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Wednesday, March 4, 2009
What Do You Love About Writing?
Of course, I don't find iPhones particularly easy to read on for long stretches, so I'm still glad I have a Kindle and its e-ink screen, but this will be awesome in a pinch. The main drawback is that they don't have direct shopping through the App and you have to buy books either through your Kindle or on the Internet.
Now then. To continue positivity week: a simple question with an infinite range of possible answers.
What do you love about writing?
195 comments:
- Authoress said...
The high of finishing something.
Then, the higher high of ripping it apart and making it a better something.
It's the perfect fusion of creativity and hard work.
- March 4, 2009 at 11:55 AM
- selestial-owg said...
I love escaping into my character's head/world for a while. Real life can become a monotony of work, kids, etc., and it is nice to have another place to go where I can make the world as exciting (or peaceful) as I want. I also love the moments of utter clarity when plot points just click together seemlessly. There are a lot of things I love about it, but those are probably my top two: one general and one specific.
- March 4, 2009 at 11:59 AM
A better question for me is what don't I love about writing? Answer: Nothing. Seriously, I love it all. Granted I've only been writing fiction for about a year and just finished my novel and a few short stories so I haven't been through query hell yet, but even working on my query has been fun. The whole creation of a new world and then seeing where the characters take you is my favorite part, especially when they do things that surprise me. How does that happen if I'm the writer? Okay, that may be a rhetorical question but at least it's not the first line of my query! :)
Seriously, I love this positivity week, especially since I tend to be a glass is half full kind of girl by nature. I'll actually post under my name today. Hope everyone has a fabulous day and thanks Nathan!
- March 4, 2009 at 11:59 AM
- Cameron Chapman said...
The rush of knowing when you've nailed something. Knowing that the sentence, paragraph, scene, or whatever you've just written is perfect (or as perfect as it's every going to get). It's rare but oh-so-worth-it.
Another favorite is when my characters start talking to me, when they start telling me their stories. And it's especially rewarding when they decide to do something unexpected. That's when I know I've created a character who is "real"—when they take on a life of their own and start making their own decisions.
- March 4, 2009 at 12:00 PM
- Jordan Summers said...
Nothing beats the thrill of discovering a new character at the beginning of a book and writing 'the end'.
- March 4, 2009 at 12:01 PM
- kayekhalsa said...
I love finding the 'write' words to express a feeling or an action. I love the feeling I get when I pull off a scene. I love the anticipation of having a finished book. I find the process incredibly joyful and feel grateful to be able to sit at my computer, tap into my imagination and let it flow onto the page.
Writing is like a dark chocolate bar with almonds and raspberries - it satisfies all of my desires.
Thanks for asking....
- March 4, 2009 at 12:03 PM
- David Eric Tomlinson said...
Writing forces me to make connections between things. I am more "aware" of the world that I'm moving through, and always trying to construct (or deconstruct) meaning from the simplest of tasks. There isn't really a comparable feeling to the moment when "the big idea" flashes across your consciousness, ready for expression.
Oh, and I also get to work in my pajamas.
- March 4, 2009 at 12:03 PM
- Steve Brezenoff said...
Affecting people with what I've written. It's not the only thing on my "what I love about writing" list, but it's a big one.
Of course I also enjoy the escape, the feeling of victory when a sentence is just right (or a word, for that matter), and getting to know the characters I stumble upon along the way.
- March 4, 2009 at 12:04 PM
- Rick Daley said...
I love that some of the writing I do helps pay the bills, but that's not the writing I love, so it's kind of a juxtaposition.
The writing I love entertains me. Be it thrilling, funny, heartwarming, or heartwrenching.
The writing I love most surprises me. It's the "holy s&^% I just wrote that" factor. Sometimes it's a strong piece of prose, sometimes a clever bit of dialogue, and sometimes an elaborate plot twist...but it's always really cool when it happens.
- March 4, 2009 at 12:04 PM
- Jared X said...
I watch my young sons slipping into a completely different universe while playing with their Matchbox cars and other toys. They're completely at peace, even when the cars are exploding in fireballs after 15-car pileups on the living room floor.
I love writing because it's the only socially acceptable (and/or legal) way for an adult to peacefully slip into another world for awhile. OK, sometimes, when no one's home, I also play with their Matchbox cars. Totally underrated.
- March 4, 2009 at 12:11 PM
- Heather said...
I love so much about it, but I think the greatest moments are when I've been angsting and mulling over how to get to find my way to what needs to happen next and my mind wraps around the perfect idea to get myself there.
It's like a giant rush when that happens, and I usually say something aloud, along the lines of: "Yessss!"
... and then blush and shrink down into my coffee shop mini-booth, hiding my face in my giant tea mug.
- March 4, 2009 at 12:12 PM
I hate writing. I love having written.
- March 4, 2009 at 12:13 PM
- spwriter said...
The fear and the discovery.
- March 4, 2009 at 12:13 PM
- Sarah Laurenson said...
Hm. Big Brother is watching what you read?
That does sound cool, except for the possible lack of privacy part.
Writing is my love, my passion. There are parts I don't like as much as other parts, but it just is my reason for existing.
- March 4, 2009 at 12:15 PM
- Litgirl01 said...
Escaping! This is why I love to read also. With writing you are in control of things. ;-) Although I have to say, sometimes my characters get out of hand. LOL
- March 4, 2009 at 12:15 PM
- Robert A Meacham said...
Great question. I love to write because I am compelled to frenzies of words to sentences that eventually refelects a certain creativity splattered all over the pages.
I took the advice of Jack Englehard; let the story take you where it may. I like the adventure.
- March 4, 2009 at 12:15 PM
- Crimogenic said...
The progress of developing a story from an idea. It's amazing how one idea starts off as premise and ends up a 100,000 word novel. :)
- March 4, 2009 at 12:18 PM
- L-Plate Author said...
Second drafts.
Once the drivel is down and out, for me there is nothing better than going through all the ideas that have popped up as I write (which I don't look at until I get to the end), seeing which ones will make the work better and then twisting them as much as possible to make the script more appealling. Then it's cut/paste/amend/change/re-jig/colour/layer/enhance whatever you want to call it.
That's what makes a novel a novel for me.
- March 4, 2009 at 12:18 PM
- Robert A Meacham said...
My apologies to Mr Engelhard for the typo
- March 4, 2009 at 12:19 PM
- Windy said...
For me, it's just the rush of falling into something completely outside whatever is going on. It is almost an escape from reality into my own little alternate universe. And putting everything that I hear and see and smell and taste on paper, there's nothing like finding just the right words to convey that to someone else.
Besides, when it comes down to it, what's not to love?
- March 4, 2009 at 12:20 PM
- Silicon Valley Diva said...
I love bringing stories and characters to life. I love when someone reads something I have written and say they were touched. I love playing with words--spending long stretches of time tinkering with sentences to somehow convey on paper what ideas and stories have been swarming around in my mind.
- March 4, 2009 at 12:23 PM
- GuyStewart/DISCOVERCHURCH said...
Becoming someone NEW each time I write a scene; each time I write a story; each time I write a book. For me, it's like being born-again...
- March 4, 2009 at 12:24 PM
- Vegas Linda Lou said...
To be able to transform a blank page (or screen) into a body of work that entertains and inspires others… man, what a thrill.
- March 4, 2009 at 12:25 PM
- Eric said...
Dialog. It allows me to channel all those non-harmonious babbling voices in my head.
- March 4, 2009 at 12:25 PM
- Cindy said...
I love creating a world so realistic and intriguing that I'd want to live there. I also love writing something that moves me because I know there is someone else out there that might be moved by the very same thing I created.
- March 4, 2009 at 12:26 PM
- Ugly Deaf Indian Muslim Punk Gurl! said...
Making up characters, then torture them and then kill 'em off in my stories. It gives me a good feeling and a great release to vent my anger at the world.
- March 4, 2009 at 12:27 PM
- Sunna said...
The moment that usually comes about 4/5 of the way through a novel when all the dominoes I set up, consciously or unconsciously, start falling down.
Being surprised by my characters.
Coming back to a 1st(2nd/3rd/etc.) draft after a week of thinking it sucks to realize I actually did a pretty decent job.
Agonizing over that perfect turn of phrase.
Getting feedback.
Reading books and being able to appreciate not only how well done a passage is, but how damned hard it is to do what the author just did. I enjoy books twice as much now that know how much work goes into writing them.
- March 4, 2009 at 12:29 PM
I write mainly contemporary real-world fiction, and when I'm really in the thick of a story, I find that my senses are heightened in my day-to-day life. I notice things I don't usually notice, and feel like I'm more present in the world than usual. I also feel more at ease taking risks, saying and doing strange things, and generally experimenting with the universe.
Also, I love my characters, and I love being able to twist my perspective around and see the world through their eyes. I love these particular characters so much that I've written about them for nearly 20 years. I make cupcakes on their birthdays. My husband approves.
And I love the words themselves! I'm a linguist in my professional life and I have no problem dealing in words all day at work and continuing to wrestle with them after work, as well.
- March 4, 2009 at 12:29 PM
- Bane of Anubis said...
Discovering more about myself and opening doors I'd closed long ago and wouldn't be able to unlock verbally. That... and twist endings :)
- March 4, 2009 at 12:33 PM
- CNU said...
Altering the reader's perspective on a familiar subject...
- March 4, 2009 at 12:41 PM
- Dr. Moxie Awesome said...
I don't love writing. I hate it. I hate how it's in my blood and in my head and never wants to fully leave even through ink; it's always there. I hate how I walk around feeling cursed. I hate how secluded I feel when I talk about writing to others. I hate how I have to write. I have to write or I feel like I'm standing still in life.
I can only say I love writing in the same way that I love air. I have to breathe to live; I have to write to live.
- March 4, 2009 at 12:41 PM
- Tony said...
One comment on the Kindle iPhone/iPod ap: I use an iPod Touch, and amazingly it worked just as you described -- keeping my place back and forth between the Kindle and the Touch. I'm sure this wouldn't work if I wasn't on a WiFi network; still, I had thought this might have been an "iPhone-only" feature.
Writing. I write for a living. I don't particularly like writing. But I love having written.
- March 4, 2009 at 12:43 PM
- Rachel said...
