Randomness

[loracs]

What motivates a writer? I’m thinking primarily of fiction writers. Does one believe they have something so unique to say, it must be recorded?

Is the motivation different when payment is involved? I’ve heard tales of the pulp writers of the last century, when paid by the word, padding, when possible, with long expository paragraphs. I’m reminded of my school days and the assignments with a required word length. Oh how I loved to put two sentences together with that wonderful little preposition “and” – it was got me one word closer to my goal. And never let the title speak for itself, always repeat it in the first sentence. My other trick when I was a little short, go back over the piece and find places where I could add a question at the beginning of a paragraph. “So exactly how did I end up in the apple tree on that hot summer day, you might ask?” That’s good for 19 MORE words.

This word count thing isn’t where my thoughts started this morning, but there you have it, my brain at work. And since I’m at work, I guess I should be working. Now, there is a unique idea. 8-)

Comments

[purplerabbit.livejournal.com]

The characters talk to me. Bug me. Drive me insane unless I write down what they tell me to write. Sometimes they wake me up in the night, saying that was a good dream we gave you, now write it down.

I use to think I was crazy because I heard voices in my head. Now I know that all writers are crazy.

My other two motivations have to do with a kind of kink response. Writing turns me on. I love to write. It always makes me wet and now days it can even make me come. And I am an exhibitionist about it. I get turned on by being read as well.