I feel that my spelling problem in pathological.

This applies to remembering names as much as it does to remembering the spelling of words, but there are certain people's names that will never stick in my brain. I will see them and go through a social anxiety moment, because I am trying desperately to try to get their name right, all the while, knowing I'm going to pick the wrong one. And it only happens with certain names.

Likewise, I have that problem with certain words. My gift is that I have a creative mind. If you ask me to come up with a concept for a story, it's no problem.

[Jules Hall]

Here's the long and short - my mother gave my doll house away before I was ready to let go of it and the world I created in and around it. There was nothing else to do but put that world on paper.

Never had a dollhouse, but I did have a collection of Lego spaceships. I miss those spaceships...

[triceretops]

I built dollhouses and miniature replicas for a living--most of my work appeared all over California, including Knott's Minatures. A body-builder at 240bs, I can tell you I got a lot of straaaaaaaage looks when the women came a calling!

Triceratops

[STORMTURNER]

Death. I don't want to die without having written on that day.

[Stlight]

Triceretops, you can earn a living building doll houses?

Putting the pen down, backing away from the paper, going to Home Depot...

Wait, the furniture... all those sharp knives, typing isn't the same thing, my fingers are screaming "Red Alert! Red Alert! Back away from the hardware!"

Stlight (totally jealous now)

[Coco82]

I guess my core motivations are love of the written word. I love to read and creative writing. I always have in some form.

[Nateskate]

I agree with many of you, writing is fun. When you can get into a creative mode, you can really enjoy writing as much as others enjoy reading.

However, "Writing for publication", is work. Having to fix the story, and do re-writes, and the rest of the work is where that extra motivation is important.

We could write all day long and post stories here for instant gratification, but we are doing it for another reason. Either it's your job, or you want it to be your job.

Really, I should have asked, "Why do you go that extra mile? Why do you slug it out with writer's block or reigning in writer's diahrea? Why do you send queries and make countless edits...etc.

If it was simply a matter of writing, if you can do it, expressing your ideas can be theraputic and fun.

[Puddle Jumper]

Because I want to be rich and famous. http://www.geocities.com/bat3193/smiley7/tomatohit.gif

Umm... I've been a storyteller all my life. When I was a kid, I would love to tell people stories. At some point, somebody told me that I was a storyteller. Didn't go into that area for my college degree because I didn't think I could get a job to pay the bills on it.

I'm such a dreamer and I love to write, so the two come naturally. I've found pleasure in writing fan fiction on the internet and have received wonderful comments over the years from people who like my stories, which is my primary motivation to want to come up with a unique story all my own with characters that I create. I find it's much more challenging, but hope to have it mastered some day.

So I'm a dreamer who loves to tell stories and write.

[Mistook]

Really, I should have asked, "Why do you go that extra mile? Why do you slug it out with writer's block or reigning in writer's diahrea? Why do you send queries and make countless edits...etc.

I sense no fluffy answer is going to satisfy, so I'll just go ahead and admit that perhaps my primary motivation for slaving over a manuscript is pride on several levels. Pride in the workmanship, the accomplishment, the publication, the satisfied readers, the rep, the professional status, the money, the jealous ex-girlfriends, the astounded townspeople who wrote me off years ago as a drunk and a loser.

That's the motivation now... it's yet to be seen whether any of that pans out, but I'd at least like to say I gave it my very best shot.