What do you think about this?
From THE WRITER’S BOOK OF HOPE: ENCOURAGEMENT AND ADVICE FROM A VETERAN by Ralph Keyes:
Over the course of her distinguished career, Margaret Atwood made a hobby of collecting reasons for writing that authors mention in their autobiographies, press interviews, on talk shows and during "conversations in the backs of bookstores before the dreaded group signing …" From the long list Atwood recorded in NEGOTIATING WITH THE DEAD, a few of my favorites include:
- To make money so I could sneer at those who formerly sneered at me.
- To show the bastards.
- To justify my failures in school.
- To act out antisocial behavior for which I would have been punished in real life.
- To make myself appear more interesting than I actually was.
- Because I was possessed.
This shocks me.
I admit that "showing the bastards" is part of my motivation for wanting to get published.
But actually, that’s not even true.
It’s more that I want to get published so my kids can see how working hard and not giving up can pay off.
Plus, I don’t want them thinking I’m delusional.
Whatever the reasons are these days, I certainly did not begin writing as a strategy for getting back at people in my past.
I mean, come on.
There’s got to be a less painful method for getting revenge.
So, confession time.
Anyone here start writing so they could stick it to their high school English teacher?
Tracy Abell 
Interesting…actually, most of my teachers told me they thought I should and could write, so I wouldn’t be getting back and them by finall getting published 😉 I think I do it to prove to myself that I can be just like all those writers whose books I love.
LikeLike
Yeah, I don’t have anyone in my past like that, either. It just seems so bizarre to use writing as a weapon or something.
“Because I was possessed” actually seems the closest to my situation. 🙂
LikeLike
“It just seems so bizarre to use writing as a weapon or something.”
Agreed! I’m willing to bet, though, that some of my eventual readers might impute those motives…
LikeLike
Well, tough on those readers. We know the reality of that issue. Projection, and all that…
LikeLike
Interesting…actually, most of my teachers told me they thought I should and could write, so I wouldn’t be getting back and them by finall getting published 😉 I think I do it to prove to myself that I can be just like all those writers whose books I love.
LikeLike
Yeah, I don’t have anyone in my past like that, either. It just seems so bizarre to use writing as a weapon or something.
“Because I was possessed” actually seems the closest to my situation. 🙂
LikeLike
Writers have a really interesting way of avoiding the question, it seems to me.
LikeLike
You know, I hadn’t thought of it that way. It seems it would be much more difficult to admit a revenge kind of motivation than delving into a more heart-felt reason for writing, but maybe you’re right. Maybe those particular writers weren’t comfortable getting to the emotional truth.
LikeLike
“It just seems so bizarre to use writing as a weapon or something.”
Agreed! I’m willing to bet, though, that some of my eventual readers might impute those motives…
LikeLike
The stick-it-to-my-old-English-teacher came for me when I was a bookstore worker and I found out that Ray Bradbury had my name and number in his rolodex. Give me a “B” on my Fahrenheit 451 paper will you? HA!
LikeLike
That is SO cool, Linda. I’m grinning just thinking about that.
LikeLike
Hahahaha! I have that book, but don’t remember that list. Sheesh, it’s not worth it people.
So. Not. Worth. It.
LikeLike
I remember you writing about the book before. I have a couple pages tacked up on my bulletin board (excerpted in some magazine) and started looking at them today. I couldn’t believe the weirdness of those answers.
LikeLike
Hahahaha! I have that book, but don’t remember that list. Sheesh, it’s not worth it people.
So. Not. Worth. It.
LikeLike
Um, no. I write because I have stories I want to tell, and because I like kids, and for lots of other positive reasons. Sticking it to anyone is not on the list, although I suppose that nowadays (after more than 6 years of writing) part of my reason for wanting to be published is to show my parents that I haven’t been wasting my time.
LikeLike
“Sticking it to anyone is not on the list, although I suppose that nowadays (after more than 6 years of writing) part of my reason for wanting to be published is to show my parents that I haven’t been wasting my time.”
Exactly.
In fact, my “showing the bastards” is really just me wanting to prove to my family and friends that I haven’t been deluding myself these many years.
LikeLike
I didn’t START writing to stick it to someone but haven’t most of us had a character we use in order to vent some frustrations? I’m working on one now who did a lot of crummy things to people in his past and they I am using a lot of crummy things that an ex did to me in it.
LikeLike
Aha! You’ve given me something else to think about in all this. I wrote a character before based on a woman I could not stand because of how mean/false she was to me. However, as you said, I didn’t start writing because of her. I just used her!
LikeLike
Writer’s Book of Hope is a great book.
Not my reason for writing–I liked my English teacher.
LikeLike
It is a good book. And I’m glad you liked your English teacher.
I don’t have any writing-related issues/memories of mine. Just a strong recollection of one teacher who ALWAYS gave kids an “A” if they made food for their speech/demonstration. She loved her cookies and cupcakes…
LikeLike
“Sticking it to anyone is not on the list, although I suppose that nowadays (after more than 6 years of writing) part of my reason for wanting to be published is to show my parents that I haven’t been wasting my time.”
Exactly.
In fact, my “showing the bastards” is really just me wanting to prove to my family and friends that I haven’t been deluding myself these many years.
LikeLike
It is a good book. And I’m glad you liked your English teacher.
I don’t have any writing-related issues/memories of mine. Just a strong recollection of one teacher who ALWAYS gave kids an “A” if they made food for their speech/demonstration. She loved her cookies and cupcakes…
LikeLike
I no longer remember why I started to write. Probably because the words burbled up. Or I was mad at my mom…and then the words burbled up. Now I write to remember my mom. And everything else I’m afraid will go dim.
And then there’s my borderline insane love of books….
LikeLike
“Now I write to remember my mom.”
This brought tears to my eyes, Laurie. Maybe this is the kind of thing the other writers couldn’t admit to themselves so they cloaked their motivation in other emotions.
As someone who has read your work, I’m very glad you let the words burble up so you could begin writing.
LikeLike
I no longer remember why I started to write. Probably because the words burbled up. Or I was mad at my mom…and then the words burbled up. Now I write to remember my mom. And everything else I’m afraid will go dim.
And then there’s my borderline insane love of books….
LikeLike
“Now I write to remember my mom.”
This brought tears to my eyes, Laurie. Maybe this is the kind of thing the other writers couldn’t admit to themselves so they cloaked their motivation in other emotions.
As someone who has read your work, I’m very glad you let the words burble up so you could begin writing.
LikeLike