bard... if you'd doubt their 'true' motivation, if they're 'thinking about money and success,' what do you think it really might be, then? and why would they be lying?
I don't remember saying anyone was lying, if you can show me where then maybe I could address the issue. If you look back further in the thread you'll see that I have changed my mind with regard to success, after giving it some reasoned consideration I concede I was wrong. As for art for money, then I remain of the same opinion. If money becomes a bi-product of your labours then fine, but it shouldn't be your motivation. Any artist with integrity does it for the love of their art, not the monetary gain. Bard x
to 'doubt' one's 'true' motivation certainly implies that you believe they're lying... either to themselves or to you/others...
It may imply it, but as we both know implication is open to individual interpretation. There can be many reasons why ones "true" motivation can be questioned and not all of them are based on assuming that someone is knowingly lying to anyone.
Well, recognition for your art does also make you happier, doesn't it? Otherwise, none of us would publish their writings on this board, I would think. And, truth be told, if someone would pay me sufficiently for it, I would stay at home and write all day, maybe have some kids on the side, etc, but, you know... But no-one does, alas...
Ah, you think this is true, but when a past time or hobby suddenly garners you some income, when writing at your own pace, with your own ideas becomes subject to the desires of your "fan base", when marketing and price point become the stronger mechanisms for success, more than the actual art itself, and when your freedom is traded for the price of currency, then you may not be willing to stay at home all day. I'd guess, for most writers, that writing is a form of escapism, much like reading is to readers. It certainly is for me! I love writing! It's an outlet for the troubles and curiousities of my soul. I look forward to writing, to see where it will lead, and what problems will develop, and how I will solve them. BUT, the key is that I CHOOSE to write, and the choice is not made for me. It's the same old "work from home in your pajamas" idea. everyone wants to make money sitting at the computer in their pj's, but no one ever realizes that by day 3, you've completely forgotten that you're wearing pj's, and now you've got the added benefit of bringing work related stress into your pj world. Before, pj's were your "me time", your safety-net where you could let your hair down and break away from the world. But soon, they become your work attire and you have one less release in life. AAARRGGHH!!!! But I digress... needless to say, I have a bit of a problem with turning a hobby into a business. If you want to make money, treat your writing like a job. It's the only way you won't feel cheated in the long run. I started a coffee business because I had a passion for amazing coffee, and it seemed everyone wanted it. It took me 3 years of paradigm shifting before I considered myself and started acting like a business owner and not a hobby-ist. Unfortunately, the transition didn't happen quickly enough, and destroyed my business. In the end, it wasn't about the coffee, but about getting recievables in, keeping creditors at bay, and trying to stay out of the red. It had nothing to do with coffee whatsoever by the end. I think writing professionally is probably just as difficult a transition, and thank God it is so hard to get published! Because I think there are so many writers who would end up hating their craft if they had any degree of success. You may never know just how blessed you are if you never get published. Okay, sorry for the tirade, but the wounds are still a little fresh from the loss of my coffee business. I certainly don't mean to take it out on anyone. Nor do I mean to discourage anyone from pursuing a writing career. However, I think that the grass may be just as green on the unpublished side of writing. No really, tirade done.
Success isnt anything im personally looking for, never have, never will. For me, id just love to have an idea, or jusr some spark for a story (which i do), AND successfully complete it (hard for me, cause im always finding something to fix, which isnt a bad thing). THAT is my success. Getting published though isnt essential and if anything would probably screw with my head. Mind you im the kind of person that only wants to complete a story (done well), and POD a handful of copies for close friends/family for christmas presents one day
S-wo... Do you ever get the feeling that when you post a question on here that people look at the question and think to themselves: "How can I answer this question in a way that makes me look like I'm thinking outside the box?" rather than: "How do I really feel about this question?" It just seems to me that people sometimes are thinking more about how they are coming off and less about the answer to the question. Just an Observation. Anyway, to answer your question, I think anytime is a great time to get published. If you get published you must be doing something right and that to me seems like some measure of success that would be worth my happiness. Perhaps it might be very very slightly advantageous to be published in a booming economy, but I think readers are readers no matter what.
I write for the fun of it, but if I ever actually start writing, I'd write for the sole purpose of fortune and fame. I don't write for the public, and I don't write for some vague self-satisfaction. I write to get lots and lots of money.
Meh. It'd be nice to be published, but it ain't going to happen. But I'll keep churning the pages out, so the motivation must come from another deeper, more personal, and probably stupider, place.
I'm not so much wanting to be a great success than I am putting my work out there to have people read and critique. Its my job as the author to put the stories to their full potential and make them as great as they can be, not to sell out and become a grand success. Yes, it would be nice to become the next Stephen King, but its not on the top of my list of priorities.
