tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6824896765631412903.post4556441057624518636..comments2023-09-05T12:51:25.656-05:00Comments on edittorrent: What reward for writing?Edittorrenthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14295505709568570553noreply@blogger.comBlogger20125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6824896765631412903.post-31385746355923380202010-08-19T16:33:54.392-05:002010-08-19T16:33:54.392-05:00Adrian, if you know how writers can make money wri...Adrian, if you know how writers can make money writing (not just continually marketing their writing, sigh), you should set up as a consultant. :) We keep hearing this is going to happen, and of course, it has for some writers. And if you know how most writers can make good money, you should write a book about that! :) In addition to your other projects of course. I'm pretty free with your time and energy!<br /><br />AliciaEdittorrenthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14295505709568570553noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6824896765631412903.post-6568354645896618062010-08-18T15:42:36.374-05:002010-08-18T15:42:36.374-05:00One more comment, then I'll stop. My old frie...One more comment, then I'll stop. My old friend is still writing. She's been commissioned recently to write a screenplay from a book.Weshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03077791761104576436noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6824896765631412903.post-6556276962382350862010-08-18T14:47:18.584-05:002010-08-18T14:47:18.584-05:00I only know one person who makes her living from w...I only know one person who makes her living from writing. She's a member of my critique group, and she's published 70+ Harlequin romances. It's her sole source of income. But she claims she only makes $25 an hour. Not a great monetary reward for a lot of work. So I quickly disabused myself of the notion of making money.<br /><br />Now that I think about it, I know two. An old friend was a screen writer on a couple of successful films (The Wild Bunch, for one) and a mini series. But she's a social worker now, and a darn good one.Weshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03077791761104576436noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6824896765631412903.post-8208102482811587512010-08-18T11:56:45.302-05:002010-08-18T11:56:45.302-05:00Yep, it's me again. I just wanted to say that...Yep, it's me again. I just wanted to say that this post made me think so much that I ended up doing a whole blog post on it (Do you know what will make you happy? - http://tinyurl.com/2ecsx86). LOL! Thanks!Jami Goldhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00957122956518765455noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6824896765631412903.post-58921496421617492072010-08-18T11:39:56.094-05:002010-08-18T11:39:56.094-05:00You described my feelings exactly with your paragr...You described my feelings exactly with your paragraph about recognition. I spend a lot of time reading / writing / proofing and I would like people to acknowledge that. Honestly, just for the neighbours to say "She's a real writer" rather than "She sits typing at the computer all day" would make my dreams come true, even if not a single one ever read my book. But self-pubbing wouldn't work for me, I need that sort of "Publisher is releasing it in February" response. Also outside validation would make a difference to my partner, I think. <br /><br />I like the idea of the book that only I could write. I think the novel that I have been working on this year (first draft done, letting it sit a while now) maybe is that to a degree, because the main characters are from the two cultures that I know best (UK and US). But the idea has certainly given me something to chew on.Sylviahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05925593802209715440noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6824896765631412903.post-36963877660948438212010-08-18T10:50:27.454-05:002010-08-18T10:50:27.454-05:00I started reading books published in the 1800s abo...I started reading books published in the 1800s about the American southwest and was astounded at the things that happened. I thought this stuff would make great historical fiction. I tried to find some but couldn't find anything good. So I thought what the hell, write it yourself. My goal is to blow the lid off some treasured myths. That the Spanish missions weren't so godly, that the hacienda system was exploitive, that there was an active slave trade in Indians and Mexicans, that scalp hunters hunted Indians for bounties (Cormic McCarty deals with this in BLOOD MERIDIAN), and that there were numerous revolts and invasions. So I want to tell stories that convey the unvarnished truth of the times, people, and places. Some money would be nice, but..........Weshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03077791761104576436noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6824896765631412903.post-4710788731204504002010-08-18T10:48:26.125-05:002010-08-18T10:48:26.125-05:00I write because I don't just want to consume. ...I write because I don't just want to consume. I want to give something back. My dream is to have a few novels with a few fans. Bestsellerdom is not necessary.