What a question. There's so much to love about writing. I think I love the creativity and the problem-solving best. I'm also a stickler for editing, so I enjoy taking a chapter apart word by word and putting it back together.
- March 4, 2009 at 12:44 PM
- Paul Äertker said...
I like reading to kids and laughing. That's the best part. But what we like is not the question; the question is what kind of book/manuscript would you like to see come acoss your desktop this weekend?
- March 4, 2009 at 12:46 PM
- Writer from Hell said...
Writing helps me discover answers that surprise me, myself. Whether it is a personal problem or a topic that I'm writing about, I find that thoughts assume a life of their own and solutions present themselves. Writing is a problem gobbler and an ideas churner n thats why I love it.
- March 4, 2009 at 12:48 PM
- Marilyn Peake said...
What do we love about writing? Oh man, that question's so invigorating, I got butterflies in my stomach. I'm off to a writing session, then will be back to thoroughly enjoy answering that question. Thanks for starting our day off on such a positive note, Nathan!
- March 4, 2009 at 12:50 PM
- L.C. Gant said...
I love when my characters cease to be empty and one-dimensional, and instead become living, breathing people with minds of their own. I love when they leap off the page and look me in the eye, and start doing things I never thought they would do. I love when they take the reigns and tell the story for me.
- March 4, 2009 at 12:51 PM
- Richard said...
I would say the thing I love most about writing is not only to express something I'm feeling at the moment, but also to inspire that emotion in another. Great writing should break down walls. That's why I write.
- March 4, 2009 at 12:51 PM
- MzMannerz said...
I love putting the words together. I love words, and phrases, and passages that transport. There are parts of stories I first read decades ago that still make my heart flutter (when Laurie proposes to Amy in "Little Women" for instance) and to see that satisfying little combination of words within my own stories just makes me high.
- March 4, 2009 at 12:51 PM
- Brian Buckley said...
I love the very beginning of writing a novel, when I can pick whatever I want from the infinite possibilities.
I love the very end, when all the revisions are done and I've created something awesome that I can put my name on.
In between it mostly just feels like work!
- March 4, 2009 at 12:53 PM
- RW said...
OK, totally violating the spirit of positivity week, but this fit so well with the question I couldn't resist sharing this article that came across my google reader today:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/books/2009/mar/03/authors-on-writing. It's a bunch of British writers talking about the writing life, mostly in very precise ways about what they DON'T love about the writing life. Hari Kunzru's most accurately describes how I see things.
- March 4, 2009 at 12:55 PM
I love the endless possibilities.
You can create anything, and your characters can be anything, go anywhere, do anything, etc. You come to love them and you can soar with them across mountain peaks, watch beautiful sunsets, stay up all night until the sun rises. You run with them as they are chased through dark alleyways, parachute from planes, hide from the bad guys who seek their life. You can help them solve problems under pressure, exercise awesome logic, discover mysteries and follow trails of riddles. You can sympathise with them as they see things that others cannot see. Your characters can have superpowers - they can fly, go invisible, see entities or beings that their best friend cannot, possess super-human strength... absolutely anything.
It is absolutely limitless, and I love that about writing,
- March 4, 2009 at 12:56 PM
- Brodi Ashton said...
I love:
1. Crackin' myself up.
2. Creating characters that talk back to me.
3. Just when my ego thinks I've nailed it, there's that knee-to-the-groin of rejection that keeps me grounded. 'Course, I'm a girl, so it's not so bad.
- March 4, 2009 at 12:57 PM
- Dara said...
My favorite part of writing is delving into the character's head and seeing their personality come out, especially through dialogue. I think I sometimes get carried away with the dialogue because I love it so much!
- March 4, 2009 at 12:59 PM
- Anita said...
I love getting to say whatever I want to say without any interruptions.
- March 4, 2009 at 1:02 PM
I love playing with words and viewing the world through other people's eyes. While I don't seek conflict in my own life, there's something satisfying about creating it for imaginary people who I can relate to--people who may or may not be like me on the surface--and weaving their stories together into something that feels alive, using all of my mind and heart. I enjoy shaping my stories with the craft I'm honing and my own experiences, and tweaking them with the critiques I receive from fellow writers who are as passionate about story as I am. This is draining at times, and disheartening when I paint myself into a corner or when the dreaded rejection note slithers into my inbox. But most of all, it's beautiful, like childbirth, creating something new and taking pride in it. Writing allows me to feel more and define my own life.
- March 4, 2009 at 1:02 PM
- Scott said...
I love the journey - beginning, middle, and end.
I love the control . . . that is until a character (obviously my subconscious working overtime) does something c-r-a-z-y!
I just love to write, to create, to lose myself in the words, the situations, the characters that are a blend of my imagination, and a tad bit of the real world.
p.s. I got my Kindle last week. Absolutely love it! I didn't think I would. I do, I do, I do - oh, no, now 'that' song will be in my mind all day long. : )
- March 4, 2009 at 1:04 PM
- RW said...
Funny iPhone reading story. In the writing classes I teach, I insist that if you are present that you be present. Which means no texting. If I see my students looking down at the cell phone in their laps, I bust them. Meanwhile, the texts we read are mostly articles found online which I assume they'll print out and bring to class. This semester we crossed a tech threshold of course--easing surfing to the article online via the iPhone. Now I can't tell who's texting and who is following along in the article we're discussing.
- March 4, 2009 at 1:06 PM
- JohnO said...
Once in a while I'll come up with a description I'm really proud of ("He could burn, pine and perish until mom's oven broke, but Annie would still drop her panties for the jerk in the convertible" ... which makes a lot more sense if you'd read the two pages prior. Oh, and Nathan? They're still for sale. Ping me for deets.)
I like it when I make my wife laugh when she's reading my stuff.
I like it when the story I'm working on requires some absurd fiction-writing challenge ("Worst kids' movie premise of all time," "World's dumbest charity"), and then come up with a pretty good answer.
Fitting to have this convo, btw, when the Guardian had all these august author ausholes answering the prompt, "Writing for a living: a joy or a chore?" (http://tinyurl.com/c8ch6b)
My one-line rejoinder: If you hate it so much, go work for a dysfunctional company, you pompous prig-bottoms!
PS - my word verification is "swinerfo" -- that's not symbolic or anything, is it?
- March 4, 2009 at 1:08 PM
- abc said...
I love the attempt to celebrate the details of life--the mundane, the pain, the joy, the frustration. All that stuff of what it means to get through a day, to be human. I love the attempt to connect with others just by creating a character or a story.
Was reading the David Foster Wallace article from the New Yorker (http://www.newyorker.com/reporting/2009/03/09/090309fa_fact_max?currentPage=all) and this struck me:
"Fiction's about what it is to be a fucking human being," he once said. Good writing should help readers to "become less alone inside."
I love the attempt to get at that.
- March 4, 2009 at 1:08 PM
- Jo said...
It's excruciating most of the time but I know that if I keep at it and work really really hard, eventually I'll end up with something that I'm not ashamed of. I sort of slog through the first draft, pushing myself and psyching myself up to get it done. I enjoy revising much more than the initial putting pen to paper. Fine-tuning, moving things around, playing with the characters- that's the fun part and the part I love. And I really enjoy working with an editor.
- March 4, 2009 at 1:14 PM
- Dawn said...
I love building characters and a world that hold what I need, or what is missing in my life. I love how real they become and that I miss those characters when I'm not writing or when the book or story is complete. I love how people respond to my stories.
- March 4, 2009 at 1:17 PM
- Mira said...
Thanks for asking this question, Nathan. It's wonderful to have a forum to think about and express this. It's interesting reading what other people say, too.
For me, it depends on what I'm writing - humor or something serious.
I love, love, love writing humor. I feel joy and 'rightness with the world' throughout my whole life when I'm writing humor. I love, love, love it. But I don't decide when I write humor - it makes itself known to me on it's timeline.
Serious writing comes easily, but it's more difficult to write, and can be really painful emotionally. I don't enjoy it. But, afterward, I love having written it. The catharsis and the sense of meaning and purpose from it is profound.
So, either way, it's all good.
- March 4, 2009 at 1:19 PM
- Vancouver Dame said...
About writing - I love words, and the power of putting them together to tell a story, give information, or describe what's in my thoughts. I love the process of refining and finishing writing that others enjoy reading. I like to imagine story ideas, and what people are thinking or why they do the things they do. It's a form of art to me like painting.
It brings me pleasure to write, whether it's on my blog, in a journal, or working on my current novel and short stories.
A good question, Nathan, and one that is near and dear to writers' hearts. We write because we need to, because there's something in our minds that we have to say.
- March 4, 2009 at 1:22 PM
- Vieva said...
what's not to love?
Okay, the "business" end could be better. (I could have an agent to handle it! *g*)
But the actual butt in chair, hands on keyboard part of writing? I LOVE it. I love creating characters, I love playing with plots, I love that evil giggle when I think of something truly demented to do.
I love the feel of progress as my book advances, page by page and chapter by chapter, as my characters are chased through to a finale and then given their happy ending. (yes, I'm a sucker for a happy ending. so sue me).
I love hefting the final manuscript and knowing I did this.
and I REALLY love having people ask me for more! :D
- March 4, 2009 at 1:25 PM
- Kate said...
Making up stories isn't an optional activity for me. Maybe I'm crazy cause no matter how hard I try, I can't turn off the voices in my head. It's not so much that I like writing. I just live in my own personal fiction and writing is more socially acceptable than wandering the streets talking to myself.
- March 4, 2009 at 1:27 PM
- Melissa McInerney said...
How else can I release all the monsters in my head?
- March 4, 2009 at 1:27 PM
The high of getting something down and realizing you've really caught some infinitesimal portion of the vision in your head.
Also, in a more general way, the opportunity to express things that can't be expressed any other way, especially if you're as introverted as I am.
- March 4, 2009 at 1:30 PM
I love falling into the dream. The nether of creation is powerful stuff, and there's rarely a hangover. I love looking up and seeing that the clock has jumped ahead two hours - and looking back down and seeing that I've made progress. I love falling into stories and becoming Not-Me, god and servant both as the muse moves my hands on the keyboard to explore the strange lands of what-we-are.
- March 4, 2009 at 1:34 PM
- Kaley said...
