I've noticed that a lot of authors have written an essay sometime in their lives that answers the question of:

"Why do I write?"


That's the question I'm posing to the writers of DLP:

Do you write for yourselves?

Do you write for your audience?

Why do you write?

 

I make up stories whenever I'm bored; exercising, grocery shopping, tidying my desk. I write because that's the only way to get rid of the story once I get bored with it. I post the very few that please me.

 

Don't know how to answer that one. I don't have a reason for it, I just... write.

 

That's how I started out. I had a picture in my mind I just had to put on paper because it wouldn't go away. Hence, the dozens of word files on my computer with short scenes or dialogs.

I started writing fanfic because I couldn't find the story I wanted to read, so wrote it myself. Pretty arrogant in retrospect but it is what it is.

Sometimes, definitely. But just writing for someone else's sake never actually gets anything on paper. I might write something I know is going to make a friend happy, but it still has to satisfy me first. Otherwise it won't get written.

It's cathartic.

 

I write to clear my head and relieve stress. Most often than not, I'm also so bored I'm about to do something stupid that I can't afford later...>.>

 

Answering as ordered!


Hmm. At the start, I wrote because there was nobody else who could tell the story the way I wanted it to be told. Then I wrote because I had an 'awesome' idea that I just had to try out. Then I wrote because there was shit-all fanfiction in this category and, hey, I'll read my own stuff if I have to.

These days, I guess I write for two reasons.

1) Arseholes like Nuhuh and Jon keep tell me to

2) I like being reviewed

Mostly, I write for my audience with a touch of creative control for myself. If DLP thinks there's a plot-hole, who am I to argue? I'm the least likely to be objective. If DLP wants a certain pairing, well, you can wait you horny pricks. I won't write anything that I'm not willing to go back, re-read and say to myself "Damn, I'm awesome.."


I see "My Story, My Way!" being thrown around a lot. If I had to sum my reasons for writing like that:

"Your Story, Your way, kinda- but I'm writing it so shut the hell up unless you got something good to say or do it yourself, you lazy shits!"

Somehow, it's not as catchy as the first

 

I write because I've got nothing else to do, mainly. It's a way to get rid of the boredom of being stuck doing nothing for hours on end. That said, sometimes I get a picture in my head of what I think could be a brilliant idea... and I try to get it down on paper/screen in the best way that I can, so that I don't forget it and waste what may be a perfectly good story.

Other than that, reviews stroke my ego in just the right way . Not that I ever post anything >_>.

 

I'm not sure if I qualify as a writer (not compared with folks like Nuhuh, Shezza, Tinn, and nonjon), but I'll take a stab:

"Do you write for yourselves?"

Yeah. It's selfish, but I think sometimes I have decent ideas for stories. I relish coming up with new twists, devices that haven't been explored in fanfiction, or characterizations that are fresh.

I often approach writing like I do a puzzle, trying to work out how to pull something off elegantly. I don't always succeed, but since each piece I take on is a creative stretch for me, I generally learn something in the process. (Even if that thing is, "don't attempt romantic comedy.")

"Do you write for your audience?"

Anyone who claims they don't write for an audience is kidding themselves. Or is Fettucini.

I generally don't write for a specific audience so much as for a sort of amorphous idea of "reader." Said faceless reader will stab me with a kunai if I don't come up with something of at least middling quality.

I probably dwell on reviews too much, particularly negative ones, but I think this is human. When I fail at something, I wish to understand why, so that the next attempt will be marginally less of teh suk.

"Why do you write?"

Take your pick: to explore ideas, to hone my chops, to extend my facility at the craft, and to get to know my own mind a bit better.

It's a lampoon-worthy confession on this site, I know, but I would like to sell an original fiction novel or two someday if I can ever get my skills up. I see fanfiction writing as a means to that end.

 

I started out writing when I first got into Hellsing and no one wrote any Crossovers with HP, Or good ones at least. So I decided to get a plan fleshed out for the first few chapters and the basic ending I wanted, Did it. Then I was asked by a reviewer if I would write a Naruto story, The plot was sound and a few other's agreed so I did it. So I write for myself and my the people.

 

Usually I write to live out possibilities and experiences I could never imitate in real life. In deciding which ones to write, I think of what would be novel and entertaining for me to write, and what would please an audience.

Sometimes, however, I write just for accomplishment and growth of my own writing skills. I want to be able to say I've written multichaptered stories as long as most retail books.

 

I write because I get a quick idea that seems really awesome. I'll pen down a few thousand words, then realise it's boring, or it's going nowhere and stop. I only write when I get a sudden urge to put down a piece of work, but usually I quickly stop. Hence the fact none of my stories are completed, and the scraps of paper/word documents I have everywhere of 3000 word long pieces.

 

Since I am able to read and write I have been liking to write almost as much as to read, even school / university essays. Though I always hate it if anyone else is reading my stuff, especially if I know the person. I never forgave my mom that she showed my godmother a notebook I used to write in.

The anonymity of teh interwebs was a chance to publish something without having to deal with the reader. I published something on ff.net and fictionalley, and I wrote a few wikipedia articles. I stopped posting texts on wikipedia when I realised I don't like people editing my stuff. Especially as half the people over there don't know what they are talking about or are just promoting their own shit.

I've always pen and paper on the bedstand in case an idea pops up. So like Nuhuh I have a lot of scenes on paper or word files, unrelated snippets and some longer texts. The stuff is rather random - and that's a problem if I ever want to complete a chaptered story.

 

I write because I get an idea which I wish I could read as a story, and thus want to make into a story. It's the ideas I enjoy, not the actual act of writing.

Which is probably why I end up hardly writing.

 

I write because I enjoy the reviews and I enjoy thinking that I've made someone's day better through a story update, like other authors do for me.

Plus I feel like trying to write a decent fic is giving something back to the community in a way. Although if I felt like writing was more of an obligation than for enjoyment I'd just stop.

 

I write because my thesis proposal deadline is up in a few weeks. Still can't get over major writer's block due to stupid rule of having to have citations on my work.

 

I write to pass the time and see where it takes me, and for the brief moments where the imagination takes over and I write well and fast, without a hiccup.

And I write because its the only way these days to read a good book. Heh... that line was twisted from Disraeli.

 

I write for the sheer fun of playing with words.

I have not created anything longer than a oneshot or essay because I am not interested in plot as much as in atmosphere. I collect beautiful words from the thesaurus and learn their exact meaning from the dictionary and delight in being able to use them. My one great weakness is dialogue as the slightly poetic, flowing style of good prose lends itself to my playing a lot readier than everyday dialogue.

My school essays usually take me twice the time others invest in them because I like formulating my own ideas and not simply rewording E-notes. I was once given the advice that good writing reveals itself by the lack of any unnecessary words and I adhere to this rule by searching for the vocabulary that will express my ideas with the least additional information necessary.

Language fascinates me because it is simultaneously the instrument of, and the boundaries on, our thoughts. To quote a wikipedia article about the Sapir - Whorf hypothesis at you:

The more vocabulary and languages we make our own, the stronger becomes our primary tool in interpreting and defining the world.

Based on this, writing, as a means of teaching us to structure our thoughts in universally understandable ways, is a very valuable skill and deserves more attention that in receives, even on a scientific level.

 

How's that personal statement going, Hawthorne?