The Word Cloud

<!-- /* Style Definitions */ p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal {mso-style-parent:""; margin:0in; margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:12.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-ansi-language:EN-NZ;} @page Section1 {size:8.5in 11.0in; margin:1.0in 1.25in 1.0in 1.25in; mso-header-margin:.5in; mso-footer-margin:.5in; mso-paper-source:0;} div.Section1 {page:Section1;} -->  

Something that I wrote and put up in the Critiques section has got me thinking about why I write at all. You can probably guess which piece from the title of this.

 

First of all, why did I write Hammer and Anvil? It is an incomplete tale about two thoroughly objectionable characters without a single redeeming feature between them. Their only saving grace was to get themselves killed by a marginally less objectionable character.

 

I wrote it to see if I could. That’s the simple answer. I had never written anything like it before; when I wrote I tended to pussy foot around the bad bits. Bland villains just don’t cut it.  So I set out to do a piece featuring thoroughly objectionable men doing thoroughly objectionable things (including Ronny’s attitude to women). I wanted to write a piece that people would read despite being repulsed by what they were reading.

 

That’s not to say that I’ll ever write anything quite like that again, but it served its purpose. I found that I could. Now, when I get to the bad bits in future I can tackle them head on without pussy footing about.

 

All of which is fine for that piece, but why? Why was I bothering to breathe any life into those two dimensional scum bags? Why did I want to be able to write better bad bits? What for?

 

The answer has proven to be very simple. I write because I want to tell a tale that someone else will read and enjoy. I can’t say I have a grand idea for an epic novel gnawing at me demanding to be written. Not at all. From time to time something occurs to me that I think will make a good story. I want to be able to write those stories well enough for people (preferably lots of people) to want to read them. I get my payoff from writing by having someone else say, “That was good; I liked that.” That makes me want to write something else.

 

If a publisher wants to say that, and pay me a huge some of money for something I’ve written I certainly won’t complain. Isn’t having someone pay to read your work because they want to read it the ultimate compliment?

 

But at the end of the day, if I keep finding a few people to say, “That was good, I liked that,” I’ll keep on writing.