I have a question for the writers and artists here...

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Rasun

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What's your reason for wanting to write a novel, Manga, or a comic book? Do you do it because it's something you enjoy, so you decided to make it a career out of it, so as to not be a nerd in the basement of his/her parent's home? Or are you in it for the fame, fortune, and the honor of having one of your stories be the next "Harry Potter," or "Twilight?" Or in the case of comic writers you want to be the next "Stan Lee," "Jack Kirby," "Bob Kane," or the next "Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster?"(The two 17 year olds that created Superman...:p) Or for those who like me aspire to create manga like me, you could have the honor of being the next "Ozamu Tezuka," or "Akira Toriyama."


As for me, I'm not trying to write the next "Harry Potter" or develop the next 'Batman of a new age." I figured since I have an overactive imagination, and like to think, and literally dream up stories, and characters, I'd pursue the career of writing, and comic art. Besides I enjoy it more than anything else, and I've come to enjoy writing stories with Mutants, Demons, Angels, Sorcerers, Faeries, Mecha, Ninja, and SuperHeroes. Despite how cliche those elements may be I at least make an effort and putting my own spin on it like I'm doing with Princess Of The Damned and Indestructible as I put fictional aspects of myself into my stories... I really don't care how popular my stories become, but I would get incredibly pissed if a director in Hollywood tried to adapt one of my works into a movie without having a full understanding of the story, or the characters' personalities.

*Listening To Feed Our Fame by KMFDM*

But I'm sure many of you are wondering "WTH brought this about?" I'll tell you. As I visited the messageboards of Tokyopop.com I came to notice some of the messageboarders were urging aspiring mangaka to stop using elements from traditional japanese manga, and to try, and create something new that no one's ever seen before. And as I foolishly, and pointlessly argued with these individuals, I came to the assumption that they're not into writing and drawing manga for the passion, and because they enjoy doing it for a living. They're basically out for the fame, and popularity that publication has the possibility of promising. So I began to wonder is that the main reason many aspiring writers/artists of my and the next deadweight generation pursue these professions? Just to be swarmed by the fame it brings, and not because they loved it while they were young so they decided to make a living out of something they enjoy? Also I figured individuals like those users I argued with sit at their drawing desk, or computer, as they clinch their teeth, tense up their muscles,while stressing and straining their brain to develop something original. Rather than relaxing, taking a look at the world around them, do some research on the topic they want to play with, as their imaginations sucks in everything they see, goes for at a ride, and returns throwing an idea at the subconscious like a bullet from a semi automatic machine gun.

That's been my experience anyway... When I didn't focus on trying to create something original, but kept it in mind, while my imagination went on a joyride, I wound developing something original.
 
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emandem

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I write because I have to (sounds senseless?) If it does, I must admit I think it sounds senseless as well. But this is the only thing that comes to mind. Writing is something I am programmed to do. If I wrote for the purpose of attaining fame or fortune I'd be a pretty miserable person right now. ---I think many writers don't make a voluntary decision to become a writer--it's just what they are.

I also think it must be awful to be that person sitting staring at a computer trying to come up with that "one original idea." The best ideas come from your own passion, from your own head, the ideas that keep you up at night because they're screaming to be heard...
 

LaurieD

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I loved writing in school and when an Engllish lit teacher recommended I pursue writing as a career I didn't pay attention to her. Instead, I went to nursing school and got "a real career," which proceeded to burn out any passion I'd had for it in no time. The only thing that saved my sanity was making up stories on the long, traffic choked highways to and from the job I soon saw as a form of torture.

So, now fifteen years later, I'm doing what I should have done from the start. Not for the money - though money does make life a lot easier. Not for the glory - though who wouldn't love to see something they'd written on the shelf at Barnes & Noble? I do it to keep me sane.

Well, as sane as I'm going to get anyway...
 

Rasun

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I've said it before and I'll say it again: I do it for the chicks.

A females fan-base? (Do forgive me, but that made me laugh...)

I write because I have to (sounds senseless?) If it does, I must admit I think it sounds senseless as well. But this is the only thing that comes to mind. Writing is something I am programmed to do. If I wrote for the purpose of attaining fame or fortune I'd be a pretty miserable person right now. ---I think many writers don't make a voluntary decision to become a writer--it's just what they are.