Writing is torture. That I love it means I am more than a little sick.
- March 4, 2009 at 1:34 PM
- David Taylor said...
I love it when the story takes me in directions I didn't plan or expect. And the place I end up is always better than where I originally planned on going.
- March 4, 2009 at 1:35 PM
It's simple; I write for the future.
I want my grandkids, great-grandkids, great-great-grandkids and so on, to know they came from people that thought about the times they lived in, felt the range of human emotions and pondered a future they would never see.
- March 4, 2009 at 1:36 PM
- the Amateur Book Blogger said...
I love stretching myself beyond what I already know through my research. I love discovering other peoples' stories and seeing how most people are all basically the same the world over and looking at what makes them tick. And I love that because other people write such great stuff, I am able to read wonderful stories to my children, for my entertainment and my education. Thank you to all you great writers out there I enjoy reading and to all those I have still to discover!
- March 4, 2009 at 1:36 PM
I hate writing. It is a curse. It is like alcohol or tobacco, something to get me through the day that does not involve suicide.
If you do something besides write, then for godsake, do so.
If you can even ask the question, you know very little about the writing life.
Try Graham Greene's The End of the Affair for what it's like being a writer.
- March 4, 2009 at 1:37 PM
- Cam said...
Things I love about writing: Having an epiphany that entirely transforms a WIP (this happened yesterday- Yay!); getting so buried in plot lines that I think they're part of real life; when characters get minds of their own and do shocking things that I hadn't planned for them to do; and - finally - freedom of expression as a form of stress relief.
p.s. I saw a DOUBLE rainbow today when the clouds parted during an East Bay rain shower. Let me know if you want the picture I took. ;)
- March 4, 2009 at 1:38 PM
- Kristy Colley said...
Mary Doria Russell sort of hit it on the head in an interview with Krista Tippet. The Novelist as God. Doesn't that just say it all?
- March 4, 2009 at 1:47 PM
- Ink said...
I love the moment the world disappears, when my eyes no longer see and ears no longer hear, and there's only a dream, a dream so vivid it swallows me into bright waters and I drown without drowning, carried on shifting images like false memories, carried to a world that exists only in my own head and yet clamors for release, a story that speaks a strange and beautiful language translatable only through the soft patter of my fingers upon well-worn keys. I love words that are like windows on this world, words that I can use to peak in on the story and that allow the story to peak out at me and sometimes climb through as if there were no walls between worlds. I love that when I come back from that dream it lingers, it haunts and changes me, it makes something new of me.
And I love, too, that writing is hard. I love the difficulty. I love the difficulty because easy things are boring and writing well is never easy. I love that I can spend my whole life chasing the donkey and never quite pin the tail on perfectly. I love that I will have to try again. Once more and again.
My best,
Bryan Russell
- March 4, 2009 at 1:52 PM
- Yvette Davis said...
The idea that, in the end, the finished project and the only tangible connection between the writer and reader is black ink forming letters and words on a page.
- March 4, 2009 at 1:55 PM
abc-- thank you for the David Foster Wallace quote. I am a big fan of his.
It's why I read and why I write -- to feel less alone.
- March 4, 2009 at 1:58 PM
- lotusgirl said...
Wow!! That Kindle iPhone thing is SO cool! Especially that it picks right up where you left off on your Kindle. How do they do that? My brain is just reeling.
My favorite part about writing is creating the characters. No one can be perfect. Everyone is flawed. Complex. Good characters and evil alike.
FYI: I did a book review today of The Book Thief which I read per your suggestion. Just thought you might like to know. I'm still stunned at how completely compelling that book is.
- March 4, 2009 at 2:00 PM
- Marla Taviano said...
I love it when words start flowing through my pen (or onto my computer screen), and I have no idea where they're coming from. And then, when I re-read them, they're brilliant.
If only this happened more often.
My husband put his iPhone in my face this morning, and I was about to get irritated when I saw the cover of my book, Is That All He Thinks About. What?!?!? I don't have a Kindle, but now I can read the first chapters of a ton of books whenever I want. Wheeeee!
- March 4, 2009 at 2:01 PM
- Marla Taviano said...
Hubby says you can buy books through your iPhone. He's a Mac geek, so I believe him.
- March 4, 2009 at 2:07 PM
- Kimberly Lynn said...
Inventing characters and their unique worlds.
Love doing research, too!
- March 4, 2009 at 2:08 PM
I love writing something and then listening to other's responses to it, especially when they find layers of meaning that I didn't know were there. Then I am reassured that my book or story is smarter than I am.
- March 4, 2009 at 2:12 PM
I love meeting other writers and knowing that I am one of them now. They are my peers.
I can finally, finally, finally eat lunch with the popular kids.
- March 4, 2009 at 2:18 PM
- Eden said...
I love watching as the story unfolds. I often don't know the end point or I only have a vague idea. I like watching the characters develop and watching things come together.
- March 4, 2009 at 2:19 PM
- Briony said...
Having a vague idea for a character and then fleshing it out. Creating characters is the best bit for me :)
- March 4, 2009 at 2:19 PM
- Lisa said...
I love that it comes naturally to me but is still so damn hard and gives me endless opportunities to grow.
- March 4, 2009 at 2:19 PM
- Luisa Perkins said...
I'm delurking to post a brief excerpt from my blog in answer to your question.
"No one is able to enjoy such feast as the one who throws a party in his own mind."--Selma Lagerlöf, winner of the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1909
This quote perfectly describes the reason why I continue to write despite such distractions as a romantic husband, six adventurous children, a busy church life, and several absorbing hobbies. The party in my mind keeps pulling me back.
- March 4, 2009 at 2:26 PM
- Conjurae said...
I love the taunting challenge of that arrogant little blinking cursor of a blank page.
- March 4, 2009 at 2:32 PM
- Meg said...
I love telling stories.
- March 4, 2009 at 2:36 PM
- Vodka Mom said...
What do I love about writing? I LOVE to make myself laugh.
yep. And I particularly love it when I watch someone else read what I wrote - and hear THEM laugh! That's the best sound ever. (well, except for maybe the sound of an agent calling me. That MIGHT be better than that...)
- March 4, 2009 at 2:48 PM
- Karen said...
I love creating characters that somewhere along the line take on a life all of their own and practically start typing the story themselves. That's number one. Number two -- I love when someone reads my story or book, and I can see when they are done, that I have entertained them. No greater reward.
- March 4, 2009 at 2:48 PM
The fame and fortune.
Oh, wait.... nevermind.
- March 4, 2009 at 2:52 PM
- Denise Eagan said...
- This comment has been removed by the author.
- March 4, 2009 at 2:53 PM
- Stephanie Faris said...
Being able to create an entire world from thin air. And the pride of typing the words "The End" at the end of 400 pages of blood, sweat, and tears.
- March 4, 2009 at 2:56 PM
It is the most satisfying form of mental masturbation....
- March 4, 2009 at 2:59 PM
- D.A.A. Price (aka Elgin) said...
It's all about the glamor. The glamor and the money. Make that glamor, money, and the chicks. Yeah, glamor, money, chicks, and the fame. Yeah, that's it, glamor, money, chicks, fame, and the wild Hollywood parties. God, what is there not to like about being a writer.
Anyone tells you that it's a window to your soul, that it's a way to connect to the energy of the Universe and that there's no greater high than creating something that might in some small way make the planet a better place to live, don't believe for them for one hot minute.
It's all about the glamor.
- March 4, 2009 at 3:01 PM
- Franny Armstrong said...
It's like bringing your heart and mind together and throwing all the adventure and intrigue you've built up over the years of watching TV and going to the movies together then making your OWN stories.
I call them my babies because they are the very heart of me.
I love being lost in my characters and knowing that no matter what happens, they'll have a happily ever after.
Franny Armstrong
- March 4, 2009 at 3:02 PM
- Being Beth said...
I love telling a story - the first time it's told - writing that first draft.
- March 4, 2009 at 3:03 PM
- Kerry Gans said...
I love the characters--they become real people, and do things I never expected. Sometimes when I'm writing, I know I'm making them do something out of character, because they practically turn and look at me and say, "You want me to do what?"!
I also love that moment when you know you nailed something. I call it "the click"--as in everything has fallen into place with a click like a jigsaw puzzle. When I feel that click, I know not to mess with it anymore.
And sometimes, I go back and read something I wrote, and say, "Hey, this is good! It's like a professional wrote this!" Then I realize that professional was me.
I love it!
- March 4, 2009 at 3:03 PM
- Eileen Wiedbrauk said...
Storytelling. Making people believe. Taking a total stranger and sharing with them the worlds inside my mind as they were the moment I wrote down the words. It's the best -- the only -- sort of alchemy there is; with only words on the page I can transport you through time and space to share a moment with me and who knows how many others.
- March 4, 2009 at 3:06 PM
- Liz said...
Don't forget to also check Stanza, the free iPhone reader app by Lexcycle. My geek friends prefer it.
Re what I like about writing:
Where to begin. There's the immediate endorphins from engaging in creative activity. Then the delight of discovery as the story emerges. The surprising dark places that the story takes you that you didn't know you were going to go. I guess this sounds a lot like reading a good book, but when you're writing it you feel it living in your head. The characters are sorting themselves out in your head. My husband and I talked about how much JK Rowling must have missed the characters after finishing the HP series. Now I know she doesn't miss them - they're still in her head, going about their lives. What's hard is stopping telling their stories.
If I'm being honest, I also like the I Am God quality of writing fiction. I have to be true to the characters, but I can throw things at them at will. I can give them motivations and histories and tics and issues. I can put them in harm's way and make them forget something crucial until it's too late. And then figure out how they still rise above anyway. It's an amazing thing.
- March 4, 2009 at 3:10 PM
- Whirlochre said...
I can summon anything from thin air and hint it into the material cosmos.
- March 4, 2009 at 3:11 PM
- Michelle Miles said...
Creating the vision of my world through words; exciting and inpiring others to do the same.
I can't live without writing.
- March 4, 2009 at 3:15 PM
What I love about writing: The sort of "high" you get from it. It takes you over and your in for the ride of your life. Exciting, awe-inspiring, and breath-taking all at once.
- March 4, 2009 at 3:15 PM
- Horserider said...
