Wow exactly a month since my last post. I am sorry that it has been so long. I told you last time that I would right about fantasy world building but I will postpone that until next post. Today I want to talk about who writers should write for.
As I write I often find I do not like myself very much. My writing is fairly dark and serious and I consider myself to be a very fun loving upbeat person. How could I write things that are so dark.
Along this thought comes some shame in my weaker moments. I feel shame that my parents will not like my adult books. I feel shame that I am not using my talent to further my career or my faith. I wonder sometimes why I write, what is the purpose.
But more than that I wonder who I write for.
Am I writing to get published? I would like to get published but I am not writing to be published.
Am I writing because I have this story and these characters in my head? Do I owe it to these characters and this story to write? This I think is my primary motivation, but is that good enough?
Should I write my story even if it offends my loved ones? I am, but I do not feel good about it.
Am I an artist? Do I compromise my art to assuage my conscious? How does that apply to editorial notes that I receive when I try to get my work published?
These have been my thoughts lately...what do you think?
Everyone has different reasons for writing what they write. If everyone's reason was the same, it'd get pretty stale, I think. My main reason for writing (this series in particular), is I'm writing for me at 16. For that teen who wants to dive into a new world and live there for a few days. Where she (or he) can go on magical adventures, touch and see things she (or he) would never see in this world, and fall in love at the end. That is what I did as a teen. I thirsted for those pure fantasy adventure novels (with a little bit of romance) and escaped into their worlds. Thats who I write for. Of course my reason for writing might be different for each book I do, but for now, if my book gets published, once again will 16-year-old-me get to dive into my character's lives and world, and imerse herself in them for a couple hours a day. Or all night. Or all day if its the weekend.
ReplyDeleteIf I wrote, it would be for my teen self too, Abby. That's why I read YA-I didn't have the books I longed to read as a teen, and now they're in YA and I love it! (Plus adult books are depressing and try to be too philosophical-ugh!)
ReplyDeleteAndy-yes, offend people!:) And you should write for your wife.