What would you do if you were a famous writer?

1000th Sun

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Your newest work has just swept the English-speaking modernized world. The United States, Commonwealth, India, and Singapore are all in love with your writing ability. You have gotten 2 million United States Dollars so far and can see more coming along with a movie. (after all, 2 million is the new 1 million) So what would you do with that 2 million dollars?

(Note all of our responses will be different based off the stage of life we're in)

First off, a $500k thank you gift to my parents. Next, a $100k donation to the school I graduated from in 8th grade. That donation will be used for an award at graduation time where I choose the recipient based off his/her writing abilities of the '1000th Sun' Writing Award. (Replace 1000th Sun with my name). Now that $100k to be spread over years can last for generations so probably most of it ($75k) should go towards the school.

I'd probably put aside $400k for my education. I'd love to spread that out so I can go to school, get a 4 year degree then get a masters (or go up to doctorate if the field would give that). Then depending how how much I have left, go for another degree, hopefully a minimum of a 4-year but hey another graduate level degree would be cool.

Now since a minor can't own land I'd use my parents to own the $800k worth of land I'd buy since after all now is the time to buy. Then I'd rent out the land while keeping a good property to myself.

The rest of the $200k I'd donate tiny fractions of it away while keeping a lot of it on hand for my life now. (I won't lie about my greed ;) )
 

MissMacchiato

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I'd pay off my sister's mortgage and give her some extra money to play with, give some to my parents, then do a writing tour, smiling and waving to my adoring fans in all my favourite countries around the world.

I'd want a lot of input on the movie/tv show, so I'd spend some time sitting in on the casting for that.

Then I'd buy myself a house, possibly a starbucks franchise, and start on best seller number two :)
 

Ambrosia

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Just to set a bit of reality into your dream, the first thing coming out of that 2 million $ better be taxes. ;)


If I were a famous writer, I would spend less time here reading and posting on AW.
 

Shadow_Ferret

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I'd get our porch fixed. And our basement walls leak. So that would get fixed. Our garage is falling apart, so that would get fixed. I'd like to update our bathroom and kitchen. Maybe get a HDTV or two. My wife's car is almost paid off in July, so I'd pay that off. And my son will be driving later this year, so he'll get my car after I fix the struts, then I'll go get a used car for myself. I'd pay off all my other debts.

After that, what I'd do with the $1,941,729, I have no idea. Maybe buy subscriptions to a bunch of fiction magazines. Or start my own.

And eat out a lot.
 

joyce

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After taxes, I'd first probably have to pay for heart surgery because of the shock I'd have knowing my book earned that much money. After I recovered from that I'd probably put new carpet in my house and update the kitchen. Since hubby and I are both driving 13 year old cars, maybe I'd update to slightly newer models. :) Then I'd go camping across the US for a month.
 

1000th Sun

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I'm talking after taxes but I should have specified that. Fair point. ;)
 

Ken

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... three week vacation on a nice, sunny island -- doing nothing but relaxing :)
After that I'd get practical.
 

Vito

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First of all I would pay off my old student loan and any consumer debt I might have at the time, if any. Then I would sell my house here in So. Cal., and relocate to San Francisco. (Best city ever!). I would also give a pretty big chunk of money to each of my five youngest nieces and nephews; they're all just entering adulthood, and I think some easy money would be a big help.

Then, maybe, I would enter a doctoral program in History, Political Science, or English, depending on my mood at the time. I have my M.A. in History but I've always wanted to be a Ph.D in something or other.

After that I would find an intelligent, beautiful, expensive, high-maintenance girlfriend, preferably someone who is waaaay out my league... :)
 
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I'd spend a fuckload on coke, booze and getting laid.

The rest I'd just waste.
 

aruna

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I'd sort out my stuff here in the UK, mortgage and so on, pay everything off. Buy land in India and build a house or houses where everyone in my family would always have a home. Pay off my kids' student debts. Make sure my mother was wherever she wanted to be and nicely cared for (she's 92, still writing, and very stubborn). Then, if there's enough left over, and assuming royalties will continue for years to come:

My big dream is to start a charity in South India. So I'd have to figure out the dynamics of that, and do it. I'd use my fame to promote the charity.
 

Mr Flibble

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Pay off the mortgage, sort out the house, then rent it out (so if I run out of money, hey, I'll still have somewhere to live) while I globetrot- a month here, a month there.

Oh, and my kids would go to the local boarding school (weekly boarding), at the least my son - he wants to go there, it's a great school, but we can't afford it. They do scholarships, but you still have to pay some fees. :(

They could fly out to us at the weekends. Or I'd hire a tutor for them both and they can come too.

Hmm maybe buy a boat and sail wherever I feel like it. As long as I get internet when in port, so I can sub my next masterpiece.
 

Vito

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Pssst, see that guy sitting over there in the corner writing?
That's Vito, you know, the guy with the bestseller and the movie...

Believe me, you wouldn't have to look,

We'll find you.

:evil

Bring 'em on! :Thumbs:
 

mscelina

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Nothing different really. I'd invest whatever was left after the money-grubbers took their share (no, I'm not talking about the kids) and pretend it didn't exist, then continue on my merry way doing exactly what I'm doing now.

The key to always having money is to live as if you don't have any at all, or so my rather well-to-do father tells me.
 

Mr Flibble

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The key to always having money is to live as if you don't have any at all, or so my rather well-to-do father tells me.


Another reason to rent out the house - in many places I could love very handsomely on the rent.
 

JoeEkaitis

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Pay the taxes, pay off the mortgage and the credit cards, buy a new car, then hole up at home and keep writing because nothing lasts forever.

Since I'm not a scandal-ridden overexposed celebrity, a corrupt politician or a convicted felon serving time, all of whom nailed down 7-figure ghost-authored book deals that barely earned out their advances, I won't have to worry about an invitation to appear on Oprah.
 
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Caitlin Black

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I would...

Spend about $500k on my dream house and furnishings. I don't drive, so I wouldn't be buying any cars.

And I'd probably give $50k each to the 4 other people in my immediate family...

So that's $700k spent. I'd still have $1.3million left over...

I'd probably start a business. Combination book/art/music store.

And I'd definitely keep writing! But I would spend an awful lot of time playing music in an attempt to make money from that, too.

I love money.
 

bettielee

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Pay off all my sister's debts and put her kids in good schools

Take my brother to a real doctor and find out what the hell it is he actually has

Send my parents on a round the world trip

Buy a little cottage in England and write write write write write write write write write write write write write write write write write write write write write write write write and read books on a new ereader stopping only to watch drama on the BBC, preferably with a Regency Romance/Victorian setting.
 

Devil Ledbetter

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I misread the title as "Would you do a famous writer."

My answer was going to be "depends."
 

nighttimer

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I'd spend a fuckload on coke, booze and getting laid.

The rest I'd just waste.

It depends entirely if I'm a famous writer or a wealthy writer. If I'm just famous I'd invest my money wisely. If I'm a wealthy writer I'll just go nuts.

I was going to say I'd pay off all my bills and the college tutition of my two kids, blow some on a vacation in NYC and bank the rest, but after thinking about what scarletpeaches said, maybe I'll just leave my wife and kids and go on an extended sex tour of Europe, Asia and South America.

What would be the nobler path? :e2brows:
 
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Redistribution of wealth, my friend. I plan on giving mine to the publicans of Scotland, a couple of drug dealers and whoever can get me Aidan Turner's phone number.