THE Group for Authors! discussion

Mothers play many roles, but it wasn’t until recently that it struck me -- writing is one of them. My children, it turns out, have been my target audience all the time.

My first book was a story I used to tell them as toddlers. The second was set in an archaeological dig that we visited, because they (and I) found it fascinating. (Unfortunately, they had outgrown the book by the time it was finished and I had to endure a lot of criticism of the morons that I wrote about.) Gind, the third book, was a favourite with the whole family from the start, and we had rollicking times plotting, writing and hijacking it. All this community writing rather went to my head and I bunged in whatever pleased us – gods, celestial beings, Tamil words, snow, rishis, islands, rabbits, strange foods, mountains, mythical animals, you name it.

Book four, a murder mystery, which lies languishing in the hard disk of my computer, was an aberration. It wasn’t for children; it was written to amuse my husband who had broken his leg and was feeling frustrated. We spent weeks arguing about the characters, the setting, the plot and everything else. He wrote 6 pages, killed off all the characters and called it quits, quite pleased with the day’s work. But my kanjoos soul wouldn’t let me give up after so much thought had gone into the book, so I muddled my way through it. The girls, now grown up, approved of it. My editor liked it too, but apparently it didn’t look like the sort of book that would sell. So there it lies. Not resting in peace, though – every once in a while it is exhumed and post-mortemed.

Now I am back to my first love – children’s books – but I no longer have a readymade audience. The question has got to be answered – who am I writing for? Still figuring…

I'd love to hear who other authors have in mind when they write.

1. Myself. Writing is a self-imposed exile from which you are allowed brief home leaves. Your loved ones take for granted your long absences and fear your parole, a time when you take them down an imaginary trail of intrigue and decadence that ends at Chapter Two. Then you close the office door again and try to ignore the laughter.

2. Five friends.

Primarily myself-- the drive to write, to entertain myself, has been there for almost as long as I can remember.

That said, though, I'm always thinking of the audience as I write. I want to make the journey fun and visual for them. And I love being able to share it.

I recently got the good fortune of guesting at a local book club who had read my book. And it was so much fun to hear them talking about favorite characters, favorite scenes and discussing the way they perceived various elements in the book.

When you get the opportunity to take ideas from your head and then tuck them neatly into someone else's... I don't think it gets more rewarding than that.

I write with a sense of purpose so my message is usually for a target audience. For example, my last two blog posts were for single Christian women. Check them out at http://victoriousbydesign.com/?page_i.... Generally, whatever I write must bring honor to God. My writing projects must educate, inspire and empower others. I desire to tell great stories with relatable characters that positively impact societies and show the awesome power of God in the lives of people and places.

I've learned to write for myself.

I write funny stuff and a lot of times, I'm laughing out loud as I write - entertaining myself.

Sometimes I turn down social invitations, as I know I will have more fun being by myself writing, creating whacky but entertaining characters rather than listening to some boring person who I wouldn't dream of bringing to life in my books.
(Note to myself - you're sounding borderline reclusive there Eve)

I have four books on Amazon and my top seller is the one where I'm unleashed. The one I wrote for myself.

However I belong to a writing group - serious people/authors who's feedback is valuable but can be brutal at times. (Brutal, I tell you! There was this one time, I finished a whole pizza after I heard their criticism.)
I'm mindful of their criticism but if I think I got it covered, I don't change my work as suggested.
I write purely to entertain not to impress. Or as they say on Jerry Springer - innertain.

We write for everyone. Of course, we hope everyone reads what we write. Authors expose a truth (or try to hide it). Simple...


by
Matthew Akers

Yeah, John - I said "myself". However, this month is set aside for my working group to booger critique the latest book I thought I'd finished. Boy, was I off the mark. Who you write for depends upon what stage you're currently trapped in. (please forgive my grammatical errors - I'm at that stage where I don't give a damn).

Stage 1 - The author writes for their wife, realizing they will die before their harshest critic (not due to any infirmity but simply because they want to). Leaving behind a truly great literary masterpiece will subject the surviving spouse to public scrutiny and tabloid cellulite photos, while the media demands to know what life with the Messiah of writers was like. Also known as the "proposal" stage.