<br /><br />Making a living at it would be fantastic. And I think you're quick to discount the idea that it will soon be possible for more writers to make a decent living than ever before. All this bad news in the publishing industry is bad for the gatekeepers: the publishers, agents, distributors, and--to some extent--the retailers. In the end, there's going to be more money for more authors than ever before. Technology (recommendation systems, social networking, crowdsourcing) will replace the gatekeepers and enable the long tail. The physical expenses of printing and distribution will vanish, and there won't be any more gatekeepers to take a cut. New revenue streams will become feasible (advertising, product placement, customization, who knows). Demand is growing. People do read. They read more than ever. They're currently doing it on the web instead of in books.Adriannoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6824896765631412903.post-72302191288505802312010-08-18T09:14:03.006-05:002010-08-18T09:14:03.006-05:00Anon-- love that "people who aren't the d...Anon-- love that "people who aren't the default." That's a good description of good characters too.<br />AEdittorrenthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14295505709568570553noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6824896765631412903.post-52491571295555669712010-08-18T09:03:16.085-05:002010-08-18T09:03:16.085-05:00I want to make a living writing and speaking about...I want to make a living writing and speaking about the men and times I write about. I'm not there, yet. But that's my goal.C.L. Grayhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02589946131460307715noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6824896765631412903.post-88054174858831168422010-08-18T00:09:09.111-05:002010-08-18T00:09:09.111-05:00I write the stories I want to read. Going hand-in-...I write the stories I want to read. Going hand-in-hand with that is the idea that at least one other person might want to read the same stories that I do, and that any story I happen to get published will somehow find its way to that/those readers and make them happy too.<br /><br />Of course the ultimate goal is to write a story that lots of people want to read, while still being something I can enjoy as a story in its own right.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6824896765631412903.post-80764366177914439392010-08-17T22:04:48.687-05:002010-08-17T22:04:48.687-05:00I write for myself.
Okay, okay, I know that's...I write for myself.<br /><br />Okay, okay, I know that's a cliche but let me explain. I am not an artist or a musician, I don't build houses or work with my hands. I can cook, but, let's face it - if you cook and you're any good, the food has a distinct lack of permanence. Writing is the way I create, how I leave my mark, no matter that I am unpublished and, therefore, few people see it.<br /><br />When I finish a story I always print it out. Then I stare at it in wonder. Wonder that this amalgamation of words was created by me. Wonder that I can now hold it in my hand, give it to a friend, read it over in bed late at night. That moment is all I need.<br /><br />Sure, publication would be nice - and definitely affirming - but i don't need it and the day I do will be the day I stop writing.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6824896765631412903.post-11696483737938658382010-08-17T21:12:37.047-05:002010-08-17T21:12:37.047-05:00I hardly ever respond, but...
I grew up feeling ...I hardly ever respond, but... <br /><br />I grew up feeling incredibly singular. I made a lot of compromises for the sake of societal invisibility, and I had to invent a lot of myself from scratch because I had no role models. <br /><br />But I am not the only person in the world like me. And I want to provide entertainment for people like me. People who are not the default. Non-exploitative, not for the voyeurs around us-- for us.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6824896765631412903.post-57680707859896541552010-08-17T21:12:22.585-05:002010-08-17T21:12:22.585-05:00Great post!
I write because I want to.
Because...Great post! <br />I write because I want to. <br />Because I have to. <br />Because no matter what successes and/or failures came before in my life - the desire to create through words, is the only artistic outlet that does it for me. <br /><br />Wow, thanks for making me say that. <br /><br />MurphyRiley Murphyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15817930302085699222noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6824896765631412903.post-4378198077004617642010-08-17T20:42:47.710-05:002010-08-17T20:42:47.710-05:00@Denny Don't give up on the dream! Think big! ...@Denny Don't give up on the dream! Think big! An Oprah primetime special featuring YOU! :D<br /><br />TheresaEdittorrenthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14295505709568570553noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6824896765631412903.post-16645809932565501682010-08-17T20:41:19.547-05:002010-08-17T20:41:19.547-05:00Oprah. I want to be on the Oprah Show, but guess w...Oprah. I want to be on the Oprah Show, but guess what? I'm screwed. She quit. No more show. So without Oprah, what do I want? Seriously:)...<br /><br />Consistency. Of course, I want to be published, but next to that (or even on the same level as being published) I want to deliver a consistent high level of good writing, good story telling, that readers enjoy for as long as I can write.<br /><br />Making money, however, would be very, very nice.Denny S. Brycehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13159554158362728407noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6824896765631412903.post-36059571456667050542010-08-17T20:25:02.042-05:002010-08-17T20:25:02.042-05:00I want a few things from writing.
