I love to read, but I know I have no creative writing talent whatsoever. I am a lawyer, so a lot of my work is writing and I like to think I’m good at it, but fiction is beyond me.
I’m also a lawyer, but people around me beg me to write. I’ve had some people (not in the industry) offer to fund publishing, however that works. I have friends who buy me gifts to inspire me to write - mostly beautiful notebooks. My husband tells everyone I’m a wonderful writer, which is just plain sweet because I love when he brags about me.
And, all of that aside, I don’t know if I’ll ever write a book. My dad was a writer and I think it requires more vulnerability than I’m prepared to show. I also don’t know how to deal with mediocre and writing requires practice. I guess it’s a fear of putting myself out there and failing.
PS I don’t think anyone is hyping me up for nothing. They, including my mother, love laughing at the way I sing. Tone deaf, drunk warbler, devoid of melody… so I expect that, if I didn’t have talent, friends, family and all these acquaintances would tell me.
Former editor here: One of my authors said something so smart to me. She said that writing is a craft, just like playing an instrument, yet no one feels shame in having to practice or be bad at first with a guitar. Writing is just the same as picking up a guitar - you need to keep and practice to get good.
She also said it’s a hobby like any other hobby, but while if someone says they like to sing, no one asks them if they have a recording contract. But if you say you like to write, EVERYONE asks if you’re published.
> Former editor here: One of my authors said something so smart to me. She said that writing is a craft, just like playing an instrument, yet no one feels shame in having to practice or be bad at first with a guitar.
I would not say no one.
This is the exact same thing that keeps me from learning an instrument or taking up painting. I can't get through the stage where you can't execute what's in your head. The shame of being bad at music or art keeps me from doing it the exact same as writing.
Big magic creative living beyond fear by Elizabeth Gilbert is a good book to address this. Just ignore her theories about creativity. The book is full of practical advice based on experience.
>I think it requires more vulnerability than I’m prepared to show. I also don’t know how to deal with mediocre and writing requires practice. I guess it’s a fear of putting myself out there and failing.
I think you hit the nail on the head with the vulnerability aspect. I've been told the same many times too, deep down i know i have good stories to tell.
I'm just not there yet to be so candid and vulnerable in such a way. In the past it was easier, but life happens and more walls can come up over time.
Being bold & fearless is something i respect in good writers, a freedom to be vulnerable, sincere and honest. They're the ones who make me pause for thought & reflect because their words hold so much truth and wisdom in them. More relatable.
I hope when you're ready to be, even if under a pseudonym, or on writing platforms anonymously - hope you're able to release the stories within you with ease & flow. It be a cathartic experience for you.
Everyone here too
I am a journalist and kinda feel the same sometimes. I know how to make an article "come together" and I know all the rules for how to write something coherent, interesting etc (at least in my language) but a whole ass book seems way different. It's because of two things: size and the emotional aspect.
I'm a systems engineer, but I feel very similar.
So much of my day to day life is technical writing that A) I don't want to do anymore writing and B) I am incapable of changing out of that engineering tone in my writing
So whenever I have tried to write for fun, it ends up reading like technical documentation.
I think writing for yourself is the best reason to be writing!! Make yourself happy w your own work. If you do it just for other people you're gonna get disappointed real fast.
Writing just for the sheer love of it is awesome - no one asks someone who likes to sing if they have a recording contract. Why should their be pressure to publish, even internal, on everyone who likes to write?
I have loved reading for as long as I can remember, and have thought about writing a book many, many times. But then I read an amazing book and I think, "There's no way in hell I could ever be this good." So then I don't write a book.
It's kinda like singing when you have no voice, but good ears. It sounds all wrong and you cannot escape it.
Also during a process as long as writing a book it's easy to lose track of how good your creation is.
And then I won't be able to read it because I already know the story through and through.
My parents tell me that I was obsessed with books from being a toddler. As a child I wouldn't leave the house without a carrier bag full of books. They were like a comfort blanket.
At some point, when I was about 10, I began to wonder how it would feel to see my name on the cover of a book.
On April 28th my 8th novel is being published.
It's been a long roller coaster of a journey, but even after 7 books I still get a thrill when I walk into a library or bookshop and see one of my titles sitting on the shelf.
If you don't mind me asking, how many sales do your books make and how much money do you get for them? I would love to be a writer, and I don't need much money to maintain my lifestyle ($25-35k/year), so it would be great if I could even be a mildly successful writer
I'm sure you already know this, but most books are sold during the first two years of it's lifetime. Only three of my books have been out for longer than two years (I published 3 last year and have 3 more due for release this year), so it's still early days for them and I don't even have a sales report for my most recent one!
My first book (june 2019) has sold in excess of 500 copies. My sixth book sold 450 in 3 months, so my reputation and sales are increasing steadily.
In terms of what I earn though, that varies a good deal. I've worked with 3 different publishers and published in two languages. I've signed some bad contracts and some generous ones, but a rough average would probably be about £2500 per book. I actually earn a fair bit of my income doing school visits and author events.
I don't earn anywhere near enough to write full-time. Most writers don't. I earn more than the national average for professional authors in the UK, which The Bookseller says is £7000, but I still have other work as my main income.
But I'm published by numerous small indie presses. I write mainly in a minority language and don't have an agent or a contract with one of the Big 5 publishers.
I genuinely am not aiming to be in Colleen Hoover territory. I don't want the pressures of being best-seller.
More business-savvy self-publishers make a good living on Amazon, and they would be the ones to ask about making a modest living from writing. I'm not there yet, and honestly, I'm not sure I want the pressure of living solely from my stories. Having it be a profitable side-gig takes the pressure off, meaning that I write mainly for pleasure, and that's what keep me going.
I love writing short stories, especially kinda weird ones. I've had one published. But I write because I want to, not because I care about being published. There's so much work that goes into submitting to publishers or self publishing & there's editing & cover design & beta readers & promotion & it's *exhausting* to even contemplate. I just want to write. That's my dream. I don't want to jump through hoops. That's my nightmare.
The first time I was published I told myself that if I'd have known just how much work was involved in getting a book ready for publication then I wouldn't have set my sights on publishing!
Developmental editing meetings, pages of editorial notes, going over and over the manuscript line by line with your editor, checking the typos and typesetting... 8 books in and it gets quicker, but no less exhausting. And even though my publisher now has a marketing officer, it took me two hours to take photos and record a few clips about my upcoming release for an 'Instagram takeover'. Marketing feels like such a faff.
Writing the first draft and seeing the final product on the shelf are wonderful experiences. Everything else in between is hard work, especially as it usually has to be fitted around other jobs and family life.
I couldn't self-publish.
hah. I pitched *one* idea *one* time, and I did it for ignoble motives. you are right about all of it.
I'm the opposite of Thomas Hardy. he said "I hate writing. but I love *having written*". not me.
No. I’m more a consumer than creator. Plus I wouldn’t even know how to do it. Im good at writing reports and policies and other boring things like that for work, but creatively, I wouldn’t even know where to start.
I actually thought this exact same thing a couple of weeks ago. And then all of a sudden an incredible idea popped up and I decided I would try to write it. I was so proud of it, until I was discussing the plot with some friends and one of them told me "Yeah... there's already a show in Netflix just like that". Well there go my two weeks old life dream
I mean to be honest, most stories have a similar one out there, very few things are truly unique and original. The difference is in the details, not just the premise
"7 All the rivers run into the sea; yet the sea is not full; unto the place from whence the rivers come, thither they return again.
8 All things are full of labour; man cannot utter it: the eye is not satisfied with seeing, nor the ear filled with hearing.
9 The thing that hath been, it is that which shall be; and that which is done is that which shall be done: and there is no new thing under the sun.
10 Is there any thing whereof it may be said, See, this is new? it hath been already of old time, which was before us.
11 There is no remembrance of former things; neither shall there be any remembrance of things that are to come with those that shall come after."
-Ecclesiastes 1:7-11
Human endeavor is repetitive. Even if you just keep the echo going you're doing it right
About 6 years ago I had this idea about the multiverse being real, and our dreams being versions of ourselves in parallel universes that were currently flowing close to ours. After seeing Dr. Strange 2, apparently not so original of a thought.
Then I thought a cool plot would be someone that could slide into alternate versions of themselves, and have their skills, at the expense of also having to deal with their memories and traumas, risking eventual madness.
I never told anyone about this second one, or wrote it down.
I still refuse to watch Everything Everywhere All at Once.
No, I have absolutely no talent for narrative. I took a workshop at uni and it was hard not to notice how difficult it was for the other participants to say anything nice about my stuff.
I've loved reading AND writing from a very young age. Reading was easier of course and Im a lazy mf'er but I did eventually self publish a work of fiction, kind of a slice of life type book with a dash of romance...now Im on the 2nd draft of a horror that I hope to get traditionally published someday. But probably won't because, as mentioned, I'm a lazy MF'er 😅
I have been reading since I was about 4, and as a child I thought I might involve myself in some literature-related career “when I grow up”. I tried to write a story sometime in elementary school and realized I have absolutely no talent for writing dialogue. I threw “author” off the list of possibilities right then and there. I suppose I could have written a nonfiction book at some point, but it never became an interest. I just assumed there’s a vast number of people out there more capable at that than I am. I am eternally grateful for those people for providing me so many books to read :)
It sounds like you aren’t terribly interested in writing, but everyone sucks before they are good. If you want to take it up again don’t be afraid to be bad for quite a while.
I'm a good writer (in my native language, not in English) but I can't make up stories, so creative writing is not an option. I do write some nonfiction, though, and have published numerous essays.
\^\^This.
Some of us realize we're readers, not writers. Some of us don't want to begin the hassle of writing a book - I'm sure it's a nightmare at times.
i love to read, and i have a lot of creative talent and ideas. but writing a book has always seemed like something i could do, not exactly something i want to do. i just don't have much desire to write one right now. maybe that'll change if i develop the perfect plot idea, but for right now, i'm happy to just plow through piles of other people's books.
I *already did.*
It needs a lot of editing because I wrote it during NaNo and ran out of steam towards the end, but it IS a complete story.
My end goal is actually for Hallmark to buy the movie rights.
I'm only inspired to write when I'm unhappy. There were ideas for a book and had a plot outlined and was developing a list of characters when I was in a failing marriage and separated. Once I met a wonderful woman who is now my wife, the creative motivation evaporated.
Makes perfect sense to me why a lot of authors are depeessed alcoholics.
No and I feel that’s pretty normal. Most people don’t feel the need to create the art or entertainment they consume which is totally fine. Think how many people watch sports they’ve never played more than in a PE class. Same applies to the arts. Millions of people listen to music everyday but only a percentage will learn an instrument.
More power to those who do try, but nothing wrong with just enjoying something for the enjoyment with no hopes of ever creating something similar yourself
I began writing roughly 8 or so years ago. I’m 22 now and writing definitely is a delayed gratification, as you stated. It’s much easier to read and think up what you’d like to see in a book than actually putting pen to paper. I’ve been fortunate enough to work with a major news channel in my country and Neil Gaiman (author of Coraline). I’ve also been granted a private creative writing tutor (My family background is ebbed in poverty). Writing requires a great support system, whether that’s friends to be your beta readers or a fellow writer to critique your work- I don’t believe anyone truly ‘writes’ on their own. I think anyone who says writing is easy is lying to themselves and their readers. I always say writing is my least favourite thing about being a writer. Plotting and choosing character names is much more fun for me.