Stage 2 - The author writes for posterity, leaving carefully preserved detail notes that resemble nothing he has ever written. Thus identified as the "Lost Novel of the Messiah", it sells at auction for an obscene amount of cash, gold, and jewels. Also known as the "outline" stage.

Stage 3 - The author writes to impress the literati, those whom he considers to be his contemporaries, but who write gooder than hisself. Let's face it, when a Barbara Rogan smiles in your general direction, you are validated as an actual writer and you can don a rakish hat and turn half the dining room into your "studio", a place where you while away the hours perfecting your "craft". Yeah, use that phrase to your wife and then check your new self-image. Also known as "first draft" stage.

Stage 4: The author writes for five or six of his closest friends - or unsuspecting volunteers - who read his opus and either stop speaking to him or don't stop emailing change recommendations. The more friends an author has, the more books they can write, since each one burns five or six bridges. Also known as the "critique" stage.

Stage 5: Where the author carefully wraps his manuscript in plastic and puts it in the freezer, the safest place on earth when one is drunk. He will find it years later and submit to every agent or publisher whose name begins with A thru C, wait patiently, and then explain to their spouse how busy those agents and publishers are. Also known as the "self publishing" stage.

Stage 6 - I never got here.

Jon wrote: "Yeah, John - I said "myself". However, this month is set aside for my working group to booger critique the latest book I thought I'd finished. Boy, was I off the mark. Who you write for depends ..."

The freezer! That's where I left my last manuscript. And I was accusing my ex mother-in-law all the time. :)

Wow! I'm going to stop reading fiction and read writers on writing instead! All your responses are so interesting and have given me lots to think about. Jenn, Maribel, John and Eve, you're definitely helping me to understand better what motivates me. Jon, you're not much help (or is there some hidden wisdom there, must reread). But funny! Ann and Michel, thanks for sharing your very different, eye-opening perspectives.

You are most welcome Harini.

I write for myself too; but I also write for my characters, and the story they're in. My story is waiting to happen, and by being written down a story becomes real, in a sense.

I started out writing for myself (like horribly bad poetry at first), and that has definitely stayed constant. But I do like dedicated my work to the people that inspired or motivated me to keep going (and my fans)!

I begin writing for myself. It's a giant game of make believe because I want to be in the time and place I'm interested enough to study. Then my characters come alive, take on the job of living the story, then by some magic the story writes itself. I no longer control it. (That's the best part of writing to me.)

It's very much like Jacob and S.L. describe. I also have experience with Jon's Stage 5.

PS:

Harini, I love this topic!! Can't wait to read about the 'magic' of it all from all our authors.

I feel I write primarily to sort my thought process. The mind takes extreme positions and creates its own paradoxes. In writing, we can assign different characters to each strand of thought and understand how they interplay with each other.

There is a funny story why I wrote my first book. I used to hang out in psychic rooms, once upon a time. Well, needless to say, we got quite a few of the holier-than-thou's who would come in the rooms telling everyone they were going to hell. So it fell on me to debate them...I always won. Well, a friend asked me one day "why don't you write a book?"...For once in my life, I had no answer...so I did. But I guess I did it for me, so I can say I wrote a book...even if no one is reading it...and few are buying it.

My current book is a fantasy novel based on a poem I wrote some years ago, "The Forgotten Tale". I am writing it so that it will be the first of a series. This book will be subheaded "The Sword and the shield"...the next one, which I already have the premise though not much of the actual story, will be subtitled "The Staff and the Orb" and will be a search for the missing Book of Knowledge from the first book. The way I am ending the first one, it allows me unlimited possibilities for sequels. And as the book takes place in the real world, I could even eventually have a book that takes place in present time.

This one I am writing because I hope people enjoy it.

I write for the joy of creation. The novel I am working on has taken detours from where I thought it was going. The characters write themselves. I revel in watching it unfold. As a child I loved the sharpened pencil and a blank piece of paper, probably more than anything else. It was potential in it's purest form. That paper could be a drawing, a poem, a sculpture, a problem to be solved. It was everything and nothing all at the same time.
So I suppose I write for myself, the joy it brings me and the hope that it will spread to others who take the time to read.