My favorite part of writing is the high I get when I finish something or even when I'm on a writing roll that keeps me up until 1 am even though I have to get up early the next morning. It's a wonderful feeling just watching the words flow onto the page in front of me.
- March 4, 2009 at 3:19 PM
- Jen said...
I actually used to dislike the actual act of writing. I always loved inventing ideas and creating worlds, writing outlines and what not, but I stalled whenever I sat down to write. Happily, I have discovered the joy of writing. This probably comes from being older and less worried about life in general. I know now that what I write doesn't have to be perfect, it just needs to get the draft down on paper so that I can go back and revise later.
As far as it goes, I love everything about writing. There could not be a more perfect occupation for me. I am a highly creative person and need to constantly channel that to keep me sane. I love words and language and could play with them for eternity. I love imagination and the creation of new things. I am perfectly comfortable spending most of my time alone (total hermit!).
I have had a lot of ideas of what I would like to do for an occupation over the years, but always it just comes back to writing.
- March 4, 2009 at 3:22 PM
- Griffin Asher said...
I love creating my own worlds, building them detail by detail until I have a whole new place to explore and learn. I love following my characters through this newly created world and growing with them through their struggles. Being able to disappear into this world when real life seems overwhelming. To know that there is a light at the end of tunnel because I put it there with a hope for a better future.
And if there is a hope in that world, then just maybe there's a hope in the real one as well.
- March 4, 2009 at 3:26 PM
- Laura D said...
I love pushing the parameters of the artform. Trying to come up with something new is difficult, but a quest for me nonetheless. Sometimes it's as simple as combining genres or being more avant garde (however it's spelled, I do love spell check!)than what I've read. Pushing boundaries is what gets me up in the morning and keeps me excited about creating stories.
- March 4, 2009 at 3:34 PM
"What do I love about writing?"
It is the single greatest form of solitude without seclusion.
- March 4, 2009 at 3:39 PM
- Marilyn Peake said...
I love photography, and am fascinated by the extraordinary beauty in the work of the National Geographic photographers. I've watched behind-the-scenes documentaries of some of their lives and how they suffer for their art. One photographer had been through a long list of illnesses contracted on the job. Another had been bitten, even in the eyes, by a swarm of bugs, as he caught stunning images of animals in the trees of a tropical location. Others had waded through muddy water with bloodsucking leeches attached to their legs. Despite all that misery, their joy in telling meaningful stories through extraordinary photographs was apparent.
Being a writer is a bit like that ... though not quite as punishing, since we can do our work in a comfortable chair wearing flannel pj's and pink bunny slippers if we choose. Our suffering comes from years of isolation and frustration, and side effects like migraine headaches and back pain.
A writer's artwork has to be wrestled out of their mind one imaginative spark at a time and turned into a coherent story with captivating language and correct form. When I accomplish that, it's thrilling.
My Top Ten List of things I love about writing:
1.) Coming up with a passage that works: when the words sound like art and the story continues to flow.
2.) Days when it seems like I've turned a key in the door to a magical kingdom, those wonderfully euphoric days when the story unfolds quickly and the words flow without pause.
3.) Completing a work and beginning to submit it for publication.
4.) Having a book or short story accepted for publication.
5.) Seeing the book cover artwork for the new publication.
6.) Receiving positive reviews or winning awards for my writing ... because that temporarily releases me from my writer's isolation and lets me know that others have enjoyed my work.
7.) Chatting with other writers online.
8.) Working constantly to improve my work.
9.) The sheer joy of art and creativity.
10.) Doing research for something I'm writing, and finding specific information that adds important layers to the story.
- March 4, 2009 at 3:40 PM
- Michael Pickett said...
Where do I start? Letting my imagination go wild; keeping that imagination under control and coherent; telling a great story; moving readers in a meaningful way; giving life to the characters I have running around in my head; taking something I've written that I thought was good, finding out that it isn't good, and making it good (I have only recently been converted to the joys of revision); that sense of accomplishment that comes after finishing something that was hard and took a long time.
I could go on and on, but I won't. I have to get back to writing.
- March 4, 2009 at 3:40 PM
- Robin Constantine said...
I love how one word can make a difference.
I love getting lost in the "writing zone".
And I love it when characters come out of nowhere to take over a scene.
Last but not least, (cue the puppies and the rainbow) I love that writing has brought me together with some of the coolest and most interesting people I know. (I'm talking real flesh and blood, not fictional, although they can be pretty cool too.)
- March 4, 2009 at 3:42 PM
Getting hit by that "Ohhhh, so that's what happens/that's how that ties in!" moment.
Coming up with plot twists that make me cackle evilly.
Taking elements of books I love to read and creating another one out of thin air that someone else might love too.
Telling stories and getting to live different lives.
Rereading and thinking "Hey, this is pretty good after all."
Feeling that I have a sense of purpose.
- March 4, 2009 at 3:52 PM
- jimnduncan said...
I love being able to bring to life the strange and wonderful things my imagination comes up with. If only computers could take that directly out of your head and put it on the page. Though, perhaps the Kindle will soon be able to beam novels directly into your brain.
- March 4, 2009 at 3:57 PM
- Michelle Moran said...
The research involved in writing historical fiction is one of my favorite aspects of writing.
There are so wonderful countries you end up visiting and places you would never see otherwise...
- March 4, 2009 at 4:11 PM
- Martin Willoughby said...
Using my imagination.
- March 4, 2009 at 4:16 PM
- Cam said...
@ D.A.A. Price -
- March 4, 2009 at 4:22 PM
- David Fields said...
Telling a story that nobody else has told.
- March 4, 2009 at 4:26 PM
- Mandajuice said...
Writing is like closed-captioning for my soul. Sure, I could turn it off and just watch the pictures race by on the screen, but I might miss something. The words make everything clearer and in looking for the RIGHT words, I find that I experience the real world in a deeper, more meaningful way.
- March 4, 2009 at 4:31 PM
- Nikki Hootman said...
I could name a hundred things... but currently, what I love about writing is how I can get so close to a character that I could tell you anything about him or her. I could tell you what he did on his sixth birthday, or when he would use the word "shit" instead of "crap," or whether he likes Burger King or McDonald's better. To me, writing is almost like being able to construct people. It's like classic sculpture or DaVinci's anatomical sketches, but with extra dimensions.
So, I guess what I'm really saying is, I like to play God.
- March 4, 2009 at 4:35 PM
- NP said...
I love making connections with readers. Of developing characters that readers can relate to (or despise), places that readers swear they've been, and stories that readers are sure were taken from their own lives.
- March 4, 2009 at 4:41 PM
- Laura Handy said...
You know that feeling when you're reading a book that is so good you can't wait to get back to it? You rush through everything just so you can curl up with it and continue reading it?
I get that same feeling when I'm engrossed in my own writing, and it's awesome!
- March 4, 2009 at 4:53 PM
- Kristin Laughtin said...
Among a million other things, I like getting my ideas out of my head and into some tangible form. Even if it never sells, I have something I can point to or refer back to and say, "I did this." I like stories, but keeping them in my head doesn't require me to think critically about them. Writing them out forces me to draw connections, develop plot points, and so on, leading to a richer imaginative experience than just replaying my favorite scenes in my head over and over.
- March 4, 2009 at 4:57 PM
- Anna said...
oh my goodness...
telling a tale... exploring a character... using words to explain feelings, colours, sounds...
too many reasons I suppose. never thought about it in depth... a blog post for tonight, perhaps...
- March 4, 2009 at 5:08 PM
- Thomas Burchfield said...
Taking the thrilling adventures that thrive in my mind and making them fly, gallop, run, dance, stroll, strut and walk over the page.
Laughing when I write something funny.
Shuddering when I write something scary.
Tearing up when I write something moving.
Grinning when I write something sly or clever.
Finding the perfect word for the perfect paragraph for the perfect page for the perfect chapter for the perfect book.
And then rewriting it all over again until I find the perfect word for the . . . .
Writing the book I want to read that no one else can write but me.
"a-HA! That's it!"
"Chapter One"
"The End"
- March 4, 2009 at 5:12 PM
- Dreamers Dream said...
creating your own universe
just with a sprinkle of your very own imagination.
- March 4, 2009 at 5:16 PM
- Wanda B. Ontheshelves said...
My Words In Your Mouth
My favorite part of writing is hearing someone use my words in order to talk about something they wouldn't have otherwise been able to talk about...until I gave them the words.
That's what I love!
- March 4, 2009 at 5:19 PM
- Wanda B. Ontheshelves said...
Hi Nikki,
Re: "To me, writing is almost like being able to construct people. It's like classic sculpture or DaVinci's anatomical sketches, but with extra dimensions."
Nice way of expressing it.
Wanda B.
- March 4, 2009 at 5:20 PM
- Lisa Schroeder said...
I love getting near the end, not knowing exactly how everything is going to work out, and sometimes having to struggle to figure out, and then, when it hits me, WOW! It's an incredible feeling making the story worth reading, finding a little something that will surprise the reader, and getting to the satisfying end. I <3 it, Nathan!!!
- March 4, 2009 at 5:23 PM
- Roland said...
It's weird that scientist have finally invented magic. The Shazam app on the Iphone blows my mind more than a real life Captain Marvel could.
- March 4, 2009 at 5:29 PM
- Mary Anne said...
The newest thing I love about writing ties in with your comments about Amazon and the Kindle. I love that Amazon has given writers a way to market their work directly to readers.
I've uploaded my work to Kindle and Mobipocket (Amazon all). Now readers are actually enjoying the books that were previously just gathering dust on my hard drive.
A Kindle app for the i-phone? New technology in this economy that helps writers make money?
What do I love about writing? These days Amazon is near the top of that list.
- March 4, 2009 at 5:31 PM
- Mira said...
I hate to interrupt such a fascinating discussion, but I'd like to follow-up with our conversation, Nathan.
I noticed there wasn't a signing contract in my e-mail this morning.
Which was really weird. After all, I triple-dog dared you, and then yesterday I told you that - although I havn't written a darn thing - I did have a few ideas.
What gives? What more could you possibly want? I thought and thought and thought....and then.....
I saw it. I saw the truth. I saw the terrible, horrible truth.
