Writing lesson: nobody wants to read your s--t

It's about finding a middle-ground. Write something that BOTH inspires you AND inspires others. Doing only one of them is inadequate.

Yeah, I agree that it's well stated. You really do need to remember that you've got to make it accessible enough that somebody actually wants to spend their valuable time reading it.

In my early to mid twenties, I did a lot of dumb writing that was all cryptic and vague. I thought I was being DEEEEEEEP and EXPLOORRRRING the DEPTHS of my SOOOUUUULLL. Now I realize I was being a dick, because I was writing shit that nobody else could relate to, and nobody wanted to read.

I'm glad I matured out of that phase. I just wish I'd figured all this out a lot sooner.

All he's really saying is to keep your audience in mind as you write. That's not exactly a novel idea. Anyone who has been to high school knows (or should know) that. But I guess a little repetition never hurt anybody.

This discussion reminds me of what my father-in-law used to say to clients. He was a Certified Public Accountant before retiring and often was a consultant to persons interested in starting a business. The would-be entrepreneur would describe at great length and with much passion his or her life dream, a new business to make and sell widgets.

Father-in-Law would politely listen to the misty-eyed pitch and then ask two questions: "So what? And who cares?"

If the entrepreneur could adequately answer those questions, he or she had a chance of being successful. F-I-L wasn't trying to piss on their dream, he just wanted them to understand what they were up against and to not go into it with the romantic notion that anyone gave a flying f*** about their little dream.

Nobody thinks they want to read your shit. That's why A) you have to market it and B) you have to write interestingly enough to pick up where the marketing leaves off.

This thread seems familiar.

Actually, though it sounds like the same thing, that other thread was about a professional writer explaining he is under no obligation to critique a person's work (it came out of his doing a friend a favour, and after all his work his friend was defensive and dismissive of his help). This thread is about making sure writers don't write in a vacuum, that they write remembering eventually readers are going to read their work.

LOG said:

Because the one thing people really want is creativity.

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If this was true, than my last trip to the bookstore wouldn't have been filled with vampire novels and wizard detectives.

Just saying.

Sevvy said:

If this was true, than my last trip to the bookstore wouldn't have been filled with vampire novels and wizard detectives.

Just saying.

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Hahaha!

Touche.

It seems like quite a few people here took the blog post to mean "Nobody wants to read the stuff you write"

What I took it to mean is "Just because you crapped out a bunch of words on the screen doesn't mean people are going to want to read it. You're obligated to go back and tune it up and tighten it and make it a worthwhile read."

If this thread isn't a lesson (and a pretty ironic one) in why word choices matter, I don't know what is.

I thought it was ironic, too.

Is it word choice or reading comprehension, though? I might just need to put my WIP away and take a deep sigh

mamaesme said:

Sorry, fuming over the last two books I've bought (and twenty four dollars wasted). They were horribly written and very static.... And the second was a bastardization of Jane Austen, with vampires.

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Out of curiosity, what book was that? I've actually noticed a few of them lately.

So, this is basically a cruder way of saying, "You are not entitled to an audience"?

MGraybosch said:

So, this is basically a cruder way of saying, "You are not entitled to an audience"?

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That's how I took it.

Toothpaste said:

This thread is about making sure writers don't write in a vacuum, that they write remembering eventually readers are going to read their work.

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I used to think that, too. Silly me.

caw

scarletpeaches said:

Simple answer? Don't write shit.

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Don't be so enamoured of your own work that you don't look at it realistically. Have you just written 110,000 words of drivel? Fix it!

I wrote my Nano this year, reached 50,000 words and realized that it's going to have to be compressed to 5 or 10 thousand, because I actually focused to intently on the intro! It was boooooooooooooooooring. IMHO. Now I have some exciting ideas to add to it.

Jamesaritchie said:

Just write the book you want to read and forget everything else.

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Quoted for emphasis.

I liked what CMC said about writing what you "damn well want," but I find James' statement only slightly more accurate for my tastes.

What you would like to read is sometimes different from what you would like to write. And if you don't want to read what you wrote...there's fuck-all hope of you selling your "shit" (to keep on track with the thread) to anyone else.

Interesting topic. All of you have written beautifully. I just love stimulating conversation!

I only submit to a place so to test myself as a writer, not for glory or anything else. I see it all as a learning experience, as an opportunity for me to grow as an individual (as well as an author!)

Having a "following" might satisfy my ego, but it isn't my motivation for writing! I don't CARE if anyone reads my stuff! I write because I need it--not because I need my readers.

If people fall in love with my stuff, great! If they don't, I'm not going to cry about it. I don't expect anything when I send out a piece for publication. I hope on the inside, but I don't go into it "expecting" to be the next JK Rowling. I'm not in it for the money--and I think that's the big difference.

I have too much respect for myself to start "catering" to a specific market/genre. Trend-setters force their readers to cater to them! I pride myself on being unique and original and that is so much more important than book sales (at least for me).

Just look around the bookstore today. They're all Twilight knockoffs.

It disgusts me and makes me sad.

There are so many authors so desperate for the "sales" and the "fan base" that they'll resort to crap-o-la in place of originality. I don't write for the "average reader" because most of them are too stupid to know a good book when they see one anyways. I'll do without them, thanks.

This principle works for me.

I recieved my very first fan letter this week for a sci-fi short I wrote. I can't tell you how happy it made me! Just knowing ONE person found it interesting was enough for me. I'll never cater to anyone but myself, and those who get it will get it.

And if you're a good writer...if you're bold and unique, SOMEONE will get it eventually, and for me, that's all its about! It's why I do it!