I write for no one and everyone. I write because I have to. If I didn't I would go insane. Characters develop the way they always do: in my head after having a bizarre dream. From there, they never leave me alone and I find mysrlf writing a book in my head. So then, I am forced to write the book or else go insane from the voices. Although, my mother says I'm already insane because I hear voices. So, I write to shut up the characters in my head. I write to please myself and for others in the world like me who love a good story, then start dreaming their own plots about them. When writing, I keep my characters in mind. When editing, I keep myself in mind. When beta testing, I keep my audience in mind. It's a process, not an instant success.

I really do write for myself. I find when people feel like your writing for yourself they see the naturalness and what you do and it makes them like your work more. :)

I write to entertain myself first, but my contracts says I write for Harlequin Historical and Harlequin Nocturne.

There is nothing better than having a hot cup of coffee and a long morning to fall into my fiction. Magical.

Me. I am selfish:)

Although my best friend and my late mother inspired me too:)

I began writing a dream I had. I had filled in the blanks of the dream with ideas of my own. When I shared it with a friend they wanted me to keep writing. When I shared it with my son, that's when it took off. He was on me every day, "Mommy, did you write last night?", "You need to go write." So, I wrote for him, for us to have a mother-son time that was uniquely ours. :)

I write for myself and publish for others. It took me a while to realize that, while the two are not always mutually exclusive, they're not necessarily the same thing either.

I agree, a lot of the stuff I write/have written will never be published, not because it is crap - well not all of it but because it is for me or close friends or a specific audience and I don't want the general masses to see it. I have quite a bit of Phantom of the Opera fan fic and introspective poetry which will never officially be published.

Alexandra wrote: "I agree, a lot of the stuff I write/have written will never be published, not because it is crap - well not all of it but because it is for me or close friends or a specific audience and I don't wa..."

I'm with you on poetry. Mine most likely will never be published - and it probably should'nt be.

I read a post somewhere a while back by someone I think was from amazon (it's been a while ago). He said that when they opened up for independent writer/publishers they were responsible for the publishing of more bad poetry than anything since the world began.

1. For beer. It gives me a reason to drink more because the less sober I become, the more interesting my stories read. I wonder if there's a correlation between that...

2. For my bed. Writing gives me a reason to stay up well past my self-imposed bedtime, which in turn, spares my ancient mattress from getting assaulted by my fatigued body whenever it drops onto it like a rock.

3. For my boss. Gives me a reasonable enough excuse whenever I'm late. It lets me deviate from the typical cliches ("my unicorn ate it", "my car transformed into Megatron", "I got abducted by Tom Cruise and several scientologists", "the golem troll wouldn't let me cross the bridge this morning", "I was with Katy Perry and couldn't stay 'Wide Awake'")

4. For my stuffed bear. He's been sitting, still as a statue, for about seven years now on the top of my shelf, staring down at me with this heartless, frozen smile. Seems to get more condescending every time I stop writing and look up, so I just keep going, like the Energizer Bunny.

4. Oh yeah, and for me I guess... but only when the voices in my head start getting restless.

First I started off by writing for me. Then it became my children, then it morphed into my son's rehab counselor.
Now I write because it is something I love and need to do.
If I'm not working on a manuscript then I am not escaping into my own world.

In a sense, I write for me. That is, like most writers, I write because I can't not write.

But I also see the books I write as an alternate way to teach. I specialize in a fascinating but little-known area, 16th-century Russia, that is roiled in controversy over basic sources and their authenticity—hardly a subject likely to appeal to the general public. So by writing historically accurate fiction, I can put the interesting bits on the page without getting tied up in minutiae.

