Write what you love?

dancing-drama · Jul 10, 2012

If a thread like this has been done before, I apologize.

I like doing #1k1hr on Twitter. Basically a group of strangers gets together and tries to write 1k words within one hour and after sixty minutes they tell each other their total number and 'good job' etc.

I was in a #1k1hr session with this woman who said she tried writing YA. I was all happy, throwing stuff like "Welcome to the club!" and "Nice to see new writers in YA!" at her. Her answer shocked me.

Thanks Yasemin, never did YA before. But if it helps get me published, I'll give it a try.

(I corrected the spelling mistakes...)

This. I mean?! What the... I was aiming to strangle my computer.
I love YA. I read so much YA and I make my friends read the books I love, so they can fall in love with them, too.
And this woman wants to win a place in my bookshelf, not because she loves what she does but because she thinks it's easier to get published as a YA author?!

What happened to "Write what you love!"?

Stiger05 · Jul 10, 2012

What happened is people see a trend, a money train, and want to hop on and ride it to the bank. It's not that different from our discussion a week or two ago about the Kardashian sisters writing a YA. Nor is it that far from people who already write YA, but cater their style to whatever is popular (hopping from wizards, to PR, to dystopian for example). Even John Grisham and James Patterson jumped on the kidlit train.

It's sad if you ask me, but the kind of person who says "I only write YA because I think it will get published easier" is the same kind of person who self-publishes after being rejected 100 times instead of moving on to the next project and working to improve.

KateSmash · Jul 10, 2012

^ Ding ding ding! All of that lovely post up there.

(With the caveat that it's ok to jump genres if that's what you do. Just not to try and catch the speeding trend-train.)

Not everyone writes for the love of writing and storytelling. People see the huge success stories - Smeyer for example - and see a get rich quick scheme. Those wash out quickly. Others just want their name in print without regard for craft or art or passion or many of things we tend to value in writing. Really can't do anything about them but sigh and shrug it off.

lorna_w · Jul 10, 2012

yeah, I've never seen anything like that here on AW.

It's most irksome when people say it about whatever they despise. "I'll lower myself to write (insert despised genre here) because I'm sure it can sell."

1) If the stuff in the genre you love ain't selling, what you dash off with a stinking attitude won't either

2) Most readers can tell. They know their genre. They know sincerity and its lack. If you made it past an agent and editor, I'd be surprised.

3) If you're trying to get rich writing, really, pick another career. Exotic dancing. Building bridges. selling leather mugs at the Ren Faire. Something!

Krissy Reynolds · Jul 10, 2012

It's a sad thing that people do this. I understand wanting to shift genres for the sake of trying something different, but not for money or for the sake of being published.

Regardless, it will come back and get them. Their lack of passion for the genre will reflect in their work or in their attitude, and like you all said will make it hard for readers, agents, and publishers to jump on board with them.

But, if they do, then they have to live with it. Let's face it, writing a book is only part of it. There is the publicity/promotion aspect about it, so each and everyday they are going to be forced to suck it up and pretend that they haven't "lowered themselves" and talk about their book and the genre like they like it.

Just because the book is published and you get a nice check, doesn't mean your job is over. Months if not years of their lives will involve this genre they don't truly care about, which I think would make most people miserable. In their case, I won't feel as bad since they asked for it.

veinglory · Jul 10, 2012

I think you can learn to love your genre. That is kind of what happened to me and romance. My initial reason for writing it was mainly publication-opportunity related.

DanielaTorre · Jul 10, 2012

Perhaps she you misinterpreted what she meant... lol. I hardly doubt that, but honest to God, there are writers like that. For some reason they have dollar signs permanently tattooed on their eyeballs. As if writing and getting your work published is so easy.

I write because I love to write. In the back of my mind I do dream the dream, but I'm not actively seeking wads of cash. Hell, I'm even traumatize by the stories I've read of authors who are forced to keep their day jobs because the royalties are so low. I'll just be happy when someone reads something I care very much about.

eternalised · Jul 10, 2012

Unfortunately this happens all too often. Sometimes the other way around is true as well. When I told my friends I was going to try and write a chapter book (after previously having written primarily YA) they all asked: "Why, because it's easier to sell?" I doubt it. But I'm not writing it for sales, but because I'd love to try it once. I'm not sure if I will love writing it - I love reading it though - because I've never tried. I don't love doing it? All right, then I'm never doing it again.

Anyway, to keep on topic, it's sad some people write genres because they sell and not because it's what they love, but I guess it's one of the many truths of publishing and writing. Consider the possibility she may actually start to like writing YA. It might happen.

Perks · Jul 10, 2012

The proof, as always, is in the pudding. I'd rather have an excellent book, cynically written, than a mediocre book soggy with passion.

Motivation a such a personal, complex potion. Luckily, readers don't have to concern themselves with the whys of what we do.

DanielaTorre · Jul 10, 2012

Perks said:
The proof, as always, is in the pudding. I'd rather have an excellent book, cynically written, than a mediocre book soggy with passion.

Motivation a such a personal, complex potion. Luckily, readers don't have to concern themselves with the whys of what we do.

Amen to that!

But unfortunately this generation is riddled with mediocrity. The music is mediocre at best, books have been written simplistically, for simpletons, the media, television... and the list goes on and on. I say we rip the warning labels off of everything and let mother nature do the rest.

Ramble, ramble. Sorry, I was getting depressed. I'm not saying everything is mediocre (I understand it's also attributed to taste) but I wanted to get that off my chest.
Keep calm and write on.

fireluxlou · Jul 10, 2012

Well people want to make money or live off what they love somehow..

