Friday, May 28, 2010

Control Freak

I recently did some writer's soul searching and discovered a major part of the reason why I write.

Creative outlet? Nope.

Personal fulfillment? Not really.

Bragging rights? NO way.

Love of writing? Yes... but no.

The answer? CONTROL.

Seriously. I like to create a story that I have omnipotent control over. It starts how I want. It ends how I want. The MC kisses the love interest when and how I want. I am a major control freak!

What's your deep, hardly-realized reason for writing?

BTW, if you missed our last post, it is a link to an AWESOME contest for YA writers, plus links to write the perfect blurb. So scroll down to check it out!


31 comments:

??? said...

lol... put me down for that reason too. After all, "If you don't like the books published then write your own" is a motto I live by. ;)

Hannah said...

I mostly write horror. I find therapy in single handedly destroying people. Everyone whos ever done me wrong gets it in the end. :P

Elana Johnson said...

Control freak??

*raises hand*

Yeah, all right. :)

Anonymous said...

I'm insecure. I want people to love my writing, and by extension me. (Um... that actually might be more true than I want it to be. Can I take it back now? No? Crap.)

Also, I just love creating stories.

Angela said...

Writing is my sanity. I suppose control does have something to with it too. But it is the only place where I feel completely uninhibited with my thoughts and feelings.

Writing has done wonders for working out my issues--not to imply I don't have anymore. Just that writing helps.

Riv Re said...

I feel exactly the same. If I want, all of my fake little people can go around and stab each other to death :) (Aren't I sweet?) When you write, you and only you dictate what happens. That's a lot of responsibility, and practice for when I become world leader.

Patti said...

alright, all of the above. control is definitely part of it. I need to be able to control something in my life.

Anonymous said...

I totally agree! Control is what makes writing fun!

Lydia Kang said...

Playing God is fun, isn't it?

Bethany Wiggins said...

Lydia, you hit the nail on the head!

You guys have the best insight ever.

S.A. Larsenッ said...

Dido, my fair ladies. Being able to set the scene, play it out, and gather a result I want sounds rather pleasing to me. ";-)

Enjoy your long weekend.

Hardygirl said...

Interesting . . . but sometimes my characters kinda take over. Then I have no control!! That's the fun part for me.

sf

G. B. Miller said...

My writing is about the only way most people can get a glimpse of what makes me truly tick.

Sometimes good, sometimes bad, but its 100% moi.

Renae said...

Totally agree. When life is utterly insane with schedules and work and everything else...I love to write and bend everything to my whims!

Nichole Giles said...

Okay, yeah, I'm a control freak. But also, I have this insane need to relive my teenage years through my own words, and under my own, um, CONTROL, so that I can come back to real life and go, oh, yeah. That was really just a nightmare. Or a book.

Sigh. I concede. Total control freak.

KA said...

I like to create a world where my children are not allowed to go. It's my personal space. Everyone needs their space, of course, but I needed so much I had to write a few novels to get that space big enough.

Angie said...

It is nice to have control over something, isn't it?

Jemi Fraser said...

I never thought of it that way - but it's so true! Control is always good :)

I think I have a deep-seated need for happy endings - as a teacher I see too many kids without any - so when I write, I know the ending will be okay! :)

Stina said...

Oh, wow! Until you said it, I didn't realize that's why I love writing. Okay, I don't have a much control as I would like sometimes. Sometimes my characters start having a conversation I hadn't planned. But that's okay. They're wise characters, and I still have final say in the matter.

Boy, I sound like I need therapy. Good thing my husband didn't read this. ;)

Angela McCallister said...

Without a doubt, I use my writing to escape. I want to live another life through it, to explore different realities.

But this isn't all. If it was, I would be satisfied to just write and have no one else read it. I guess I want the power to pull someone else into the story as much as I'm pulled in, thus why I want so much for the readers to like it and feel it as much as I do.

Unknown said...

Yes, writing is very god-like, isn't it? We create people and get to decide how they look, talk, think and speak. We create their whole world, and then, just for fun, we put them through all kinds of hell. lol.

Kimberley Griffiths Little said...

Playing God . . . that is exactly it. I love making up world and people and *stuff* that happens to them. And see what's gonna happen myself as I write.

It's the Creator in us. Literally.

:-)

Veronica and Thomas said...

That's funny as often that is exactly how I feel.

Anonymous said...

Hm, I think I write because it gives me something to focus on other than living the same day over and over again. And I also LOVE to do it.

Jennie Englund said...

Oh my gosh, believe it or not, having control over plot/character is something I never thought about!

Vicki Rocho said...

Yeah, I like being in control because the rest of my life is outta control.

But what I like best is finding just the right words to tell a story that no one else is telling.

suzie townsend said...

Love it! Great post and responses here. :)

Caleb said...

I write for catharsis.

Marjorie said...

I love the control, too. I can publish my cartoons in my cartoon blog and not give a thought to the cartoons, as submissions, being rejected.

Crystal Posey said...

Wow. Yes. Definitely. I especially get this way if I've read an ending that doesn't sit well with me. Also it's fun, and a way to cope with people's bizarre behavior.

BTW, I'm a fairly new follower and I love the blog so far!

Nishant said...

I totally agree! Control is what makes writing fun!
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