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Should you write what you love, or what you think the world wants?

gerard quain

gerard quain

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The great question, so often asked, here is my take on it, I write poetry, its niche at best, and in my case for those that read , an acquired taste, would I change , would I spend my day's writing affirmations, or haiku's no would be answer , not that there is anything wrong with it , but its not me, do I ever expect to make money writing my particular brand of poetry, no, it would be a life bonus, but I am not delusional enough to believe that what I write has a universal charm , it has not , it is too , harsh for some, and not harsh enough for others, so do I write for an audience, no I write for me , and if one other individual likes it , then I feel like an elated life saver, who has just saved another life, one person, seeing in my poetry something of worth is enough for me.
 
sparkchaser said:
I guess it depends on what your end purpose is: express yourself or make money.
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This is so true, it's not for any airy ideal I wrote what I wrote , but to me the poetry is where it begins and ends, let's be honest, I live in a recession hit country, I have seen my pension been cut by thirty percent in less than two years, so I know how hard it is to pay bill's and live day by day and have a life, but my poetry for it's worth, is my epitaph, and that can't be bought
 
I write my beliefs and emotions. For the drawer, and maybe my children, and definitely love poems to my wife.

I like my poems. And if they appeal to someone else too, that's nice.

But definitely not a poet
Peder
 
I write stories that mean something to me. Which would explain why I don't make a lot of money at it.

I've been told by people they won't read one of my books, A Dog of War, because it deals with the Holocaust, has animal death in it, is sad, etc.

If I was given the option of having an international best seller on the condition I never wrote A Dog of War, I wouldn't take the offer. That book is a part of my soul.
 
Peder said:
I write my beliefs and emotions. For the drawer, and maybe my children, and definitely love poems to my wife.

I like my poems. And if they appeal to someone else too, that's nice.

But definitely not a poet
Peder
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anyone and everyone, can be a poet, I only ascribe the title to myself , because I think I am good, but that remains to be proved on so many levels
 
regdog said:
I write stories that mean something to me. Which would explain why I don't make a lot of money at it.

I've been told by people they won't read one of my books, A Dog of War, because it deals with the Holocaust, has animal death in it, is sad, etc.

If I was given the option of having an international best seller on the condition I never wrote A Dog of War, I wouldn't take the offer. That book is a part of my soul.
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You had a story to tell, if the person who wrote "boy in striped pyjama's" had listened to all the publishers that said no , he would not have had hit, certainly if based on content, when you have a story to tell , it forces you to do it
 
I think that there ought to be a balance between the two. Writing something just to make money is never a good idea, but at the same time if you want to publish what you have written, then one has to make sure that it is readable to the market that you are wanting to sell it to. One can not really be on one side or the other of this fence.

But if one is just writing for yourself then you must just write for you. It just gets a bit tricky once you start wanting to publish or sell your work.
 
I think regardless of for whom you are writing you must first write to please yourself because if you don't your writing will suffer for it and first and foremost it is what is good that sells. Any good editor should be able to shape a manuscript into something sellable - and yes, while poetry doesn't usually make the best seller lists, there is a place for it and there are many lively corners where it is spoken, sung, read, quoted, performed, and sold.
 
Sparhawk said:
I think that there ought to be a balance between the two. Writing something just to make money is never a good idea, but at the same time if you want to publish what you have written, then one has to make sure that it is readable to the market that you are wanting to sell it to. One can not really be on one side or the other of this fence.

But if one is just writing for yourself then you must just write for you. It just gets a bit tricky once you start wanting to publish or sell your work.
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well thank you for reply, the sad truth of me is i am way better poet than marketeer , but that said it is my passion , and I love what I write, which makes me terrible judge
 
Meadow337 said:
I think regardless of for whom you are writing you must first write to please yourself because if you don't your writing will suffer for it and first and foremost it is what is good that sells. Any good editor should be able to shape a manuscript into something sellable - and yes, while poetry doesn't usually make the best seller lists, there is a place for it and there are many lively corners where it is spoken, sung, read, quoted, performed, and sold.
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this is very true, but as I have said many times , if it was easy , I would not do it
 
gerard quain said:
You had a story to tell, if the person who wrote "boy in striped pyjama's" had listened to all the publishers that said no , he would not have had hit, certainly if based on content, when you have a story to tell , it forces you to do it
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Absolutely. I had to write that story. It kept turning over and over in my mind. I put 11 years into ADOW and it was so worth it. To this day, the greatest feeling I have ever had was when I held my author's copy from my publisher.
 
Meadow337 said:
I think regardless of for whom you are writing you must first write to please yourself because if you don't your writing will suffer for it and first and foremost it is what is good that sells. Any good editor should be able to shape a manuscript into something sellable - and yes, while poetry doesn't usually make the best seller lists, there is a place for it and there are many lively corners where it is spoken, sung, read, quoted, performed, and sold.
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I totally agree with you on this :) you must always love what you are doing.
 
regdog said:
Absolutely. I had to write that story. It kept turning over and over in my mind. I put 11 years into ADOW and it was so worth it. To this day, the greatest feeling I have ever had was when I held my author's copy from my publisher.
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great to read that , thanks
 
I have to say I don't get the whole vampire thing. It is most definately time to move onto something readable! :)
 
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