By now I write for the people in my books. They need me to, or else, only I know about them and they won't live but suffocate in my drawer, dead in my pages like squashed flies. As if they never were. Terrible thought. I can't distinguish (on an emotional level I suppose, or because writing is a mental health hazard) between them and real-life people. There is the fact that most of them were real-life people once and I have their ghosts on my shoulder, 'tell about us, do us justice'. Their lives have a human value for me, a full human value, and they need me. The urgency was awful, until I escorted them into the world. They're published now and it's a great psychological weight off. I have to finish their lives, mind.

I write for myself but once going the characters take over, dictating a lot of what happens...I have a hard time imagining them gone when the book is finished and therefore I find myself devising sequels...remember the thing about 'I write the books I want to read'? that resonates with me...

I write what comes up. I don't have a reader in mind nor, in most cases, a clear idea where things are going. I suppose that means I'm writing for me. But I write in several genres -- literary fiction, contemporary fantasy, poetry, plays, creative non-fiction and regular non-fiction to pay the bills. When I write "to pay the bills" I am writing with a specific audience in mind -- it affects the tone and content.

Ah, but with everything else, all bets are off (unless, of course, it is a contest with guidelines/deadlines, etc.) Characters demand or wheedle or nudge themselves into creation. Or a certain word will unfurl a line that reveals a poem. An overheard conversation becomes a scene, etc., etc.

I also teach creative writing and I've learned that not only is every writer uniquely motivated, we all have our own process that brings us to the page. Some write for their family members, some for themselves, some simply because they cannot possibly do anything else but write.

I occasionally use freefall writing -- that's where I learned the value of writing "what comes up." It'a all compost in there and, whenever possible, our jobs are to use that rich material to create what needs to be brought to the page.

Ruth wrote: "I write what comes up. I don't have a reader in mind nor, in most cases, a clear idea where things are going. I suppose that means I'm writing for me. But I write in several genres -- literary fict..."
Hi Ruth--freefall writing sounds interesting--an exercise?

It is Nikki. Canadian novelist W.O. Mitchell coined "Mitchell's Messy Method" when he was teaching creative writing in Calgary and Banff, Alberta. That was back in the 50s or 60s.

The concept is simple:
Get comfortable and relax. (Meditation for a few minutes first is optional)

Start with a prompt - a word or object or picture for example.

Set a timer (length is up to you 5 minutes when you first start trying this is a good guideline. You can up your time as you go.)

1. Begin to write when you are ready. Pen or pencil on paper and not the computer unless you have accessibility needs.

2. Write what comes up.

3. Don't stop no matter what. (Even if all you can write is "This is stupid. I don't know why I'm doing this, etc., etc." because you will eventually drop into your writing.)

4. Don't edit (kick that editor right off your shoulder) and resist making corrections, edits, etc. (repeat: kick that editor off your shoulder)

5. Be specific. (It's not "the car," it's the candy-red Mustang convertible with white leather seats.)

6. Use all the senses. (Quality of the light, the scents on the air, the textures and temperatures, the far-off noises, etc.)

7. Go for the compost. (Stuff from months and years ago in your life has more richness than most of what happened yesterday.)

8. Go Fearward -- this is W.O.'s own phrase. It means to follow the energy wherever it leads you, even to places that are uncomfortable for you. One proviso: if you don't feel ready to go there, don't. It will be always there for a time when you are ready. But strong energy will ignite your writing so Go Fearward as much as you are able.

I've used this exercise in most of my creative writing classes to good effect. Writers are always surprised at the results -- how much they wrote in a short period of time, how deep they managed to go, how strong their writing became. You let go of "the rules" of grammar, structure and your personal editor who whispers negative stuff in your ear. You tap into story lines, characters and scenes that you didn't know you head within you.

Freefall isn't for everyone all the time. But there is always the right time for freefall writing -- for me, it's when I'm a bit stuck and need a creativity boost.

Give it a try Nikki if you want, and let me know what you think.
Cheers!

Oh wow! I did this in college composition class! Everyone hated it but I loved it! It's a great way to get focused on your writing.

It's a great way to get focused on your writing.
Indeed it is Hannah. Clearly your classmates weren't ready but you were. Have you tried it since?

myself, a book blog, and everyone that wants to read my crazy stuff :D

I write for the reader. I am not a fan of experimental fiction, or the kind of writing that forces average readers to grab a dictionary every few sentences.