I'd love to...I want a few things from writing.<br /><br />I'd love to make some money. I never expected to really be living high on the hog or anything, but a nice base salary? Bring it on.<br /><br />I'd love to have my writing get decent reviews. I don't need it to change anyone's life or be earth shattering, but make someone laugh? Brighten their day? Give them some entertainment or even (gasp!) make it a book someone feels compelled to keep and reread on and off over the years because they remember it fondly? I'll take that. :D<br /><br />I had someone tell me the other day that they re-read something I wrote and that it helped get them through a personally dark time and made them feel less "alone." It was surprising and sweet and I read it and thought, something I wrote did that? That's... wow. I never expected that. But it was wonderful. I'd like to do that again.<br /><br />But mostly I just want to write and publish and do what I love to do because I don't want to be one of "those" people who look back on their lives and realize they spent at least 5 days of their week -- all their lives -- doing something they hated. <br /><br />I don't need a fancy sports car, a huge house on the beach, to be a household name, or anything like that. But should a movie company approach me and say they want to make a movie out of something I wrote (cou-hunted! it's available-gh!), I wouldn't say no. ;)<br /><br />JTJulie Harringtonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02880895598847092028noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6824896765631412903.post-34098458742859534612010-08-17T19:26:14.389-05:002010-08-17T19:26:14.389-05:00Making money is a perfectly legitimate reason to w...Making money is a perfectly legitimate reason to write. Don't discount it! But there are other reasons, too -- I mean, we write this blog for free, and it's a very satisfying experience. <br /><br />Come to think of it, I write this blog for the same reason I write pretty much everything else: because of my lifelong obsession with story and narrative.<br /><br />But I would like to be showered in cash. Any time now. (waiting)<br /><br />TheresaEdittorrenthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14295505709568570553noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6824896765631412903.post-23086369270372665432010-08-17T19:05:57.040-05:002010-08-17T19:05:57.040-05:00I wrote a post about this on my blog -- that my go...I wrote a post about this on my blog -- that my goal has always been to make a difference, though not in the way most people think of that. I love genre. Those books my first creative writing teacher called dime-store novels. (I dropped his class pretty quickly).<br /><br />I didn't have the greatest of childhoods and reading was the best of escapes. I hope to offer that escape to others. Books that suggest that there is more to life than what you grow up with. The really, really nice thing about that, when I wrote that post, I listed Santiago by Mike Resnick as one of those books that I loved, that I still have, that I reread every few years -- and he wrote a nice note at the bottom of my post.<br /><br />Made my week. It was almost a year ago and I'm still happy when I think of it. It was <a href="http://www.clothdragon.com/2009/09/what-wednesday-again.html" rel="nofollow">here</a> if you want to read. But putting something positive of my own out there has always been my goal.ClothDragonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07542830590515695754noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6824896765631412903.post-61100612523071542222010-08-17T18:14:37.001-05:002010-08-17T18:14:37.001-05:00I actually don't want fame touching my persona...I actually <i>don't</i> want fame touching my personal life, and while fortune would be nice, I've said here before that I have no intention of ever quitting my day job - no matter how much I make. So I definitely fall into the "want to connect with people/make a difference" camp.<br /><br />Success would be that one stranger telling me that my stories made a difference in their life. Maybe that's why I don't get discouraged, as I believe that goal <i>is</i> achievable. :)Jami Goldhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00957122956518765455noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6824896765631412903.post-3687613818400436432010-08-17T18:09:16.767-05:002010-08-17T18:09:16.767-05:00I've been thinking about this a lot lately, si...I've been thinking about this a lot lately, since I don't have very specific goals (beyond getting published, LOL). <br /><br />I recently saw one of my friends get a fabulous review, and I printed that out as the goal for the type of review I'd like to get one day.<br /><br />I was thinking about how enthusiastic some of my friends' editors are about their projects, and I decided I want that kind of relationship with my future editor—where the editor will go to bat for me, and take a chance on me. (I wonder if that isn't typical, though, you know?)<br /><br />And a third one, I just finished another friend's latest novel. While it's "just" a mystery, and I figured out who the bad guy was (I feel so smart!), reading the novel was such a rich experience—the layers of emotional motivation, the sensory information, the characterization, the imagery and the writing were all so well developed it really came to life for me. I want to create that experience for someone else.<br /><br />My reason for writing is largely entertainment for myself and future readers—but I don't think that precludes good storytelling and/or good (possibly even lyrical) writing.<br /><br />If I knew fame and fortune weren't forthcoming—well, right now I'm targeting a regional market, so that's a foregone conclusion. But if I knew publication weren't forthcoming, I would still write, but I would write less (and pursue my other, much-neglected hobbies) and I would revise <strong>MUCH</strong> less.Jordan McCollumhttp://JordanMcCollum.comnoreply@blogger.com