Are you someone who thinks its kind of nice to write stuff down sometimes, pop it in a story, enjoy it at leisure? Or are you compelled, driven, unable to do anything but grab that pen or keyboard and throw down the words and ideas that are clamouring to get out?

Are you needing to get your thoughts and ideas out into the world for acknowledgement and discussion? Or are you just as happy to hoard all your writings up like a squirrel, there for your own consumption and no-one else's?

I'm fascinated by what makes people write. Is it easygoing, enjoyable for most? Or a compulsion for most?

I fall under the latter. I write compulsively, for weeks on end sometimes. Then I can go months without being bothered. I have characters and situations in my head, not storylines and plot structures.

How does it work for the rest of you?

I don't write. I used to as a child. I had an active and fertile imagination and was encouraged both at home and school. However after school ended and I no longer did creative writing or studied English Literature I trailed off. I did Chemistry and Biology at college which dulled my creativity. At University I dealt with facts, theories, philosophies and ideas but I never wrote for fun, never made things up just for the hell of it.

I suppose I'd like to rekindle my creative urges in this group.

For me, I just love to put words down, weather its on paper or onto a computers screen.
Theres something rythmical about it, the way the words and the syllables seem to merge.
I dont particularly care about what Im putting down, check my posts and youll see that 99% of them are pure babble but look closely and youll see a sort of rhyme, an underlying pattern of sounds.
I dont really know why I write, I just like to "Feel" the words.
Hard to explain.

Feels like a load off my mind when I write.Does anyone else feel like this.?Im not a good writer , but i am interested in spelling etc; I often wonder what a "proper" writer feels like.Im sure they have words naturally in their head.

I recommend you read "On writing" by Stephen King. It gives a real insight into a prolific writers mind.

He says that once he gets a story line, it becomes almost secretarial.

Im scared to over analyze why I write in case I lose the ability, like when you repeat a word over and over it loses its meaning? Know what I mean?

I recommend you read "On writing" by Stephen King. It gives a real insight into a prolific writers mind.

He says that once he gets a story line, it becomes almost secretarial.
Yes, Pednbrose, I will look for "On writing" by Stephen King in my local library.I dont quite know what he means by almost secretarial.Does he mean that he writes it automatically ?(When is this group actually starting to submit our work.Do we have to wait for Joep sending us a PM ?)

Yes, Pednbrose, I will look for "On writing" by Stephen King in my local library.I dont quite know what he means by almost secretarial.Does he mean that he writes it automatically ?(When is this group actually starting to submit our work.Do we have to wait for Joep sending us a PM ?)

pattricia......a bit of stop press news I have heard tonight from JoeP...

Looks like a full start-up on Tuesday next week. :thumbsup:

JoeP has shaped up the software he has been working on for us......it's going to be on a server he has set up on our behalf for logging in to submit your work. Each "Writing" Member will have a unique password which will be PM'd to you by him.

I sent a full list of "Writing" Members to him about an hour ago for exactly that purpose. :)

Also pattricia.......I haven't forotten my promise to guide you through the procedures of submitting your pieces when it starts. :thumbsup:

Yes, Pattricia, its a very good read, he does intimate at some points that it all comes from another place, he talks about the zone, the muse, but he is a very good story teller.

Im scared to over analyze why I write in case I lose the ability, like when you repeat a word over and over it loses its meaning? Know what I mean?

Yes, I know what you mean. I think with writing youve either got it, or you havent.I dont believe you can "learn" to be a writer.

I really appreciate good writing from different ends of the spectrum, I adore Evelyn Waugh and Stephen King because both use words that totally entrall but for different reasons.

I think Stephen Kings great strength as a writer is his characterisation - regardless of how outlandish the scenario in his books, the characters always feel totally human, and its hard not to read his work and feel an attachment to them.

I think Stephen Kings great strength as a writer is his characterisation - regardless of how outlandish the scenario in his books, the characters always feel totally human, and its hard not to read his work and feel an attachment to them.
My favourite author is Allen Bennett,who is not to everyones taste,but I will definitely try reading a Stephen King novel.I dont like horror novels at all(they actually make me laugh) but I think I should try different types of reading.

My favourite author is Allen Bennett,who is not to everyones taste,but I will definitely try reading a Stephen King novel.I dont like horror novels at all(they actually make me laugh) but I think I should try different types of reading.

If you are going to read Stephen King, may I suggest you read his earlier stuff, in particular 'The Stand' which is a magnificent book or failing that 'The Deadzone'?

I doubt you'll be disappointed with either:thumbsup:

If you are going to read Stephen King, may I suggest you read his earlier stuff, in particular 'The Stand' which is a magnificent book or failing that 'The Deadzone'?

I doubt you'll be disappointed with either:thumbsup:
Yes, I will definitely try these two books.:thumbsup:

Are you someone who thinks its kind of nice to write stuff down sometimes, pop it in a story, enjoy it at leisure?

No.

Or are you compelled, driven, unable to do anything but grab that pen or keyboard and throw down the words and ideas that are clamouring to get out?

Er, no again.