The terrible horrible truth is this. I lied to you. I did. I lied. And you knew it. Somehow, you knew it. So, of course you wouldn't want to go into business with a liar. Who would?
Not you, that's who.
So, I apologize. I apologize for lying to you.
I told you I hadn't written a darn thing but I did have a few ideas.
That's not true. I admit it. It's not true.
Here's the truth:
Let me just take a deep breath.
The truth: I really, completely, totally and absolutely haven't written a darn thing. But I don't have a few ideas. I really don't. I have exactly 49.5 ideas. I counted.
Calling 49.5 ideas a few ideas is a bald-face lie. I admit that now.
But there's a silver lining to this shadow of darkness. The good news is that out of 49.5 ideas, there's probably a good percent chance that at least one of them is semi-decent.
(Actually, there's a 33.2 percent chance one of those ideas is halfway decent. How do I know it's 33.2 percent? I made it up. I'd calculate the actual percentage, but I have no idea how to do that.)
So anyway, I feel much better now. A great weight is lifted off of my shoulders. Thank you. Thank you for your 'tough love' Nathan. I can see how I really, really needed that.
Almost as much as I really, really need a signing contract. Okay - an honest guarantee of at least one half-way decent idea. How can you turn that down, Nathan?
Well, you can't, of course. I'll look for the signing contract in the morning.
Okay, that should do it.
- March 4, 2009 at 5:31 PM
- MelissaPEA said...
I love how writing makes me feel inadequate, unstable, and confused on a daily basis.
- March 4, 2009 at 5:35 PM
- Nathan Bransford said...
I'm never one to interrupt a good conversation, even if it's a conversation of one.
- March 4, 2009 at 5:35 PM
- Mira said...
Nathan -
I'm not quite sure how to read that. Does that mean you'd like me to stop interrupting?
I'll respect that, and interrupt my own fun, if I must....
- March 4, 2009 at 5:44 PM
- Nathan Bransford said...
Not what I meant.
- March 4, 2009 at 5:45 PM
- Mira said...
Nathan -
Oh good.
I have plans.
- March 4, 2009 at 5:46 PM
Nathan, very clever of you to get US to provide the puppies and kittens today.
What I love about writing:
Going to work in my gingerbread man pajamas.
The moment when the story is finally out of my head and on paper and it has a beginning, a middle and an end...fiction and non-fiction.
Royalty checks, no matter how small.
- March 4, 2009 at 5:49 PM
- Alexa said...
Oh so many things! The evolution of my characters, losing myself in a world I've created, how fast the time goes when I write, taking words out, putting words in, trying to capture feelings and sensations in new ways, getting to guarantee a happy ending :)
- March 4, 2009 at 6:02 PM
- scruffdiva said...
MelissaPEA, I love what you said. I echo that. Writing really is a painful joy, like a euphoria that empties me. I was never good at math in the numeric sense but writing definitely feels like the most successful attempt at word equations that one could hope for.
- March 4, 2009 at 6:05 PM
- Roscoe James said...
The creative process. Making something out of a few simple tools.
- March 4, 2009 at 6:18 PM
- Marilyn Peake said...
Mira and Nathan,
I'm glad I wasn't drinking coffee, I would have spit it all over my computer keyboard, laughing. I wish that I could also interrupt your discussion ... but I'm too confused. :)
The stock market is finally up today. Is there a positivity rainbow spreading across the land?
- March 4, 2009 at 6:30 PM
- Tricia said...
getting published
- March 4, 2009 at 6:35 PM
- K said...
Writing heal me. It's not a matter of choice it's a matter of a calling. I can only hope my words help heal others.
- March 4, 2009 at 6:36 PM
Unlike so many of you, I don't have characters - I have ideas and ways to hopefully improve the quality of people's lives during these 'interesting' times.
I seek to make the world just a bit better for having been in it. It's a big goal, but certainly one worth pursuing. Does it get any better than for a complete stranger to thank you for inspiring them?
I can only do that through writing.
- March 4, 2009 at 6:46 PM
- MACS said...
Delurking to say: yes, yes, yes and all of that. As usual I can't improve upon or add much to that which the others have already said.
I love the epiphany at the beginning, when the whole work reveals itself in a flash of insight or a dream. The reason why.
I love weaving the tapestry of plot and character. Going back and adding gold threads and gems.
Getting lost in another world. The surprises.
Being in the zone.
I love the sense of belonging that comes from reading NB's blog. I am not alone.
- March 4, 2009 at 6:47 PM
- Richard Lewis said...
I've just read Eric Clapton's autobiography. He speaks of finally breaking through his alcoholism by getting down on his knees and letting his pride be broken. Every mornking since he has gotten down on his knees asking for help and every night the same with gratitude for the gift of sobriety.
What does this have to do with writing?
I think it can be reversed a little. However it is we humans were blessed with language and with writing -- whether God or just a fantastic universe that allowed it to happen -- we should every morning give a little shout out (or grudging grump, sometimes, because writing is hardly ever easy) that this is something we can do, and every night say thanks to Whoever or Whatever for what we did write.
Me personally, I've done a lot of other things in my life, but I'm most happy when unhappily writing.
Then I go surfing.
- March 4, 2009 at 6:49 PM
- Stacey said...
Not that anyone reads the comments after there are this many other than maybe Nathan...but...
The thing I love about writing is the ability to show that experience is not a bad thing. Life should not be perfect, nor should the actions in a novel. If it is, it is just plain boring! Even fairy tales have opposition!
- March 4, 2009 at 7:04 PM
- Barbara's blog said...
I love going back and editing--making the words flow more smoothly, re-living what I've written, being inside my characters' minds. I watched the movie "Stranger Than Fiction" where a writer's protagonist is a real person. She plans to kill him and he finds out. That's just how real my characters are to me. Only another writer can understand. People who don't write think we're just a little strange.
- March 4, 2009 at 7:12 PM
- Mira said...
Marilyn, interrupt away.
But I'm sorry you're confused. I can explain. I want Nathan to give me a signing contact based on the fact that I have a half-way decent idea.
He hasn't signed me yet. I'm pretty sure that's because he's playing hard to get. I can respect that. It's important not to seem too eager.
So, we're continuing our dialogue.
There, see? Not confusing at all.
BTW, I loved your top ten things that you liked about being a writer. And thanks for all the positivity this week - the links and everything. Very cool. :-)
- March 4, 2009 at 7:13 PM
- Kate said...
A lot of people I know escape into these dramas that are quite popular over the past few years: everything from Desperate Housewives; Prison Break; Lost; Heroes; etc. At some point they might talk about what they think will happen next. It is this sense that they know the characters so well that they feel they could write the next episode.
I feel that way when I write. Developing the characters is great, but there is an even greater feeling when the characters I have created are taking on their own lives and for the most part I am taking dictation while they write themselves.
Another thing is what my fantasy life has always been for me. As a child I had a super active fantasy life and a pretty lonely, misfit real life. If someone hurt my feelings or made me feel small in some way, I relived that experience in my fantasies to make things right. Now I make things write. I fix whats wrong in my world with my fantasies and they become integrated into my writing.
I passionately love love love writing.
I just started writing about two years ago, (working on my second novel) but have felt like it was absolutely right for me since I began. Unfortunately I also have to make a living so my time to write is minimal. I dream of a future where I can make writing my full time job.
- March 4, 2009 at 7:22 PM
- KD said...
Beta readers demanding "the next book NOW!"
Characters who make me laugh out loud.
Snickering as I type. (Writers, am I right? You know what I mean...)
Getting run over by a steamrol--I mean, a new story.
- March 4, 2009 at 7:26 PM
- Grapeshot/Odette said...
I love to see the idea take form and the characters come to life and from the little germ a manuscript comes forth and after much tweaking and many rewrites and edits the manuscript becomes something worth sending into the world, and I can think, "ye gods, I've written another book."
- March 4, 2009 at 7:26 PM
- Linda said...
The high of infinite possibilities... Peace, Linda
- March 4, 2009 at 7:29 PM
- Stef Kramer said...
revealing, hiding, pretending, not pretending, racing your fingers across a keyboard while your mind chases a thought, discovering something about yourself you never knew and creating fates for characters in attempt to tell a meaningful story for anyone who cares to read it.
- March 4, 2009 at 7:47 PM
- Deb Lehman said...
I love word play. I love bringing a character and scene to life. I love writing really good dialogue. I love making my readers laugh or cry. I love seeing my name in print.
- March 4, 2009 at 7:48 PM
- Karen H. said...
The process. I love seeing where the story is going as I write it. Every time I write, I feel like I'm writing something I'd like to read and so I get a double bonus as a reader and writer. Great question.
- March 4, 2009 at 7:52 PM
I love getting inside my character's minds and finding out why they do the sometimes outlandish things they do. Also I love the hours of returning to somewhere I have loved in the past as I always, at the start of writing a new novel, choose such a place for my setting.
Writing is also a reason to explore and study every moment in life as who knows when I might need it.
- March 4, 2009 at 7:59 PM
- Hal Alpiar said...
I love that writing is such a powerful avenue for self-expression, that it serves as my shrink, and that everytime I pick up my pen or poke at my keyboard, I face a new opportunity to teach, learn, entertain, amuse, persuade, provoke, and leave my mark on planet Earth.
I love that I can write as easily in the middle of rush hour at Grand Central Station as tucked into a Belize rainforest riverbank surrounded by wildlife. I love that I can write in parked cars, supermarkets, standing in lines, and sometimes in the dark when a middle-of-the-night idea demands the notepad next to my bed.
I am a seven days-a-week career writer. Forty years of daily drafts and rewrites stand behind me -- from books, business plans, blogs, and billboards, to scripts, curricula, and advertising jingles. And I am madly in love with the unique life experiences and challenges these writing missions have provided.
It is of course the call to exceed my own expectations that underlies my purpose in rising with each sunrise...to outperform myself with a better blog post or Twitter Tweet than yesterday, a better feature story, a better love letter.
A well-known college baseball coach teaches players to focus on the fact that every hit and every pitch is always just between each of them and the ball. Writing is always just between my fingers and my brain, and neither ever lets the other down.
What's not to love about writing?
- March 4, 2009 at 8:10 PM
- talshannon said...
The big bang.
- March 4, 2009 at 8:11 PM
- Madison said...