I also think it must be awful to be that person sitting staring at a computer trying to come up with that "one original idea." The best ideas come from your own passion, from your own head, the ideas that keep you up at night because they're screaming to be heard...

Hey I was born with a great sense of creativity too. In looking back on my toddler, and kindergarten years, I often recall seeing myself in the imaginary environment I created while playing "pretend." That later translated itself into my writings. I often daydream about what I am going to write next. And while we writers are born for this gig, you have writers and artists who start seeking out other professions before we come to realizing that we're meant to be writers or artists... I started out wanting to be a fireman, Police officer, and Vet. But as I got older, and drew to enjoy my sense of creativity, I decided to become a writer/artist. I mean Jim Lee took up a medical profession before settling on being an artist. And my own father took up accounting before settling on being a writer/artist for childrens' books.


I loved writing in school and when an Engllish lit teacher recommended I pursue writing as a career I didn't pay attention to her. Instead, I went to nursing school and got "a real career," which proceeded to burn out any passion I'd had for it in no time. The only thing that saved my sanity was making up stories on the long, traffic choked highways to and from the job I soon saw as a form of torture.

So, now fifteen years later, I'm doing what I should have done from the start. Not for the money - though money does make life a lot easier. Not for the glory - though who wouldn't love to see something they'd written on the shelf at Barnes & Noble? I do it to keep me sane.

Well, as sane as I'm going to get anyway...

Can I call you the female incarnation of Jim Lee? Because he underwent a similar ordeal. And I can understand using writing as a means to stay sane.
 

DeleyanLee

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After 30+ years of writing and not getting published but still doing it, I think it's safe to say I do it for the stories themselves.

There's a lot to be said for self-entertainment you can talk about in public. ;)
 

C.M.C.

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I wrote my book to prove that I could do it, both to myself and to the people who kept telling me that I was wasting myself by not doing so.
 
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Ever since I was a kid, I've enjoyed creating stories. It's a way of playing God. I have complete control over my stories...that is, until the characters come to life and start doing things without my permission.

I want to be rich, famous and envied, travel a lot, meet new people and have my novels made into Hollywood blockbusters starring hunky chunks of manhood of my choosing.

And yeah, like willietheshakes, I do it in the hopes it'll get me laid...
 

underthecity

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I write because I love to write. It seems to be something I'm relatively good at, compared with other things I've done in my life. Oh, I'm not a gifted writer by any stretch, and sometimes it takes quite an effort to take a crappy line or paragraph I've written and turn it into gold.

I started with a nonfiction regional history subject and got that published. Now I want to do fiction. And the reason I want to write a novel is because, um, I wanted to write a novel. I would like to write fiction as a full time job. Will that happen? We'll see after my first one gets published.

But at times it can take quite an effort to write and rewrite it. And I'm trying to finish Draft 5 now. That pesky first chapter keeps getting bad comments from people. Sometimes I wonder why I bother. Oh yeah, because I want to publish a novel and write full time, that's why.
 

dclary

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Instead of asking "Why write?" I like to ask "Why not write?"
 

NeuroFizz

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It's a two-pronged motivation where the prongs play off one another: (1) to take on a new intellectual challenge, coupled with (2) a desire to entertain others with a product of my own imagination and skill (developed from that intellectual challenge). Both produce their own rewards.

Of course, it wouldn't hurt to have a groupie or two...
 

Ciera_

I feel a very strong need to be rich. I don't think I could settle for not being rich and as respected/well-loved as the authors I grew up reading. So, for my sake, my talent had better have as much potential as I think it does.
Writing isn't just the medium for my fame and fortune. Of course I enjoy it. I love it more than anything I've ever done, and I'm passionate about my stories. I'm immensely proud whenever people go "You're thirteen and you've written a full, 90k-word book? *eyes-bugging-out-of-head*"
Writing is my thing. Without writing, I'd be utterly lost. I was a little lost, until I started my first novel last spring. Now it's the most solid aspect of my character.
So, to answer your question:
Money, fame, pride, fun, and passion. Not in any particular order.
 

WackAMole

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I write because i'm a drama queen and I can't get away with that anywhere else but my own fricking head!

