Been thinking on this topic a lot lately.
So, it's November, and usually around this time of year, I'm feeling the urge to write. Partly, it's because of NaNo, but not entirely, as I've never once participated in it. Every year I say I'm going to, and every year, nothing comes of it. Anyway, in sifting through various ideas (I have several going at any given time), I realized that... well, my ideas just don't seem like stories that anyone but I myself would want to read.
Now, this isn't me being falsely modest. I haven't shared much of my writings, and what I have shared has been well-received, so I have no illusions that people would like my writing. However, none of those stories were what I really wanted to write. If I had written the stories I originally conceived, I doubt they would have appealed to even half of my reviewers. I admit, I followed a formula with my published writing so I wouldn't scare my readers away.
The truth is, I'm not very nice to my characters. I'm really not. The stuff I come up with, after I've thought it through, I sit back and ask myself "Why would you write this? Who would want to read this? What the fuck is wrong with you?" Honestly, the stories I want to write have no redeeming traits. I wouldn't be writing them to impart some profound lesson on my readers. There's absolutely no reason I would put those characters through what I would put them through other than the fact that I want to. I want to write them broken and bleeding and begging and suffering, and in the end, it could almost be considered pornographic. If you read one of these stories and then came to me and asked me for a good reason, I would have no answer for you. I honestly have no idea why I want to write things like that, other than it appeals to me. I like angst-fic. I like torture-fic. Death-fic, not so much, I think that's where I would have to draw a metaphorical line. But the fact remains, I like seeing my favorite characters hurt.
Now, a question of my own. If I did happen to write something like this (and this statement is by no means a promise that I even will, but hypothetically), would any of you on my f-list read it, or know someone who you think would like to read it? I'm asking seriously here, because I've not had the chance to showcase my writing skills in this area, and I would really like the chance to try. Even if just for one morbidly curious person.
Now, this isn't me being falsely modest. I haven't shared much of my writings, and what I have shared has been well-received, so I have no illusions that people would like my writing. However, none of those stories were what I really wanted to write. If I had written the stories I originally conceived, I doubt they would have appealed to even half of my reviewers. I admit, I followed a formula with my published writing so I wouldn't scare my readers away.
The truth is, I'm not very nice to my characters. I'm really not. The stuff I come up with, after I've thought it through, I sit back and ask myself "Why would you write this? Who would want to read this? What the fuck is wrong with you?" Honestly, the stories I want to write have no redeeming traits. I wouldn't be writing them to impart some profound lesson on my readers. There's absolutely no reason I would put those characters through what I would put them through other than the fact that I want to. I want to write them broken and bleeding and begging and suffering, and in the end, it could almost be considered pornographic. If you read one of these stories and then came to me and asked me for a good reason, I would have no answer for you. I honestly have no idea why I want to write things like that, other than it appeals to me. I like angst-fic. I like torture-fic. Death-fic, not so much, I think that's where I would have to draw a metaphorical line. But the fact remains, I like seeing my favorite characters hurt.
Now, a question of my own. If I did happen to write something like this (and this statement is by no means a promise that I even will, but hypothetically), would any of you on my f-list read it, or know someone who you think would like to read it? I'm asking seriously here, because I've not had the chance to showcase my writing skills in this area, and I would really like the chance to try. Even if just for one morbidly curious person.