There's something so magical about creating a story. It is an addiction, and a good one.
I love every part of the writing process except writing synops. I have been writing since I was six, so that's almost fourteen years. I don't see myself stopping anytime soon! :D
- March 4, 2009 at 8:30 PM
- Damyanti said...
I'm not sure I totally enjoy writing. When the words flow, I'm riveted, yes, but I'm not terribly in love with it. I'm just taking dictation from some unknown entity, after all. Revision--not bad, but not what I love either.
The only part I really love about writing is when I go back to a piece I'd written months, years, back, and it surprises me: Wow! Really? I wrote that?
Here's an interesting link on how published novelists think of their writing:
- March 4, 2009 at 8:58 PM
- lisanneharris said...
Researching. I love to research historical facts--almost as much as writing historical romance. Hell, I even love reading Webster's 11th Collegiate Dictionary. It's the coolest source for ensuring my word choices are true to their time.
Anyone want to pay me to do their research? *grin*
- March 4, 2009 at 9:02 PM
My favorite part of writing is that it makes me feel no part of my life--no bad decision or mistake, no day spent doing something boring--is wasted. Any of it can seed a new story or give me the perspective for a scene or a line of dialogue.
- March 4, 2009 at 9:15 PM
- Scott said...
I have this one scene with a minor character who plays a vital role and then disappears. When that character comes on stage, people are sucked into the scene so hard that it becomes real.
When I read that scene and realize that, somehow, it leaked out through MY thick skull, I remember why this is all worth doing, and I remember why I love writing.
I just wish I could get that same energy on every page.
- March 4, 2009 at 9:21 PM
- Kylie said...
Making up stories. It's a long daydream world you get to explore and enrich for a long period of time. Then you can share your daydream with other people.
- March 4, 2009 at 9:27 PM
- Jim Lamb said...
I love the magic of words. When a writer can place a series of simple letters, squiggly little marks really, in such an order that they alter the emotions of another person--that's real magic right there.
- March 4, 2009 at 9:53 PM
- Sarah said...
I'd like to visit D.A.A. and Mira's worlds!
Does the glamor and money come before or after I sell my terrific idea? And is there a special sort of query for ideas? I'm guessing it would be longer and single spaced...
Thanks for the laugh.
- March 4, 2009 at 10:28 PM
- Katy said...
What i love about writing is how the little details of every day life can become magnificent stories.
Another thing is how you have an infinite number of chances to get something right...it's the ultimate risk-free activity...of course, the risk comes later, when you decide to show your work to other people.
- March 4, 2009 at 10:49 PM
- Heather said...
Making something out of nothing.
- March 4, 2009 at 11:16 PM
- Greenleaf said...
Two things come to mind: 1) being able to say something in writing that people read and say "Wow, that's great!" but if you said the same thing in a conversation, they would look at you like you were a drug-addled weirdo; and helping other writers.
- March 4, 2009 at 11:56 PM
- Shruti said...
Yes, the pleasure of creating perfection.
- March 5, 2009 at 12:07 AM
- Meg Trotter said...
There's so much to love!
In fiction, it's probably the chance to "become" another person for a while and say things I wish I could say, do things I wish I could do. Plus it's fun to get my characters into all sorts of trouble and then figure out how to get them back out again.
In nonfiction, it's the chance to get all my thoughts out in one place and then organize them and edit them until they flow together in a readable and interesting piece.
- March 5, 2009 at 12:19 AM
- austere said...
The scowling/gnashing at the beginning.
The relief at first cut.
The sense of otherness long after.
What's to like?
- March 5, 2009 at 1:28 AM
- gm said...
Great question, Nathan! I'm especially pleased to answer it today because I'm particularly enjoying my writing right now. And the best thing I like about it (an epiphany I had moments ago) was the unexpectedness of a great line or a detail that pops into your head while writing.
That link of writers on writing was great. Here's the formatted version: Writing for a living: a joy or a chore?
- March 5, 2009 at 1:57 AM
- Debra said...
I love re-inventing my title every time the book takes me down a new road;
I love the rush of meeting the perfect phrase. That glorious moment when you write a line and realize, 'That's it, baby - It's Miller time';
I love the adrenaline rush of a Friday deadline;
And I love the privilege of being in a community of wonderful women writers.
Diggin' the positivity, Nathan!
- March 5, 2009 at 2:07 AM
When I do it well, I feel both professionally and personally satisfied. So, in simplest terms, writing makes me feel good.
- March 5, 2009 at 2:24 AM
- jan.s said...
To read each person's response to this question is to enter into the world, not as we know it, but as we would find...the other, not so far removed from us yet different enough ... to don the hat that doesn't fit, and the one that makes one too too cool...the actor, the fool..succeeding in making life not quite the easy fit...this is what I love...the unexpected....and thank you each and every one for taking the time to write and read this addition...
- March 5, 2009 at 2:28 AM
- Hat Man said...
I love that it transports me to another time and place of my own choosing and allows me to frolick with my friends.
- March 5, 2009 at 5:52 AM
- Jovanna said...
I like to write because my writing is something that's mine. Because I've read just about every book in my house and don't have the opportunity to get new ones or borrow, I write to give myself something to read... and it's a wonderful project I can work on in my spare time. I have an awful time trying to choose anything I want to read anyway. Also, it's one of those skills that improve with time and experience, and I love looking back over all my writing and seeing how I've improved. But one of my main reasons is that I'm forever coming up with story ideas that I would love to see in a book and some of them I haven't seen anywhere.
The best thing is when you have a movie flowing in your head and you can capture every scene and detail of the story concisely into a written form.
- March 5, 2009 at 6:11 AM
I love to write because:
Words never cry
or talk back to me
or get sick
or move away
Words don't need dusting
washing folding, ironing,
or putting away
I don't have to shop for words
grieve for them
battle with them
or hide them away
Words never betray me
belittle me
scam me
Words take me
to places I've never been and
places I know and miss
Words make sunshine
sparkling snowfalls
dark and scary nights
Words return dead parents
lost friendships
grown up babies
Nothing is too evil
or sickening
for words to express
Words make perfect sense
or no sense at all
and both are good
Words do the right thing
or the wrong thing
I get to chose
- March 5, 2009 at 6:53 AM
- BarbS. said...
It's a state of being.
Hey, everybody else beat me to the significant lines!
- March 5, 2009 at 7:53 AM
- Eva Ulian said...
My advice to writers has always been if you can live without it, then you will do yourself and the world a favour if you don't write.
I hate and love writing, just like food, I do it to live- it is the cause for my existence.
There is no more obscure moment than when you can't create: no greater moment when you give birth to your creation.
- March 5, 2009 at 8:28 AM
I like the suspense of sending it off to a publisher and not knowing if it will be accepted or rejected. After puttng all that effort into it, the agony of waiting for a reply is long and,at times, unacceptable. But, when the answer finally arrives, I give out a big happy HURRAY, whether good or bad, and continue with something I've started in the meantime.
- March 5, 2009 at 9:14 AM
- kate said...
I love making the things that I can see in mind come to life for other people. . .writing makes me feel sane.
p.s. Thanks for your blog, I find it both educational and interesting!
- March 5, 2009 at 9:35 AM
The groupies.
- March 5, 2009 at 9:53 AM
- Ulysses said...
Indoor work.
No heavy lifting.
- March 5, 2009 at 10:59 AM
- slcard said...
Eva, I am on my knees before the altar of your wisdom, but are we creators or interpreters?
- March 5, 2009 at 11:23 AM
What I love: Writing the books that I've always wanted to read. I've spent countless hours wandering the aisles of bookstores, searching for the right book, but I've never been able to find it (where "it" varies). I found lots of wonderful, extraordinary, entertaining things, but not the right book, if that makes any sense...
- March 5, 2009 at 11:30 AM
- Sarah-Jayne said...
How do you find the words to describe the need that keeps you awake at night, the frustration and devastation that comes with reworking and discarding hours of work after being judged by the harshest cynic within yourself and the deepest, most sought after pleasure that results from the satisfaction and elation of finding the perfect word for just one phrase?
- March 5, 2009 at 11:35 AM
I love returning to the work each day eager to find out what's going to happen NEXT!!!!
- March 5, 2009 at 11:43 AM
- Mercy Loomis said...
I can't NOT write. The stories just come sometimes. What I love is the feeling of channeling something that is bigger than me, and is still wholly mine. I love having an outlet for my dark side. I love the struggle of translating emotion and sensation into words on a page, and having those words elicit the emotion or sensation that birthed them. And as much as I love having my stories and my characters in my head, I also loved how my brain was so quiet right after I finished the first draft of my novel. It was so peaceful. Of course, it only lasted a few days, but I appreciated the vacation.
- March 5, 2009 at 11:44 AM
- Ego said...
I love putting my characters in a room together and seeing what they say. They really make me laugh sometimes.
- March 5, 2009 at 12:00 PM
- Michael Reynolds said...
Getting a fat check for sitting on my ass drinking coffee, smoking cigars and typing for three hours a day.
-- Michael Grant
- March 5, 2009 at 12:01 PM
- Ink said...
Ulysses, that cracked me...
- March 5, 2009 at 12:16 PM
- james said...
Knowing that I have the capacity to surprise myself when a character acts in a manner that I didn't think I could imagine him/her doing.
- March 5, 2009 at 12:56 PM
- nancorbett said...
The Zone. When I know I won't have any distractions, I can actually sit down to write and leave the planet. During that time, I reside within my own created world. It's the most delicious thing I know. I've talked to other writer friends, and we all know about The Zone. Leaving The Zone is like waking up from a particularly colorful, entertaining dream.
- March 5, 2009 at 3:25 PM
- Eva Ulian said...
Slcard, Well, I do believe when we write we both interpret and create- as I describe in my "reality fiction" technique: "The mind draws out an image from the past, gives it a new reality, a life of its own." By the way, you can get up from your knees now, thank you. Cute!
- March 5, 2009 at 6:33 PM
Writing is much like the green ribbon around a certain little girl's neck. People kept asking her why she wore the green ribbon until one day a boy pulled it off and her head fell off. Writing keeps my head on my shoulders.
