![\"\"](\"http:\/\/www.christophergronlund.com\/blog\/tjw\/images\/typewriter1.jpg\" "\\"Close")
I’m lucky to be friends with some good writers, all of whom see writing a little differently.<\/p>\nI’m lucky to be friends with some good writers, all of whom see writing a little differently.<\/p>\n
One friend doesn’t get as attached to his stories as most people I know. For him, he just sits down and produces. Like a machine. If an editor suggests changes, he’s like, “Sure — whatever you want.” He sneezes and I swear a new book appears!<\/p>\n
The friend with whom I most talk about writing is in love with the act. While he would love to make it writing, if he never does — as long as he’s writing — he’s good. For him, it’s not about fame or making money as much as it is just the pursuit of it all and the challenge that comes from writing.<\/p>\n
Another friend recently confessed that he’ll write anything for money.<\/p>\n
“Oh, you want a book about dancing zombies? \u00a0Sure–I’ll do it.”<\/em><\/p>\n While I loved the immediacy of writing comic book scripts and screenplays, I’ve grown to love writing novels even more.<\/p>\n I love the challenge of something so big that I can’t possibly know it all before I sit down to write. I love the surprises along the way and taking time to get things at least close <\/em>to how I see and hear them in my mind.<\/p>\n I’ve mentioned my second novel, a paranormal mystery set in Chicago in the late 20s. It’s the first of a series. While I had fun writing it, it sits on my hard drive because…it’s not totally what I want to be doing.<\/p>\n It may have the potential to make more than the other things I’ve written and what I’m currently working on — and I know there are worse things in the world than being locked into a series or writing a certain kind of story for the money. But it’s not what I want to do.<\/p>\n My reason for writing isn’t because I’m commanded by a muse or because “I have no choice but to write.” I write because I want to! I enjoy the challenge that comes with telling the story I want to tell more than any other story at that moment.<\/p>\n I recently read this interview<\/a> with Marjane Satrapi<\/a>. Her approach to creating has always been to do what she wants and finish what she starts no matter what. With that view comes a certain freedom for her. From the interview:<\/p>\n “…creation, you know, it means that you don’t have any salary, you don’t have any retirement, all of that. So if you don’t have the security, at least have the freedom. I go for the freedom.”<\/p>\n – Marjane Satrapi<\/p><\/blockquote>\n Satrapi talks about creation in its rawest form: just doing it because you love it.<\/p>\n I’ve been on an Alex George kick on the blog, lately<\/a>. I like his writing because the freedom Satrapi mentions stands out in his latest book, A Good American<\/a><\/em>My Reason for Writing<\/strong><\/h2>\n
Artistic Freedom<\/strong><\/h2>\n
The Effect of Creative Freedom<\/strong><\/h2>\n
![\"\"](\"http:\/\/www.assoc-amazon.com\/e\/ir?t=thejugwri-20&l=as2&o=1&a=039915759X\")