A writer should write for themselves. Really???

[Changing_Destiny]

I don't mean to be antagonistic with this post, so sorry if it comes off that way.

On different sites lately I have seen the remark made that content producers should create for themselves and that they shouldn't expect anything in return. Heck, variations of this comment have been made on some sites so often that it might as well be a trope at this point.

So, I have three questions for anyone willing to take a stab at them...

Q1) If one believes that a content producer really should only create for themselves, then would that same person agree that a content producer shouldn't bother with spell checking, punctuation, and other grammar checking? After all proofing and compiling their work into a format suitable for the internet isn't really about the content producer, but it is a courtesy done for the reader.

Q2) If one believes that a content producer shouldn't expect anything in return for the work they have done, then should that person in turn have the right to expect anything in return? I mean to expect a content producer shouldn't expect anything and then to expect them to provide content, proofing, or to curtail to your whims – isn't that hypocritical?

Q3) Is the whole statement, "That content producers should create for themselves and that they shouldn't expect anything in return." a load of bull-dust being waved around by very lazy, and very selfish people as a justification for their actions?

Well thank you for your time.



PS. When we are speaking 'something in return,' we aren't speaking about money – we are talking about, 'Thank you,' or 'I liked this content because...' OR , 'I didn't like this content because...'

[bit]

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[mercury01]

Your first question is pretty disingenuous. I don't think I've met a creative person who didn't take some kind of pride in their work, and that meant striving to improve their craftsmanship skills. Writers try to use their best spelling and grammar because the writer is a reader too. Even if they never show anyone else their writing, they know what kind of work they put into it.

Don’t let your happiness be dependent on the actions of other people.

Ding ding ding.

[Blackbeen]

Yes, REALLY.

[Matt L.]

Greetings,

Let me start out by saying that I really love this forum - The Changing Mirror - because it features stories written by a fair share of my favorite authors and all the new kids out there. Furthermore, this forum gives us the pleasure and artistic license to express ourselves without the political correctness that runs amok on other sites - Dimensions Online the worse offender.
Political correctness has no place in art because it creates barriers, and the people who ask for tolerance are the least tolerant of all.

This site reminds me of Fan 2000's forum where writers entertained each other as friends, swapped ideas and brainstormed.
It had a fun atmosphere.

Being genuinely honest I often think of my audience while churning out material, feedback or not, if only one person reads my work I'm posting it here.

In conclusion, I write the type of fiction that I enjoy, I'm delighted that other people enjoy my imagination as well.

Cheers, Matt

[jefferson]

Yeah, Sometimes writer wants to write for themselves, it will helps to know many things about themselves and people. It will also help to learn new techniques in the writing process.

[jabee2]

Interesting questions!

While creating is personal, good presentation benefits readers. So, some proofreading can be a courtesy.

Expectations can be tricky. If no expectations, asking for specific things might be contradictory.

Opinions vary. Some create for joy, others may misuse the statement. It's a complex online world.

[animefan78]

I have been wanting to reply to this since I practically saw it posted but things always seemed to get in the way. I to have seen the writers should just write line and its various off shoots with perhaps the most well known one coming from a famous Vtuber who said people who want to create should just create and to a degree I don’t think the Vtuber was wrong.
1- If you want to do something, it do it.
2- The only way to get good at something is to practice it

However, this is a basic outlook and lacks nuance, nuance that I think Changing Destiny’s questions provide.
Q1) If one believes that a content producer really should only create for themselves, then would that same person agree that a content producer shouldn't bother with spell checking, punctuation, and other grammar checking?
I would say yes, if the person is only writing for themselves then, as they will be the only person reading it, so they would understand their own foibles. However, if they are releasing their work to the public then of course the answer is no, because they will hardly get the feedback, they are looking for. Which is something that I think many people including myself look for. What can I say I am something of an attention wore for comments on my work. Not the best look or motivation I know, and something I struggle to work on.

Q2) If one believes that a content producer shouldn't expect anything in return for the work they have done, then should that person in turn have the right to expect anything in return? I mean to expect a content producer shouldn't expect anything and then to expect them to provide content, proofing, or to curtail to your whims – isn't that hypocritical?
I do think that expecting a writer to write a particular story or take in a particular direction for nothing is extremely hypocritical. Hell, it’s one reason I left teaching, they kept asking me to work for free on various things. Now in the context of this particular forum it would not be hypocritical to ask for things if your giving some sort of commentary or feedback because as Changing Destiny it is the currency of the forum.

Q3) Is the whole statement, "That content producers should create for themselves and that they shouldn't expect anything in return." a load of bull-dust being waved around by very lazy, and very selfish people as a justification for their actions?
In the end yes, I think it is a load of bull if those same people are pestering or expect people to write stories for them. Pay up in the form of feedback if you want more of something.

Mercury I wouldn’t go as far as saying the first question is disingenuous, but I do think it hits at a difference between true creatives, and someone like myself who dabbles in writing, but lives more for the commentary than on the writing itself.

Bit, your full comment was deleted but “Don’t let your happiness be dependent on the actions of other people” is also the truthy. However, throwing your writing into the void of the internet only for the void to reply with silence does wear down on a writer. Especially those like me who like to get some comments in rezones. It also makes it hard to improve when you have no critique to improve your work.

Matt, I don’t know about the older forums but this has been a fun place to push the bounds of writing, where I have met some great people. I do sometimes try to think of the audience but then I think of what I like to write which often conflicts with what the audience might like.

Jabee2, they were interesting questions, and you are right opinions do vary greatly as do the reasons the various creators write what they write.

If you’ve made through my 600-word diarrhea of the keyboard ramble, thanks for reading and I’ll try to wrap this up. In the ideal world creators would just create for themselves, but we don’t live in a perfect world and everyone has different motivations. Those motivations influence how they write and how they respond to any and all feedback they get. However at the end of the day saying writers should just write is equal parts a valid statement and a dick move.