I write because I enjoy it, and because I'm not good at anything else. I think a lot of people have a calling in life. Some people love music, others are good at managing companies, others love sailing or traveling or what have you.
I always enjoyed writing, and even when I was in elementary school I was writing "novels" in my notebooks and having a blast. When I read for fun, I would always pay attention to how the novels were structured and make mental notes for the future.
I will probably always write novels. I don't know if they will be profitable and I think it's unwise to count on that happening no matter what the story may be. Everyone wants to write that next Harry Potter these days, and everyone thinks they're the one that's going to make it... not to stomp on your* dreams or anything. Maybe you will. But what if you don't? Will you still love your work?
It's best to write and be true to yourself, and all that hippie mumbo-jumbo, and let what happens happen.
* "Your" does not refer to any one person in this case. It's a rhetoric.
Now you know why I started this thread... After my visit to the forums of Tokyopop, I figured that every aspiring writer only wanted to write "Next Big Thing." So I sought to find those writers who wrote from passion, and enjoyment alone. I sought those who allowed creativity to come to them rather than forcing it which is why so many aspiring writers F up, because they force creativity upon themselves rather than relaxing, and allowing their environment inspire them. I'm a maniac, I can't live life without doing something, or hearing something that'll give me an idea... At my job, as a a food preparer at Pizza Hut, when I have to climb over stuff to get a certain product, I pretend like I'm climbing one of the Himalayan mountains looking for a lost treasure because of how cold the freezer is, and how difficult it can be to get alot of the foods in the freezer. I often think to myself that I'm probably the only 20 year old who does that at a fast-food restaurant. Besides as I said many times, I'm only choosing writing and comic art as a career because I'd like to spend the rest of my life doing what I enjoy for a living, I really don't want to be the next "Stan Lee" "J.K.Rowling," or "Ben Dunn." I just wanna create my own universes, and share them with the world...
I write because I enjoy it. I mean, I just have a passion for writing. If I did not write, I would go completely insane, I would be bored to tears, and I would be at some job that I went to just so I could pay bills. Life needs a passion, and I have found mine.
Good answer... Along with the many other heart felt honest answers this thread has received... Do pardon my lack of awareness that there are so many writers like you out there.
Hmmm... why write? What else would I do with all these crazy ideas and characters constantly bombarding my headspace?
I've always written; it's a part of me, how my mind works; and I love it, even when it frustrates me and even though I often think I'm shit at it. I couldn't fathom a life without writing. I wouldn't want to.
Great another clone... I'm sorry for calling you that... it's just the fact that I'm not used to having anything in common with people... I can't sit and listen to music or just let my mind wander without coming up with a new idea. I like you get his headspace bombarded with new ideas, and characters when I just let my mind wander.
Because I hear voices in my head and I have to write down what they say or they'll drive me insane.
I'm only half-kidding. When a character or story really comes alive to me - and do they ever - I *have* to put it on paper or it *will* drive me up a wall. I even talk about my characters as if they're real people. I've said to scarletpeaches many times, "character so-and-so really wants to do this, so I'm just going to let him and see what happens..." or "character X wouldn't do that, he's totally the kind of guy who would do this..."
So, put me in the "I write because I have to" camp. If I ever become rich and famous as a result...bonus. I do want to get published, but I write because I need to.
I heart KMFDM.
OMG what's with these clones?! O.O I'm sorry but again, I'm not used to having anything in common with anyone, I'm used to being a social outcast because I'm an African American manga/anime nerd who aspires to make his dreams a reality. But now I know I'm not the only individual with voices in his head who causes him to develop characters, and yeah I truly feel your pain about the characters coming to life, and kind of having a will of their own that happened when I wrote
Dreamers Hearts: The Tale Of Mystical Girl and
Princess Of The Damned and I had voices in my head giving me the names of
The Seven Sinful Sons Of Lucifer when I was writing the sequel to
Princess Of The Damned Her Infernal Majesty at which point I thought I was under Satan's influence as I heard the names "Rage," "Hate," "Fear," "Malice," "Anger," "Pain," and "Agony" whispered in my head repeatedly. (You know the christian stereotype how they are so judgmental towards everything mundane, and everyone who doesn't serve God. And everything bad that happens, or anything with a hint of demons, and evil is the Devil's Work. Now you see my problem me publishing
Princess Of The Damned because a tale of the Anti-Christ seeking Salvation from God to free even her own Soul from Lucifer seems unholy.)
I write because there have been/are/will be moments in my life when aside from God, writing is all I have.
*Listening to
Hau Ruck(Spezial K Remix) by KMFDM*
Do forgive me for feeling guilty, because I too am a christian, but after writing stories like
Princess Of The Damned, Nether Tales, and
Dreaming Soul I think zi have long since forsaken christianity. I believe I even crossed the line with the development of a soon to be written manga
Divine Rebels and
Samson because you see in these two stories along with my series
Princess Of The Damned there exists descendants of a clan of christians who learned how to use spiritual energy through perfect faith. Basically here's how their powers work. If these individuals were to pray for protection, they'd form a barrier from their spiritual energy that is only as strong as their faith, if their faith in God's protection wanes the barrier weakens. If these individuals were to say a prayer of rebuke, they can launch a beam of energy from their hands that would phase through their adversary, and exorcise the evil within. In The
Princess Of The Damned timeline I created the puritans saw this as witchcraft, and sought to annihilate this clan. And the clan had to flee, and were slowly annihilated because they knew to never use God's power to harm man, because of how he treasured his children.
For me, a bad thing happened that I felt responsible. A young lady and her children ended up dead. I want to bring their short lives some meaning.
Touching... it's also very inspiring, but if it's as personal as I think I wouldn't let anyone but a book publisher touch such a story. But hey that's just me. The reasons for me writing
Princess Of The Damned and developing the manga
Indestructible is because I did alot of things I'm not proud of, and I feel like expressing that pain. However I thought of keeping
Indestructible under wraps, because I feel it might get a good enough fan base to be adapted into a movie, but the thing is the Aggressor as I've said is a fictional version of me who kills out of fear of facing defeat, and winds up confronting that defeat in order to save a life. So this story's very personal, and having it ruined by the media would gal me. Because I know how HollyWood works when it comes to movies based on manga/comic books, with exception of a small few. They waste money of special effects, props, and various other useless junk, having to alter the story line of the film. The Aggressor is a complex character both in design of his transformed state, and as a person. And to have a script writer, and director ruin that without gaining a true understanding of the story or characters would be annoying...
