I write primarily to please myself. I enjoy the mental exercise of creating from basically thin air a series of characters and building lives and histories for them then putting them in (often) awkward situations. There is an air of catharsis, too, involved and more than a small amount of rude gesticulation to people who told me as a youngster that I was wasting my time contstantly reading and "scribbling nonsense".
I am shallow enough to enjoy the praise my work gets. Who wouldn't like it? At the same time I enjoy the constructive criticism when it is offered. One of the best pieces of advice I was ever given was to "write what you know about". I believe that's what I do, most of the time (one has to stretch a little into areas that are not familiar and comfortable at times...)
The overriding reason I write is because I enjoy it. It really is that simple.
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I'm listening to a 2-CD compilation of songs from the 1950s. Although they are older than I am I really enjoy a lot of that stuff. It was the music my parents played when I was a kid: Nat 'King' Cole, Dean Martin, Andy Williams, Alma Cogan, Kay Starr and the like.
I have often wished to have been born ten years earlier than I actually was so that I could have been old enough to have enjoyed the birth of rock 'n' roll and the subsequent Beatles era...
I have often wished to have been born ten years earlier than I actually was so that I could have been old enough to have enjoyed the birth of rock 'n' roll and the subsequent Beatles era...
Quote by paulus
I was looking at the entries, to see, if I didn't miss any off them. I found, that there are a few from people, who apparently only joined this site for the sake of the competition.
Though I like their stories, I doesn't feel right, that people only come here for the chance to win some money. I can't imagine, that was the purpose of the competition. Would it be unreasonable to set some conditions about that, for a next competition anyway. Something like, before entering into the competition, you must either have been a member for at least some months, or you must have submitted at least a minimal amount of stories?
I realize, a competition would no longer pull potentially active new members over the line, but it would also prohibit joining, just for the sake of the money.
I agree with yo and akso I would appreciate them for trying out in the competition. The sole purpose must not be the money. Though the stories were good and I enjoyed a lot. Yup there should be norms placed against next competition about the competent. I appreciate your insight.
Quote by paulus
I was looking at the entries, to see, if I didn't miss any off them. I found, that there are a few from people, who apparently only joined this site for the sake of the competition.
Though I like their stories, I doesn't feel right, that people only come here for the chance to win some money. I can't imagine, that was the purpose of the competition. Would it be unreasonable to set some conditions about that, for a next competition anyway. Something like, before entering into the competition, you must either have been a member for at least some months, or you must have submitted at least a minimal amount of stories?
I realize, a competition would no longer pull potentially active new members over the line, but it would also prohibit joining, just for the sake of the money.
You don't know if it's solely for the sake of money or not.
And if it was, it's their business.
Quote by Colors_of_the_Wind
I don't tend to draft my shorter pieces, and I honestly don't call something a draft until it's finished and then I leave it... then it becomes a first draft or second draft or whatever. Like... Tomorrow... technically this is my second draft of it, but meh. I don't draft chapters, or anything, I just WRITE.
HOWEVER, when working with a non-fiction piece such as a research paper or what have you, I do draft. I have to, or it'll come out like crap.
I'm very much a 'spur of the moment' writer: if the idea comes upon me I'll get it writen down almost in a 'stream of consciousness' state. Once the bulk of the piece is written down I'll go back and 'edit' it insofar as I'll correct grammatical errors and re-write where the prose isn't as good as I would like it to be(there is nothing worse as a reader having to re-read something two or three times until you actually connect with what the author is trying to say!). On the whole, though, the stuff I submit is almost as first written. I'm not saying it's good or the proper way to go about it, just that that's what works for me.
I have tried the planning and plotting bit: I did a self-imposed exercise with a story: plot, place, time, characters and plot development, the whole shebang. The 1200 or so words I actually manged to write were so wooden and stilted and unlike my ususal writing style that I never, ever bothered with all that stuff again.
I will never write a novel for the plain and simple reason that I am too damn lazy to put in the required amount of time and effort. I like the spontainity of the short story format, which I guess is why I write so many of them.
Quote by Circle_SomethingQuote by the_enchantress
Half the time I'm fighting with google chrome on my tablet.
So annoying!!
Yeah, 'cause Chrome sucks! You'd be better disabling it and installing either the AOSP browser or UC Browser, both of which can be found on the Google Play Store.
Thanks hon..lmao.
Good to know.
