Writers?

[whiskeywillow]

I used to write heaps of poetry, but I don't find myself inspired to do so these days. I (sadly) write a lot of fanfiction. I also have two blogs, one that's mostly about movies and one that's about spirituality. I've written loads of short stories recently, a few of which are in the process of being published. And I've got six novels in the works, two of which I've been working on for several years and are near completion. So I suppose I am a bit of a writer.

 

[Airborne]

I retired as an English teacher about three years ago. I always said that I would write a book when I retired. I was too busy the first few years doing other things, but I was still playing around with an idea. During the third year, things took shape and I started writing. Before that, however, I did an outline of the entire book (general, not detailed) and developed characters. There was a certain amount of research I had to do as well because the story is based on a historical incident. That took a little time, but it was well worth it because it made the actual writing easier.

Here’s the blurb that‘ll go on the back jacket:

American and French counter-espionage spies join forces to prevent the communist takeover of the Republic of Liberia during the Cold War. Top Liberian government officials are suddenly arrested and charged in the series of ritual murders. A major riot breaks out in the capital because of a government crackdown on human rights, killing both civilians and soldiers. The government foils an attempted coup and then must defend itself against another. The oldest republic and the most stable government on the African continent is about to tumble headlong into a maelstrom of nightmare and chaos, sucking everything within its radius, and in the midst of all this, two people emerge to find love, romance, and commitment together.

Here’s the plot (there are several sub-plots not included here):

The year is 1980. Euro-Afrique (EA), a covert anti-Soviet super intelligence collaborative made up of France, England, Germany, Morocco, Egypt and South Africa is assisting and funding the CIA’s clandestine struggle against communism because the CIA had been crippled by Watergate and the Church and Pike investigations and can no longer operate without strict congressional oversight. EA decides they must stage a coup against the president of the Republic of Liberia, Charles Dunbar Cooper, before he travels to Moscow to meet with Leonid Brezhnev to sign a new treaty that would in effect displace the United States and make the Soviet Union the new superpower in Liberia, and by extension, all of West Africa. Thomas Walsh, a seasoned CIA field officer and Camille Giroux, an counter-espionage agent for the French Service de Documentation Exterieure et de Counter-espionage (SDECE), part of Euro-Afrique which is funding the operation, work together in planning and staging this coup. They have exactly eleven days in which to do so.

I’ve got about 60,000 word written. I figure it’ll take another 60,000 before I’m done. 120,000 words is about 500 pages, give or take. My goal is to have a first draft done by the end of the year, then search for an agent while I’m working on the second draft. I write about 4 to 6 hours a day. With necessary editing, I’ll probably have a 400 to 450 page thriller when everything is said and done.

Best wishes and bonne chance to any others who are writing a book. It’s damn hard work!

 

[Guy]

Written word I go by one: Pithy

 

[tiltjlp]

I'm a retired freelance writer of fiction, non-fiction, and advertising copy, as well as a retired editor, and poet. Many nostalgia magazine articles, etc.

 

[WaydeG]

I've written several screenplays, a television pilot and series as well as some comic book scripts and graphic novels. One turned into a film short IMDB Tin Can Shinny.

 

[Fight'n Hampsters]

I am a writer and I have not had anything published. It's interesting how sheepish people, myself included, are when it comes to calling themselves a writer.

There are many people who are comfortable with the idea of being an armature musician or athlete, playing as a hobbyist on the weekends or around a campfire. Even if their talent level is low they may still be proud of the fact that they play basketball in a rec league or pick up the guitar on the weekends. They have no aspirations beyond the simple enjoyment of their hobby and do not pine away for the day that they” turn pro" or get discovered by a Major League scout. Their friends and family do not regularly ask them when they will sign a record deal.

Few seem to take this same approach when it comes to writing. When it comes to writing there seems to be few people who would proudly call themselves an amateur or hobbyist writer. Armature or people who are considering taking up the craft tend to be sheepish or embarrassed by the fact that they write or want to write. “So you want to write for a living?” It is assumed that if you write the only acceptable goal is to eventually write full time and become published. People only seem to have three categories: non writer, frustrated writer pining away until they get their break, and successful published author.

