I’ve been doing the interview thing again and recently I was asked something that I hadn’t been asked before. The questioned posed to me was, “what do you hope to achieve with your writing?”
I had to think about that one for a bit before I could give an adequate response. For you see, I’m actually not looking to achieve anything with my writing except to provide people with entertainment. I’m not looking to win any big awards (though I’m not opposed). I don’t think I’m going to get rich from this (though that would be nice, too). And I’m not looking at my writing as a way to meet women (I’m married). So why exactly do I do it?
I describe my books as quick, exciting reads, without mind-numbingly boring character details, but deeply memorable ones, with plots that are both absolutely unique and jarring at the same time. I don’t think my books will ever hit the mainstream market, but I could get a viral following of readers who want to experience a different kind of story. As one reader put it in an email to me, “I love your novels because I can read them in a few hours, which is good, because I can never put them down once I start one.”
Such high praise makes me blush. But seriously, the freedom of writer’s these days is crazy. I will NEVER again have a publisher or agent tell me to rewrite a novel to suit the general public! In my early author days, I had a powerful NY agent who made the rounds with my books. Several publishers did show interest, but told me to take out what I thought were the best parts of my novels because they felt these cutting-edge scenes wouldn’t sell to the mainstream. Well, guess what? I don’t want to sell to the mainstream. I want to sell to people who are crazy about books, and stories, and are interested in reading something that will take them to places they’ve never been before. No boring, conventional, formulaic, mainstream stories here. Check them out.
To read more about me and to buy my books please check out my blog: ALWAYS WRITING
I had to think about that one for a bit before I could give an adequate response. For you see, I’m actually not looking to achieve anything with my writing except to provide people with entertainment. I’m not looking to win any big awards (though I’m not opposed). I don’t think I’m going to get rich from this (though that would be nice, too). And I’m not looking at my writing as a way to meet women (I’m married). So why exactly do I do it?
I describe my books as quick, exciting reads, without mind-numbingly boring character details, but deeply memorable ones, with plots that are both absolutely unique and jarring at the same time. I don’t think my books will ever hit the mainstream market, but I could get a viral following of readers who want to experience a different kind of story. As one reader put it in an email to me, “I love your novels because I can read them in a few hours, which is good, because I can never put them down once I start one.”
Such high praise makes me blush. But seriously, the freedom of writer’s these days is crazy. I will NEVER again have a publisher or agent tell me to rewrite a novel to suit the general public! In my early author days, I had a powerful NY agent who made the rounds with my books. Several publishers did show interest, but told me to take out what I thought were the best parts of my novels because they felt these cutting-edge scenes wouldn’t sell to the mainstream. Well, guess what? I don’t want to sell to the mainstream. I want to sell to people who are crazy about books, and stories, and are interested in reading something that will take them to places they’ve never been before. No boring, conventional, formulaic, mainstream stories here. Check them out.
To read more about me and to buy my books please check out my blog: ALWAYS WRITING
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http://www.neilostroff.blogspot.com