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How do you define writing success?

  • Thread starter Thread starter Meerkat
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Meerkat said:
Since I first decided I was taking writing seriously--probably somewhere in my teens--I have said to myself and anyone who would listen that I define writing success as writing what I mean to say in the way I mean to say it.

I established this norm for myself because for many years--until very recently--it was all but impossible for me to pull off the story idea I had in my head. They always went off the rails or failed in some way. I figured, if I can achieve the standard of writing what I meant to say, then I can call myself a writer.

Well, my stories have been working lately, so according to myself I am a successful writer, but . . .

But I still haven't been published, and so I don't feel like it.

How do you guys define writing success?
Click to expand...

Well, to answer this question you would need to consider the goal of writing. For me it's to provide the reader with an emotional experience; an understanding of a different point of view.

Part of this would be to get published because you don't have readers if you're ot published. But, you can always self publish. ;)
 
I think, for me, writing success takes on 3 forms.

1. Being able to actually read what I've scribbled when not at the laptop.

2. Being able to put what's in my head on the page without losing focus.

And 3. Knowing someone other than me enjoyed it. For example.. @Jason Byrne. Your comment when you started reading For King and Country about fighting back tears in the Prologue, had me leaping up out of my chair screaming YAS!!!
 
Karen Gray said:
I think, for me, writing success takes on 3 forms.

1. Being able to actually read what I've scribbled when not at the laptop.

2. Being able to put what's in my head on the page without losing focus.

And 3. Knowing someone other than me enjoyed it. For example.. @Jason Byrne. Your comment when you started reading For King and Country about fighting back tears in the Prologue, had me leaping up out of my chair screaming YAS!!!
Click to expand...
Dude, For King and Country was like a chills factory. That gave me the chills. That gave me the chills. That never happens!
 
Whaddya expect from a bunch of successful writers, anyway? Keeping things within the boundaries of good taste and inoffensive charm is for weenies!!! Ranting, raving and salivating is good for us.

I felt like my writing was successful the very first time I got a good review from a reader I didn't know or have any contact with, who took their time to describe how my work connected with them or entertained them. I once wrote a grant proposal that netted $50K for a small business community, but despite the cheerful glow it produced, I basically became the target of anyone who didn't want any change and so was run out of town on a rail following the success. You just can't worry about pleasing everyone, can you?
 
Richard Sutton said:
Whaddya expect from a bunch of successful writers, anyway? Keeping things within the boundaries of good taste and inoffensive charm is for weenies!!! Ranting, raving and salivating is good for us.

I felt like my writing was successful the very first time I got a good review from a reader I didn't know or have any contact with, who took their time to describe how my work connected with them or entertained them. I once wrote a grant proposal that netted $50K for a small business community, but despite the cheerful glow it produced, I basically became the target of anyone who didn't want any change and so was run out of town on a rail following the success. You just can't worry about pleasing everyone, can you?
Click to expand...
Sounds like success to me!

love_me_or_hate_me-144170.jpg
"Its" should have an apostrophe.
 
Last edited:
For me I class my own writing success as not only finishing the piece I was working on, but finishing it to a standard where I am happy with it.
I didn't start writing initially to be published, in fact, when I sat down and began to write my first book, I was actually intending to write a role play scenario (the table top dice rolling kind) for myself and some friends to try. Yet it took on such depth it became a novel in its own right which took about a year to fully write (and never did become an rpg scenario). I then spent 5 years (on and off due to work and commitments) editing and revising it until I thought it was finished, put it aside for another 4 years whilst I finished the series. Then I went back to it last year, improved on writing style and plot slightly until now, finally after ten years, it is ready to go. That for me is a writing success, bringing something up to the place where it is everything I want it to be and more :)
A secondary success would be that when I gave it to a selection of people to beta read, I got very positive results. I was really happy about his because by the end, I had written a story I wanted to read, thus as I wrote it for me and my own enjoyment, I was concerned other people wouldn't like it, especially since it is a rather large book, so when I started to receive feedback it really felt like I had succeeded.
I don't think success is gauged on whether or not the work is published, it's how you feel about what you have done and achieved, and thus, your success is something only you can measure.
 
I respect camels but aren't drawn to them. For some years I've nursed a totally impractical longing for an orchard with alpacas. You need a minimum of three for them to be happy, they're a matriarchal society, and you can buy them on ebay! The crias are so adorable. Easy to keep, too, if you have the land. To monetize, you sell the fleece for yarn, or need to offer livery. They spit if they're upset, like camels and llamas, but I accidentally visited a stud alpaca farm once (as you do) near Penrith, and the lady who owned the stud said they're lovely animals, nice natured, and if they spit, you did something.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NhNAtv_Ss2k
 
K.J. Simmill said:
For me I class my own writing success as not only finishing the piece I was working on, but finishing it to a standard where I am happy with it.
I didn't start writing initially to be published, in fact, when I sat down and began to write my first book, I was actually intending to write a role play scenario (the table top dice rolling kind) for myself and some friends to try. Yet it took on such depth it became a novel in its own right which took about a year to fully write (and never did become an rpg scenario). I then spent 5 years (on and off due to work and commitments) editing and revising it until I thought it was finished, put it aside for another 4 years whilst I finished the series. Then I went back to it last year, improved on writing style and plot slightly until now, finally after ten years, it is ready to go. That for me is a writing success, bringing something up to the place where it is everything I want it to be and more :)
A secondary success would be that when I gave it to a selection of people to beta read, I got very positive results. I was really happy about his because by the end, I had written a story I wanted to read, thus as I wrote it for me and my own enjoyment, I was concerned other people wouldn't like it, especially since it is a rather large book, so when I started to receive feedback it really felt like I had succeeded.
I don't think success is gauged on whether or not the work is published, it's how you feel about what you have done and achieved, and thus, your success is something only you can measure.
Click to expand...
That's awesome, K.J. I did three books, the plot from which was essentially a transcript of three GURPS role-playing games in which I was involved, about eight years ago. About halfway through, we realized this game has a good story arc! I immediately wrote down a transcript of everything that had happened thus far, and it became the plot outline for the book.
 
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