I love the adventures, the characters, the places,and possibilities without boundaries. Unlike reality where, when things get all tangled up, there is no delete button, writing allows me to be me in the most unbound way. It allows me the freedom to change my mind without suffering the guilt and pain of having thoroughly messed things up.
I love writing because it is freedom!
- March 5, 2009 at 6:41 PM
What's Love got to do with it?
- March 5, 2009 at 7:43 PM
- freddie said...
When the plot sort of clicks and you see the whole story from beginning to end, almost.
- March 7, 2009 at 8:50 AM
- Jane said...
Exploring with a plan in mind, discovering the unexpected.
- March 7, 2009 at 3:19 PM
- Allison Brennan said...
Is this a trick question? Are you asking about the WRITING or the STORYTELLING. I love storytelling. The feeling when something clicks inside and I know I have a story. The writing itself is damn hard work. But the storytelling isn't. What I love about writing isn't the same as what I love about storytelling or even about being an author.
But the truth is, I've been writing since I was six and I don't think I could stop if I wanted to.
- March 10, 2009 at 6:02 AM


text:
Men's Polo Ralph Lauren Stratford Boots
Select a size above
Size Chart
Buy Online & Pick Up In-Store
Check Availability at stores near you.
Product Details
When the weather takes a turn for the worse, lace up the outdoor ready Polo Ralph Lauren Stratford Boots. Made of ultra-rich oiled suede, these rugged boots are tough enough to handle Mother Nature's fury, but have enough swagger to turn heads wherever you go.
Refined, yet durable, the Stratford truly is a versatile boot for style-savvy guys. In addition to the soft oiled suede upper, these boots have a plush leather interior and padded insole. Pull these suckers on in no time with the striped grosgrain and suede pull tab at the back, while the debossed Polo logo at the tongue adds a stylish touch.
- UPPER: Oiled suede
- MIDSOLE: Padded leather lining
- OUTSOLE: Rubber

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Probably right...Enty wouldnt exaggerate.
Probably right...Enty wouldnt exaggerate.
"I hate to advocate drugs, alcohol, violence, or insanity to anyone, but they've always worked for me." - Hunter S. Thompson
Its not Roger Huerta.
Obviously it's not Hughes, Penn or Hogan
Huerta would hurt Enty. I hope it's not him.
The poster formally known as Steve_Langford.
Ok, Hacksaw Jim Duggan or Cro Cop?
Sig awaiting witty quote from someone.
The poster formally known as Steve_Langford.
www.sherdog.com/fighter/Chris-Clarke-60824 #pathetic #useless if this was my record I certainly wouldn't be on here talking giving another professional fighter shit who's so much better than him it's not funny av just been watching your fights..........do you even understand this sport?
And Chris you said was I gonna lose against Anthony jefferies....... I didn't pat vickers........ I didn't Andy green.......I didn't mick bowman........I didn't Liam James ohhhh and guess what I fucking didn't so who ever I fight your opinion counts for nothing
A lion doesn't lose sleep over the opinion of sheep and looking at your fights I think am giving you credit by calling you a sheep
Last edited by enty; 01-02-2014 at 05:05 AM.
1 more statistic whilst your putting hahahaha the average time it takes you to lose a fight is 48 seconds the average time it takes me to win a fight is 71 seconds so exactly who should be laughing at who???
Last edited by enty; 01-02-2014 at 04:40 AM.
The problem is I can't not come of the forum whilst your all discussing me because people are writing things whilst not having a clue about anything
It's not pulver nor will I be fighting on one Fc I was offered a 2 year contract of them on far bigger pay than I have ever had before and I have been offered some other good contracts of big shows but I am only interested in one fight deals because my dream is the main card of the ufc so I can show the world my heel hooks....... That's my dream
When I say change my life and people come on here and say doubt it if it's this doubt it if it's that, how do u know what I have been told in advance what happens if I win? How do you know I don't have a huge financial win bonus if I win? You don't! And did you ever stop to think I already know the offer am getting and all I need to do is win my next fight? And make weight.
Seriously tho am only writing to clear things up because people's comments are so misguided, biased or completely retarded But I must admit big ears made me laugh with his Matt Hughes and middleweight comment.


text:
LSU Tiger Girls Dance Team
LSU Sports Interactive
2016-17 LSU Tiger Girls Dance Team
- To easily find this page, visit www.LSUsports.net/tigergirls.
- To request an LSU Spirit Squad for your event, click here.
2017 Tiger Cheer & Dance Summer Camp
Dates: July 10-12, 2017
Grades: entering Pre K through 7th grade
Half Day: 9 a.m.- noon
Cost: $155
Full Day: 9 a.m.- 3 p.m.
Cost: $255
Location: LSU Field House Gym, Southeast Entrance
About the Camp: The goal of this camp is to teach your child the basic fundamentals of cheerleading. This is a beginners camp and will expose your child to motions, jumps, tumbling and stunts. We learn our LSU Game day cheers and dances as well as have a lot of fun. Kids that are preparing for upcoming middle school/junior high tryouts will work on "how to try out for my school team," a mock tryout will be included.
Team Photo ID:
Row 1 (bottom): Lauren Dionne, Faith Ryan, Aliese Lemoine, Jenna Hebert, Leah Angelle, Dallas Lipoma
Row 2: Shelby Rase, Ashley Colomb, Camila Carrera, Morgan Clay, Samantha Koppenhagen, Micah Odom, Aubrey Daboval
Row 3: Payton Ibos, Allison Cook, Bailey Nance, Lauren Sullivan, Samantha Ponseti, Claire Rogers
Row 4 (top): Emma Moore, Alexis Duplessis, Nadia Bordelon
- 2015-16 Tiger Girls
- 2014-15 Tiger Girls
- 2013-14 Tiger Girls
- 2012-13 Tiger Girls
- 2011-12 Tiger Girls
- 2010-11 Tiger Girls
- 2009-10 Tiger Girls
- 2008-09 Photos
- 2007-08 Tiger Girls
- 2006-07 Tiger Girls
General Information
The Tiger Girls are under the Direction of Pauline Zernott. For more information about the Tiger Girl program or to schedule and appearance by the Tiger Girls, please contact us at email@example.com.
For more information on LSU Tiger Girl Auditions click here.


text:
PHOTO: Mariah's birthday surprise for Nick Cannon
Listen to Mariah Carey on iHeartRadio
It looks like Mariah Carey is spicing things up in her marriage.
On Tuesday, the singer took to Twitter with a selfie showing off some major cleavage in a black lace bra and unbuttoned men's shirt. The photo was a gift to her husband Nick Cannon, in celebration of his 33rd birthday.
She captioned the photo "my baby I'm waiting on youuuu."
Happy Birthday to my Hubby @NickCannon..."my baby I'm waiting on youuuu"hahaha! KKLB! GHL!!!! Mwah !!!!!😘 pic.twitter.com/y2lHWCo6A4— Mariah Carey (@MariahCarey) October 8, 2013
Mariah and Nick have been married since 2008 and share two-year-old twins Monroe and Moroccan. The couple hasn't been shy about sharing their love publicly.
Earlier this year, Nick made headlines for revealing that the singer often puts on her own music while they make love.
Mariah is busy putting the finishing touches on her new album, rumored to be titled The Art Of Letting Go. She announced that she would be delaying its release back in June.


text:
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- Home
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- Special Sections
- Classifieds
- Public Notices
For seniors, reality is not always pleasant, and what we may be facing this coming year could be a real disaster.
Ten years ago, the Federal Legislature established a faulty formula for Medicare payments to our doctors.
The belief was if it was not corrected by Jan. 1, 2011, payments to doctors could be reduced by 25 percent. If losing your doctor upsets you it would be a good idea to phone your federal legislator at 1-800-944-6723 in Washington, D.C., to register your complaint.
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text:
It wouldn't matter anyway about the drivers as you need a USB wifi stick in VMware.
I have backtrack 4 installed inside a VMware workstation and am trying to put my network card into monitor mode. Can this be done?
Does this instead need to be installed on a separate partition or will that have any effect? This OS was installed as an Other type so I can't install Vmware tools. Can this be installed as Ubuntu or something else?
I tried grepping -i for broadcom and bcm when I run a dmesg and found nothing.
On windows my card is called Dell Wireless 1395 WLAN Mini-Card which indicates it is a Broadcom BCM4310.
It says this is unsupported here:
Is there any linux command I can run to check the model of this network card?
It wouldn't matter anyway about the drivers as you need a USB wifi stick in VMware.
Do you have more information about this wifi stick? Will I be able to get this working on Vmware workstation?
How can I test that this is working?
If I was to setup backtrack on it's own partition would that help or would there still be issues with this network card.
No idea about the card, I avoid Broadcom if I can. But, to get an internal PCI/Mini-PCI card working you'll have to install it, as yyou said to a partition.
BCM4310 will not work with b43 as it is now.. if you are desperate, go contact b43 devs. I also recall that BCM4310 will try to make itself under lspci entry as opposed to lsusb (in other words, it will list itself as a non USB device), which may also mean that it will never work with vmware if you can't share the adapter.
and just be warned with internal PCI/Mini-PCI or any other form of connection apart from USB will not work with vmware or any other virtualisation software.


text:
East Coast Golden Doodles has a few puppies not claimed! Contact us now to out in your deposit :) @eastcoastgoldendoodlesnc on facebook All our puppies…$1,300
Champion bloodlines. English lab. Gorgeous, blocky puppy. Will be ready the week of 8/17/17. Sells utd on vaccinations and deworming. Price is for limited…$800
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Handsome male baby Needs loving home & someone to spend time with him Would make cute babies! I've reduced price as hoping to find a good home for…$650


text:
Shekhawati Overview
You can reach Shekhawati from Gaya by road in about using a cab upon driving using a cab.
