I don't get why so many aspiring writers are so concerned with word count. If you don't have anything interesting to write about, why force it? Words convey ideas. But for some reason, a lot of people seem to think that a high volume of words will somehow engender ideas in itself.

Actually, I don't get why writing would be something to which to aspire. People come at it from this "Oh, I want to make a lot of money! And I sort of like writing..." angle, so they treat it like their job and maybe eke out enough money to eat. If you have something to say, then say it and move on.

I just can't buy that it's a skill you can train. You either have it or you don't, and the people who have it usually aren't authors first and foremost.

Anybody who actually plans on trying to make money through creative writing is daft as hell.
I do it just 'cause I like to and maybe, just maybe, at least one person will also enjoy what I have written.

I think it's fair to say that people become writers for a multitude of reasons, like with anything else, & that the possibility of riches is just one of them. If you have the skills necessary to make a living by doing something that you enjoy, why not do so? I get that your comments are mostly directed at Koobie & that you're merely concerned that he may be writing for what you think are the wrong reasons but you should just say that & not lump a thousand years of writing into your tirade.


Do you honestly think that James Joyce or even Stephen King have some sort of writers gene? Of course it's a skill that one can improve in. There may be a lot of people that possess the discipline, imagination & skill necessary to produce a quality product with the written word & choose not to but that doesn't mean that they were just born with these abilities.

Well, I want to one day do it professionally. Which means that while I love writing, I must be able to sit down and write whether I feel "inspired" or not. Doing & finishing things separates success (even if not necessarily financial) from failure, I think.

It's like, if my heart would've been closer to cooking than writing, I'd take it every bit as seriously as I do writing: learn new recipes, watch cook shows, and, most importantly, practice, practice, practice. Like with most everything, the more you do it & the more you learn, the better you get.



I love stories. Books, short stories, video games, I find it all extremely entertaining... This is why I love writing stories. I enjoy creating stuff. I do it mostly for myself -- having stuff sell isn't even so much a monetary reward for me as it is a justification that other people (ie., editors or readers) like what I'm doing. It's a great encouragement. And if nobody buys my stuff, then it's an encouragement to get better.



It's a skill you can train. Some people are more naturally talented than others, of course, but people like me have no choice but to read a lot, learn how other people do it, and try to get progressively better.

Also, what Mentat said, except that I think that Stephen King perhaps does have some sort of writing gene. Mutant King FTW.

Peace & love.[/SIZE]

Another reason writers constantly write and try to go for quantity over quality is that it's impossible to consistently deliver quality all the time. Getting a lot of your bad ideas out and on paper, as well as learning to separate your editor brain from your writing brain, gives you the tools to write well when it counts.

I said I was going to do Nano, but in practice last month I wasn't hitting anywhere near the word count I need to, and unfortunately the only idea I can't seem to get out of my head is a graphic novel.

No, no, that's perfect. You'll only need 50 pictures.

The story of my life.

Well, per the OP, I'm participating in it this year as I did last year. Didn't hit their asked for hit point, got about to 30k. It was fun though, and I like writing stuff and have written plenty of short stories. Granted, my ideas for this are generally border-line insane and probably make for better comics or movies, like last years "Zombie/Demon/Alien/Dinosaur Apocalypse" story. Granted, the overall wackiness was fun to write.