To who are your stories written to?

[Marzipan]

Question:

 

Do you write for yourself? Or do you have some audience in mind?

 

My answer:

 

First and foremost I write to myself. If someone else gets entertained by my imaginary rambling, that is a huge bonus!

 

One exception: I have a story going on, that I have been writing one lovely person in my heart. It's not directed to her, but I really really want her to like it. Is that weird or common? Nobody has seen it yet and it's funny 'cause I usually have tons of discussions about my stories with my friends and editors and co-writers. This one I don't wanna share before it is in one piece.

[Agaith]

I write for myself first and foremost too. My current story was originally a place for me to get my feelings down and it went from there. I only decided to post it on here because I thought a few people might be interested. Even after posting it I still write for myself which is why I never push myself to write each day. If I did the quality would be poor, if i want to write the quality tends to be ok.

 

There we go my two cents

[Marzipan]

I write for myself first and foremost too. My current story was originally a place for me to get my feelings down and it went from there. I only decided to post it on here because I thought a few people might be interested. Even after posting it I still write for myself which is why I never push myself to write each day. If I did the quality would be poor, if i want to write the quality tends to be ok.

 

There we go my two cents

 

 

Gosh, if I had to write for living, I'd not be able to produce anything. I'd die poor and hungry! The stories that come are not be forsed, they are welcomed.

[AnytaSunday]

Um, hehe, I LOVE to write and I only write the types of stories I love to read myself, but I do write for others. I want others to read and enjoy it, too.

 

As for wanting a special person to like the story in particular, I think that happens a fair bit. I've done this too and have been disappointed by the response though, just make sure that first and foremost you write the story you want to write and have read.

 

[Frostina]

I dunno abt writing stories.. much.. However I do know about writing something, with someone in mind and wanting desperately for them to like it... it so happened in my case that almost everything i ever wrote came in forms of letters.. my diaries are filled with them...

The tragic part of it is they become so personal that its very hard to share those words with anyone but the person you wrote them to/for. And that kinda kills the whole idea of a "story" for people to read, they just become.. well.. too personal... way too personal...

[Nephylim]

I just write. It isnt for me; it isn't for anyone else. It's like when you really want to pee and you have to go to the loo before you burst... and gods does it feel lovely when you do

[hh5]

I just write the story ... it takes time but I write it depending upon the task it is

 

I just finish my largest story ... its another story if it will ever be edited or publish on GA

 

I'm glad Nephy has alpha read the story as i wrote it ... she has help me with my thoughts and issues

of course the work of the story is still my milestone to work through to get the story done

 

Another question to the topic would be

 

Is your writing ... a style that people would read ?

 

Perhaps the comments or just the clicking of liking or not liking it will ever be the measure?

I guess that will also depend on the readers who know how to make use of the features of GA Stories.

or If they ever want to vote or even leave feed back is another story.

 

But I guess back to the topic ... your left with ... yourself to write ... perhaps to discover a skill to hone or help grow

or be left with your reason to just write

[Tipdin]

This is a good question, and one that I thought I could quickly answer. As I thought about it, I realized I was not really sure of what I had assumed would be my response.

 

After some reflection, I guess, ultimately, I write for me. Not the answer that I expected.

 

A hundred years ago, when I was a kid, I wrote stories as a way of correcting situations that I experienced. The kid that bullied me in real life was a victim in my story. The parent that yelled at me, suffered the anguish of loss, through kidnapping or some incredibly dramatic and tragic death scene....

 

Then when I suddenly "inherited" six children, I used to tell them bedtime stories, or we're-in-the-car-so-be-quiet stories. But most of the time the stories were secretly my own adventure desires. I was the young hero on the back of a dragon, or the victim that learned to be strong, overcoming a fear, or a bully's bullying. So, even then, I was telling stories for myself in a round about way.

 

The boy on the dragon, the victim of a bully, the simple guy with no self-confidence who overcame incredible odds, whoever the protagonist was, was some shadow of me. Sifting through the list of characters in my stories, I can usually pick out the character that embodies me - usually the main character. (Talk about ego!)

 

I am aware of a desire for others to read and enjoy my work. However, I think my writing is really a fantastical, adventurous way of keeping a diary; to express my own desires, angers, fears, etc...

 

The boy on the dragon developed into an epic of...well, epic proportions. I tried to address all the values and lessons I wanted to teach to my kids, all the fears that I knew they would have to face, all the stupid, vile things that would be forced upon them, just the stuff of life. I wanted to teach everything in a way that would captivate them. Preaching without pontificating - I hope. Or perhaps it was pontificating without the preaching, I'm not sure anymore.

 

That story grew in real life over decades. It spans countless lifetimes, from the time that humans are cavemen until they learn to live in ways that we would recognize today - all done on a planet that is wholly unlike our own. Dragons and pixies, talking fish and telepathic conversations, there seems to be nothing left out. The story actually became a teaching tool, yet still, it addressed life's issues in my way. Everything was from my personal point of view, i.e. what was good or bad, who was successful or not, why things worked well for some and poorly for others. It was a world according to me.

 

I used the story as a vehicle to impart knowledge in a way that I hoped would be effective while keeping my kids' attention. But ultimately, the story was about my own journey learning to deal with the way of the world.

[Marzipan]

I just write. It isnt for me; it isn't for anyone else. It's like when you really want to pee and you have to go to the loo before you burst... and gods does it feel lovely when you do

 

Oh Neph! That is just about the best description of an urge to write I have ever heard!

[JamesSavik]

I don't know that I write "for" anyone.

 

To me it is about creating something unique. I guess that's a personal rush that is for me.

 

It is not at all about exciting faux hipsters with lap-tops and scruffy goatees snarfing free wi-fi in coffee shops.