Motivation for writing

Spiral Stairs · Nov 7, 2007

Let's say you found out today that, for whatever reason, there was no chance that anything you write (or have written) will ever be published, and no chance that anyone in a workshop or writing class (or anyone on a Share Your Work forum) would ever read your work. There is no chance that anyone other than you (and maybe your significant other) will ever read your words.

Would you keep writing?

I wish I could say that I write solely to express myself, and any potential for an audience is irrelevant. But I'd be lying. Although I am unpublished, the possibility of publication is, in fact, an extremely important motivation for me. I guess it's a product of insecurity. I crave validation. I really want people (who don't have the same interest in matter as, say, my wife) to tell me I've done a great thing. It may not be enough for me to be silently confident that I've done something well.

I don't know that I would shut down entirely if I knew I would never have an audience. But I also don't know that I would plop myself into a chair at 9PM two hours after a long day of work and family duties.

Uncarved · Nov 7, 2007

Yes I would still write, only what I write would change. Instead of the typical web content, articles, and nonfiction books that I write now for the paycheck....well, I'd write fiction and some memoirs. Memoirs of course only if I knew that no other soul would ever see it, but the writing of it would be wonderful medicine.

CaroGirl · Nov 7, 2007

I'm writing for publication, not for catharsis or to get anything "out of my system". If I knew for a fact (impossible situation) that no one would ever read a word of it, I'd stop wasting time writing this very minute.

GeorgieB · Nov 7, 2007

I write because I enjoy the challenge of putting coherent thoughts on paper.

In my life I've built my own long bows and arrows for archery, built a flintlock rifle, tied flies for fly fishing and built fly rods. For me it's the thrill of using something I've built from scratch (almost) and using it. It's the same with writing. The piece may never sell but I'll know that I wrote it and remember some of the thrills that went with that process.

Oh yes, I'm now thinking of building a wooden canoe.

WriterGirl2007 · Nov 7, 2007

CaroGirl said:
I'm writing for publication, not for catharsis or to get anything "out of my system". If I knew for a fact (impossible situation) that no one would ever read a word of it, I'd stop wasting time writing this very minute.

Must ditto this. And since I don't have a signficant other who would care about reading anything I'd written, and it would be just me... Nope, I wouldn't write anymore.

But luckily knowing this is an impossible situation for certain.

LissyMiller · Nov 7, 2007

I couldn't stop if I wanted to. All the words/stories in my head would drive me crazy.

rwam · Nov 7, 2007

Since I don't keep a confidential journal (one that's for my eyes only), I suspect I would stop writing fiction. My goal is to inspire strangers I otherwise would never have met, so if I knew I couldn't inspire these people, I have a hard time imagining me continuing on with writing. My time with the family would be far too valuable to sacrifice at this point....right now I can pretend I'm not being unrealistic (or selfish) since agents are actually reading my fulls.

OTOH, if writing is in you, it's in you and does need to get out. So, I would probably write a lot of non-fiction stuff (family genealogy, memoirs & waxing philosophicals/theologicals) that I would publish for family members via someone like lulu.

PeeDee · Nov 7, 2007

It would depend entirely on what else I found to do with my time. I'm not old enough to be sitting around, painting seashells.

Azure Skye · Nov 7, 2007

I wrote something that resembled poetry most of my life without any intention of sharing it with anybody. I've kept a journal for over half my life without any intention of sharing it with ANYBODY!

At around age 20 I started writing really horrible short stories that I wouldn't show even my dog but it made me happy to do it. About seven years ago, I started taking the idea of writing seriously and never thought of publication until a few years ago. Now I want to share my work with young readers, hoping they'll enjoy it, but there's no guarantee of publication. I still want to do it though. Writing is fun. Creating stories, worlds, people, situations is really fun. It's what I do to keep my other personalities happy and satisfied. If I deny them this outlet, well, you don't want to know what will happen and quite frankly, neither do I. *insert shifty eyed smiley here*

seun · Nov 7, 2007

Getting published is a big part of writing for me but it's not everything. If I could make enough money to write full-time, well, that would be rather nice, but even though there is seemingly sod all chance of that ever happening, I keep writing.

PeeDee · Nov 7, 2007

Even if I couldn't get published, I could find an audience. probably a good sized audience, if I make use of the internets.

seun · Nov 7, 2007

PeeDee said:
Even if I couldn't get published, I could find an audience. probably a good sized audience, if I make use of the internets.

There's more than one? Why was I not informed?

PeeDee · Nov 7, 2007

teh Interwebs, my friend! You mash your mouse buttons on your CompuMax and get there through the Goggles connected to your telephone jack!

