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Writing for the love of it

Thinking of Writing

Writing is thinking...

You Don't Have to Write, You Know...

12/2/2015

8 Comments

 
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I'm a member of many online writing groups, and a very large indie publisher, so I get a barrage of writing-related questions throughout the week. Most of them are questions I like to answer: setting, dialogue, world-building, the perks of writing details in fiction, etc. I get a lot of joy from thinking about those questions. I think those are the questions of writers who are geeks. They are passionate about their story, unapologetic about wanting to make it as real and fleshed out as possible. I just love that.

After all, I am the type of person who turns off the music in her car when driving alone so that I can make up dialogue out loud. To save my children's reputation, I bob my head and pretend I'm singing. I'm not singing, if you see me. I'm talking to myself, and to my characters. Yes, I'm having a conversation in my car with people who are physically there. And I do it a lot. But my geeky actions are my own. My children might yet end up normal. Probably not, but maybe.
So, writing is something I do even when I'm not putting a pen to notebook or fingers to a keyboard. I don't mind taking a break to think about other people's writing, to read books for inspiration. Because in the end, those things help me become a better writer and they bring me joy. I love thinking about that stuff, and I would do it no matter what. It's not just a hobby. It is my "bliss," as the kids are saying these days. Or at least I heard someone young say it, so that counts.

But, more often than not, I get questions about writing that make me want to throw up a little. These often fall into the marketing area. Some examples are: 1) How do you make yourself write? 2) What happens if you're not selling a lot of books? What are your strategies for selling those books? 3) How do you market your books? 4) How do you juggle life and still keep in the practice of writing? 5) What is your Amazon rating?

Here's the thing. I get that we want to make money writing. I get that we want it to be a valid career and that with hard work it can, eventually, become a career. Some people make money writing books. But not most people. Most people just really want to. And hordes of people want to become famous for their writing: the next New York Times Bestseller. That's fine. It would be nice if I made more money from my writing. But I don't like answering questions about that. Because I don't go out of my way to make money as a writer. I know that sounds stupid to writers who are serious about making money writing. But I don't write to make money. I am very realistic about the fact that I might never be able to make a living wage from my work. And I'm fine with that.

Because that first and last question about how I find time to write baffles me. I LOVE WRITING. Since I was four years old, I wanted to make stories into books. The main thing I did for fun as a kid, teen and young adult was write things and read things. It has always brought me joy. I write when I'm not doing anything else. I'm thinking about writing when I am doing other things. And I share that passion with my kids and any stray person who is unfortunate enough to ask me about writing.
I know this will annoy a lot of people, but I don't get writer's block. Sometimes I get lazy, and I work on something that doesn't have a deadline instead of the work that does. But I don't stop having ideas for writing. I have about seven stories in the works and I enjoy writing them all, for different reasons. And I work on them, here and there, whenever an idea strikes me to move the story.

And an idea strikes me every day. I write because I love to write. I write because I would do it whether I got paid or not. That doesn't mean I don't get frustrated when people won't just spend .99 on my latest short story, which took me weeks to perfect. That's annoying. Just buy the fucking thing. It's super entertaining. It's at least as entertaining as .99.

I enjoy this writing thing. I will share my work with avid readers and other geeks, and I will patiently wait for people to appreciate it. Maybe, one day, my stories will resonate with a larger, paying audience. But I'm going to keep writing no matter what because it's not a job to me. It's my joy. So, yes, I market a little to share my work with the masses, but most of my marketing centers around continuing to write and entertaining people.
So if you want to know, writers, how I force myself to write when you find it so abhorrent, I have a question for you:
You know you don't have to write, right?
I do have to. It is what makes me get past the bad days. If you don't like it, don't do it. There are a lot of occupations in this world, so find your joy.

8 Comments
Mary Rowen link
12/3/2015 11:39:39 am

Wow, I'm with you al the way here, H.M.!! I've been writing for most of my life too, but only seriously over the past thirteen years or so. It just makes me so happy. Aside from being with family and good friends, it's my very favorite thing to do. Do I make money? Um...well, more would be better, but money's not what motivates me to sit down at the keyboard every day. I'm glad you feel the same way!

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H.M. Jones
12/5/2015 06:38:50 pm

Oh, Mary, I knew you would be. Reading one of your books now, and I have to say, when you do what you love and it brings you joy, you're lucky if you're really good at it. In your case, you are very good at what you do. ;) So I'm in good company.

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Mary Rowen link
12/6/2015 07:54:51 pm

H.M. I've also been reading Monochrome, and wow. Just wow. Your writing is amazing, and I'm so drawn to the story and the situation. Can't wait to read more and find out what happens.

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H.M. Jones
12/7/2015 10:16:30 am

You don't know this, but I needed that today. So, thank-you, friend. Hugs.

terryctyler@hotmail.co.uk
12/7/2015 08:29:59 am

I really like this post! I feel exactly the same way about it. The thing I don't get is posts about how to motivate yourself to write.... I mean, you have to motivate yourself to do the housework, or sort cupboards out... if you need to read blog posts about how to motivate yourself to do it, perhaps you don't really want to.

Yes, yes, yes, pisses me off big style when people ask me how many books I sell, or if I make a living out of it. Since when did people do anything creative in order to make money out of it? Since self-publishing on Amazon, it seems; I sometimes wonder if a lot of people who self-pub now never wrote before Kindles.

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H.M. Jones
12/7/2015 10:17:33 am

We are kindred in that way, it seems. I can't keep myself from writing. It's a passion not a chore. It's a joy. :) Happy writing, Terry.

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E J Frost
12/7/2015 12:42:33 pm

Heh, I do that thing in the car, too. And I have the voice recorder in my phone that I use to capture ideas. My family thinks I'm nuts, but I hate having a great plot or character idea when I'm doing the grocery shopping or waiting in line at the post office and then not being able to remember it later. I don't hold out any hope for my child being normal . . .
But, you know, normal people are kind of boring anyway. And I seriously doubt they care about my Amazon ranking (nor do I, actually).
I write because I die a little inside every day I don't write. Nice to know there are other people out there who do, too. :)

Reply
H.M. Jones
12/7/2015 08:11:04 pm

EJ, thanks for your comments. I really need a recorder. It would be so much safer than my crazy notebook. I can barely read what I scribble and I tend to pull off to do so. Great call there. I see I'm in good company, either way. :)

Yes. Writing is so energizing. For me, if I'm depressed I automatically write. I need to, to feel a little alive again. Happy writing!

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    Author

    H.M Jones is the author of B.R.A.G Medallion Honor and NIEA finalist book Monochrome, its prequel Fade to Blue, the Adela Darken Graphic Novellas, Al Ravien's Night, The Immortals series, and several short stories. 

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  • H.M. Jones: Author, Blogger, Geek
  • Novels
  • Short Stories
  • Poetry
  • Thinking of Writing: Writing is Thinking
  • Naughty Donnie
  • Follow/Contact H.M. Jones