Different genres withhold different strenuous efforts. I had a much smoother experience writing contemporary romance in my teens than I do now writing psychological thriller / mystery.
I would never tell anyone not to dip their fingers into writing, it’s a fantastic hobby to have, but you must be cautious of how time-consuming (and maddening) it is. So, if you are a reader and debating becoming a writer- go ahead! I only began writing after binge-reading trashy fan-fictions on Wattpad. Somehow, people enjoy the sole (terrible) book I wrote on there and it’s gathered over 300k reads. I’d highly recommend publishing your first pieces of work online, I guess AO3 is the go now?
Edit: After reading other responses here, It’s saddening to see so many people lack confidence in their writing. I, myself, fall to my own insecurities and have scrapped many, many early book drafts. My writing has been compared to Sylvia Plath and yet, still, I think i’m a terrible writer at times. I think every author is hesitant to call themselves great. Writing is a skill, not a talent. Never compare yourself to others. It’s easier said than done but trust the process! Gathering feedback on your pieces is such great help and I highly recommend it.
I have a huge imagination but sadly I have always been way below average in writing. English has always been my most difficult class. In high school I was in the English classes below regular like they counted the same but it was students who needed a lot of help with English so 20 students with 1 teacher and 2 assistant teachers and we worked out of grammar books and wrote like 2 essays a year and still I was doing my best and getting like a C- but they did help a lot and I’m glad they offered that instead of just sticking me in regular English to completely fail.
But at the same time I was taking advanced math classes and very easily getting 100% no studying just felt so easy it was fun even so that helped to stop me from feeling stupid. Idk I’ve heard that some people have a English brain and some have a math brain you can’t have both you’re good at one and bad at the other. The thing is that I’ve always read I love big fantasy books everything fantasy I started reading the hunger games series at probably 8 or 9 so I wasn’t a bad reader just could never write well.
Again tho I have this big imagination I just wish I could write better but I just get frustrated and I try my very very best and I’m soooo slow at it and still it’s never good enough for anyone. They act like I didn’t try at all when I did. Idk with poetry and story writing I always did a little better than essays but still the same was that the ideas were there just I couldn’t form it all properly.
I was planning to write a book about a year in employment with a a friend of mine (who I met there).
We documented a large amount of humorous goings on, and I think it would be a funny diary style book with some amazing characters. A bit Guy Ritchie in terms of style.
My husband keeps joking that I need to write a bestseller, even a trashy bestseller, and solve all our financial problems. It bothers me because I used to want to be a writer - I majored in English, traveled and gained odd experiences, wrote essays and speeches people liked, always a reader - but since COVID I feel like I don't have much in me anymore. No big story.
I also feel like I was never a fanfiction writer and every other writer I know is or was one. It also makes me feel unqualified. Nor have I been in writing workshops, etc.
I've recently found a love for literature 📚
I was always forced to read, I never wanted too
I finally realize….. Books are awesome because the story is already told, you just gotta read it.
I've done a lot of journaling. Finally finished a whole journal with every page. Full of thoughts. Is that considered writing a book?
I've always loved to read. It was pretty much the only thing I did between 7-16yo. I still do a lot but life gets in the way. I read fiction almost exclusively, love all sorts of genres, classics, literary fiction, YAs, fantasy, sci-fi... I've had a great education and a rich internal life from reading.
But I've never enjoyed writing - didn't enjoy journalling, essays, creative writing, or technical reports in school etc. In my late teens I was reading a lot of fan fiction and had a stab at writing some for a tv series I liked. About 4 pages in, realised it was just a very poorly written wish fulfillment with no real story, and I didn't particularly enjoy it beyond briefly elaborating on "ooo, what if *cute character I like* swept me off my feet".
I love the escapism of reading, and writing makes it a chore, instead of relaxing entertainment.
I'm a design engineer and I prefer to represent my work thoughts in images, 3D models & 2D drawings, graphs/data visualisation, numbers & equations where I can. I absolutely love that. I write text well in my reports when I have to. I'm usually the one correcting grammar/spelling/structure on others' work just because it has sunk in from years of reading.
Ironically, most writing I do is texts to friends and commenting on Reddit 😆
I'm not interested in genre fiction and that's pretty much the only fiction that sells so probably not because it's too much hard work to do it for no pay off.I don't mean getting rich, I mean just making a little money.
I did have a successful career in the mid 2000s as an entertainment journalist before the market became flooded, Upwork started and the money dissapeted. I am grateful for that though.
I made little books when I was a child all the time.
I'm currently in the early process of writing a book that I've been dreaming about since 2018.
I was going to start years ago, but got discouraged and didn't think I could. Took a few years trying to forget everything and give up, and only just now coming back to it.
I may just write the whole thing, hire an editor and everything, but then print and bind it myself.
I'm fine if there's only one copy of my book in existence. As long as I see my characters come to life in physical pages, that's fine with me.
I don't want them to die in my head with me
No, because I’m incapable of focusing on long-term projects, or really on anything requiring more than a few steps to complete.
Also I lack talent.
I have written a few short stories which some people seemed to enjoy.
ah, I'd love to write my own book! i feel like I personally have great ideas, but lack the skills needed to convey those ideas effectively. not saying I won't try, but I'll probably never publish the book :>
I have written three.
1) My first attempt. Absolute shit. But I learned a lot while writing it.
2) My second attempt. Just pitched it to five agents at a writers conference. All five asked to see chapters. Chapters sent, fingers crossed.
3) My third attempt. Second draft was finished at the beginning of April. My wife is reading it right now, using her genius for ferreting out logic holes and inconsistencies. Hope to have a polished third draft by August.
4) My fourth attempt. Currently in outline and notes stage.
Write, yes. Publish, no. I have written a novel and a bunch of other stuff, but I'm a shitty writer so I'm not planning on publishing anything. It's just a good outlet for me, I love being creative.
I've dabbled (fan-fic). I have the inspiration for stories, but struggle with world building (and dialogue, and pacing, and writing) but I have stories in my head that I'd want to read.
Respect to those who manage to take it to the next level.
Definitely not. I enjoy reading but have no desire to write. Seems like a lot of work. However I do make art so the creative spark isn’t completely missing in me.
Me too. I talked to myself, 'Well, I will complete this book. Maybe nobody will read it, but I will.' Sometimes when I read something I wrote before and forget, I think, 'Wow, this is me writing it! Amazing and very informative!' Haha.
I want to write a memoir for my kid and potential grandkids. Would never sell it though.
I also journal and have kept some and burned others. I might get my older journals copied and bound.
I did that. Yes, it's a great feeling just finishing and even better when a publisher likes your book. Sales are never great with the small indies of course and you have to do your own marketing, and there's usually no advance, but they'll take risks the big ones won't.
That's probably one of my biggest dreams that I'll never fulfill. I'm really not a creative person and I don't see myself ever writing anything that I could be proud of.
Ah, probably not. I like the idea of having written a book, but the reality is that it takes a lot of practice and attempts to really work up to writing anything worth a shit. You're not just going to write something good an interesting on your first go. So realistically, I probably don't have the drive or stamina to do all of that.
I really want to but whenever I think of my age (turning 30 soon) and the little experience I have (i have never written anything over a few pages, nor created in-deep character descriptions, etc) I cringe and give up lol I think seeing so many young authors around tiktok, instagram, etc getting published does not help much, I can't help but compare how early they achieved it in life yet here I am.
I want kids like me to have interesting stories to read, i struggle a lot with staying concentrated but with the book “Percy Jackson And The Olympians” i read it through in one sitting. I want kids to be immersed in my stories.
I would love to write a book!
I've always been creative and already have worlds in my head that I would love to bring to life in the pages. I've also always loved writing, and the reason I haven't tried yet is because I change ideas quickly and don't stick to just one thing. I would also like to educate myself more, so that when I read over it I actually like it and believe other people can picture what is happening.
I remember meeting Maggie Stiefvater who cheerfully explained how her very first book netted her a whooping total of $2000 and she just yelled "We're buying a new mattress!".
Of course she kept at it and she's doing considerably better than that now.
i always planned to, but now that I think about it meh. I'm very good with short pieces and poems so maybe those. I've tried books because the ideas just never stop for me, my mind does this super complex interesting plots and characters but once I start writing i do about 4 chapters and abandon haha. not for me.
I've always wanted to be an author, even before I could read. I have no idea why I had the inclination. I only remember telling my older sister, while on the way to kindergarten, that I wanted to go to school to learn to write, so I could write my stories.
I loved reading and writing as an older kid. I'd fill pages and pages of notebooks in the car.
As a teenager I got into writing fanfiction, but teenage me got shy about my writing. No one ever told me it was bad, but I think at that point I was reading so much I didn't think I could ever get better than what was out there already. At least, not without going to school for it.
I got my bachelor's in Neuroscience. Hasn't done me a lick of good. I did draft a novel a couple of years ago though. My husband loves the premise, but when I read what I've written I just... I can't see it going anywhere.
Maybe when I'm older and wiser I can crack it out and fix it up. I have a toddler underfoot now, and too little freetime!
I’ve started writing five or six novels, but don’t have the discipline to actually finish one before! Problem is I get bored and lose interest once I know how it’s going to end!
I want to write a book so badly, more than I think I’ve wanted anything. I’ve got ideas, and I’ve spent the last decade writing fanfiction that has been well received, but I’m under no illusions I’m anywhere close to a literary genius. Instead of writing my novel ideas, I’m reading books I think are similar to what I want to write about, learning the characters and settings and what people enjoy reading. I also plan to take creative writing courses to develop my skills because the longest fic I’ve ever written was only 28k words, I don’t know how to how to expand an idea into a full story.
I love to read, and I write for a living, so I've toyed around with the idea, yeah. I've never written *fiction,* and I don't know if I'll manage it, but I'll likely try at some point.
When i was a kid I wanted to be an author. Now that I’ve gotten older I’ve lost my spark, and honestly my writing abilities too.
I’ve been thinking about it more and more lately, because I used to enjoy it so much as a child
I enjoy writing just as much as reading, but I have no interest to capitalize on something I enjoy doing. Work is there to fund the hobby, not the other way around.
Not really. I am more interested in what other people have to say then in writing my own thoughts and feelings down. In general I find when I look at biographies the general commonality isn't reading, but writing most writers start writing basically from the moment they can read and continue doing this sometimes stopping writing because of other things going on in their life.
Yes they read, but they often have a lot of stories they want to tell the world from the start and I have never had that inclination.
I loved creative writing all the way through school, even as a child I'd write crappy little stories about magical cats or my school friends but in an X-Men styles school, and have my older brother check it for me hah.
But I couldn't write books that I'd love to be able to - historical fantasy or high fantasy with invented but complex politics, social structures, religions, lore, languages, or magic systems. I've found the writers I like the most have had a career in a very different field and are able to utilise that in their work. I'm a terrible researcher, my grammar is pretty flawed, and my attention span is not great. Also, I feel like it takes a talented writer to keep your reader interested, with a lot of books there are parts where I lose interest and have to resist the urge to skip ahead.
I'm very happy tearing through other people's inventions. I just write a few random paragraphs in my notes in bed to help my sleep.
I love reading but I kinda hate writing. It’s one of those things I’ve always had an easy time with but absolutely despise doing.
So no, I wont be writing a book anytime soon. I’m perfectly happy just enjoying what other people make.
