Wednesday, April 30, 2008

Why do we do it?

I said in one of my recent posts that writing is hard. I was wondering why on earth I do it if it is so hard. No one is making me. It isn't homework and it isn't my job. But I really, really want to write a book.

I tend to think it started with NaNoWriMo but I'd written before then. Nothing much: a 10k completed story that was fictionalised autobiography and an unfinished fantasy novel was about the sum of it. Then I took the NaNo challenge and completed three novellas in three Novembers. Now I'm hooked but I don't know the first thing about writing.

Each time when it comes to it I'm sure both that I'm writing complete rubbish and that the story has the potential to be wonderful. I feel like the words have to be dragged out of me. I'm down to aiming at a word count of fifty a day. (Thanks Sylvia, that feels manageable!) So why I do it? In fact, why does anyone do it?

That's not a rhetorical question. All answers will be welcome.

2 COMMENTS:

Sylvia said...

As you may have guessed, I don't have an answer> I've always hated the sound of "I don't have a choice" but nor can I ever explain to my partner why I would choose to do something where I apparently hate the process so much. :)

fairyhedgehog said...

I was reading on Critique Circle forum where someone was complaining about writing and someone else suggested that they try to give it up for two weeks to see if they really want to do it. They lasted two days.

Maybe that is the answer - you can't help it. I'm wondering if I could give it up and I think the answer is yes. Maybe that's the difference between me and an author.

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