Are you needing to get your thoughts and ideas out into the world for acknowledgement and discussion?

Nope.

Or are you just as happy to hoard all your writings up like a squirrel, there for your own consumption and no-one else's?

I haven't written anything.

I'm fascinated by what makes people write.

So it seems.

Is it easygoing, enjoyable for most?

I don't know, as I stated above, I haven't written anything.

Or a compulsion for most?

Nope, never been compelled to write anything.


I fall under the latter. I write compulsively, for weeks on end sometimes. Then I can go months without being bothered. I have characters and situations in my head, not storylines and plot structures.

How does it work for the rest of you?


I don't write stories, I tell them.

I used to work in a children's home, where I used to get kids in a group to shout out words, and then I would make a story up using each of the children's chosen words. They used to love it.

During the passage of time, I've been found reciting poetry I've learned by heart or read from books to children and also groups of elderly people. I can make them laugh or smile, or bring a lump to their throat.

I don't write, I talk. I can talk the hind legs off the proverbial donkey! :rolleyes: I try and entertain. Few people will make my acquaintance without my attempting to raise a smile on their face.

I don't write, but I love language. Children love language. They gobble up words. They love repetition, alliteration, rhyme and rhythm. These are the building blocks of language - and, whatever your age, each of you reading this will still recall, the lyrical jingle from your infancy......'Hickory-Dickory Dock; the mouse ran up the clock'.

I've written a few serious work-related articles for in-house newsletters, and once a jocular article for an association. I've written a things on SF to entertain - but it's only an extension of language. But I've never written a short story. I'm actually feeling pretty scared about what I am letting myself in for when I read your exhuberant post Cosywolf. I once wrote a funny spoof on SF - but realised afterwards that it sounded much better read aloud.

Maybe I can't write short stories. I don't know. I've never tried it. But, I'm about to find out amongst friendly SF critics. It will be fun. I have no idea what my first attempt will be about. I don't horde reams of unpublished stories, and I don't have any ideas for characters, plots, twists, etc., etc. On reflection, I think I'll submit my entry....... last! :hihi:

Just write down what youd normally say. Dont try to be flash and authory, just say the sentance in your head as youd say it to someone then type it down. Thats what I do.

The responses have been very interesting indeed...and have also made me feel a bit of a freak. So no change there:D

Jabberwocky's love of the rhythm of the words, the patterns of the sounds (and the way they look written or typed?)...very interesting. Do you read your own and other's work aloud? How about poetry? Do you write or read it? Or do you feel there's an equally important place for the rhythm of language in prose?

And Pattricia, you use it almost as a kind of release, by the sounds of it, a load off your mind? Do you find it therapeutic? Do you write of therapeutic things, or can it be anything you write, it's just the act of writing itself?

Redrobbo - never mind talking the hind leg off a donkey - which by god you do well, lol, in fact all the legs fall off eventually:P - you also write very long and deliberative posts on here...so doesn't it come as naturally to you as speaking?

Redrobbo - never mind talking the hind leg off a donkey - which by god you do well, lol, in fact all the legs fall off eventually:P - you also write very long and deliberative posts on here...so doesn't it come as naturally to you as speaking?

I can spend an hour or even double that time composing a particular post. I know what it is I want to say, but I spend endless time checking and rechecking, cutting and pasting paragraphs into different positions, deleting, adding, amending, reading it all over again and then again, changing the grammar, checking the spelling, noting if a comma is incorrectly placed, or if a hyphen is required, and then, and only then, when I am satisfied with the finished post, I discover that in the interim a Mod has come along and closed the thread! Aarrgghh! :hihi:

I can spend an hour or even double that time composing a particular post. I know what it is I want to say, but I spend endless time checking and rechecking, cutting and pasting paragraphs into different positions, deleting, adding, amending, reading it all over again and then again, changing the grammar, checking the spelling, noting if a comma is incorrectly placed, or if a hyphen is required, and then, and only then, when I am satisfied with the finished post, I discover that in the interim a Mod has come along and closed the thread! Aarrgghh! :hihi:

LOL!

That is why I don't post here as often as I would like - it takes me too long. What a fab summary. And so concise - how long did it take you to post it?:P

I cant really explain the way my brain cell works, I dont read out things aloud and I cant really understand poetry, unless its in plain English then it might as well be written in Japanese, and even if its in plain, clear English I STILL lose patience with it by the middle of the second sentance.
Its the same with song lyrics, I love the music of Gary Numan, but his lyrics? Beyond anything I can hope to understand.
Im not exactly sure how to explain my statement about a rhythm in words, I just type down the words as they come into my head and when I read them back, they have a certain "Tune" to them. I dont intend it or try to attain it, It just seems to happen, maybe Im the only one who sees or imagines it.
As for writing, Im not sure how Im going to go on here, most of my stuff is written down memories with certain embellishments thrown in for humour, but they are only very slight embellishments. All of the things I write about actually happened , god knows how Ill manage if I had to produce a work of fiction. Thats too much like hard work and it takes a special kind of mind that I simply dont have.

