Do any of you guys write for fun?

[redhead]

Sorry if there's already been a thread on this, searching around turned up nothing. Anyway, does anyone here write for fun? Or for a job? Or for any reason at all? Or translate?

I've tried my hand at writing a few times over the past 2 years and have just gotten to the point where I'm not revolted by what I pen. No one I know in real life really writes, though, or anything like that. I was wondering if we could set up an exchange or something, where we email each other pieces or put them on google docs or something and critique and give advice to others on their work. Would anyone else be up for the idea?

 

[Stevie B]

Unfortunately, my writing in recent years consists of annual reports and government grant applications (though the grant I co-wrote this year did get funded for 2.2 million dollars). I've scratched out story ideas in the past, but have never actually finished with anything good. Although I wouldn't have any writing to share with WLF members (unless you want me to attach that 50-page grant application), I wouldn't mind reading what others would like to post.

 

[Hamlet]

I've written seriously and for fun.

 

[Remora]

Hamlet,

What's the difference? writing seriously or for fun?

Curious,
Ric

 

[Hamlet]

Well, I guess there's not too much of a difference. I've written a couple of novels, those were writen largely to try out the various style and content aspects of early writing, I just wanted to see how that went, I can't say it was "fun" as such, at 130,000 words, it's quite hard work. Along with some writer friends, I've entered competitions, this is also fun, but in a way it becomes serious in that people compete.

I guess I see the novels as serious, as they were proper projects, and the shorter competitions were intended just for fun.

 

[Remora]

Hamlet,

You sound disappointed. Writing two entire novels isn't something to sneeze at. Of course money and fame is a whole different ballgame. Either way fun has to be in the mix or why write at all.

Cheers,
Ric

 

[Hamlet]

Oh, sure, I've worked hard at it, usually writing between 1000 and 2000 words per day, week after week, for months. And so I was probably thinking of that aspect to the discipline involved.

And I'm aware that many who write, including published profressional writers often say that 'they don't enjoy the writing, but enjoy having written...' meaning after they've put their pen down I guess. However, I'm not one of those. I decided that I needed to be able to write quickly and fluently, this is a contradiction of sorts, because you either do or don't. I know people who labour over every word and can't advance, and that was something I didn't want to fall into. It's that 'perfection' thing, now, there's nothing wrong with perfection, I have the same attitude, but if you find at the end of a year that you've abandoned projects and hardly witten anything, well. you know...

I do enjoy it, and when it is going well, there's nothing quite like it.

 

[Remora]

I wonder what sort of book WLF would come up with, for fun. If I were to guess, it'd be something too serious for my liking.

 

[Hamlet]

Yes, it would be difficult to guage that with such a diverse mix of readers and nationalities. I have trouble keeping up with all the authors I've never heard of in here.

Mind you - there are a lot of contemporary authors out there, so that's probably no bad thing.

 

[Remora]

I sort of once got involved in a group literary project. Looking back, it might've been fun to collaborate. But the fun would've been strictly hanging out, shooting the breeze, and what not with my fellow collaborators as opposed to making waves in the literary scene if there's such a thing to speak of.

So as then, I opt out.

 

[Hamlet]

Well, I co-wrote once, never again, as the other writer could never get on with it, but... with the right person it can work, for script writing it's done a quite a lot I believe, as the batting back and forth of ideas is a good way to try things out. But for me, writing alone is the only way, and then there's all this writer group stuff too, and although the various feedback options may be very useful, there are a few downsides.

But really, for my money, you write alone, that's the deal, and that's hard enough, I reckon.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EzD0YtbViCs

I was listening to a few Ray Bradbury videos on YT this week.

There's a few older b&w ones too.

 

[Remora]

Pushkin said that he writes for his amusement and that he publishes for money. I tend to agree. Writing is a solitary activity (unless you're writing for TV and maybe the movies). As the saying goes, you're not working unless you're networking.

BTW, the Ray Bradbury video...wonderful...thank you.

 

[Hamlet]

That's interesting, a sensible way to think, re Mr Pushkin...

actually, finding a few videos on YT that appeal, I kind of try to avoid this stuff, but it's so compelling.

Jonathan Franzen has a few video interviews playing on there, and Martin Amis too.

May copy a few in when I have a moment.

 

[Hamlet]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=92kWQK1zOog

Actually, here's an interesting and soul-examining one by Jonathan Franzen, I haven't read any Franzen, but listening to him on YT makes me want to dip and read him some, particularly because of how he articulates himself and discusses various issues... such as the novel vs. gadgets debate, for example - this comes in right at the end the of clip btw so you''ll have to soldier-through to get to it!

Douglas Coupland said something about this in one of his novels, the novel as defence against technological onslaught... it's an idea that's being kicked around a lot by writers right now, I imagine.

Along with environmental destruction, apathy in poiitics, war, world population growth, even more warfare, world pandemics... and so on-

 

[Remora]

Some time ago, I remember reading that in the US there are a grand total of 5 writers writing literary fiction who actually make a living off of their fiction, i.e. writers who aren't dependent on a teaching position to subsidize their passion. I have a hunch it's always been this way with Victorian England being the possible exception. For literary fiction at least, I'd say that once the passion becomes a career, i.e. a ready formula for financial success, it's no longer about the writing, but the nice comfy life, real estate, stocks and bonds, et cetera.

People are gonna do what they're gonna do, and if reading novels is the lowest of their priorities, I don't see what lasting effect mobilizing writers to counter the trend will actually have other than providing a forum for scratching one another's back when it itches.

I've read The Corrections and Freedom, and I can recommend that they're both well worth reading.

 

[Hamlet]

edited to remove garbled nonsense.

Interesting too what you say about the main occupation. And then there's that whole issue of how to write on top of the career, really tough with time commitments to give writing the close and proper attention it deserves.

Nick Hornby said something about all this. He essentially gave up work to focus full-time on his writing as he felt he was only playing at it or the struggle was just too much, and it was impossible to give it the kind of attention required on that part-time basis.

 

[Hamlet]

The Corrections and Freedom.

I'll keep an eye out for those two.

There's a large pile of books building up in my 2013 reading list, many aren't literature though, I'm very interested in history and a few other subjects.

I'll just have to chip away at the list and fit them in here/there as always!

 

[Remora]

Let's not fool ourselves. Writing well requires hard work. Anyone who says otherwise has never tried her hand at fiction or if she has and has been successful at it she's only now realizing that the bar has been raised and she can't keep up. When this happens, the worst thing to do is to persevere and delude oneself that it can't be so, that it isn't so, and that it won't be so, thus making art that which it isn't: something proprietary and exclusive.

There's no patent for genius or talent. Making a name for oneself isn't the same thing as writing something that'll last.

 

[Hamlet]

I'm not sure if I entirely follow your points Remora. Do you mean to say that there are published as well as unpublished authors who reach a threshold or point by which their work cannot progress? At this point they should simply cease and desist and do us all and art generally, a favour?

 

[Remora]

What did I spout off?....Oh yes....I meant exactly what I meant by it which is to say that only the writer knows if she has it in her to give it another go, that if she knows in heart of hearts that the likely result won't be worth the effort expended, it would serve her better to admit the fact and graciously exit stage left (for the interim) than be a mule about it.

BTW, Hamlet, thanks for indulging me and my opinions, such as they are: savage and grossly presumptuous.

BTW, does England have an equivalent of the Miranda rights...you know you have the right to remain silent everything you say can and will be used against you etc....