Why not just write for the fun of it? Why not say “Yeah I wrote a novel last year. It may not be that good but I had a lot of fun doing it. If you want to read it I can email it to you. It’s a great hobby.” Taking this view of writing does not preclude the idea of working hard at it or sending it off to publishers. By no means! It just means that we do not have to be embarrassed about the fact that we write but have never been published, or embarrassed that we may not be that good. Is the overweight 40 year old embarrassed that he plays left field in the local softball “beer league”? Of course not! He just enjoys playing. We need to have room for the “overweight 40 year old beer league” writer. That’s who I aspire to be (not that I’m against being published…)

 

[DrT999]

Yep, I'm also a writer; I guess the term is so generic we are indeed often sheepish to admit it. Still, I've published 4 monographs and other bits of professional writing. I wrote a wine column for a New Orleans give-away arts magazine for a number of years until it went under because of Katrina (they were also kind enough to publish two of the poems I submitted, but I'm sure that's not what killed the 'zine). I have committed the sin of fan fiction. I have also just had a short story accepted for publication (see 'Horror, Humor, and Heroes' vol 1 & 2 for earlier anthologies, although I'm not published in those). When the anthology comes out, I'll be sure to post a link someplace!

 

[Jimbo]

My new book is going to be released in Feb. It's on amazon now but only for pre-orders:

http://www.amazon.com/Prayer-Quantum-Physics-Hotel-Mattresses/dp/0768441013/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1320732238&sr=8-1

Not much info there yet, but if you're interested, you can read the intro at my blog: www.jimberge.com. There's a link to the INTRO in the right-hand column.

 

[Kyle Weiss]

I'm confused by this hierarchy of what constitutes a "writer." :scratch:

A writer is someone who writes. Anything beyond a comprehensive shopping list probably makes someone a writer. No, I'm not being a smart-ass with that, either. I'll explain my point of view.

In certain opinion (past and present), you are a "writer" if you do so professionally, and you are "professional" if you have your work published. The more locations, or more books if you choose, in which you are published, determined your success as writer. I think more people are apt to call themselves a writer if they write, rather than if they have something published. I think this also makes professional writers roll their eyes a bit.

I use this compared to musicians, since that was brought up as well. There's the guy who goes to the guitar store, plays a guitar (same licks, same tune) every single time. Perhaps a guitar comes out with buddies drinking in the garage and they mess around a little. Are they musicians? I suppose in some way, they are. Personally, I have toured, been in plenty of bands and projects, made songs, written albums, even built and maintained my own instruments, yet I have a hard time calling myself a "musician" because I don't feel I have completed the level of talent I would like to have.

Yet, I have never been published with much credit, paid-for or been directly acknowledged as a "writer." I consider myself not only a writer, but a pretty good one. I have run two local blogs here in my hometown, written ad copy (my own and others), written for business owners on behalf of periodicals, have countless subjects and musings scattered about paper and digital manuscripts, and have a cavalier and unorganized approach to a what I feel is a very organized and linear craft: writing. I wouldn't know the first thing about getting published or finding gainful employment as a writer. In addition, three friends of mine who were preparing their final thesis as English majors came to ME as someone to give an objectified and corrective opinion on their work. Not that it says anything, but it sure made my high school drop-out shame diminish a little. Contrary to my music, I'm 100% confident in my ability to write.

I will likely never be paid for my writing, though I'd consider doing it for pay under the right circumstances. Does this make me a hobbyist or am I serious? I'm not sure. I know for a fact I'm a hobbyist musician, as I'll never sleep in vans, garages and play for peanuts likely again, but I'll always have instruments and ideas resonating off the project room walls, which include stacks of journals which may never see the light of day. 8)

I enjoy myself in text. If it goes further, so be it.

 

[alfredo_buscatti]

You're a writer if you write. That simple.

 

[Greyson]

It always annoyed me that people try to label each other based on how they make money, as if that were the only dimension of their character which mattered. 'Bob is a plumber' they think, as if that's all there is to him. I feel that it's is a grossly unjust way to judge or value a person. Well, these days I try not to let other people's definitions of me bother me too much. I consider myself a writer, but I've never really made much of a living at it - of course, I'm hoping to change that. I've had a small amount of stuff published, but nothing to brag about. Like many of us (I expect) I've got a few half finished novels on my hard drive... once I complete my house move I'm going to give myself a deadline to get one done and then see if I can finally make progress from there. Anyhow, its nice to see some fellowship on here in this respect.