My Thoughts on Writing - Answers to Good Questions

The following questions were posted over on Coming Down The Mountain, by Karen Jones Gowen. I thought I would answer them here.

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Are you excited about the idea of people reading your work, or would you rather keep it private? 

I share my flash fiction, but not my WIP book. My flash fiction stories are very short (about 500-700 words) they make for a quick read, so sharing them is easy.

Do you have an audience in mind when you write?

Yes, for my WIP book. No, for my flash fiction pieces.

Have you always wanted to write a book? 

No. I have always been a storyteller though, so it may be a natural progression.

If you have written your book, do you feel satisfied with it or discouraged and disappointed?

My current WIP book elicits many feelings. As to my flash fiction stories I feel satisfied with them.

How many forms of writing do you like to do? For example, journaling, poetry, blogging, fiction, personal stories, or memoir? 

I like all of those, but don’t do any daily or with serious intent – other than stewing over my current WIP.

Is your voice the same regardless of the format?

No, my WIP book voice is not what I use for writing flash fiction. On rare occasion my flash writing can take on a different voice too.

If you have published a book, what do you think determines how well it sells?

As a reader of published books I think it’s the “capture” that sells a book. How quickly I am pulled into a story, and held captive, is what I think makes a book sell.

How do you feel about critical reviews? Do you shrug and move on, or do you feel devastated by them?

I think reader reviews in general can be biased by personal viewpoints.

However, having a critical first reader for my WIP book has been very helpful. I appreciated the frank honesty of my first reader and knowing she was not afraid to tell me why she was losing interest (and when and where in the story this was happening).

Stephen King, in his memoir On Writing, wrote about his wife, Tabatha, not liking something he had written and told him to get rid of it – he said it was akin to “throwing the baby out with the bathwater” but that it needed to be done no matter how much he liked what he had written.

Critical readers (those in the trenches with the writer) are hard to come by. 

Do you feel that book publishing only counts if it's done in a certain way, such as through an agent or a particular publishing company?

No, I think self-publishing nowadays is a viable option – so long as the writer is a good editor or has one.

However, having a publishing team (with copy editing, illustrators, marketing, and more) can only make the process easier on the writer, and the book more successful.

The true success, however, is in the actual writing – have I captured my reader, captivated them until the end? If not, no amount of help from a great team will rescue my baby. Again… may I stress editing; it can kill the baby if left unattended.

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In ending this post I would like to say…

I have never written a word with the soul purpose of fame or money. I write purely for me and if my writing touches a reader along the way – more the joy and happiness for me, and hopefully for them too.

My mother was my greatest first reader, sadly she is no longer with me. Fortunately she got me through the rough patches of my current WIP book – seaming it together has been easier because of her critical eye. And, let me say this, she did not spare my “feelings” as many a baby was tossed in the process. I dedicate my writing to her.

 

Until the next post…

I leave you with 2 questions:

If you write, why do you write?

If you read, what holds you to the end?