It's fun, it's MY world. I seriously don't give a rats ass if I ever publish. Don't get me wrong! I would LOVE that, and I will always keep trying to publish but only because i want to get paid for being a drama queen :D
 

tehuti88

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I write because I love to do it, it's about the only thing I feel I can do with any skill, I'm lonely and have nothing better to do than write the characters in my head, I want to do something useful by entertaining people, and I want to connect to people and maybe make a friend out of it. I seem to be failing at everything else so by now I'd be happy for a friend who's interested in what I write. My hopes have dropped drastically over the years and publication and fame are no longer a realistic part of why I write.

Publication and fame would be nice (I don't really care about fortune), but like I said, I've learned to be a lot more realistic. By now even finding a friend interested in my writing seems to be too much to hope for, so I'm faintly hoping that maybe somebody will find my writing interesting long after I'm dead.
 

IceCreamEmpress

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I feel a very strong need to be rich.

That is the single worst reason to be a writer ever. It might almost be more logical to buy lottery tickets in the hope of being rich.

If what you want is to be rich, there are infinitely better paths to it that aren't as reliant on factors totally out of your control. Studying economics and then going to business school, for instance, gives you many more opportunities to get rich. Going to law school likewise. Or studying biotechnology, engineering, computer science...

Don't be a writer in order to get rich. Be a writer because you want to be a writer. That way, you have a good chance of being happy, rather than a one-in-five-hundred-thousand chance of being happy. Because I would suggest that no more than one in five hundred thousand of all the world's professional writers are rich.
 

eLfwriter

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The voices told me to do it. ;)


No, really. It's more than an obsession, I think. It's sort of a raw need to share, to tell, to lead people through these wonderful other realms.


:) Hi, I'm eLfy, and I'm a storyteller.


I had more imaginary friends then ever I did real friends -- I was invited to sleepovers soley because I was the best storyteller. One Christmas, (I think I was seven?) maybe just tired of hearing my longwinded adventures, my dad bought me a pile of notebooks and a box of pens and said, "why don't you write it down, sugar?" I never once looked back.

I figure I was doomed to a life at the keyboard since the moment my first char (a half-fox, half-demon little creature I affectionately called 'Raz') stepped up and showed me his world. That world was much more fun than mine, so I made myself a permenant residence. I visit Earth every now and again. Not often.

I keep company with eLves and demons. I feed my passion with ink and paper, and I'm pretty happy that way. :D Addicted much? Maybe. Happy? You bet.

Wouldn't trade writing for anything else! I couldn't imagine doing what I do simply because I might make a few dollars.
 

Rasun

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After 30+ years of writing and not getting published but still doing it, I think it's safe to say I do it for the stories themselves.

There's a lot to be said for self-entertainment you can talk about in public. ;)

Ahh, keep at it, you'll get published eventually... You may even ned to go into self-publishing... But can also relate to the "Self-entertainment aspect."

I wrote my book to prove that I could do it, both to myself and to the people who kept telling me that I was wasting myself by not doing so.


That's interesting... Will you seek a publisher for it?

I like writing all kinds of works. Next up: historical fiction. :)


Neat... Though I'm only good with fiction :(


Ever since I was a kid, I've enjoyed creating stories. It's a way of playing God. I have complete control over my stories...that is, until the characters come to life and start doing things without my permission.

I want to be rich, famous and envied, travel a lot, meet new people and have my novels made into Hollywood blockbusters starring hunky chunks of manhood of my choosing.

And yeah, like willietheshakes, I do it in the hopes it'll get me laid...

Oh that's what he meant, and of course it'll get you laid by the right person. And I can seriously relate to writing as a benign way of playing God that's one of the many aspects I enjoy ;)

I write because I love to write. It seems to be something I'm relatively good at, compared with other things I've done in my life. Oh, I'm not a gifted writer by any stretch, and sometimes it takes quite an effort to take a crappy line or paragraph I've written and turn it into gold.

I started with a nonfiction regional history subject and got that published. Now I want to do fiction. And the reason I want to write a novel is because, um, I wanted to write a novel. I would like to write fiction as a full time job. Will that happen? We'll see after my first one gets published.

