This month’s question is: What is your favourite aspect of being a writer?
There are many things that I enjoy about being a
writer. I’d like to think that all the altruistic stuff like creativity
and love of the craft is what’s more important but if I’m honest, my
favourite aspect is the sense of control I have
over the worlds I create.
I’ve spoken often and quite flippantly
about the fact that I suffer from OCD, but in reality, it’s not that fun
to live with. My triggers often stem from the lack of control over any
situation I’m faced with and the unfairness of
the world at large.
If you know me at all you’ll know that I’m a
huge superhero fan. Part of that has to do with the fact that the hero
more often than not gets the bad guy in the end and justice prevails.
This doesn’t happen in the real world and
sometimes it makes me really angry. At times like these I turn to my
writing to make sense of it all. I have complete control over everything
that happens in my stories and though I often put my characters through
hell, it’s a hell of my own making. So there
you have it, a bit of a messed up answer but an honest one at least.
Now the superheroes you create can triumph over evil!
ReplyDeleteThat is so true, I love how my heroes conquer obstacles that I can't. Makes life sweet. Happy IWSG Day, Lan.
ReplyDeleteHa ha! From one control freak to another: I get it.
ReplyDeleteThat's a great answer, Lan. Not messed up at all.
ReplyDeleteI feel like this is something I love about writing, as well. I doubt any writer would disagree with the idea that writing/story-telling offers full control over the world you're creating (unless you publish traditionally, of course ;). If that means the bad guys get what's coming to them, then it's the same as the ugly girl gets the hot guy, or whatever.
I think we all like being God in our own universes. ;-) However, I love other things better. i love learning things in my research - sometimes I read piles of books for a single story or article and don't feel I've wasted time. In fact, I'll be looking up one thing and finding something in the article I'm reading that makes me look up quite a different item. I was, for example, looking up certain Greek myths for a story about Caesar and his pirate captors in an alternative universe...and found another story about these female vampire creatures that you can get to of just by being rude to them. I loved it!
ReplyDeleteAnd I enjoy the editing process. I remember my first book and editor, who did make me rewrite quite a bit, then asked me how I felt about the finished product - and I suddenly realised that actually, I was quite proud of it. She had made my book the best it could be.
Other times, I've explained why I needed certain aspects to be the way they were and the editors have respected that.
Each to their own!