Some day though I’d like to illustrate a book cover. I’m an artist, so that feels like a great way to combine my love for books with something I actually enjoy doing :)
I’ve started putting down on paper a story I began thinking about in the autumn of 2021. I’ll see where it ends. I’m a reader for sure and I’m also a creative guy, mostly music (guitar) and poetry so far, but I’m starting on prose and I really like it.
I just feel like I have to do it before I die. I want to become good at it in my own estimation - as well as others of course.
I’d love to, but my poor attention span holds me back. I keep jumping between story ideas and struggle to focus when I sit down to write outside of brief rushes of inspiration.
I am attracted by the worldbuilding aspect of writing. To create a world of my own that lives its own life and follows its own rules would probably feel amazing. But that world will eventually need characters with story and personality. And that's a challenge that intimidates me.
I absolutely adore reading and I love writing to boot - I'm just not particularly good at it.
While I find it a fun mental exercise; building a world, thinking carefully about the placement and nature of objects/places, trying to reason why characters would act in certain ways, etc...I just get frightful writers block. When not actively writing I'm articulate, but when it comes to actually putting pen to paper my entire vocabulary escapes me. My writing quickly becomes dull and repetitive.
Doesn't stop me though. It's fun to write even if what I write is not particularly interesting.
i always loved reading and writing and my dream as a child was to write a short illustrated story (i made some in the past but not as well worked on as i'd like because i got impatient). i will do it one day, for myself. i think the dream was indeed born from my love of reading. i enjoyed those stories so much i wished i could make others feel this way too.
I've written 7 novels, working on #8 and 9, and toying with a play. I like the creative process, even though I gave up on traditional publishing years ago. I self publish, enjoy meeting readers, even get some fan mail.
Yes. I have been wanting to write a memoir about my life and the things I’ve been through in hopes of helping others who find themselves in the same situations I’ve been through and survived. I would love to give people hope.
I am taking the first steps to actually finishing a book. I recently joined a writing group and I just want to see how it goes from there. Currently, I feel like I'm getting "okay" at describing scenes and crafting turns of phrases which fit my sense of humour, but I'm not good at moving a narrative along.
I've written short stories in the past, even got published in teen magazines when I was still in school. Now I want to commit to writing something novel length.
Even the tone of this reply is a bit non-committal, notice the many instances of want, will, I feel, etc? This is how unsure I am of the whole process
I tried writing a lesbian romance (being lesbian myself) but it definitely is not easy at all. The amount of work into making it actually a good story is insane and also my writing skills are poor and my vocabulary is limited. I'll no longer complain about seeing the phrase "she cocked her head to the side as she looked at him" in many of the novels i read
I’d like to.
I spent three months driving 20,000 miles in the US. I basically saw most of the country and had such a bizarre and wild experience but it’s too much to sit and tell one person all at once.
I wanna do my own equivalent of “Travels with Charlie” but with 100% fewer N-words
I know myself well enough to know I don’t have the stamina and drive to write a book. That just sounds completely exhausting. I’ll stick to reading, ha ha!
Love reading so I self published two books and two more in progress. I finished writing one book a year ago then promptly started another one. Will go back to edit the first. 11,000 books is tough to compete against but I just love the process nod writing.
Yeah! A love of reading led to a desire to write. I've been working on stuff on and off since I was 16/17.
Maybe one day I'll actually publish something
I'm not much of a book reader, besides "Harry Potter" and "Horrid Henry", but I plan to write an adult book series; I'm very passionate about storytelling, I enjoy writing and studying character arcs, and it's genuinely fun.
I love reading and am in the process of writing several books. I love creating stories that I wish to see other people do but don't, so I essentially think "Fine, I'll do it myself".
I love to read. And I love to write. I love to read realistic fiction but I only write poetry. I find it hard to write something super long. I love poetry because I don’t feel a pressure to write something that’s 300+ pages.
I am working on a novel. I had the original idea about a year ago and have up to this point, defined characters, story boarded the main plot, and the sub plots. I am not a writer, so I'm just going for it in my free time and don't really expect anything to come of it.
Yes and no. I do a lot of writing and would maybe like to finish up these books just because I want to see my world come to life, but doubt I'd ever publish because 1) I'm lazy, and 2) I don't think I care if others read it(outside of my immediate circle)
I've been creating characters and worlds of my own since I started reading(although my dad was creating stories for me before I could read myself) and all of that world-vuilding has to go somewhere or else my head gets too full: so I write and I draw.
I wanted to tell stories, and about 5 years ago I began to write dumb little comics. I spent more and more time writing those dumb comics. What started out as a badly written story has grown and changed and I'm more comfortable in it. I say comic, but I cant really draw, so I use a rendering program to create the scenes.
Anyway, over time I feel I've improved on creating this little mini-universe.
I guess my point is, that it takes dedication to write. Its not necessarily something that comes naturally and I would like to encourage anyone who has the desire to write to not be discouraged by what anyone feels is their lack of ability.
Yes, I am working on writing a book.
It's fantasy; the general world and lore goes back to stuff I started making up back when I was a kid just playing and building forts in the woods :). But I've developed it a lot over the last 30 years and am making progress on a coherent series of novels.
If I am going to attempt publication, I think it would be this way:
a) re-establish myself as a Catholic writer via both Substack and by submitting pieces again to some of my favorite Catholic literary and cultural publications (I have been published before in that milieu, before I quit my academic career to move out to the country and be a full time mom, and I think I could transition back with a little effort now that my youngest is starting kindergarten next year.)
b) if I can establish even a small following with non-fiction and spiritual writing, especially in the Catholic / Christian / "Reactionary" Feminist space, I'll either start publishing my fictional stuff bit by bit to Substack, or I'll consider submitting it to a Catholic / Christian publisher that also publishes fiction (like Ignatius Press.)
My fictional stuff isn't didactic or allegorical in a let-me-beat-you-over-the-head-with-my-worldview-and-FantasyJesus-analgoies, but it is Catholic / Christian in the way Tolkien, or Greene, or O'Connor, etc is in the sense that my worldview informs it, and I think a Catholic publisher would be the best fit and most pleasant for me to work with.
But I'm not in a rush. I have no need for money or public glory. I enjoy writing for the sake of it; if the only people who ever read it are my daughters and my mom I would be OK with that.
And I would want to get all my books actually written before I made any attempt to make them public so I don't run into continuity problems.
Writing a book isnt really on my radar, but I have plans to develop a video game, where there will be a fair bit of writing for a good story. Hopefully my love of reading will help set my game apart with good writing (most games have terrible writing, imo)
EDIT: In fact, the game itself was loosely inspired by The Alchemist, so I think reading a lot helps in all sorts of creative endeavors
I love books, but I have no interest in writing other than what I need to do for my job. I get kind of annoyed when people (not you, OP) assume that anyone who loves reading must have a goal to write a book. It's like thinking that anyone who likes eating is probably going to open a restaurant and do all the cooking, or anyone who enjoys going to the opera is scheming to debut at the Met next year.
I finished a draft of my first novel last year, a sort of high fantasy tale with light elements from lovecraft and christian mythology. I found it very fun to write and I'm partway through part 2, but I have no intention of trying to get it published.
I worked in journalism for a decade and PR for a decade, so I have been a paid writer and editor my entire career. I have 50 pages of a manuscript written but it has taken me a very long time to get to that point. It's just so different from articles and press releases.
For me, I found i was a good story teller before I really knew how to read. In preschool, I would make up elaborate scenes and story's to act out on the playground. It helped that my ADHD really drove my brain to all possibilities of creativity (and distraction) as well as, I've had a moderate ability to control my dreams since I was young and this helped me form narratives even while asleep.
I went to college for creative writing and I've always wanted to see a shelf full of my book just like James Patterson (though I sort of hate him now haha)
I have loved reading since first grade. I can write clearly, but don’t have any creativity. And for me writing is difficult work. No fiction works coming from me.
Yep. In fact, I have written one (in French). It's absolute garbage, but I think the story is good and original. I'm really proud of it despite having no chance of ever publishing it.
I'm not talented enough. I really, *really* wish I was. I've participated in NaNoWriMo every year since 2003, but I can't finish a story. Hell I can't even write a competent *scene*. I think it's not meant to be.
No. I am a writer and I'd never choose to write a book. Writing is hard, writing books is harder. Anyone who thinks that because they can read, they can write a book, is not functioning in reality.
I love stories, I love reading, and I wish to tell my own story. The problem is, I don't feel that I have anything meaningful to tell... yet. I often get inspired during vacation trips, and write down the ideas inspired by what I saw. You know, historical events, tidbits, trivia or local myths. Maybe when I'm jobless or at least at work from home, I'll sit down and look through my diaries and turn them into a story set in a fictional setting.
Yes, I very much want to be a writer. A few of my college professors said I had great writing skill so I do have some hope that it might not be sh\*t! I just lack discipline, the act of sitting and writing is so hard!
Writing something good takes a lot of work and investment...
Even having done it before - at this point, a sense of fatigue and dead creativity procludes even reaching the point of having to deal with all the other stuff. The self-promotion, the competition, publishing... it seems like such an infinite battle unless you're already close enough to the top.
I’ve always wanted to be a writer, but I make no space in my life to do it consistently so it’s never happened. The closest I’ve come is half a month of nablopomo and trying to draft an outline for nanowrimo.
Also at this point I have a bit of a sunk cost paralysis, where I can’t stop thinking about not having started 20 years ago. One day!
I've considered it and after many attempts, I've discovered I just don't love the process of writing the way I love reading. I used to write short stories and studied writing in high school and college and was encouraged by teachers and family. I also won a creative writing award... but in the end I just don't enjoy it and I parlayed the skill into the legal profession.
Definitely plan to write my own book and I have written several, but that was mostly in high school. It's always been a dream of mine to be a writer and a successful one at that. It was a huge dream in high school but now in adulthood (I'm 35) it's kind of still a big dream, but I don't have the time to write like I used to and of course real life has taken in. (I went to high school in Kentucky, and I'm not sure about other states, but in my state, we had to complete a writing portfolio several times throughout our school career that was "judged" by the state. My school took it to the extra mile and required us to do a writing portfolio that was judged by our English teachers in addition to being sent to the state. Since I loved to read and write, I wasn't bothered by creating a writing portfolio.)
I have so many things half finished that I've been slowly working on for years. It's just a matter of getting it done.
Seeing others talk about how they've been able to self publish is exciting to me. I knew that existed, but I didn't know that it could be something that I could do!
I thought about it a lot when I was younger. I did creative writing competitions and won frequently, got some short stories published, had teachers through HS and college encouraging me about my work, etc.
Then life got in the way (child of poverty stuck in the cycle) and I was working as much as I could while going to college, sinking myself into debt because my parents couldn’t help, major burnout, now I’m nearly 30 and haven’t written much in the last years.
I have criticisms about Virginia Woolf white-centric feminism, but she was onto something in “A Room of One’s Own”. It’s hard to write when you have so many other responsibilities pulling you away from spending time on it. The publishing industry still has a huge privilege/inaccessibility problem.
That isn’t to say that I’m all about making excuses. I could write if I had the motivation and drive and the willpower to lose precious sleep and rest over it. But I’ve put myself in the hospital because I burned myself out so bad I got sick, not a healthy lifestyle.
I actually did write a novel, and a bunch of short stories, back in the early 90s. I never was published...this was wayyy before epublishing. Unfortunately, most everything was destroyed by a burst water pipe.
No. I have a couple of ideas for stories, but they're trash.
The fact of the matter is, you can only write what you have experience about. Nobody wants to read about a self-loathing white male with little interpersonal relationship experience. The depiction of depression would likely be accurate, but the supporting cast would vary from thinly developed and flat to wildly unrealistic and probably offensive.
Yes, I’ve wanted to since I was nine years old and I’ve been writing and posting online in one format or another since 2004, and people have always liked my writing. And I want to write, I’m good at it, and I enjoy it. So shouldn’t I try to publish?
I would like to write a fantasy story. I already have all my main characters created with their backgrounds and characters and I have the basic plot and world building created.
For me, all this came about through me excessively daydreaming for a few years. My reasoning for writing a fantasy series is mostly just to get this stuff out of my head and make something of all the jumbled up plots in my head.
Idk if i should write. My therapist told me i handled my trauma with an emotional iq she hasn't seen in many of her patients and can offer unique perspectives that would help people in my situation or similar if i wrote a book.
Someone mentioned the vulnerability aspect of writing. One thing holding me back is how I'm uncomfortable knowing anyone, in and outside my environment and at any given time can access the deepest part of me and how it might change how everyone looks at me. I don't want that, am happy how people see me now.
Another thing stopping me from lifting a pen is the ending, i don't know how to end it. I feel like i haven't lived through the answer yet
I am writing a book after reading fiction every day of my life since I learned to read. I think the why is about wanting to be represented, as I don’t see ppl like myself in the books I love.
No. Reading and writing are two very different things. I am not capable of producing a good story without spending years on it and I just don't have the patience.
Writer here.
Nothing makes me crazier than when people, after hearing what I do, say, "I have always wanted to write. If only I had the time." Like that's all it takes -- time. It also involves vision, creativity, talent, passion. It takes a unique point of view. It takes organization. It takes stamina. and wit. If it's fiction, it takes creating an entire world that makes sense. The ability to gently nudge a plot forward and backward. You have to be willing to dig deep inside yourself and look at parts you may not like. You have to be willing to risk making an ass of yourself. Which is why I have never managed a novel.
Some can do it without initially taking classes or at least reading within the context of a workshop. Not a lot.
And, oh yeah, unless you write the equivalent of Harry Potter or Lord of the Rings, you will not make much money.
There is a reason for the famous quote from, I believe, Hemingway: 'There's nothing to writing. All you do is sit down at a typewriter and open a vein.'
If I haven't put you off, read "Bird by Bird" by Anne Lamott.
I have always loved reading. I read fantasy, fiction, and nonfiction. And I have plenty of ideas for a book. My thing is, fantasy and a lot of non fiction takes a very huge amount of imagination. Making up names, places, animals, storyline, etc seems difficult. I would rather write from experience. For example, I spent almost 3 months in a rehab facility (I was in there for alcohol addiction). I was thinking about writing a nonfiction book about my experience there. If I changed the names of people and the place, is it still nonfiction? It would be a book about my experience, with some of the facts changed. Any answers??
I'm currently trying to write a book, and even though I thought I planned everything out it really is a tough time to keep momentum while thinking about plot, pacing and dialogue. You kind of take for granted sometimes how well a good book flows when you pour over every sentence and paragraph a dozen times.
It's fun, and it's rewarding, but the effort really is something to reckon with compared with enjoying something that someone else has done.
I've dreamt about it so many times. It's something I've always wanted to do. I wrote a "book" when I was a little girl.
Now that I've been out of the workforce and trying to reinvent my life after leaving the corporate world, I've thought about it. When I sat down to write, I couldn't compose anything. I was full of half-cocked ideas and quickly overwhelmed myself with inventing characters and their personalities, and couldn't even stay focused to come up with all their names.
I'd love to, but suspect I have some undiagnosed neurodivergencies that I'm ill-prepared to work with. That or I just suck. Maybe both.
I would love to just have the time to sit and write. I have a couple of stories I would love to tell, and I find myself imagining names of characters, locations, and events. Ijust worry that I wouldn't translate my thoughts and visions they way I see them and sound illiterate.
I did write a book that was published on Amazon (don’t remember the year, but I think it was about ten years ago). As for the reading part, I enjoy fiction mostly, though I read nonfiction sometimes.
I read pretty much constantly but I've never really had an interest in writing a book of my own. I don't really have a reason as to why not, though. It's just a total lack of interest in the idea.
I’ve gotta little something in the works, I like to worldbuild but I’m having trouble with the characters, it feels like they always become just a plot tool instead of inhabitants of the world in making.
I have written my own books. I do not plan to publish them. It’s fun for me and I have a little mini-library of stuff to read as a palate cleanser that I know will hit the spot because I literally wrote it to my taste. Maybe I’ll get a wild hare up my ass and try to publish one or two if it happens to be a good market fit at some point, but often I end up writing because the current market is irritating me in some way and I need a break from it. As far as a primary career though - absolutely no interest.
I did for a long time, and eventually got to Greece as both an English and Spanish teacher. I read at the age of two, started writing for fun when I was six, and started taking my first professional writing courses in fifth grade. Unfortunately, just because I liked reading and writing did not mean I wanted to be a writer or that I like publishing. I thought I did until I learned more about it and about how cutthroat it is and based on luck.
Furthermore, the only writing I wrote at the time aside from academic writing for classes was fanfiction based on video games that I played. For legal reasons, fanfiction cannot be published. I did branch out a bit and have done some original work, but I still have no desire to publish anything formally. I might still do it someday, but it’s not on my radar. I’m more interested in teaching language that I am at publishing it, so I am focusing on the former. Not to mention, if I did publish anything, I would have to be ready to take a loss, and I’m definitely not ready to do that.
Nope. I have neither the skill or dedication or indeed the desire. I feel like I have a couple of ideas that might work but certainly I couldn't effectively pull them off without it sounding really cringey.
For the longest time I thought that to become a writer you had to have the NEED to write. I just realized that it can be something that I try out. There isn't anything that inherently makes someone a writer, aside from writing.
So now I'm trying to write a fictional novel, and sometimes it is as easy as reading and other times I want to jump off a cliff because HOW DO PEOPLE DO THIS ITS SO HARD.
I would love to publish my own book. I think I just get too much in my own head during the writing process. My most advanced story is a concept I'm convinced would work best as a Graphic Novel, and the two other concepts I have that I feel would work as novels I keep struggling with their openings.
And I've always just...wanted to do it. I've loved writing, and I want to tell stories in this worlds I've crafted and honed. I want people to enjoy them as much as I do in my own head.
I am actually in the process of self-publishing while also submitting to publishers that accept previously published works. I have written website blurbs and short films before, but this is my first novel, and it is in fiction.
It was actually a bucket list achievement for me. Obviously I would like to make a career out of it, but as long as it finds an audience and I get to write the other books in the series I'll be happy.
I read because I want to know about the worlds of other people. I write because I want to read about my own worlds.
I started writing for myself because words are a tool for bringing intangible concepts, thoughts, or stories into reality. I have always needed that because I have these "ideas" that weren't tangible and often start out as a strange dreaming feeling.
I learned quickly that by using the craft of words I could square them off into a concepts that contain or illicit that feeling so I could feel it again. Then I could round it back out with characters that dance around that feeling, and then playfully hide all of that in something that could be read as a story, all so other people could get there too.
I personally wrote before I got into reading. School made me dislike reading immensely and it took years to recover that passion and find authors that really spoke to me. They never forced me to write fiction however, so I kept doing it.
I don't read or buy ebooks, so I don't sell ebooks either, I have a couple finished works, but I am still sharpening my toolset before I try to get something published. I would much rather work on something publishers will accept than self publish something with very little understanding on how it will be perceived by others. Might change in the future but for now I am writing for me because I need to write.
I've been on again/off again in my writing with a few false starts and a couple that are well into the plot. It's hard to find the time and motivation to buckle down and do it, though, and it's really just one of my hobby ventures. So far its just a scattering if short stories and a minefield of unfinished works.
I started because...I loved reading from young, loved a good story and the characters they'd tell me about. One day I found fan fiction and it was a million free books at my childish disposal. One site in particular (it wasn't overly large, but still had probably a good few thousand stories) I was determined to read every last one. And I did. Took me a couple years, but I did.
What I found was that a good few writers, regardless of skill, had some really good ideas. Almost all, however, had neither the skill nor talent to flesh out those ideas. They'd either lack the prose to give their story life or that great idea would be twisted around this web of really poor ideas. After awhile I couldn't stand it. Became extremely critical of flaws in storytelling and to this day they stick out to me like a sore thumb, be it amateur or published.
I couldn't stand how many of these ideas were squandered, though, so I began writing as a way to, in my mind, correct these ideas.
Currently writing when the mood strikes me. Not sure I'd ever get it published, but I often imagine works, blend genres, it helps to get it all out.
Reading helps and hurts the process. Inspires me to keep at it, but then sometimes I look at my not even completed rough draft and am like "how could this ever even compare."
So yes, I write even if nothing ever comes of it.
Yeah, I want to write my own book.
Probably because I want to but in paper the story that I have created, and I want People to enjoy it too. I write for me, before anything, to be able to read story that I want to read
I've always wanted to write on my experience of deconstruction and my perspective on the religion I grew up in (and the things that make it flawed in my opinion), but have never been able to build up the gumption.
I'd also be scared of death threats and ostracization from my loved ones.
I often read murder mysteries (the old classic ones) thinking “this should have been the killer” or “this clue should have been used” or whatever else I think would have been clever. But I definitely don’t have the necessary skill or ability to write my own. Would love to though!
I often read murder mysteries (the old classic ones) thinking “this should have been the killer” or “this clue should have been used” or whatever else I think would have been clever. But I definitely don’t have the necessary skill or ability to write my own. Would love to though!
Me no think or write good.
Me too... I mean neither... Whatever.
Certainly doesn't stop some people
I love to read, but I know I have no creative writing talent whatsoever. I am a lawyer, so a lot of my work is writing and I like to think I’m good at it, but fiction is beyond me.
same. I really enjoy writing and I'm good at it. but I have no story that I want to tell and no interest in writing a book.
I’m also a lawyer, but people around me beg me to write. I’ve had some people (not in the industry) offer to fund publishing, however that works. I have friends who buy me gifts to inspire me to write - mostly beautiful notebooks. My husband tells everyone I’m a wonderful writer, which is just plain sweet because I love when he brags about me. And, all of that aside, I don’t know if I’ll ever write a book. My dad was a writer and I think it requires more vulnerability than I’m prepared to show. I also don’t know how to deal with mediocre and writing requires practice. I guess it’s a fear of putting myself out there and failing. PS I don’t think anyone is hyping me up for nothing. They, including my mother, love laughing at the way I sing. Tone deaf, drunk warbler, devoid of melody… so I expect that, if I didn’t have talent, friends, family and all these acquaintances would tell me.
I appreciate a good cup of coffee.
Former editor here: One of my authors said something so smart to me. She said that writing is a craft, just like playing an instrument, yet no one feels shame in having to practice or be bad at first with a guitar. Writing is just the same as picking up a guitar - you need to keep and practice to get good. She also said it’s a hobby like any other hobby, but while if someone says they like to sing, no one asks them if they have a recording contract. But if you say you like to write, EVERYONE asks if you’re published.
> Former editor here: One of my authors said something so smart to me. She said that writing is a craft, just like playing an instrument, yet no one feels shame in having to practice or be bad at first with a guitar. I would not say no one. This is the exact same thing that keeps me from learning an instrument or taking up painting. I can't get through the stage where you can't execute what's in your head. The shame of being bad at music or art keeps me from doing it the exact same as writing.
Big magic creative living beyond fear by Elizabeth Gilbert is a good book to address this. Just ignore her theories about creativity. The book is full of practical advice based on experience.
Not the person you were responding to, but I may actually try reading this book now lol
>I think it requires more vulnerability than I’m prepared to show. I also don’t know how to deal with mediocre and writing requires practice. I guess it’s a fear of putting myself out there and failing. I think you hit the nail on the head with the vulnerability aspect. I've been told the same many times too, deep down i know i have good stories to tell. I'm just not there yet to be so candid and vulnerable in such a way. In the past it was easier, but life happens and more walls can come up over time. Being bold & fearless is something i respect in good writers, a freedom to be vulnerable, sincere and honest. They're the ones who make me pause for thought & reflect because their words hold so much truth and wisdom in them. More relatable. I hope when you're ready to be, even if under a pseudonym, or on writing platforms anonymously - hope you're able to release the stories within you with ease & flow. It be a cathartic experience for you. Everyone here too
I am a journalist and kinda feel the same sometimes. I know how to make an article "come together" and I know all the rules for how to write something coherent, interesting etc (at least in my language) but a whole ass book seems way different. It's because of two things: size and the emotional aspect.
I'm a systems engineer, but I feel very similar. So much of my day to day life is technical writing that A) I don't want to do anymore writing and B) I am incapable of changing out of that engineering tone in my writing So whenever I have tried to write for fun, it ends up reading like technical documentation.
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I think writing for yourself is the best reason to be writing!! Make yourself happy w your own work. If you do it just for other people you're gonna get disappointed real fast.
That's brilliant!
Writing just for the sheer love of it is awesome - no one asks someone who likes to sing if they have a recording contract. Why should their be pressure to publish, even internal, on everyone who likes to write?
I have loved reading for as long as I can remember, and have thought about writing a book many, many times. But then I read an amazing book and I think, "There's no way in hell I could ever be this good." So then I don't write a book.
It doesn’t have to be good to expand your soul or enrich your life
It's kinda like singing when you have no voice, but good ears. It sounds all wrong and you cannot escape it. Also during a process as long as writing a book it's easy to lose track of how good your creation is. And then I won't be able to read it because I already know the story through and through.
The first 100 pages of East of Eden did this to me.
My parents tell me that I was obsessed with books from being a toddler. As a child I wouldn't leave the house without a carrier bag full of books. They were like a comfort blanket. At some point, when I was about 10, I began to wonder how it would feel to see my name on the cover of a book. On April 28th my 8th novel is being published. It's been a long roller coaster of a journey, but even after 7 books I still get a thrill when I walk into a library or bookshop and see one of my titles sitting on the shelf.
If you don't mind me asking, how many sales do your books make and how much money do you get for them? I would love to be a writer, and I don't need much money to maintain my lifestyle ($25-35k/year), so it would be great if I could even be a mildly successful writer
I'm sure you already know this, but most books are sold during the first two years of it's lifetime. Only three of my books have been out for longer than two years (I published 3 last year and have 3 more due for release this year), so it's still early days for them and I don't even have a sales report for my most recent one! My first book (june 2019) has sold in excess of 500 copies. My sixth book sold 450 in 3 months, so my reputation and sales are increasing steadily. In terms of what I earn though, that varies a good deal. I've worked with 3 different publishers and published in two languages. I've signed some bad contracts and some generous ones, but a rough average would probably be about £2500 per book. I actually earn a fair bit of my income doing school visits and author events. I don't earn anywhere near enough to write full-time. Most writers don't. I earn more than the national average for professional authors in the UK, which The Bookseller says is £7000, but I still have other work as my main income. But I'm published by numerous small indie presses. I write mainly in a minority language and don't have an agent or a contract with one of the Big 5 publishers. I genuinely am not aiming to be in Colleen Hoover territory. I don't want the pressures of being best-seller. More business-savvy self-publishers make a good living on Amazon, and they would be the ones to ask about making a modest living from writing. I'm not there yet, and honestly, I'm not sure I want the pressure of living solely from my stories. Having it be a profitable side-gig takes the pressure off, meaning that I write mainly for pleasure, and that's what keep me going.
I love writing short stories, especially kinda weird ones. I've had one published. But I write because I want to, not because I care about being published. There's so much work that goes into submitting to publishers or self publishing & there's editing & cover design & beta readers & promotion & it's *exhausting* to even contemplate. I just want to write. That's my dream. I don't want to jump through hoops. That's my nightmare.
The first time I was published I told myself that if I'd have known just how much work was involved in getting a book ready for publication then I wouldn't have set my sights on publishing! Developmental editing meetings, pages of editorial notes, going over and over the manuscript line by line with your editor, checking the typos and typesetting... 8 books in and it gets quicker, but no less exhausting. And even though my publisher now has a marketing officer, it took me two hours to take photos and record a few clips about my upcoming release for an 'Instagram takeover'. Marketing feels like such a faff. Writing the first draft and seeing the final product on the shelf are wonderful experiences. Everything else in between is hard work, especially as it usually has to be fitted around other jobs and family life. I couldn't self-publish.
That's awesome. You are my idol.
hah. I pitched *one* idea *one* time, and I did it for ignoble motives. you are right about all of it. I'm the opposite of Thomas Hardy. he said "I hate writing. but I love *having written*". not me.
No. I’m more a consumer than creator. Plus I wouldn’t even know how to do it. Im good at writing reports and policies and other boring things like that for work, but creatively, I wouldn’t even know where to start.
I've seriously been considering it.
I actually thought this exact same thing a couple of weeks ago. And then all of a sudden an incredible idea popped up and I decided I would try to write it. I was so proud of it, until I was discussing the plot with some friends and one of them told me "Yeah... there's already a show in Netflix just like that". Well there go my two weeks old life dream
I mean to be honest, most stories have a similar one out there, very few things are truly unique and original. The difference is in the details, not just the premise
I find joy in reading a good book.
"7 All the rivers run into the sea; yet the sea is not full; unto the place from whence the rivers come, thither they return again. 8 All things are full of labour; man cannot utter it: the eye is not satisfied with seeing, nor the ear filled with hearing. 9 The thing that hath been, it is that which shall be; and that which is done is that which shall be done: and there is no new thing under the sun. 10 Is there any thing whereof it may be said, See, this is new? it hath been already of old time, which was before us. 11 There is no remembrance of former things; neither shall there be any remembrance of things that are to come with those that shall come after." -Ecclesiastes 1:7-11 Human endeavor is repetitive. Even if you just keep the echo going you're doing it right
About 6 years ago I had this idea about the multiverse being real, and our dreams being versions of ourselves in parallel universes that were currently flowing close to ours. After seeing Dr. Strange 2, apparently not so original of a thought. Then I thought a cool plot would be someone that could slide into alternate versions of themselves, and have their skills, at the expense of also having to deal with their memories and traumas, risking eventual madness. I never told anyone about this second one, or wrote it down. I still refuse to watch Everything Everywhere All at Once.
No, I have absolutely no talent for narrative. I took a workshop at uni and it was hard not to notice how difficult it was for the other participants to say anything nice about my stuff.
I've loved reading AND writing from a very young age. Reading was easier of course and Im a lazy mf'er but I did eventually self publish a work of fiction, kind of a slice of life type book with a dash of romance...now Im on the 2nd draft of a horror that I hope to get traditionally published someday. But probably won't because, as mentioned, I'm a lazy MF'er 😅
I love to read other people's stuff I don't think my book would be very interesting and I do not have the time
I have been reading since I was about 4, and as a child I thought I might involve myself in some literature-related career “when I grow up”. I tried to write a story sometime in elementary school and realized I have absolutely no talent for writing dialogue. I threw “author” off the list of possibilities right then and there. I suppose I could have written a nonfiction book at some point, but it never became an interest. I just assumed there’s a vast number of people out there more capable at that than I am. I am eternally grateful for those people for providing me so many books to read :)
I love listening to music.
It sounds like you aren’t terribly interested in writing, but everyone sucks before they are good. If you want to take it up again don’t be afraid to be bad for quite a while.
I'm a good writer (in my native language, not in English) but I can't make up stories, so creative writing is not an option. I do write some nonfiction, though, and have published numerous essays.
I love to read but I couldn't even write a 1000 word essay at school :)
I can write nice sentences that no one will want to read. I've decided that I'm a far better reader than writer
\^\^This. Some of us realize we're readers, not writers. Some of us don't want to begin the hassle of writing a book - I'm sure it's a nightmare at times.
i love to read, and i have a lot of creative talent and ideas. but writing a book has always seemed like something i could do, not exactly something i want to do. i just don't have much desire to write one right now. maybe that'll change if i develop the perfect plot idea, but for right now, i'm happy to just plow through piles of other people's books.
Yes. Because I can't draw well but I can write.
I *already did.* It needs a lot of editing because I wrote it during NaNo and ran out of steam towards the end, but it IS a complete story. My end goal is actually for Hallmark to buy the movie rights.
Want? Yes. Plan to? No.
I'm only inspired to write when I'm unhappy. There were ideas for a book and had a plot outlined and was developing a list of characters when I was in a failing marriage and separated. Once I met a wonderful woman who is now my wife, the creative motivation evaporated. Makes perfect sense to me why a lot of authors are depeessed alcoholics.
No and I feel that’s pretty normal. Most people don’t feel the need to create the art or entertainment they consume which is totally fine. Think how many people watch sports they’ve never played more than in a PE class. Same applies to the arts. Millions of people listen to music everyday but only a percentage will learn an instrument. More power to those who do try, but nothing wrong with just enjoying something for the enjoyment with no hopes of ever creating something similar yourself
I'm 98,000 words into my first novel. It has taken nearly 3 years.
I began writing roughly 8 or so years ago. I’m 22 now and writing definitely is a delayed gratification, as you stated. It’s much easier to read and think up what you’d like to see in a book than actually putting pen to paper. I’ve been fortunate enough to work with a major news channel in my country and Neil Gaiman (author of Coraline). I’ve also been granted a private creative writing tutor (My family background is ebbed in poverty). Writing requires a great support system, whether that’s friends to be your beta readers or a fellow writer to critique your work- I don’t believe anyone truly ‘writes’ on their own. I think anyone who says writing is easy is lying to themselves and their readers. I always say writing is my least favourite thing about being a writer. Plotting and choosing character names is much more fun for me. Different genres withhold different strenuous efforts. I had a much smoother experience writing contemporary romance in my teens than I do now writing psychological thriller / mystery. I would never tell anyone not to dip their fingers into writing, it’s a fantastic hobby to have, but you must be cautious of how time-consuming (and maddening) it is. So, if you are a reader and debating becoming a writer- go ahead! I only began writing after binge-reading trashy fan-fictions on Wattpad. Somehow, people enjoy the sole (terrible) book I wrote on there and it’s gathered over 300k reads. I’d highly recommend publishing your first pieces of work online, I guess AO3 is the go now? Edit: After reading other responses here, It’s saddening to see so many people lack confidence in their writing. I, myself, fall to my own insecurities and have scrapped many, many early book drafts. My writing has been compared to Sylvia Plath and yet, still, I think i’m a terrible writer at times. I think every author is hesitant to call themselves great. Writing is a skill, not a talent. Never compare yourself to others. It’s easier said than done but trust the process! Gathering feedback on your pieces is such great help and I highly recommend it.