No different from ghost writers i suppose? The animorphs series has several books that were ghost written.

thebloodfiend · Jul 10, 2012

Hmm... well, I do write YA because it's easier to get an agent and sell a book in this market than it is in the market I'd really like to be writing for -- the screenplay market. My motivations don't mean I'm less passionate , or that it's easier to write good YA. Just that it's easier to sell.

What bothers me is the attitude that it's easy to write YA. It's not. The market is just booming. Romance, from what I've heard, is the best selling genre. Romance writers get a lot of shit. IMO, writing romance isn't easier than writing literary fiction. But there are more markets, more agents willing to rep, and more readers, therefore, it's an easier sell. I don't fault anyone wanting an easy sell. I fault those who jump on a booming market, thinking they'll fart out an MS because YA/romance readers will read anything.

thebloodfiend · Jul 10, 2012

fireluxlou said:
Well people want to make money or live off what they love somehow..

No different from ghost writers i suppose? The animorphs series has several books that were ghost written.

More than 50% of the Animorphs books were ghostwritten or co-written by Michael Grant, KA Applegate's SO.

fireluxlou · Jul 10, 2012

thebloodfiend said:
More than 50% of the Animorphs books were ghostwritten or co-written by Michael Grant, KA Applegate's SO.

I don't really blame people for writing to make money at all even if it's following trends, writing books, ghostwriting, writing articles etc. As long as you get the audience people will keep coming back.

Rhoda Nightingale · Jul 10, 2012

Honestly...that quote doesn't strike me as terribly offensive. Maybe I'm just in an optimistic/forgiving mood, but it's so difficult to interpret tone or intention through the internet. So she's trying out a category that she hasn't written in before, and hoping it brings her success. *shrug* I'm not bothered by that attitude.

triceretops · Jul 10, 2012

I'm all over the genre map, but I do so to see where my strengths lie and what people think of my prose. I've had a lot of people try and push toward YA, because they think I'm a natural at it, including my agent. This helps somewhat, but I still can't loose my interest in other genres, and occasionally bust out of the stall to write them. Time will tell. Kind of waiting for NYC to tell me where I truly belong. If that happens, I'll lead with that genre. Everything else has been practice.

tri

WildScribe · Jul 10, 2012

Perks said:
The proof, as always, is in the pudding. I'd rather have an excellent book, cynically written, than a mediocre book soggy with passion.

Motivation a such a personal, complex potion. Luckily, readers don't have to concern themselves with the whys of what we do.

I like this quite a bit! I have certain genres that I have always loved and always read, but I sometimes write in other genres, either to stretch myself or because I see more opportunities for publication in that genre. As Veinglory said, you can choose to write in a particular genre for publication and come to love it.

leahzero · Jul 10, 2012

Passion doesn't pay the bills.

/realtalk

Nicole River · Jul 10, 2012

Having tried that (writing in another genre because of publication opportunities) I can say that no, you don't always grow to love your genre. And the genre didn't grow to love me much either

Writing books is one of those things where you need at least some passion, like it or not. Sure, you could, in theory, write a terrific book cynically as Perks put it... but you'd have to be twice as talented and work twice as hard as everyone else in the genre. I'll paraphrase another saying I heard somewhere: passion is like an orgasm. Hard to hide, and even harder to fake.

So, having been there and done that, I decided I'd rather write what I love and fail. Yeah.

Cybernaught · Jul 10, 2012

Sadly there's no market out there for the stories and characters that I love to write, so I'm limited in what I could actually ever hope to sell.

With that being said, I think just having a general love for storytelling is enough of a reason to experiment in different genres as any.

Cyia · Jul 10, 2012

So what if someone wants to write a book for money? It has no bearing on why you choose to write, and it has no bearing on whether or not they/you get published.

Millions write, but millions do not get published.

Millions upload to Amazon, but millions do not make a living at it.

Millions post to YouTube in hopes of being discovered, but millions to not get noticed.

Millions try get-rich-quick schemes, but millions do not turn a profit at them.

Just because someone announces they're jumping on this trend or that doesn't meant they'll catch the wave in time, and if they do, then they still have to convince agent/editor/reader the book's worth their time and/or money. And if they can do that, even in a genre/age bracket they've never tried before, then more power to them.

Perks · Jul 10, 2012

And if someone jumps to slot into the pipe at the "right time", perhaps it's passion for the craft, for the opportunity to connect with the readers, over affiliation for a specific genre. If they have that kind of flexibility, good on them. That, in and of itself, is no less noble or artistic than dedication to a particular type of story.

I figure our aspirations are like swimming pools - they've got both a shallow and a deep end.

Smile Steady · Jul 11, 2012

DanielaTorre said:
I say we rip the warning labels off of everything and let mother nature do the rest.

Bahaha...

I don't have much to add. I just think that without SOME passion or desire to write this genre, the end product won't be of much quality.

wampuscat · Jul 11, 2012

Maybe she was just trying it out to see how it fit. I think it's good for writers to try out other genres and categories to see what comes most naturally to them, fits the story, etc.

Or maybe not. Maybe she just does think it's easier to get published in YA because "it's just for teens" or "the market is booming." Every genre and category has its stereotypes.

shadowwalker · Jul 12, 2012

Passion is over-rated. If one enjoys writing, why not go with a genre that has the best chance of publication or making at least some money? It's like someone who enjoys woodworking - why not go with kitchen cabinets instead of desks, if kitchen cabinets make one more money? It's still woodworking and you still have to be good at it.

Write what you love?

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