Today I offer something a bit different....
Mystery Author Donald J. Bingle offers some insight into the reasons...
Why Writers Write
Writers
write for all sorts of reasons, but the general public always seems to want to
create a simple dichotomy between writers who write for money and writers who
write for the love of writing. Of course, then they generally sneer at the
former and laugh at the latter.
As with most things, all is not as simple as it might appear to those who
glibly gloss over subjects, rather than giving them any serious thought. Even
with minimal thought (I like to think I'm efficient, not lazy), I've come up
with a number of more subtle categorizations on the infinite 3D grid scale of
why people write and thought I would pass them on for consideration.
People who love to write:
There are some people who simply need to write constantly and in quantity. They
hurt if they don't write and may or may not care if what they write is any good
or is ever read by anyone else. They may find joy in the process of writing or,
if not joy, perhaps therapy ... or at least a calming of their OCD impulses to
create content. While this can manifest in a workaholic obsession in
professional writers, it is, I believe, more often seen in amateur writers, for
whom the process is pleasurable or cathartic, or relaxing. Although
professional wordsmiths may often match the word count of these lovers of
writing, the professionals tend to match the lovers of writing word-for-word
more out of work ethic, professional responsibility as to deadlines, and trying
to make a go at a successful career as a full-time writer, than those who
simply love to write.
Full-time
pros also, I believe, spend more time editing and re-writing and definitely have
more prolonged periods in which the writing is "work"—arduous,
wearying, and draining--than lovers of writing, many of whom seem simply
content with writing down what their characters "tell" them to write.
In some cases, finishing a novel or story isn't really the point and someone
who simply loves to write may have multiple unfinished projects and not be
concerned at all about the lack of completion, perhaps because completing a
project means the end of writing the project and they love writing the project
too much to ever want to do that.
People who love to have written:
For these people, the process of writing isn't what is pleasurable, it's the
accomplishment of having written that floats their boat. Whether simply
goal-oriented, competitive about their word count, or simply desirous of
announcing (and perhaps gloating over) their accomplishment, these people get
pleasure out of having done something that the world values in some way (even
if not monetarily), although the process of getting to that goal may have been
a long, hard slog, perhaps even painful.
These
are the type of people who, in another context, run marathons to say they have
run a marathon, rather than having any particular joy in running itself. There
may be importance in being able to say "I am a writer" or "I am
an author" or "I wrote a novel." Page count (rather than the
more professionally relevant and accurate word count yardstick) may be quite
important, whether in total or over some arbitrary time period. Publication is
not necessarily the point and such writers may have a trunk full of unpublished
(even unpublishable) product. Someone who writes for "posterity" may
be in this category or, if their ego is sufficiently large, they may be in one
of the next categories.
People who love to have their writing
read:
For these people, writing and having written are just means to an end. The
writing may be fun at times and an irksome slog at other times, and they don't
mind the adulation they may receive from friends and colleagues for having
written, but what they really care about is being read. They crave an audience.
Some may be satisfied if a special someone reads their words. Others may be
content to produce a family memoir or local organization newsletter. Others may
need a broad public audience, but they want an audience of some kind. They may
seek to impress or receive a pat on the back or they may seek to influence
public opinion (frequent writers of letters to the editor often fall into this
category) or a broader audience, but they want their words to have some kind of
impact.
This
may force such writers to be more concerned about the marketability or
commercial quality of their writing as, at least traditionally, there have been
gatekeepers who have some control over whether writing is actually read by the
public--editors, agents, publishers and the like. These writers may also have
various threshold goals that they believe help them ensure being read
(submitting, perhaps, stories only to publications of a certain circulation or
which pay "professional" rates, as these avenues are more likely to
assure consistent readership).
People who want to be
acknowledged/famous:
Closely related, perhaps, to the foregoing category, these people seek
attention, fame, notoriety, and accolades, and they see writing as their
steppingstone to achieve such goals. Although writing, having written, and
being read may be interim steps toward such goals, the key to satisfaction is
not necessarily found in any of those preliminary items, but only in the
acknowledgment that stems from them. Let's face it, there are plenty of people
who are known for being writers that not that many people actually read. And
some of these authors are not bothered by their lack of readership, provided
that they still receive the accolades and/or money associated with being an
author.
People who write for money:
These people may or may not enjoy all or some of the process of writing, they
care only about having written because it impacts the bottom line. They care
only about being read to the same extent. For them, writing is a paycheck, a
job. It may be a more pleasant job than digging ditches or working direct sales
and they may be adept at it because of talent, practice, or study, but writing
is simply a way to earn a living.
Copywriters,
ghostwriters, technical editors, and the like may fall into this category (or
those people may simply be doing such things to pay the bills while they pursue
writing about which they have greater passion). Some--especially those who have
never actually written much--may have pie-in-the-sky dreams about how much
money can be made for little effort in the writing biz, while others see it
simply as a serviceable job or a way to make a bit of extra money on the side
without having to work a second full-time job. Of course, those with more
grandiose dreams of writerly income may be severely disappointed, but that
doesn't mean there aren't plenty of them out there--and they all have a
screenplay they really want to show Steven Spielberg.
Writers don't fall on a simple x/y graph of love vs. money. I'm sure you may
have an axis or two to add to the multidimensional graph this article suggests.
If so, please let me know in the comments.
Me, I mostly write to be read. Sure, parts of the process can be fun and I like
having written, but if it's never read or widely read, I feel unfulfilled.
Money and fame would be nice, but I tamp down these feelings because they are
unlikely outcomes.
I'd love it if you would like to read more of my writing. I'd love it even more
if I know I've been read--whether via a private comment or a posted review or
skyrocketing sales due to word of mouth. As always, you can find more about me
and my writing, including Frame Shop, my murder mystery set in
a writers' group, at www.donaldjbingle.com and can find my books and
stories on Amazon, as well as on my website and other typical marketplaces.
About Frame Shop: Critiquing Another Writer Can Be Murder
Frame
Shop is a 42,000 word mystery/thriller set in a writers' group. Unlike a
traditional who-dunnit, Frame Shop mixes violence, humor, and occasional
writing advice in a format that will keep mystery lovers, aspiring authors
NaNoWriMo participants, and established writers turning the pages.
From
its lurid, over-the-top prologue to its quirky addendum, Frame Shop delivers
fun, intrigue, and variety to its readers, whether they are long-time mystery
fans or aspiring writers attracted by its writers' group setting.
Harold J. Ackerman thinks his latest cat mystery proves he is the best writer
in the Pleasant Meadows Writers’ Guild and Critiquing Society, not that the
motley assortment of poets, poseurs, and wannabe writers in the PMWGCS provides
much competition. But then Gantry Ellis, the NYT best-selling author of the
Danger McAdams mystery thrillers, joins the group and wows everyone. Still,
Harold hopes to leverage his connection to the famous author into a big break,
agreeing to help his mentor with some crime research between contentious
critique sessions. Soon, though, his efforts lead to murder ... and then more
murder.
, had this to say about getting written into a corner:
about a thief of antiquities who also picks up a Sumerian demon - (she actually has three latest novels in different genres) fittingly has her own method to keeping the non-writing monster at bay: 
and her latest, a short mystery featuring her zombie girl character and some missing dogs, in 
, says the real problem is not the writing. She writes all the time and has a number of projects in the works.