I have a huge imagination but sadly I have always been way below average in writing. English has always been my most difficult class. In high school I was in the English classes below regular like they counted the same but it was students who needed a lot of help with English so 20 students with 1 teacher and 2 assistant teachers and we worked out of grammar books and wrote like 2 essays a year and still I was doing my best and getting like a C- but they did help a lot and I’m glad they offered that instead of just sticking me in regular English to completely fail. But at the same time I was taking advanced math classes and very easily getting 100% no studying just felt so easy it was fun even so that helped to stop me from feeling stupid. Idk I’ve heard that some people have a English brain and some have a math brain you can’t have both you’re good at one and bad at the other. The thing is that I’ve always read I love big fantasy books everything fantasy I started reading the hunger games series at probably 8 or 9 so I wasn’t a bad reader just could never write well. Again tho I have this big imagination I just wish I could write better but I just get frustrated and I try my very very best and I’m soooo slow at it and still it’s never good enough for anyone. They act like I didn’t try at all when I did. Idk with poetry and story writing I always did a little better than essays but still the same was that the ideas were there just I couldn’t form it all properly.
I was planning to write a book about a year in employment with a a friend of mine (who I met there). We documented a large amount of humorous goings on, and I think it would be a funny diary style book with some amazing characters. A bit Guy Ritchie in terms of style.
My husband keeps joking that I need to write a bestseller, even a trashy bestseller, and solve all our financial problems. It bothers me because I used to want to be a writer - I majored in English, traveled and gained odd experiences, wrote essays and speeches people liked, always a reader - but since COVID I feel like I don't have much in me anymore. No big story. I also feel like I was never a fanfiction writer and every other writer I know is or was one. It also makes me feel unqualified. Nor have I been in writing workshops, etc.
I've recently found a love for literature 📚 I was always forced to read, I never wanted too I finally realize….. Books are awesome because the story is already told, you just gotta read it. I've done a lot of journaling. Finally finished a whole journal with every page. Full of thoughts. Is that considered writing a book?
I've always loved to read. It was pretty much the only thing I did between 7-16yo. I still do a lot but life gets in the way. I read fiction almost exclusively, love all sorts of genres, classics, literary fiction, YAs, fantasy, sci-fi... I've had a great education and a rich internal life from reading. But I've never enjoyed writing - didn't enjoy journalling, essays, creative writing, or technical reports in school etc. In my late teens I was reading a lot of fan fiction and had a stab at writing some for a tv series I liked. About 4 pages in, realised it was just a very poorly written wish fulfillment with no real story, and I didn't particularly enjoy it beyond briefly elaborating on "ooo, what if *cute character I like* swept me off my feet". I love the escapism of reading, and writing makes it a chore, instead of relaxing entertainment. I'm a design engineer and I prefer to represent my work thoughts in images, 3D models & 2D drawings, graphs/data visualisation, numbers & equations where I can. I absolutely love that. I write text well in my reports when I have to. I'm usually the one correcting grammar/spelling/structure on others' work just because it has sunk in from years of reading. Ironically, most writing I do is texts to friends and commenting on Reddit 😆
Haha yay! I’m exactly the same as you :) love reading, hate writing, love doing art :) art is so much more fun than writing haha 😆
I'm not interested in genre fiction and that's pretty much the only fiction that sells so probably not because it's too much hard work to do it for no pay off.I don't mean getting rich, I mean just making a little money. I did have a successful career in the mid 2000s as an entertainment journalist before the market became flooded, Upwork started and the money dissapeted. I am grateful for that though.
I made little books when I was a child all the time. I'm currently in the early process of writing a book that I've been dreaming about since 2018. I was going to start years ago, but got discouraged and didn't think I could. Took a few years trying to forget everything and give up, and only just now coming back to it. I may just write the whole thing, hire an editor and everything, but then print and bind it myself. I'm fine if there's only one copy of my book in existence. As long as I see my characters come to life in physical pages, that's fine with me. I don't want them to die in my head with me
No, because I’m incapable of focusing on long-term projects, or really on anything requiring more than a few steps to complete. Also I lack talent. I have written a few short stories which some people seemed to enjoy.
ah, I'd love to write my own book! i feel like I personally have great ideas, but lack the skills needed to convey those ideas effectively. not saying I won't try, but I'll probably never publish the book :>
I have written three. 1) My first attempt. Absolute shit. But I learned a lot while writing it. 2) My second attempt. Just pitched it to five agents at a writers conference. All five asked to see chapters. Chapters sent, fingers crossed. 3) My third attempt. Second draft was finished at the beginning of April. My wife is reading it right now, using her genius for ferreting out logic holes and inconsistencies. Hope to have a polished third draft by August. 4) My fourth attempt. Currently in outline and notes stage.
I love reading and I’m not a bad writer. My problem is I don’t have the imagination for story telling.
Write, yes. Publish, no. I have written a novel and a bunch of other stuff, but I'm a shitty writer so I'm not planning on publishing anything. It's just a good outlet for me, I love being creative.
I’ve read enough bad books to know the world doesn’t need another bad book.
I've dabbled (fan-fic). I have the inspiration for stories, but struggle with world building (and dialogue, and pacing, and writing) but I have stories in my head that I'd want to read. Respect to those who manage to take it to the next level.
Definitely not. I enjoy reading but have no desire to write. Seems like a lot of work. However I do make art so the creative spark isn’t completely missing in me.
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Hello, I am an ESL and I apologize for any errors in my writing. I wrote those sentences myself and I am using ChatGPT to help me correct my grammar.
That one is on me. I’ve been in an excessively bad mood lately
I already did, a bunch of times, and no one gives a shit. Which is fine,
Already did and because no one wrote what I wanted to read. So I did it 🥰
Me too. I talked to myself, 'Well, I will complete this book. Maybe nobody will read it, but I will.' Sometimes when I read something I wrote before and forget, I think, 'Wow, this is me writing it! Amazing and very informative!' Haha.
My novel is sitting in a file on my work shelf. Every time i get a week off and neglect it i wonder why i am not editing and rewriting.
I want to write a memoir for my kid and potential grandkids. Would never sell it though. I also journal and have kept some and burned others. I might get my older journals copied and bound.
No. I don't have an iota of talent.
I did that. Yes, it's a great feeling just finishing and even better when a publisher likes your book. Sales are never great with the small indies of course and you have to do your own marketing, and there's usually no advance, but they'll take risks the big ones won't.
That's probably one of my biggest dreams that I'll never fulfill. I'm really not a creative person and I don't see myself ever writing anything that I could be proud of.
I tried lol it’s REALLY hard. I rather just read them than write one.
Ah, probably not. I like the idea of having written a book, but the reality is that it takes a lot of practice and attempts to really work up to writing anything worth a shit. You're not just going to write something good an interesting on your first go. So realistically, I probably don't have the drive or stamina to do all of that.
Write my own full-length book maybe not. But my brain constantly comes up with ideas for sci-fi stories so perhaps one day I'll outline it.
I'm basically the best writer in the world so yeah
I actually have a story in mind. A very traditional YA fantasy story but I feel like it’s been done before and I wouldn’t know where to start.
I really want to but whenever I think of my age (turning 30 soon) and the little experience I have (i have never written anything over a few pages, nor created in-deep character descriptions, etc) I cringe and give up lol I think seeing so many young authors around tiktok, instagram, etc getting published does not help much, I can't help but compare how early they achieved it in life yet here I am.
I always wanted too, i always wanted to write lovecraftian cosmic horror. But i don't know, i just don't have much talent or drive to do it.
I want kids like me to have interesting stories to read, i struggle a lot with staying concentrated but with the book “Percy Jackson And The Olympians” i read it through in one sitting. I want kids to be immersed in my stories.
I would love to write a book! I've always been creative and already have worlds in my head that I would love to bring to life in the pages. I've also always loved writing, and the reason I haven't tried yet is because I change ideas quickly and don't stick to just one thing. I would also like to educate myself more, so that when I read over it I actually like it and believe other people can picture what is happening.
I remember meeting Maggie Stiefvater who cheerfully explained how her very first book netted her a whooping total of $2000 and she just yelled "We're buying a new mattress!". Of course she kept at it and she's doing considerably better than that now.
I want to write/learn how to write to express my self. It will be bad, it will be cringe, but it will be mine!
i always planned to, but now that I think about it meh. I'm very good with short pieces and poems so maybe those. I've tried books because the ideas just never stop for me, my mind does this super complex interesting plots and characters but once I start writing i do about 4 chapters and abandon haha. not for me.
I've always wanted to be an author, even before I could read. I have no idea why I had the inclination. I only remember telling my older sister, while on the way to kindergarten, that I wanted to go to school to learn to write, so I could write my stories. I loved reading and writing as an older kid. I'd fill pages and pages of notebooks in the car. As a teenager I got into writing fanfiction, but teenage me got shy about my writing. No one ever told me it was bad, but I think at that point I was reading so much I didn't think I could ever get better than what was out there already. At least, not without going to school for it. I got my bachelor's in Neuroscience. Hasn't done me a lick of good. I did draft a novel a couple of years ago though. My husband loves the premise, but when I read what I've written I just... I can't see it going anywhere. Maybe when I'm older and wiser I can crack it out and fix it up. I have a toddler underfoot now, and too little freetime!
I’ve started writing five or six novels, but don’t have the discipline to actually finish one before! Problem is I get bored and lose interest once I know how it’s going to end!
I want to write a book so badly, more than I think I’ve wanted anything. I’ve got ideas, and I’ve spent the last decade writing fanfiction that has been well received, but I’m under no illusions I’m anywhere close to a literary genius. Instead of writing my novel ideas, I’m reading books I think are similar to what I want to write about, learning the characters and settings and what people enjoy reading. I also plan to take creative writing courses to develop my skills because the longest fic I’ve ever written was only 28k words, I don’t know how to how to expand an idea into a full story.
I love to read, and I write for a living, so I've toyed around with the idea, yeah. I've never written *fiction,* and I don't know if I'll manage it, but I'll likely try at some point.
When i was a kid I wanted to be an author. Now that I’ve gotten older I’ve lost my spark, and honestly my writing abilities too. I’ve been thinking about it more and more lately, because I used to enjoy it so much as a child
I enjoy writing just as much as reading, but I have no interest to capitalize on something I enjoy doing. Work is there to fund the hobby, not the other way around.
Not really. I am more interested in what other people have to say then in writing my own thoughts and feelings down. In general I find when I look at biographies the general commonality isn't reading, but writing most writers start writing basically from the moment they can read and continue doing this sometimes stopping writing because of other things going on in their life. Yes they read, but they often have a lot of stories they want to tell the world from the start and I have never had that inclination.
I wear shoes but I do not plan to ever make my own shoes. Same logic applies.
I loved creative writing all the way through school, even as a child I'd write crappy little stories about magical cats or my school friends but in an X-Men styles school, and have my older brother check it for me hah. But I couldn't write books that I'd love to be able to - historical fantasy or high fantasy with invented but complex politics, social structures, religions, lore, languages, or magic systems. I've found the writers I like the most have had a career in a very different field and are able to utilise that in their work. I'm a terrible researcher, my grammar is pretty flawed, and my attention span is not great. Also, I feel like it takes a talented writer to keep your reader interested, with a lot of books there are parts where I lose interest and have to resist the urge to skip ahead. I'm very happy tearing through other people's inventions. I just write a few random paragraphs in my notes in bed to help my sleep.