I cant really explain the way my brain cell works, I dont read out things aloud and I cant really understand poetry, unless its in plain English then it might as well be written in Japanese, and even if its in plain, clear English I STILL lose patience with it by the middle of the second sentance.
Its the same with song lyrics, I love the music of Gary Numan, but his lyrics? Beyond anything I can hope to understand.
Im not exactly sure how to explain my statement about a rhythm in words, I just type down the words as they come into my head and when I read them back, they have a certain "Tune" to them. I dont intend it or try to attain it, It just seems to happen, maybe Im the only one who sees or imagines it.
As for writing, Im not sure how Im going to go on here, most of my stuff is written down memories with certain embellishments thrown in for humour, but they are only very slight embellishments. All of the things I write about actually happened , god knows how Ill manage if I had to produce a work of fiction. Thats too much like hard work and it takes a special kind of mind that I simply dont have.

So it's when you read them back in your head that you hear the rhythm?
I love reading aloud, particularly when something has an internal rhythm. I can't sing, but I take comfort from being able to find the rhythm in a piece and make it work.
My baby has lots of lovely rhyming books, but there's one that isn't rhyming, just rhythmic, called Horatio Happened...and I adore reading it out loud. It sounds so nice...poor kid, he's probably sick to death of it.:P

"Horatio Happened...under the bed."

Its mainly as Im writing the words too, everything just seems to slip into place like interlocking blocks.
Its horrible trying to explain it because im not sure if it is explainable, and what really ruins the rythm are typos. I make lots and I immediately have to correct them and that really derails me.
Even "normal" sentences, such as the ones I type everyday have, to my mind, that rythm.

Are you someone who thinks its kind of nice to write stuff down sometimes, pop it in a story, enjoy it at leisure?
Nope
are you compelled, driven, unable to do anything but grab that pen or keyboard and throw down the words and ideas that are clamouring to get out?
Occasionally
Are you needing to get your thoughts and ideas out into the world for acknowledgement and discussion?
Nah
are you just as happy to hoard all your writings up like a squirrel, there for your own consumption and no-one else's?
yes

:)

Its mainly as Im writing the words too, everything just seems to slip into place like interlocking blocks.
Its horrible trying to explain it because im not sure if it is explainable, and what really ruins the rythm are typos. I make lots and I immediately have to correct them and that really derails me.
Even "normal" sentences, such as the ones I type everyday have, to my mind, that rythm.

To me, that's a fascinating thing to say...about the words slipping into place like interlocking blocks. I believe I know what you mean, and I can't quite find the words to explain how I know it, lol.
But then again, like redrobbo, I will sometimes disregard the exact words and opt for huge revisions later, after I've managed to get the idea down. I'm a major revisionist when it comes to my own work.
So, is it a control thing? You have some control over the words, their order, their place in what you write, and that is part of what compels you to get them down on the page/screen? Or am I going way too deep on that, lol?

tell you what I can't do. Write on the PC. Odd I know but it has to be pen and paper everytime. explain that one?!

Fox, thank you for making me look less of a loonie - although I'm aware Jabberwocky already has a headstart on me in those stakes anyway. Explain more! What kind of writing is it that you hoard up for your own consumption? How often do you 'have' to get it down?

I get the PC thing. I can't write on a PC. I can only write on my own laptop (my blessed laptop), or on paper, ideally with a biro. Speaking of which, I've had this discussion with another friend - she swears by her special fountain pen to write with. But speaking as someone who writes nearly constantly, I think I'm lucky that I favour a nice inexpensive biro over all else. It can't be running out of ink, or fussy about writing in handprints, mind - it does need to be in it's prime.

I dont think its a control thing, it comes naturally, words just seem to slot into place. Reading them afterwards just....reinforces it for me.
Its odd because before I had access to a computer or the internet I used to write letters and people actually became addicted to them, demanding more and more even though most of the stuff I wrote was utter crud once I had run out of limited ideas.
I could talk in depth about a certain relative who became a little TOO adicted, but thats another story altogether,
Now I have access to chatrooms, I find myself being stalked for want of a better word by people who are also addicted.
Dont ask me why, I have no idea at all, but since 2000 when I found my first chatroom, I have had more than my fair share of people (Usually female) who have to have their "Fix".
I have three MSN accounts and two Yahoo ones that are FULL of people who demand an email from me at least once a day. Of course, they dont GET one, but when I switch any of the messengers on, I find it difficult to talk to just one person because everybody on there seems to want to talk at the same time and it crashes my tiny mind.
Its... I like words and... its REALLY had to explain.
Its bizarre I know, but there it is.

Here's to BIZARRE **holds glass in air**

At least you're in good company here.:D

I just started to read The Stand by Stephen King.
Its been years since I read any of his stuff and its been years since I ready anything other than the occasional sci fi book.
Its going to be painful because its a huge book but it looks like a goody.

I just started to read The Stand by Stephen King.
Its been years since I read any of his stuff and its been years since I ready anything other than the occasional sci fi book.
Its going to be painful because its a huge book but it looks like a goody.

I think its fair to say that The Stand is by far and away his best work. It is a real mammoth of a book, but trust me, its well worth the read:thumbsup: