Writing

[woodface]

poohmusings's post made me think about my writing and I came to the conclusion that I somewhat - not entirely - disagree with her.


I guess it has to do with my definition of writing. To me writing is about two processes. The first one is when I sit down and I try to write a story that has developed in my mind. I agree, it's important that this happens because of what you want to write and not with a view of receiving praise. Writing is a cleansing process. Well it can be. I have plenty of fics that have no real deep psychological meaning. Unless you call my utter fluffiness projection. Other stories like Reprieve and Point Blank come from somewhere inside me, a place that I learn to discover while writing.

Writing Reprieve most of all was about venting frustrations and pain in my real life. It worked, it showed and I felt happy to have been able to finish such a long fic. I think the achievement still stands now as I haven't been able to write anything as profound for me.

This is just one part of writing though. I'm not sure if I would write if I knew no one would read it. I really don't know. I will always have stories within me, I love playing with them and exploring them. I just don't know if I would make the effort to actually write them down if it wasn't for an audience. I write because I want to be read. I write partly for myself, to express and explore parts of my mind and of the world around us. I equally write to touch people, to open a new world in someone's mind. If that part of writing would disappear, a reason for me to actually write would as well.

Writing is wanting to be eternal. I'm not claiming that my silly fanfictions will make me remembered 100 years down the line, far from it. But I do believe that by writing down your stories, you somewhere want them to be maintained beyond the chamber of your mind.

Feedback and awards. I still love what suzvoy said; "It's a privilege, not a right." I agree with her wholeheartedly. It is a privilege, but one I love and hope to get. First of all because it is a way for me to know that I succeeded (or not) in touching someone with my writings. Feedback will influence how I feel about my fics. However, this probably has more to do with insecurity that anything else. If a fic I loved writing and enjoyed very much gets little to no response, I'm sad. I can still be proud about having written it, but I'll be disappointed if I don't succeed in reaching anyone with what I wrote.

I agree with Karen when she says that you should not write solely for feedback and awards. I doubt a fic written only for that purpose would be any good anyway. If an author doesn't give himself in his stories, they just won't work. However, I refuse to see writing as just the one process of writing for one self. Writing and being read go together. One can not live without the other. If no one reads what I write, I might as well leave the images inside my head.

But then, I'm not an ambitious writer. I'm sloppy. I don't slave over my fics as much as some people do. I have learned a lot about writing since I joined this fandom.

splash_the_cat is a writer who has taught me the most about it all. Just by watching her write, seeing what sort of adjustments she makes. I admire the way she writes. The way she can move sentences around to make them flow better. Although I'm far from being a perfectionist, I have learned some of that patience and determination but certainly not all. I'm a long way from being there - I doubt I ever will be - but I have bettered my life somewhat. Partly this is to blame with writing in English. The whole writing process always makes me aware of my boundaries within the language. Esp when I go through a beta. There are a lot of things I just don't see or would never come up with. Frankly, I don't know if I would come up with them even if English was my native language. It humbles me as a writer and makes you respect people who are capable of doing this.

Comments

[debs7.livejournal.com]

That was really interesting to read.

Coming from aperson who is totally incapable of writing, I find it fascinating just how much of a catharsis writing is for people. They have to write in order to cope.

I found it intriguing to find out just why exactly somepeople write, I've met some who write purely for the ego boost they get when people gush over how wonderful they are (even if I can't see it). Other people write for themselves, because it's who they are, and I personally believe that they are the better writers.

I am fascinated by how some writes can just write as the characters whilst others seem to be a meer echo of that character.

Um Yeah. I actually have no idea what I'm talking about

[woodface]

It's strange cause I really can't detach writing from reading. Even if you write for yourself, I think you still want it to be read. Somewhere the tradition of story telling and sharing that story is so firmly attached to the whole writing process that I just can't imagine one without the other.

But that's me and I don't know what I'm talking about either ;o)

[poohmusings.livejournal.com]

Well, I think that to understand my post completely, you need to understand the context in which it was written. :) I'm one of the people running an Alias fanfic awards program. This is our third year running it. We're now in the first round of voting for this year's program.

For the first time in the awards program's history -- at least to my knowledge -- people have been "campaigning" for votes by posting VOTE FOR ME HERE ARE THE LINKS TO THE VOTING FORMS HERE ARE ALL MY STORY TITLES VOTE FOR MEEEEEE! posts in their LJs and PMing random people on message boards with links to the voting forms and VOTE FOR MEEEEEEE! messages. This type of campaigning shows, to me, that the writer is more concerned about winning -- hence the begging for votes -- than the writing process or taking pride in what he/she's written. That bothers me immensely, and is basically what led to my post.

Now, after having said that, I do agree with parts of what you've written. Yes, a part of writing does also involve being read. But even though you admit to wanting to be read, I don't think you write *solely* to be read. If you did, you'd be one of those people who post stories a chapter at a time with the author's note of "You MUST feedback me or else I will not post the next chapter." And you don't do that. (Thank *god*. :D)

And even though you want your stories to be read -- and hey, who doesn't? -- I also don't think you're the type of writer who's going to allow someone else to dictate the type of story you're going to write. Like, for example, if someone emailed you with the feedback of, "Hey, Jara, I really love your fluffy fics but please stop writing angst," I highly doubt you would go, "Oh, okay! No more angst from me because so-and-so will only feedback me if I write fluff!"

As you say in your post, you're learning about writing and what works for you and what doesn't by partnering up with a good beta. You're examining the way in which you write and aim to improve as you go along. This is all what I meant when I said in my post that a writer needs to write for herself. These sort of "behind the scenes" actions on the part of the writer are all what make us improve. And I honestly believe that everyone needs to improve when it comes to writing; no one has that market cornered.

You run into trouble as a writer when all you care about is getting as much fb as possible and winning as many fanfic awards as possible. I agree with both you and Suz that fb and awards are priviledges, not rights. But so many fanfic writers -- especially those just starting out -- seem to believe the opposite. That's what I was speaking out against in my post as I believe that type of mentality is counterproductive to improving and expanding one's writing skills.

And, sadly, I think this comment is longer than my last fic. :D

[splash-the-cat.livejournal.com]

You run into trouble as a writer when all you care about is getting as much fb as possible and winning as many fanfic awards as possible.

Exactly. There is a critical difference between writing to be read and writing to *connect* with the reader.

That's something that took me a long time to work through when I was focusing on writing for publication. Because I got mired down in the function of it, of writing to be read, and forgot about why I loved to write - connecting with readers. There is nothing that makes me feel prouder of my work than having someone connect with it, having someone say "This means something to me/This affected me/This made a difference in my day."

That's what I write for, and that's what keeps me striving to improve as a writer, so I can keep connecting with the reader, and connect better.

And for the squees and slobbering, of course :)

[splash-the-cat.livejournal.com]

*smoooooooooooooooooooch*

And it works both ways. Working with your writing actually helps me too. It makes me focus and pay attention to things that I then pay more attention to in my own writing.

[poohmusings.livejournal.com]

Ooh, connection. Yeah, I passed over that in my post. :) I guess my feeling is that when you don't stop fixating upon are-people-going-read-this-will-people-like-this-I-really-want-people-to-like-this-I-wrote-this-the-way-I-did-because-I-want-lots-of-feedback, then the connection with a reader is never going to happen because your preoccupation with being *liked* will show through your writing.

But you're right, Julie, connection with a reader is exceptionally cool.

And for the squees and slobbering, of course :)

And don't forget about the licking! :D

[woodface]

*blushes*

Oh wow, now that's one of the greatest compliments I ever had ;o) *knuffels*

[woodface]

This type of campaigning shows, to me, that the writer is more concerned about winning -- hence the begging for votes -- than the writing process or taking pride in what he/she's written. That bothers me immensely, and is basically what led to my post.

Bah, I see now where you're coming from and I agree. I had been nominated for the SJFA and now the SGA and dude, that really made me happy. It's the same as feedback, even more so because it really is a reward and recognition of your work (if you ignore the bad fic that sometimes sneaks in). But I wouldn't dream of demanding that anyone goes vote for me. You can kick their sorry asses, right? ;o)

I agree with the rest of what you said. I do admit that in the past feedback has spurred me on to write a sequel. But then on the other side, I have stood my ground with Reprieve and some demands to make a sequel to have a happy ending to it. Fb can be a wonderful thing, when you post a WiP it can encourage you to write on but I don't dream of demanding a certain amount of fb in return for continuing. That's just wrong.

And, sadly, I think this comment is longer than my last fic. :D

*snickers* So was my post =o)

Hee, but I'm glad you posted that cause it has made me think about my views on writing and how it connects to my audience.

[woodface]

And for making people cry *g*

[audrich.livejournal.com]

I wish I had something intelligent to add, but thanks for this; it made me think too.

{pops panadol}

[woodface]

*smoooches*

Panadol?

[audrich.livejournal.com]

Analgesic ;)

[woodface]

Awwwwwww *knuffels*

[splash-the-cat.livejournal.com]

I guess my feeling is that when you don't stop fixating upon are-people-going-read-this-will-people-like-this-I-really-want-people-to-like-this-I-wrote-this-the-way-I-did-because-I-want-lots-of-feedback, then the connection with a reader is never going to happen because your preoccupation with being *liked* will show through your writing.

I think you're dead-on with this, yeah.

And don't forget about the licking! :D

How could I forget the licking! ;)

[alliesings.livejournal.com]

And even though you want your stories to be read -- and hey, who doesn't? -- I also don't think you're the type of writer who's going to allow someone else to dictate the type of story you're going to write. Like, for example, if someone emailed you with the feedback of, "Hey, Jara, I really love your fluffy fics but please stop writing angst," I highly doubt you would go, "Oh, okay! No more angst from me because so-and-so will only feedback me if I write fluff!"

I know for a fact that it doesn't work because I say that every time she writes an angsty fic, and I've learned to live with it ;)

On the other hand, I have to admit that my angstier pieces get far more feedback than my humorous ones do, and that has influenced me to write more angst than I think I would have otherwise.

Thank you both for your insight.

[woodface]

I know for a fact that it doesn't work because I say that every time she writes an angsty fic, and I've learned to live with it ;)

Dude, it's my muse. She don't listen to anyone, yo.

[poohmusings.livejournal.com]

I know for a fact that it doesn't work because I say that every time she writes an angsty fic, and I've learned to live with it ;)

HA!