But at times it can take quite an effort to write and rewrite it. And I'm trying to finish Draft 5 now. That pesky first chapter keeps getting bad comments from people. Sometimes I wonder why I bother. Oh yeah, because I want to publish a novel and write full time, that's why.

I know how you feel... But I tend to renovate crappy projects into something mildly better... I blame it on the fact that 20 years of age, I can still find many ways to have fun with a cardboard box much like I did when I was five years old. I tend to think or what will, and what won't work, what can I use that's different from the story's influence? I meditate on these question, while letting my imagination go on a joy ride before returning with a different plot.

Instead of asking "Why write?" I like to ask "Why not write?"

By asking that it's like you're implying "Why wouldn't you want to be a writer? I mean as a writer you can create your own world, you can destroy earth, or fuse it with some unknown planet or you can make every human into a mutant. You can put a fictional spin on certain periods of history, or you can make two enemies into the best of friends. In the realm of writing, you can just get away with possibly anything, so why wouldn't you want to be a writer if you have the talent for it?"

Do forgive me if my assumption is wrong.


It's a two-pronged motivation where the prongs play off one another: (1) to take on a new intellectual challenge, coupled with (2) a desire to entertain others with a product of my own imagination and skill (developed from that intellectual challenge). Both produce their own rewards.

Of course, it wouldn't hurt to have a groupie or two...


I can understand that... I wouldn't mind having fans, it's just the movie adaptations I'm leery of, and with the way my books are, there's thankfully a slim chance of that happening... I hope...

I feel a very strong need to be rich. I don't think I could settle for not being rich and as respected/well-loved as the authors I grew up reading. So, for my sake, my talent had better have as much potential as I think it does.
Writing isn't just the medium for my fame and fortune. Of course I enjoy it. I love it more than anything I've ever done, and I'm passionate about my stories. I'm immensely proud whenever people go "You're thirteen and you've written a full, 90k-word book? *eyes-bugging-out-of-head*"
Writing is my thing. Without writing, I'd be utterly lost. I was a little lost, until I started my first novel last spring. Now it's the most solid aspect of my character.
So, to answer your question:
Money, fame, pride, fun, and passion. Not in any particular order.


That's decent, but as for me, as I stated before I decided to make it a career since I enjoyed it so much, and it would keep me from remaining with my parents in a basement... Which is why I put my first manga Gold Hunter on hiatus, because I felt I'd be drawing hand drawn unpublished works for the rest of my life at that rate, so I vowed to start seeking a publisher for my stories, and I vowed to not finish Gold Hunter until that came to pass.

I write because i'm a drama queen and I can't get away with that anywhere else but my own fricking head!

It's fun, it's MY world. I seriously don't give a rats ass if I ever publish. Don't get me wrong! I would LOVE that, and I will always keep trying to publish but only because i want to get paid for being a drama queen :D

Hey I wanna get paid for expressing my lunacy in story writing, so the feeling's mutual :)

I write because I love to do it, it's about the only thing I feel I can do with any skill, I'm lonely and have nothing better to do than write the characters in my head, I want to do something useful by entertaining people, and I want to connect to people and maybe make a friend out of it. I seem to be failing at everything else so by now I'd be happy for a friend who's interested in what I write. My hopes have dropped drastically over the years and publication and fame are no longer a realistic part of why I write.

Publication and fame would be nice (I don't really care about fortune), but like I said, I've learned to be a lot more realistic. By now even finding a friend interested in my writing seems to be too much to hope for, so I'm faintly hoping that maybe somebody will find my writing interesting long after I'm dead.

Hello my clone from Michigan State, how are you? The reason why I call you my clone is because you stated all of my other reasons for wanting to write. But I really don't want to be the next J.K. Rowling, because I feel Hollywood would surely slaughter my hard work...


The voices told me to do it. ;)


No, really. It's more than an obsession, I think. It's sort of a raw need to share, to tell, to lead people through these wonderful other realms.


:) Hi, I'm eLfy, and I'm a storyteller.


I had more imaginary friends then ever I did real friends -- I was invited to sleepovers soley because I was the best storyteller. One Christmas, (I think I was seven?) maybe just tired of hearing my longwinded adventures, my dad bought me a pile of notebooks and a box of pens and said, "why don't you write it down, sugar?" I never once looked back.


Oh wow another clone! O.O I did something similar to that when I was young. I would tell my dad of some of the dreams I had, and he advised me to write them down. Some of these writings became dojinishi that were logged by me as Anime Adventures because of how I became a huge anime fan at age 9,(That's the title I came up with at that age too) but still clung tightly to my fascination with Marvel and DC comics, and western cartoons like Dexter's Laboratory. At least that's how I got started... :p
 

scheherazade

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If what you want is to be rich, there are infinitely better paths to it that aren't as reliant on factors totally out of your control...studying biotechnology...

Oh, please don't perpetuate that myth! I'm still looking for this fantasy world where biotechnology pays big bucks to all its practitioners.

Writing ain't gonna make you rich. Unless maybe you're a rapper. Look at the authors who have made mega-bucks: the majority of them had no desire to make big money (JK Rowling, Stephen King) or else came to writing with some specialized area of expertise and sought to churn out technical novels like it's a business strategy (Robin Cook, John Grisham, Tom Clancy). I'm still trying to think of any example of a writer whose primary goal was to become rich, who did so without bringing some other unique life experience (and probably a few ghostwriters). Can anyone else think of anyone?
 

roncouch

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Writing allows me to create something I enjoy. It is a mirror of my real and imagined life and thought process. My writing is sometimes replete with errors, and serves as a constant reminder that it, like my life, is something to be improved. One day, I hope to achieve satisfaction with both.
 

Rasun

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How's that working out for you?

I write for me, I guess. I certainly haven't made any money.

I write for me as well, tis the reason why I asked this question, because dare I repeat myself, it seemed that while I was at tokyopop some of the aspiring mangaka seemed too worried about being cliche and rehashing a plot everyone's seen a thousand times. To which I really don't give a damn about... If I spent too much time worrying about what readers wanted to see in a story I might as well not write at all seeing as how I'd be too worried about what readers think. Some readers will like what we write, some won't after all what we write won't appeal to everyone which is why again I'm not too worried anymore. If you saw me in my teens, you would've seen an anxious writer, but I've seen enough reviews and opinions on supposedly great stories, and stories I've enjoyed to know how this system works with writers to audience to not worry about what will happen. I only hope again that none of my stories are made into a "Jacked Up" Movie Adaptations... Not to say that every novel, or comic book has gotten that fate, but many have...

Oh, please don't perpetuate that myth! I'm still looking for this fantasy world where biotechnology pays big bucks to all its practitioners.

Writing ain't gonna make you rich. Unless maybe you're a rapper. Look at the authors who have made mega-bucks: the majority of them had no desire to make big money (JK Rowling, Stephen King) or else came to writing with some specialized area of expertise and sought to churn out technical novels like it's a business strategy (Robin Cook, John Grisham, Tom Clancy). I'm still trying to think of any example of a writer whose primary goal was to become rich, who did so without bringing some other unique life experience (and probably a few ghostwriters). Can anyone else think of anyone?


Well that's what it looks like sometimes since rappers get more publicity than comic book/manga/novel writers and artists. I could live without the publicity though since I'm not much of a people person, and have grown to hate alot of human aspects I think I'd be tempted to kill the first poperautsy member to flash a camera in my face, and ask me a stupid question about my private life, as he/she blocks the entrance to a building I'm trying to enter. I'm sorry to say that, but I have no patience for nagging, lifeless parasites who ask a bunch of privacy invading questions... But I'm sure Stan Lee doesn't have to endure that, I'm hoping to God he doesn't have to go through that...


Writing allows me to create something I enjoy. It is a mirror of my real and imagined life and thought process. My writing is sometimes replete with errors, and serves as a constant reminder that it, like my life, is something to be improved. One day, I hope to achieve satisfaction with both.

Yes writing is like life isn't it? And so far as my imagined life goes, I'm having second thoughts about seeking a publisher for my manga Indestructible because of how the main character is so much like me... I worry about the many stupid questions that would arise from that... So I thought of not letting the editors of whom I submit Indestructible to that the main character is... well... me.
 

KikiteNeko

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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.
 

Elwolf

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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.
 
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