Obviously I have to like what I'm writing, too. But when I go to edit my work, I spend a lot of time thinking about whether I've told the story in the clearest and most gripping way possible.

If I'm entertained but no one else is, I think that's kind of a failure.

Adam wrote: "I write for the reader. I am not a fan of experimental fiction, or the kind of writing that forces average readers to grab a dictionary every few sentences.

Obviously I have to like what I'm writi..."

Interesting points, Adam.

I don't think any writer is a failure for writing the story is in him/her even if there is no audience.

Failure may be a bit strong. I guess what I'm really objecting to is an author who takes a kind of antagonistic attitude to the audience and makes no effort at readability.

You should definitely tell the story that's in you, but I think there are many ways to tell that story and still be true to yourself.

Martin wrote: "1. For beer. It gives me a reason to drink more because the less sober I become, the more interesting my stories read. I wonder if there's a correlation between that...

2. For my bed. Writing giv..."

:-)

I write for myself, my inner love of character and story. I read my own work for pleasure as I do Charlaine Harris of Diana Gabaldon.

But, I find it wholly disheartening whenever I've heard or read about writers who are so self-loathing that they cannot read their own works.

Perhaps, it's because they aren't their own words, but words they thought we or their parents or English professor had wanted. Bad. And sad

Bryn wrote: "By now I write for the people in my books. They need me to, or else, only I know about them and they won't live but suffocate in my drawer, dead in my pages like squashed flies. As if they never we..."

I must admit that I too get such feelings because who hasn't an insane or brilliantly pure love for some "character" Sherlock Holmes, Sookie Stackhouse, Claire and Jamie Fraser. Emotions are emotions, what you feel is real is real.

I try to remind myself that these characters have chosen me, they feel they have a connection with me that can get them and their stories out to the world. Yes, they may be past lives, alternate universe and dimensional beings, or ?

But, yes, they are real, and when I complete their story, I never feel them nudge me to "hey, complete the damn thing and publish, already" anymore.

I'm glad you read your own work for pleasure, Neale. Nobody's going to enjoy my books like I do. I can read them endlessly and do, at an intensity that's hard to find except in your very favourites. It's the reality of them to you.

Ruth wrote: "It is Nikki. Canadian novelist W.O. Mitchell coined "Mitchell's Messy Method" when he was teaching creative writing in Calgary and Banff, Alberta. That was back in the 50s or 60s.

The concept is s..."

Thank you for this, Ruth! I will definitely give it a go--sounds like The Artist's Way three pages that I did years ago...I need another kick like this.

Its very simple, writing for yourself is like masturbating. It can be done in private, no one has to see you do it and the outcome is always pleasurable. No harm in writing for yourself.

But if you progress to the point where you want to sell your work to a publisher, or even self publish, so strangers can read your work, then you need to take the reader into account when you write.

This does not mean that you stop writing for yourself, just that you write with a different attitude. You have stopped masturbating and now you have a partner, the reader, and they will tell you how good you are...

Nick wrote: "Its very simple, writing for yourself is like masturbating. It can be done in private, no one has to see you do it and the outcome is always pleasurable. No harm in writing for yourself.

But if ..."

Yes, but that order you've given needs to be maintained: self first, with the thought and feelings of the later viewer looking over your shoulder AFTER you have your original text.

Again, like as in your writing as masturbation theory, how can you trust THEIR opinion when you haven't even touched upon your own, first.

Nick, I very much disagree with your analogy...the only way you can write for others is to write for yourself--anything else is simply untrue...

Adam wrote: "Failure may be a bit strong. I guess what I'm really objecting to is an author who takes a kind of antagonistic attitude to the audience and makes no effort at readability.

You should definitely..."

Good thought, Adam. You're right in that.

I think what Nick is saying is that you do both. You write for yourself but you also think about how best to communicate your story to the reader.

Adam wrote: "I think what Nick is saying is that you do both. You write for yourself but you also think about how best to communicate your story to the reader."

Thank you Adam, I see someone got the point.