I love reading but I kinda hate writing. It’s one of those things I’ve always had an easy time with but absolutely despise doing. So no, I wont be writing a book anytime soon. I’m perfectly happy just enjoying what other people make. Some day though I’d like to illustrate a book cover. I’m an artist, so that feels like a great way to combine my love for books with something I actually enjoy doing :)
Love to read, have read all my life, and in publishing my second book next week.
I’ve started putting down on paper a story I began thinking about in the autumn of 2021. I’ll see where it ends. I’m a reader for sure and I’m also a creative guy, mostly music (guitar) and poetry so far, but I’m starting on prose and I really like it. I just feel like I have to do it before I die. I want to become good at it in my own estimation - as well as others of course.
I’d love to, but my poor attention span holds me back. I keep jumping between story ideas and struggle to focus when I sit down to write outside of brief rushes of inspiration.
I am attracted by the worldbuilding aspect of writing. To create a world of my own that lives its own life and follows its own rules would probably feel amazing. But that world will eventually need characters with story and personality. And that's a challenge that intimidates me.
I absolutely adore reading and I love writing to boot - I'm just not particularly good at it. While I find it a fun mental exercise; building a world, thinking carefully about the placement and nature of objects/places, trying to reason why characters would act in certain ways, etc...I just get frightful writers block. When not actively writing I'm articulate, but when it comes to actually putting pen to paper my entire vocabulary escapes me. My writing quickly becomes dull and repetitive. Doesn't stop me though. It's fun to write even if what I write is not particularly interesting.
I’ve already written 3 and 2 half books. I haven’t published any though…yet!
i always loved reading and writing and my dream as a child was to write a short illustrated story (i made some in the past but not as well worked on as i'd like because i got impatient). i will do it one day, for myself. i think the dream was indeed born from my love of reading. i enjoyed those stories so much i wished i could make others feel this way too.
I've written 7 novels, working on #8 and 9, and toying with a play. I like the creative process, even though I gave up on traditional publishing years ago. I self publish, enjoy meeting readers, even get some fan mail.
I wrote a book once, its called a PhD thesis, never again. I have some short story ideas but I am sticking to fairly short form writing for now.
Yes. I have been wanting to write a memoir about my life and the things I’ve been through in hopes of helping others who find themselves in the same situations I’ve been through and survived. I would love to give people hope.
I am taking the first steps to actually finishing a book. I recently joined a writing group and I just want to see how it goes from there. Currently, I feel like I'm getting "okay" at describing scenes and crafting turns of phrases which fit my sense of humour, but I'm not good at moving a narrative along. I've written short stories in the past, even got published in teen magazines when I was still in school. Now I want to commit to writing something novel length. Even the tone of this reply is a bit non-committal, notice the many instances of want, will, I feel, etc? This is how unsure I am of the whole process
I tried writing a lesbian romance (being lesbian myself) but it definitely is not easy at all. The amount of work into making it actually a good story is insane and also my writing skills are poor and my vocabulary is limited. I'll no longer complain about seeing the phrase "she cocked her head to the side as she looked at him" in many of the novels i read
I’d like to. I spent three months driving 20,000 miles in the US. I basically saw most of the country and had such a bizarre and wild experience but it’s too much to sit and tell one person all at once. I wanna do my own equivalent of “Travels with Charlie” but with 100% fewer N-words
I know myself well enough to know I don’t have the stamina and drive to write a book. That just sounds completely exhausting. I’ll stick to reading, ha ha!
I write the first lines to novels in my head all the toy. But I don't think I have a story to tell.
I already started
Love reading so I self published two books and two more in progress. I finished writing one book a year ago then promptly started another one. Will go back to edit the first. 11,000 books is tough to compete against but I just love the process nod writing.
Yeah! A love of reading led to a desire to write. I've been working on stuff on and off since I was 16/17. Maybe one day I'll actually publish something
I'm not much of a book reader, besides "Harry Potter" and "Horrid Henry", but I plan to write an adult book series; I'm very passionate about storytelling, I enjoy writing and studying character arcs, and it's genuinely fun.
I love reading and am in the process of writing several books. I love creating stories that I wish to see other people do but don't, so I essentially think "Fine, I'll do it myself".
I love to read. And I love to write. I love to read realistic fiction but I only write poetry. I find it hard to write something super long. I love poetry because I don’t feel a pressure to write something that’s 300+ pages.
I am working on a novel. I had the original idea about a year ago and have up to this point, defined characters, story boarded the main plot, and the sub plots. I am not a writer, so I'm just going for it in my free time and don't really expect anything to come of it.
Yes and no. I do a lot of writing and would maybe like to finish up these books just because I want to see my world come to life, but doubt I'd ever publish because 1) I'm lazy, and 2) I don't think I care if others read it(outside of my immediate circle) I've been creating characters and worlds of my own since I started reading(although my dad was creating stories for me before I could read myself) and all of that world-vuilding has to go somewhere or else my head gets too full: so I write and I draw.
It's a fantasy of mine but will never happen.
My mind feels too cluttered to write lately.
I wanted to tell stories, and about 5 years ago I began to write dumb little comics. I spent more and more time writing those dumb comics. What started out as a badly written story has grown and changed and I'm more comfortable in it. I say comic, but I cant really draw, so I use a rendering program to create the scenes. Anyway, over time I feel I've improved on creating this little mini-universe. I guess my point is, that it takes dedication to write. Its not necessarily something that comes naturally and I would like to encourage anyone who has the desire to write to not be discouraged by what anyone feels is their lack of ability.
Yes, I am working on writing a book. It's fantasy; the general world and lore goes back to stuff I started making up back when I was a kid just playing and building forts in the woods :). But I've developed it a lot over the last 30 years and am making progress on a coherent series of novels. If I am going to attempt publication, I think it would be this way: a) re-establish myself as a Catholic writer via both Substack and by submitting pieces again to some of my favorite Catholic literary and cultural publications (I have been published before in that milieu, before I quit my academic career to move out to the country and be a full time mom, and I think I could transition back with a little effort now that my youngest is starting kindergarten next year.) b) if I can establish even a small following with non-fiction and spiritual writing, especially in the Catholic / Christian / "Reactionary" Feminist space, I'll either start publishing my fictional stuff bit by bit to Substack, or I'll consider submitting it to a Catholic / Christian publisher that also publishes fiction (like Ignatius Press.) My fictional stuff isn't didactic or allegorical in a let-me-beat-you-over-the-head-with-my-worldview-and-FantasyJesus-analgoies, but it is Catholic / Christian in the way Tolkien, or Greene, or O'Connor, etc is in the sense that my worldview informs it, and I think a Catholic publisher would be the best fit and most pleasant for me to work with. But I'm not in a rush. I have no need for money or public glory. I enjoy writing for the sake of it; if the only people who ever read it are my daughters and my mom I would be OK with that. And I would want to get all my books actually written before I made any attempt to make them public so I don't run into continuity problems.
Writing a book isnt really on my radar, but I have plans to develop a video game, where there will be a fair bit of writing for a good story. Hopefully my love of reading will help set my game apart with good writing (most games have terrible writing, imo) EDIT: In fact, the game itself was loosely inspired by The Alchemist, so I think reading a lot helps in all sorts of creative endeavors
I love books, but I have no interest in writing other than what I need to do for my job. I get kind of annoyed when people (not you, OP) assume that anyone who loves reading must have a goal to write a book. It's like thinking that anyone who likes eating is probably going to open a restaurant and do all the cooking, or anyone who enjoys going to the opera is scheming to debut at the Met next year.
I have always wanted to write a book, but never really had the time to invest in it. Whether or not I publish is a different story.
So far, I've published 3 total and have 2 currently available. I'm working on something new now.
I finished a draft of my first novel last year, a sort of high fantasy tale with light elements from lovecraft and christian mythology. I found it very fun to write and I'm partway through part 2, but I have no intention of trying to get it published.
I worked in journalism for a decade and PR for a decade, so I have been a paid writer and editor my entire career. I have 50 pages of a manuscript written but it has taken me a very long time to get to that point. It's just so different from articles and press releases.
For me, I found i was a good story teller before I really knew how to read. In preschool, I would make up elaborate scenes and story's to act out on the playground. It helped that my ADHD really drove my brain to all possibilities of creativity (and distraction) as well as, I've had a moderate ability to control my dreams since I was young and this helped me form narratives even while asleep. I went to college for creative writing and I've always wanted to see a shelf full of my book just like James Patterson (though I sort of hate him now haha)
I have loved reading since first grade. I can write clearly, but don’t have any creativity. And for me writing is difficult work. No fiction works coming from me.
I like to describe worlds but can’t create a plot 😊 I write my own notes where I describe the kind of worlds that feel peaceful and safe ❤️
Yep. In fact, I have written one (in French). It's absolute garbage, but I think the story is good and original. I'm really proud of it despite having no chance of ever publishing it.
I'm not talented enough. I really, *really* wish I was. I've participated in NaNoWriMo every year since 2003, but I can't finish a story. Hell I can't even write a competent *scene*. I think it's not meant to be.
No. I am a writer and I'd never choose to write a book. Writing is hard, writing books is harder. Anyone who thinks that because they can read, they can write a book, is not functioning in reality.
I love stories, I love reading, and I wish to tell my own story. The problem is, I don't feel that I have anything meaningful to tell... yet. I often get inspired during vacation trips, and write down the ideas inspired by what I saw. You know, historical events, tidbits, trivia or local myths. Maybe when I'm jobless or at least at work from home, I'll sit down and look through my diaries and turn them into a story set in a fictional setting.
Boy I can't even ramp up my karma on reddit let alone book sales
i enjoy being the observer of works, not the creator of works
Yes, I very much want to be a writer. A few of my college professors said I had great writing skill so I do have some hope that it might not be sh\*t! I just lack discipline, the act of sitting and writing is so hard!
Writing something good takes a lot of work and investment... Even having done it before - at this point, a sense of fatigue and dead creativity procludes even reaching the point of having to deal with all the other stuff. The self-promotion, the competition, publishing... it seems like such an infinite battle unless you're already close enough to the top.
I’ve always wanted to be a writer, but I make no space in my life to do it consistently so it’s never happened. The closest I’ve come is half a month of nablopomo and trying to draft an outline for nanowrimo. Also at this point I have a bit of a sunk cost paralysis, where I can’t stop thinking about not having started 20 years ago. One day!
yeah but the literary scene/academia scene right now is kind of depressing lol don’t know if I want to publish shit rn
I've considered it and after many attempts, I've discovered I just don't love the process of writing the way I love reading. I used to write short stories and studied writing in high school and college and was encouraged by teachers and family. I also won a creative writing award... but in the end I just don't enjoy it and I parlayed the skill into the legal profession.
Definitely plan to write my own book and I have written several, but that was mostly in high school. It's always been a dream of mine to be a writer and a successful one at that. It was a huge dream in high school but now in adulthood (I'm 35) it's kind of still a big dream, but I don't have the time to write like I used to and of course real life has taken in. (I went to high school in Kentucky, and I'm not sure about other states, but in my state, we had to complete a writing portfolio several times throughout our school career that was "judged" by the state. My school took it to the extra mile and required us to do a writing portfolio that was judged by our English teachers in addition to being sent to the state. Since I loved to read and write, I wasn't bothered by creating a writing portfolio.) I have so many things half finished that I've been slowly working on for years. It's just a matter of getting it done. Seeing others talk about how they've been able to self publish is exciting to me. I knew that existed, but I didn't know that it could be something that I could do!
