As a writer, I have been pondering on some questions. I asked some writers and their response is below:
Speaker I:
If you write a book to explore a question that you yourself don’t even know the answer to, then
you're filling a need.
You can’t force passion or choose your interests. Your interests choose you.
It's right if you're exploring a big question that you find meaningful, about a subject you're
passionate and curious about.
How can I demonstrate I'm the right author to write a book?
Because you're the only one who knows the story the way it needs to be written? As a writer, how
can I make my book fill a need?
Speaker 2:
1. As a writer, how can I make my book fill a need?
Is there a book you would like to read, but haven't found yet? Write that.
2. How can I be passionate about the subject matter?
You can't make yourself feel anything. This is one reason other writers here are so
unenthusiastic when someone says, "I have a great idea for a book I would like someone else to
write."
3. How can I demonstrate I'm the right author to write a book?
See numbers one and two above.
If you don't write the book you've wanted to read, you have a long wait for someone else to get
enthusiastic about the exact same idea. It has happened twice in my life, but I'm old.
Speaker 3:
1. I struggle with this one sometimes as a Christian because I feel I need to write something
about God or I'm not using my writing correctly. I think God will introduce me to the right
project when he's ready. I love to read fantasy adventure books and they filled a "need" because
I was a kid who loved adventure and reading books filled that "need".
2. Anything you're passionate about is something you should write about. If you aren't passionate
about it or enjoy what you're writing about, why are you writing it?
3. You're the right author because you're writing it.
Speaker 4:
I don't write to fill a need...that is, I don't look at something and tell myself I'm going to do
something about it. If something intrigues me, I will poke and prod to see if I can see a story
line and an interesting character. Then, if I can envision a way to attach a what-this-means to
the story, I will think about it.
And I am more than happy to pursue a story where I care about the character. If I care about her,
I will want to do my best for her...to make all the suffering I'm going to put her through worth
it, to mean something. If I cannot find that, I struggle...and sometimes set the story aside.
3. How can I demonstrate I'm the right author to write a book?
This question almost presumes that we are in a zero-sum world...that only one writer can create
the story. But that simply isn't true.
Someone said Amazon estimated there are 130 million titles in circulation...and that is probably
low. I've no idea how many that means per year, but I promise that more than a few deal with the
same story idea, similar settings, etc etc etc, all without plagiarizing.
Speaker 5:
1. As a writer, how can I make my book fill a need?
You're telling a story. You have a need to share this story with the world. That's the only need
you really need to fill.
2. How can I be passionate about the subject matter?
Find your passion and write about it, or research the ever living hell out of it.
3. How can I demonstrate I'm the right author to write a book?
Nobody else knows the story but you! If you have a story you want to tell, then who else is going
to write the book with that story in it but you? And even if you give the idea away, nobody's
going to be able to write that story quite like you can.
Speaker 6:
1. As a writer, how can I make my book fill a need?
I'm not a professional by any means, so I might be mistaken in my following thoughts.
I do believe there are two sides to this, and it depends on what your goal is as a writer.
If you're writing because you enjoy it or you have something specific to express, then you're
writing for yourself primarily, and you might not even have a care about how it does
commercially. To satisfy a personal need, you'll want to write about what interests you
personally, or what you feel the strongest about. Let your imagination run wild, seek
inspiration, and follow your artistic impulses.
If you're looking to become more of a commercial writer, then you're probably looking to fill a
need in the market and among other readers rather than yourself. In which case, you'll want to
read into the genre and research the types of markets that you want to associate with.
I'm sure it is possible to have an arty, personal book that's commercially viable, or vice-versa,
but I figure there's a difference between pumping out trade books like James Patterson and
writing for the art of it like Cormac McCarthy. In this day and age, it's possible to write
anything and self-publish, but traditional publishers/agents/editors have their ear on the
market's ground and will be looking for specific things.
Ideally, you'll probably want to write for yourself first, then edit for others. But it helps to
know ahead of time whether you want it to be a trade book or something offbeat.
2. How can I be passionate about the subject matter?
Easy, write what you know--as in, what you love and are passionate about.
I suppose it is possible to get into a project you might not care about. In this case, make
yourself care through research. If you dig deep enough, chances are that you'll find something
fascinating even in the drollest of subjects.
If not though, you can always try to spice it up in your actual draft. Focusing in deep and rich
characters will probably go a long way in making a boring subject interesting. You can probably
find ways to make ordinary things extraordinary with techniques in plotting, prose, and voice.
Make it something that can be uniquely identified as your work.
3. How can I demonstrate I'm the right author to write a book?
Both readers and professionals will be receptive to good quality prose. If you can write and
publish consistently good material across multiple projects, you'll develop a reputation, and
eventually a career.
Everybody starts off with the first page of their first work though--edit it to perfection, make
it the best it can be, and you have a stronger chance of being recognized as hot new talent.
What are your thoughts?
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