MidnightMuse · Nov 7, 2007

There's a secret one, Seun, that only people with hair know about

If there were no internets, no possible way that anyone outside my own head would SEE and read the words, I dunno. But that's a silly question because 1) there are internets (two of them) and 2) there's no chance of ever knowing for certain publication won't happen in one's lifetime.

Simple Living · Nov 7, 2007

Given the situation exactly as Spiral Stairs gave it: For whatever reason, nobody will ever read or publish anything you write - ever. Why would anyone continue to write, unless they journal for themselves?

I think a lot of people romanticize writing by saying things like, "If I didn't write, I'd die!" Nonsense. They feel more like a writer, or more of a "serious" writer. Some even drink while they write and every other silly notion of what writers are supposed to say and do. It's all nonsense.

I'm sure there are some people, albeit very few, who would be content to write purely for their own enjoyment, but that's not the case with most normal people. Writers who say they don't care about being published aren't truthful.

seun · Nov 7, 2007

Simple Living said:
Writers who say they don't care about being published aren't truthful.

A little too much of a generalisation for me, but I'm in a good mood so I'll let you live.

PeeDee · Nov 7, 2007

If I couldn't write...then I would go back to school and become a marine biologist. If money weren't a problem, I'd go garden and cook more.

I love writing, I hate it when I can't write...but it wouldn't physically kill me. (And, eventually, I could probably even be happy doing other things)

NeuroFizz · Nov 7, 2007

Sorry if this offends, but writing to validate yourself is about like getting breast implants, hoping they'll change your life. They may draw attention, but after the initial gawking, you'll still be the same person, still have the same life challenges as before the enhancement. I like Georgie's take on it, because it lines up with mine. Writing for publication (and readership) is a challenge. My life and my personna is not hinging on it in any way, but I derive tremendous personal satisfaction from it. And, the challenge never goes away, which is what reminds me I'm still a rookie. This drives me toward constant improvement and innovation. In addition to the personal rewards of rising to the escalating challenges, I also write to entertain, and to make some cash.

WendyNYC · Nov 7, 2007

I would write, but only short stories and in a journal. I wouldn't bother with a novel.

mikeland · Nov 7, 2007

I would keep writing. As some others have said, the words are in my head and they have to come out. I get kind of edgy when I've got a story in mind and it is not on paper yet.

Everyone who posts on these boards -- dare I say, every writer -- craves validation, craves an audience. We're all hoping that the stories we put so much of ourselves into telling will touch someone else. I think that desire is part of the job description.

Red-Green · Nov 7, 2007

Well, I know I would be one of those truly crazy people who went on writing. I know this because I've written a number of things (including an entire novel) that I have no intention of ever letting anyone read. If I knew I would never be published, I suppose it would just be my hobby--like knitting.

PeeDee · Nov 7, 2007

I always write for an audience. I just don't think an audience (small ones, and eventually big ones) are hard to find. Getting paid for it? That's the joy of publication.

This hypothetical question comes up every couple of months or so, and there's never a satisfactory answer.

MidnightMuse · Nov 7, 2007

Finding an audience is the easy part. Getting someone to pay you for writing - that's the challenge.

CaroGirl · Nov 7, 2007

PeeDee said:
This hypothetical question comes up every couple of months or so, and there's never a satisfactory answer.

That's because it's an individual opinion. There's no point in arguing about it and saying one person is wrong for wanting to write no matter what, or another person's right for writing only for publication. People's motivations are their own and I like reading about other people's perceptions, even if they don't mesh with mine. Like I tell my kids, it'd be a pretty boring world if we were all the same.

Elodie-Caroline · Nov 7, 2007

A while back, I sent submissions to four agencies for my finished novel. I got four rejections too; one of them doesn't actually deal in fiction anymore anyway, but it didn't say that in the Writer's & Artist's yearbook.
Even though I was rejected, I don't really care. I could try all of the other agencies going, but I find all the work of selecting agencies and their criteria, the printing out and sending off etc., very tiresome and harder work than the actual getting the story down.

My beta readers loved my first story, to me, that's all the validation that I really needed, I got across to the readers what was in my head.
I still write most of the day, every day and have practically finished the sequel to the first novel. I love to write, it pleases me immensely that I can get a story purely out of my own imagination and onto my PC screen. I do it because I enjoy it. So if no one ever reads the sequel, it doesn't bother me, I've lived my characters lives for a few months, it was exciting and very emotional, just like watching a great film unfold before my very eyes. I'm happy

Elodie

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