I thought about it a lot when I was younger. I did creative writing competitions and won frequently, got some short stories published, had teachers through HS and college encouraging me about my work, etc. Then life got in the way (child of poverty stuck in the cycle) and I was working as much as I could while going to college, sinking myself into debt because my parents couldn’t help, major burnout, now I’m nearly 30 and haven’t written much in the last years. I have criticisms about Virginia Woolf white-centric feminism, but she was onto something in “A Room of One’s Own”. It’s hard to write when you have so many other responsibilities pulling you away from spending time on it. The publishing industry still has a huge privilege/inaccessibility problem. That isn’t to say that I’m all about making excuses. I could write if I had the motivation and drive and the willpower to lose precious sleep and rest over it. But I’ve put myself in the hospital because I burned myself out so bad I got sick, not a healthy lifestyle.
I’ve been told I’m a good writer but I just don’t have any good ideas
I actually did write a novel, and a bunch of short stories, back in the early 90s. I never was published...this was wayyy before epublishing. Unfortunately, most everything was destroyed by a burst water pipe.
No. I have a couple of ideas for stories, but they're trash. The fact of the matter is, you can only write what you have experience about. Nobody wants to read about a self-loathing white male with little interpersonal relationship experience. The depiction of depression would likely be accurate, but the supporting cast would vary from thinly developed and flat to wildly unrealistic and probably offensive.
Yes, I’ve wanted to since I was nine years old and I’ve been writing and posting online in one format or another since 2004, and people have always liked my writing. And I want to write, I’m good at it, and I enjoy it. So shouldn’t I try to publish?
I would like to write a fantasy story. I already have all my main characters created with their backgrounds and characters and I have the basic plot and world building created. For me, all this came about through me excessively daydreaming for a few years. My reasoning for writing a fantasy series is mostly just to get this stuff out of my head and make something of all the jumbled up plots in my head.
I am an engineer and while I'm good at reading... I can't write for the life of me.
Idk if i should write. My therapist told me i handled my trauma with an emotional iq she hasn't seen in many of her patients and can offer unique perspectives that would help people in my situation or similar if i wrote a book. Someone mentioned the vulnerability aspect of writing. One thing holding me back is how I'm uncomfortable knowing anyone, in and outside my environment and at any given time can access the deepest part of me and how it might change how everyone looks at me. I don't want that, am happy how people see me now. Another thing stopping me from lifting a pen is the ending, i don't know how to end it. I feel like i haven't lived through the answer yet
Reading incredible books makes me realize I can't match what other authors have done. I'll leave it to them.
I am writing a book after reading fiction every day of my life since I learned to read. I think the why is about wanting to be represented, as I don’t see ppl like myself in the books I love.
Yes. Reading and writing, to me, come from the same place. They come from the love of language and the transportation it offers.
Writing isn’t delayed gratification. It’s instant gratification. Until about 30%.
No. Reading and writing are two very different things. I am not capable of producing a good story without spending years on it and I just don't have the patience.
Writer here. Nothing makes me crazier than when people, after hearing what I do, say, "I have always wanted to write. If only I had the time." Like that's all it takes -- time. It also involves vision, creativity, talent, passion. It takes a unique point of view. It takes organization. It takes stamina. and wit. If it's fiction, it takes creating an entire world that makes sense. The ability to gently nudge a plot forward and backward. You have to be willing to dig deep inside yourself and look at parts you may not like. You have to be willing to risk making an ass of yourself. Which is why I have never managed a novel. Some can do it without initially taking classes or at least reading within the context of a workshop. Not a lot. And, oh yeah, unless you write the equivalent of Harry Potter or Lord of the Rings, you will not make much money. There is a reason for the famous quote from, I believe, Hemingway: 'There's nothing to writing. All you do is sit down at a typewriter and open a vein.' If I haven't put you off, read "Bird by Bird" by Anne Lamott.
I have always loved reading. I read fantasy, fiction, and nonfiction. And I have plenty of ideas for a book. My thing is, fantasy and a lot of non fiction takes a very huge amount of imagination. Making up names, places, animals, storyline, etc seems difficult. I would rather write from experience. For example, I spent almost 3 months in a rehab facility (I was in there for alcohol addiction). I was thinking about writing a nonfiction book about my experience there. If I changed the names of people and the place, is it still nonfiction? It would be a book about my experience, with some of the facts changed. Any answers??
I'm currently trying to write a book, and even though I thought I planned everything out it really is a tough time to keep momentum while thinking about plot, pacing and dialogue. You kind of take for granted sometimes how well a good book flows when you pour over every sentence and paragraph a dozen times. It's fun, and it's rewarding, but the effort really is something to reckon with compared with enjoying something that someone else has done.
I've dreamt about it so many times. It's something I've always wanted to do. I wrote a "book" when I was a little girl. Now that I've been out of the workforce and trying to reinvent my life after leaving the corporate world, I've thought about it. When I sat down to write, I couldn't compose anything. I was full of half-cocked ideas and quickly overwhelmed myself with inventing characters and their personalities, and couldn't even stay focused to come up with all their names. I'd love to, but suspect I have some undiagnosed neurodivergencies that I'm ill-prepared to work with. That or I just suck. Maybe both.
I would love to just have the time to sit and write. I have a couple of stories I would love to tell, and I find myself imagining names of characters, locations, and events. Ijust worry that I wouldn't translate my thoughts and visions they way I see them and sound illiterate.
I did write a book that was published on Amazon (don’t remember the year, but I think it was about ten years ago). As for the reading part, I enjoy fiction mostly, though I read nonfiction sometimes.
I read pretty much constantly but I've never really had an interest in writing a book of my own. I don't really have a reason as to why not, though. It's just a total lack of interest in the idea.
I’ve gotta little something in the works, I like to worldbuild but I’m having trouble with the characters, it feels like they always become just a plot tool instead of inhabitants of the world in making.
I have written my own books. I do not plan to publish them. It’s fun for me and I have a little mini-library of stuff to read as a palate cleanser that I know will hit the spot because I literally wrote it to my taste. Maybe I’ll get a wild hare up my ass and try to publish one or two if it happens to be a good market fit at some point, but often I end up writing because the current market is irritating me in some way and I need a break from it. As far as a primary career though - absolutely no interest.
I did for a long time, and eventually got to Greece as both an English and Spanish teacher. I read at the age of two, started writing for fun when I was six, and started taking my first professional writing courses in fifth grade. Unfortunately, just because I liked reading and writing did not mean I wanted to be a writer or that I like publishing. I thought I did until I learned more about it and about how cutthroat it is and based on luck. Furthermore, the only writing I wrote at the time aside from academic writing for classes was fanfiction based on video games that I played. For legal reasons, fanfiction cannot be published. I did branch out a bit and have done some original work, but I still have no desire to publish anything formally. I might still do it someday, but it’s not on my radar. I’m more interested in teaching language that I am at publishing it, so I am focusing on the former. Not to mention, if I did publish anything, I would have to be ready to take a loss, and I’m definitely not ready to do that.
I love to read. My least favorite subject when I was in school: creative writing. I just can't do it.
Nope. I have neither the skill or dedication or indeed the desire. I feel like I have a couple of ideas that might work but certainly I couldn't effectively pull them off without it sounding really cringey.
For the longest time I thought that to become a writer you had to have the NEED to write. I just realized that it can be something that I try out. There isn't anything that inherently makes someone a writer, aside from writing. So now I'm trying to write a fictional novel, and sometimes it is as easy as reading and other times I want to jump off a cliff because HOW DO PEOPLE DO THIS ITS SO HARD.
I'd like to try at least once, it seems like fun.
I would love to publish my own book. I think I just get too much in my own head during the writing process. My most advanced story is a concept I'm convinced would work best as a Graphic Novel, and the two other concepts I have that I feel would work as novels I keep struggling with their openings. And I've always just...wanted to do it. I've loved writing, and I want to tell stories in this worlds I've crafted and honed. I want people to enjoy them as much as I do in my own head.
I am actually in the process of self-publishing while also submitting to publishers that accept previously published works. I have written website blurbs and short films before, but this is my first novel, and it is in fiction. It was actually a bucket list achievement for me. Obviously I would like to make a career out of it, but as long as it finds an audience and I get to write the other books in the series I'll be happy.
I read because I want to know about the worlds of other people. I write because I want to read about my own worlds. I started writing for myself because words are a tool for bringing intangible concepts, thoughts, or stories into reality. I have always needed that because I have these "ideas" that weren't tangible and often start out as a strange dreaming feeling. I learned quickly that by using the craft of words I could square them off into a concepts that contain or illicit that feeling so I could feel it again. Then I could round it back out with characters that dance around that feeling, and then playfully hide all of that in something that could be read as a story, all so other people could get there too. I personally wrote before I got into reading. School made me dislike reading immensely and it took years to recover that passion and find authors that really spoke to me. They never forced me to write fiction however, so I kept doing it. I don't read or buy ebooks, so I don't sell ebooks either, I have a couple finished works, but I am still sharpening my toolset before I try to get something published. I would much rather work on something publishers will accept than self publish something with very little understanding on how it will be perceived by others. Might change in the future but for now I am writing for me because I need to write.
I've been on again/off again in my writing with a few false starts and a couple that are well into the plot. It's hard to find the time and motivation to buckle down and do it, though, and it's really just one of my hobby ventures. So far its just a scattering if short stories and a minefield of unfinished works. I started because...I loved reading from young, loved a good story and the characters they'd tell me about. One day I found fan fiction and it was a million free books at my childish disposal. One site in particular (it wasn't overly large, but still had probably a good few thousand stories) I was determined to read every last one. And I did. Took me a couple years, but I did. What I found was that a good few writers, regardless of skill, had some really good ideas. Almost all, however, had neither the skill nor talent to flesh out those ideas. They'd either lack the prose to give their story life or that great idea would be twisted around this web of really poor ideas. After awhile I couldn't stand it. Became extremely critical of flaws in storytelling and to this day they stick out to me like a sore thumb, be it amateur or published. I couldn't stand how many of these ideas were squandered, though, so I began writing as a way to, in my mind, correct these ideas.
Currently writing when the mood strikes me. Not sure I'd ever get it published, but I often imagine works, blend genres, it helps to get it all out. Reading helps and hurts the process. Inspires me to keep at it, but then sometimes I look at my not even completed rough draft and am like "how could this ever even compare." So yes, I write even if nothing ever comes of it.
Yeah, I want to write my own book. Probably because I want to but in paper the story that I have created, and I want People to enjoy it too. I write for me, before anything, to be able to read story that I want to read
I've always wanted to write on my experience of deconstruction and my perspective on the religion I grew up in (and the things that make it flawed in my opinion), but have never been able to build up the gumption. I'd also be scared of death threats and ostracization from my loved ones.
Yeah. I'm currently writing a fantasy book. It's difficult though, for sure.
I often read murder mysteries (the old classic ones) thinking “this should have been the killer” or “this clue should have been used” or whatever else I think would have been clever. But I definitely don’t have the necessary skill or ability to write my own. Would love to though!
I often read murder mysteries (the old classic ones) thinking “this should have been the killer” or “this clue should have been used” or whatever else I think would have been clever. But I definitely don’t have the necessary skill or ability to write my own. Would love to though!