I'm not talking about word count per day of letters here. I want to know what your ultimate fantasy goal is with your writing career.
We spend so much time fretting about sentence structure and daily word count (or at least I do) that sometimes the 'big picture' gets lost under all those details. Lose track of it completely, and you risk losing some of the motivation that got you started in the first place!
For me, I want to make a living doing what I love. Yeah, that's a little vague. Ok, I want to write fun, engaging horror and fantasy stories that take people on a little ride away from their daily lives for a while. I want to create worlds for people to get lost in. I want to write so well that some person I've never met forgets their problems for a little while.
And I want to write scenes and dialogue for video games. I'll be dating myself a little bit here - I remember when Nintendo came out. It was cool for a while, then I could take it or leave it. Sorry Mario.
One day, I bought this game called Myst. I'm pretty sure that I lost at least a week of my life to that game. The world was immersive. It was the first 'sand box' style game I'd ever seen, where you could go where you wanted, and do what you wanted, in pretty much any order. And the puzzles! Oh, the puzzles.
There weren't all that many characters to talk to at the time, but technology has evolved since then. There are more open style games with engaging characters, layers of mystery. And I love the way the storytelling became built up, through unreliable characters, books, tapes, or diaries left on computers. The player is left to build the story of what happened based upon the information received from various sources and the objects in front of them.
To me, that's the perfect form of gaming - and I want so badly to contribute to it, to help create these incredible alternate worlds populated with realistic people, and littered with their own complete and distinct histories.
So I guess, that what I really want to do is to be able to play pretend with the whole world.
What is it that you want to do with your art?
Being able to making a living doing what you love definitely tops the list -- but I'd be lying if I said that was all. I'd settle for a little bit of glory, and I'll chase it until the day I die even if it never comes to pass.
ReplyDeleteThis is probably a bit rubbish and sappy but all I want is for people to read and enjoy it. Making a living would be nice but it's never been a goal.
ReplyDelete@Martin - I think most artists have this narcissistic streak, the need for the work to be at least viewed. (I'll admit it, I want to be read.) Without that desire, it's a bit difficult to stay motivated - which is pretty much why I wrote this entry. I've been griping with mechanics so intensely, that I sorta forgot why I was doing it in the first place!
ReplyDelete@RJ - I am anticipating your story with baited breath, for one. So rest assured that at least one person thinks your writing is absolutely brilliant.
(so forgive me if you read this already on the Buzz) I do feel the same way...about making my hobby a career.
ReplyDeleteI love to create places and take the reader there. I want them to see what I see through my words, and they are a part of the story without realizing it. So when they come to the end they are like - whoa wait... that was cool!
I like that you want to play pretend with the whole world. Isn't that part of the dream?
Hmmmm.... until I become insanely rich through the lottery (which I dont' play) or until I am "discovered" I will work at something that doesn't steal my creativity. Good thing I'm an accountant (not a CPA - cause that sucks the life right outta ya-lol!).
:) I think we're in a similar place - except you're way ahead in terms of doing your writing accounting!
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