Shekhawati is a semi-arid historical region located in the northeast part of Rajasthan, India. Its name originated from the Shekhawat Rajputs. The only reason a traveller visits the Shekhawati region, besides relaxing in a heritage resort or riding a horse, is to go for frescoes hunt. The whole terrain is a huge treasure comprises of paintings and colourful murals. Shekhawati's magnificent havelis or mansions, built by rich merchants of the region, display a unique architectural style that evolved around the courtyards to ensure safety and privacy of the women folk and protection from the heat of the long and harsh summers. If you are looking for car rental Shekhawati let us know and we will be happy to provide you with best budgeted deals for . Book cabs in Shekhawati


text:
Core term life insurance with accidental death and dismemberment (AD&D) coverage is a benefit provided by the University at no cost to eligible employees. The benefit is equal to your base annual pay. The value of insurance in excess of $50,000 is considered a taxable benefit. Those who earn less than $50,000 but purchase supplemental term life insurance may be subject to this tax if the combined total insurance exceeds $50,000. Employees have the option to "cap" their core term life insurance to $50,000 in order to avoid paying taxes. All eligible employees should receive the group life insurance benefits certificate when hired or on becoming eligible for the benefit.
Employees have the option of choosing supplemental term life insurance for themselves. This optional life insurance does not include AD&D benefits. The cost of the supplemental term life insurance is based on your age. Supplemental insurance may be purchased in amounts of $25,000, $50,000, $100,000 or $150,000. Newly hired or eligible employees electing $25,000 or $50,000 of supplemental insurance within 30 days of eligibility will not have to apply for medical approval. However, newly hired or eligible employees electing $100,000 or $150,000 of supplemental insurance must fill out the Statement of Health form and submit it to the benefits unit in the office of human resources.
Dependent life insurance is offered in the amount of $10,000 for spouse and $5,000 for eligible dependent child(ren). Dependent children are eligible from age 15 days to 19 years (25 years if full-time student). Spouses may be insured to age 70.


text:
This is a question for people who know Thai language.
Recently I was at a meditation retreat, and the teacher said this saying in Thai: "Where there is a will there is a way". We have this same saying in German, and apparently they have it in Thailand as well. And it sounded so nice in Thai. I'd like to know the exact phrasing. Preferrably, both in Thai script and in romanized script. I'd be very grateful.
I still know the "metric" or what you call it:
long-short-short-short (where there's a will)
long-short-short-short (there is a way)
(So the metric structure is the same as in English more or less, it seems.)
Edit: No, I'm not really so sure about the metric structure.


text:
You already know about our Ocean Isle Beach wedding facility, but did you know we also provide local businesses and groups with the same space for their meetings? Our oceanfront hotel in Ocean Isle Beach has a spacious, casual meeting space that is over 600 square feet and can accommodate up to 50 people. Our helpful staff is delighted to assist with coordinating all of your meeting particulars, including a portable PA system for music and microphone hookup. We can also arrange to provide refreshments, deluxe continental breakfast, or a catered lunch or dinner by our friends at The Isles Restaurant in Ocean Isle Beach.
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This free pack will help keep your co-op game rolling if your partner has downloaded additional DLC content. This free pack does not allow you to have access to use any DLC content, but allows for full compatibility in a co-operative game.
Click to create and send a link using your email application


text:
i said shit about you because you went over ill writers with that crappy bape shit.
and if your so dope why do people write bape 4 and mane 2 and go over your shit. idk.
sorry for shit.
if you wanna talk about beef pm me i dont wanna keep this shit clogging the forum.


text:
Online tool that helps how the insurance rules and limits apply to a depositor's specific group of deposit accounts—what's insured and what portion (if any) exceeds coverage limits at that bank.
Learn if your bank is insured, view locations, track history, and more.
The secure Internet channel for FDIC-insured institutions to conduct business and exchange information with the FDIC.
The inventory of other assets for sale -- including office furniture, fixtures, and equipment.
News and Information about Financial Education from the FDIC
In This Issue
Message from the FDIC
The start of the new year presents an excellent opportunity for educators to encourage consumers to have a plan to guide their finances in 2011 and beyond. After all, even something as simple and easy as keeping track of expenses can easily result in big improvements in household finances.
This time of year also is an opportunity to remind educators about valuable resources from the FDIC, all free of charge, that can make your job simpler and easier, too. Consider, for example, using excerpts from the FDIC's newly updated Money Smart curriculum for adults or young adults as brief reminders of key principles of personal finance through your organization's newsletters or Web sites, including social marketing sites. You may also reprint or link to articles in FDIC Consumer News, a source of timely advice and information that can supplement the Money Smart curriculum.
In addition, think about how to leverage broader initiatives. Here are two coming up soon that may be of interest.
America Saves Week (February 20–27) is a chance for organizations and professionals to make a concerted effort to help individuals take positive steps to reach their savings goals. Visit www.americasavesweek.org to learn more, including ways to get involved.
Also, National Consumer Protection Week (March 6-12) brings together government and non-profit organizations to help consumers learn how to protect their privacy, manage their money, decipher advertising messages, and steer clear of fraud and scams. Visit www.ncpw.gov for details and materials, including a toolkit and outreach ideas.
We also want to hear from you. Please let us know about special ways you have used Money Smart to promote better money management and responsible use of mainstream banking services. Tell us about your success stories and we'll consider them for possible use in a future edition of Money Smart News. Just send an e-mail to Money Smart News with a few short sentences outlining what happened, including the positive results. If your idea is selected for publication, we will contact you for more details.
And, as always, if you want to discuss ways to enhance your financial education efforts or offer suggestions for improvements to Money Smart, please send an e-mail to the FDIC.
Finally, the FDIC Board of Directors has approved the creation of a new Division of Depositor and Consumer and Protection (DCP), under which the Money Smart financial education program will fall. So, starting next quarter, look forward to a message from Mark Pearce, the Director of the new Division. Read
our press release for more about Mark and the new Division.
Sandra L. ThompsonDirector FDIC Division of
Supervision and Consumer Protection
Commission Issues New National Financial Literacy Strategy
The interagency Financial Literacy and Education Commission (FLEC), of which the FDIC is a member, has developed a new national strategy that organizations involved with personal finance education, research, practice and policy will find useful over the next several years. The document, entitled Promoting Financial Success in the United States: National Strategy for Financial Literacy 2011, identifies four goals: 1) increase awareness of and access to effective financial education; 2) determine and integrate core financial competencies; 3) improve financial education infrastructure; and 4) identify, enhance, and share effective practices. Read the strategy at http://www.mymoney.gov/sites/default/files/downloads/NationalStrategyBook_12310.pdf. (PDF Help)
Partnership to Promote Financial Education and Savings
On November 15, 2010, the FDIC and National Credit Union Administration (NCUA) joined the U.S. Department of Education in signing a collaborative partnership to promote and enhance financial education access for low- and moderate-income students and families. Among the highlights is an agreement by the FDIC and the NCUA to collaborate with the Education Department in helping its "college access grantees" (organizations that work with students less likely to graduate from college) start or enhance their financial education programs. To learn more about the partnership, see the press release at http://www.fdic.gov/news/news/press/2010/pr10251.html. To read a letter sent to FDIC-supervised institutions encouraging them to work with schools to promote financial education, visit http://www.fdic.gov/news/news/financial/2010/fil10080.html.
Left to right: National Credit Union Administration Chairman Debbie Matz, FDIC Chairman Sheila C. Bair, and U.S. Department of Education Secretary Arne Duncan sign an interagency partnership agreement to promote financial education and access, November 15, 2010.
Quiz on Financial Scams Featured in Latest FDIC Newsletter for Consumers
To help test people's knowledge about financial scams, the Fall 2010 issue of FDIC Consumer News features a quiz on common frauds and their warning signs. Other timely articles discuss FDIC insurance coverage, solutions to mortgage and other debt problems, "credit protection" offers, student loans, ways to save money at tax time, and automated overdraft payment programs. The FDIC encourages financial institutions, financial educators, and others to distribute the information in FDIC Consumer News by reprinting, linking to the material, or making copies and affixing their name or logo. FDIC Consumer News also can serve as the basis for a financial education session or it can be provided to participants at workshops. Subscriptions are free. See the most recent newsletter and subscription information at www.fdic.gov/consumers/consumer/news/cnfall10.
Advisory Committee Focuses on Children's Savings and Underserved Consumers
The FDIC 's Advisory Committee on Economic Inclusion (ComE-IN) met on November 16, 2010, to discuss children's savings programs and recent studies of underserved consumers. The Committee heard about several countries that offer government-sponsored children's savings programs and pilot programs in the United States to encourage low-income parents to save for college. The Committee also discussed several recent studies of underserved consumers that add further depth to the FDIC's landmark 2009 study on unbanked and underbanked households. To access a PowerPoint presentation and copies of research articles presented at the meeting, visit
Helping Low-Income Teens Save Toward Financial Independence: A Money Smart Success Story
This issue of Money Smart News features a success story on how one organization is using financial education – along with incentives for saving money plus special "field trips" – to help low-income youths (in this case, teens in a homeless shelter) prepare for financial independence and to generate sustainable changes in each student's behavior . (Read the story.)
FDIC Selects Participants for Model "Safe Accounts" Pilot
The FDIC has announced the selection of nine banks to participate in a case study to help the agency identify best practices with respect to banks offering safe and low-cost transaction and savings accounts, particularly those that are responsive to the needs of underserved consumers. Key features of the model safe accounts are that they are largely electronic, are FDIC insured, have reasonable rates and fees proportional to their cost, and are subject to applicable consumer protection laws, regulations and guidance. Optional services and features may include delivery of financial education. A list of participating banks can be found at http://www.fdic.gov/consumers/template/banks.html. For more details, see the press release at http://www.fdic.gov/news/news/press/2010/pr10252.html.
FDIC Issues Guidance on Overdraft Payment Programs
The FDIC has issued final guidance to assist FDIC-supervised institutions in identifying, managing and mitigating risks associated with overdraft payment programs, including situations that could result in serious financial harm to certain consumers. The guidance includes a provision that encourages institutions to consider providing information to consumers about how to access free or low-cost financial education workshops or individualized counseling to learn how to more effectively manage their personal finances. Read more at http://www.fdic.gov/news/news/press/2010/pr10257.html.
Chairman Bair Speaks on Restoring Public Confidence in the Housing Finance System
In a speech on October 25, 2010, FDIC Chairman Sheila C. Bair discussed institutional changes that would strengthen the mortgage finance system for years to come. To read her speech, given at a symposium sponsored by the FDIC and the Federal Reserve System, visit http://www.fdic.gov/news/news/speeches/archives/2010/spoct2510.html.
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