Whose Career Would You Most Want to Emulate?

KateSmash

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I can't believe I didn't answer this the first time.

If I grow up to be Scott Westerfeld, that'd be pretty ok. Long series, short books, cyberpunk, dystopian, dieselpunk with a biopunk twist, science vampires, dark fantasy - the whole spectrum of spec fic exists in his wheelhouse. Plus he's always a half-step ahead of the big trend (Uglies and Peeps both came out just before dystopian sand vampires got huge respectively) and a very large, passionate fan base while managing not to blow up into overexposure.

I wouldn't complain about becoming Tamora Pierce either (in an updated cross-genre way). That kind of longevity is hard to come by.
 

CQuinlan

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Neil Gaiman I suppose. No other reason than he's allowed to be as weird as he likes. *shrugs
 

BekkahSmith

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Definitely Maggie Stiefvater. I adore her books, and she is so personable. She's down to earth and actually takes time to interact with readers. I wouldn't mind Cassie Clare's either, but Maggie's got the perfect balance I think.
 
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Emermouse

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Susan Beth Pfeiffer. She's written some damn good books (The Dead and the Gone) and she's had a steady career.
 

cherita

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Ooh, I like this question, even if it is four years old! As far as careers I'd like to emulate, I would say Lauren Oliver. I love her writing (even if I don't love all of her books), and she's a bestseller, but I also like that she's gotten entrepreneurial and started her own publishing company (well, technically it's not a publisher but a "literary incubator"). Career-wise, I think that's an interesting and smart move.
 

endearing

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Ooh, such a fun question. I'd probably say a blend of Gail Carson Levine and Shannon Hale. I really like Gail Carson Levine's books, but they tend to be more MG-esque. Now, I do like MG (some of my favorite books of all time are MG), but I also like the more intricate plots, characters, and worlds built into more staunchly YA books, like Hale's. Hale, like Levine, has gotten prestigious awards and done well, though I personally wish her books would sell more, because I really, really like her. Also, with Hale, what I admire is that she has written a lot of books, and she definitely has a style I can recognize as belonging to her, but it doesn't seem to have a "type" as restricted as, for example, Levine's, or Dessen's, or Green's.
 

shahrazad

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I wouldn't mind Rowling's career, but I think Chuck Palahniuk's would be awesome (without the initial rejection, of course!). Two movie adaptations, success in multiple genres, and a cult following? Sounds good to me!
I second this.

Or Neil Gaiman. I'm not too into his stuff, but his career overall seems like a sweet ride.
 
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J.S.F.

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Uh...my own, really. I mean, some of the writers mentioned have written some pretty incredible works and while I admire and respect the way they write, emulating them is merely wish fulfillment. I'd rather do that on my own with my own imagination, wits and will.

Money's cool, though, that I'll grant. But if I'm going to make any money off my hobby--and right now writing is just a hobby unless I suddenly start selling boatloads of my novels (SEE LINK, YES, I'M ADVERTISING:D) then I'm not gonna give up my day job, not yet.

Besides, I've been fortunate enough to have traveled to over twenty countries in my lifetime, lived in two foreign countries (England and now Japan, the latter for half my life!), learned to speak two other foreign languages, and have gained some insight into a totally different culture. All of that has helped me in some capacity as a writer. As for the other author's experiences, they're totally cool, but really, my life is my own and my writing reflects that.
 

what?

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Uh...my own, really.
The questions wasn't, which writer you want to be (although some answers are to that), but whose career you'd like to have.

So the question assumes that you write your own stuff in your own way and remain yourself in your own life, and only asks what kind of success you'd like to have. And I'm pretty sure everyone wants to earn tons of money with their writing. Anyone who says they don't want millions to buy their books are lying. The only difference will be in how much fame and public exposure we want. I'd rather be rich and anonymous that having paparazzi track my kids, but obviously some dream of being interviewed whenever they go shopping for groceries.

So, no one really asked you to be someone else.
 

J.S.F.

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Oh, okay, got it. If that's the case, I'd be Neil Gaiman as he writes cool stuff and doesn't care who he pisses off.

Oh yeah, and the cash. I'll take that, too.
 

Kayley

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Veronica Roth.

A smart writer.

I was going to say Veronica too, specifically in regards to how her career progressed. Her series became wildly popular and spawned a movie, in which she got a cameo. As an author who also aspires to be an actress, I would love to interact with my story in that way. Not to mention that I love red carpets, press interviews, etc. The only difference, I think, is that I'd want to continue writing after the success of my first series. Veronica seems to have stopped, which is completely fine, but I personally would want to expand into other stories.
 

J.S.Fairey

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If we're talking novelists, I'll echo many others and say Neil Gaiman. He writes novels, short stories, scripts and he gets to write for DOCTOR WHO. Who wouldn't want that?

I wouldn't mind Steven Moffat's career as well, to be honest. Doctor Who AND Sherlock? Actually, scrap that, Mark Gatiss. Gets all of that fantastic writing material without the pressure of show running, and he gets to act!
 

LadyA

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I think I actually want to BE Maggie Stiefvater. She's an amazing writer, funny and engaging online, can play a ton of instruments, and her artwork is stunning.
As a mediocre (if enthusiastic) artist, and a lapsed flautist, I envy her her talents - and her huge book deal advances! ;)
 

Bing Z

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How come nobody mentioned Harper Lee?

Write a book. Make $9,000 a day. Donate $1m to UNICEF every year. Retire to Alabama the Bahamas. Play WoW, DOTA, Flapping Bird, etc for the rest of my life.
 

Ellaroni

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I second Maggie Stiefvater. She writes like a goddess - and she can draw AND play instruments too?!
 

IdrisG

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I'd like to emulate Rowling's. I'd love to be able to influence a generation the way she has. The billions wouldn't hurt either.
 

Sage

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Yep, I've got to vote for JKR. To have some of the most beloved books of all time would be amazing.

The billions wouldn't hurt either.
That too.
 

Becca C.

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How come nobody mentioned Harper Lee?

Write a book. Make $9,000 a day. Donate $1m to UNICEF every year. Retire to Alabama the Bahamas. Play WoW, DOTA, Flapping Bird, etc for the rest of my life.

Is this all stuff Harper Lee actually does? Because the thought of her playing WoW in the Bahamas amuses me to no end.
 

Ken

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Jean Craighead George. Awesome writer. Prolific too. And I am sure that besides me she gave so very many readers pleasure via her fine nature stories ^..^