Indie Authors Monthly Magazine For Authors and Readers discussion

Why do we do this? Open ourselves up to criticism and ridicule? Spend obscene amounts of time and money? Watch our book go out there and fall into the pit where it disappears in the high rankings of Amazon?

Why? Why? Why?

So, for me so I can open that one email where a parent writes that my book tickled their child. They connected and they read it nineteen times last night. OH, and it will be the theme of her next birthday party.


What was your moment?

Partly, like Alex, I just need to write.

The things that make it worthwhile are:

1. The fact that I enjoy the stuff I write. I wrote my first series because what I wanted to read wasn't out there, and although I now cringe a little at the quality of the writing in the first book (to me it really improves over the next two - the third and fourth are the only ones I'm still happy with), I do still like them. If nothing else, I'll always have stories I personalised for my enjoyment.

2. Other people enjoy them too! Having the odd five star review, and reviewers say that my series is a must-reread series, makes me overjoyed.

I think writing is addictive. Once you start, it's hard to stop!!

Wait till you hit the sixties. I can't believe I just wrote that!!!!

What makes it worthwhile for me is knowing something I dreamt up connects with someone, somewhere and they get what I meant for them to get. Its still stifling at times to think "ive opened myself up to judgement", "what if people hate it?", but how else will you know if you're any good? What am I supposed to do with all the stories in my head? There's no room to keep all these worlds and people up there with my own cluttered brain.

Plus I don't want to be on my last breath and have any "shoulda, coulda, woulda" thoughts.

I feel that if I don't write the stories and worlds just swirl around inside my head! And like in the last comment, I guess it's a way of seeing If I am any good! About to publish my first book in a series....so lets see!

Like Alex, I just keep writing. Stopping is a ridiculous notion; it's impossible. I don't especially like it, except for those times when it goes well, but there's no second way. Plus, I have these stories and I'm fascinated by them, and I very much want to write them.

Also, Carole and others, our generation has the rare privilege of hitting the sixties twice. Once in the 1960s and now again when we're 60+!

I never thought about that. I loved those sixties (1960's)- my kids got me the Beatles channel on Sirius- man o' man- the songs do bring back those days.

I love it too, Alex. Music takes me to special times and places.