Nothing will always amount to Nothing

Every once in a while when I'm done reading a text sent by one of our contributors I sit on my cheap publishing house skivvy-chair, scratch my head and can't help but think: "And who should or will give a flying f*** about any of this?"
I mean, it's not unusual that someone writes two thousand words about nothing. I usually don't have much of a problem deleting two thirds of it, either. But, frankly, six or eight hundred words about Nothing is still, well, Nothing. However, since I'm paid to delete 1200 words of Nothing I don't mind all that much.
But when I think of it being printed 35'000 times on perfectly perfect paper it still makes me cringe because of all the beautiful trees that had to be cut for - yes! - Nothing.

It's not much better when no forests in Finland were clear-cut because Nothing had been posted online. Energy has been spent to write Nothing and energy has been spent to read Nothing. But most important: Time has been wasted (mostly those of the readers. I don't sympathize much with the authors of Nothing). And time, unlike energy, will be lost forever.

And then, every once in a while, I come upon one of those companions advising people on how to write or become an author. Some are good, some are excellent, some are ..., well, you know.
They say things like spelling and grammar are important (yes!), that you should get an editor (yes! yes!) or give advice on how to deal with writer's block and all that.
That's fine. Really. I'm all for writing, after all.

But all of them are missing the crucial point, because all the authors of those advise books and posts and lists and whatnots assume that whoever wants to write (or communicate. It's only marginally less annoying if Nothing is told to your face than it is when you read Nothing) actually has something to say.
No, the crucial and most important question about writing comes much, much earlier. In fact, it should be asked and truthfully answered before you even think about dipping your pen into the inkstand or open a Word doc.

It's a simple question, too: Do I have to say something or am I wasting my potential readers' time?

If in doubt about the answer, let it be. Thank you.

Very true!

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Originally Posted by lucy

Every once in a while when I'm done reading a text sent by one of our contributors I sit on my cheap publishing house skivvy-chair, scratch my head and can't help but think: "And who should or will give a flying f*** about any of this?"
I mean, it's not unusual that someone writes two thousand words about nothing. I usually don't have much of a problem deleting two thirds of it, either. But, frankly, six or eight hundred words about Nothing is still, well, Nothing. However, since I'm paid to delete 1200 words of Nothing I don't mind all that much.
But when I think of it being printed 35'000 times on perfectly perfect paper it still makes me cringe because of all the beautiful trees that had to be cut for - yes! - Nothing.

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I do understand what you are saying and agree, but the nothing lucy might be nothing to you and I, but out there in the other few billion people there might be twenty thousand people waiting for that nothing to be written. It is also some persons something. By the way...plant a tree..it might make you feel better...lol

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Originally Posted by lucy

No, the crucial and most important question about writing comes much, much earlier. In fact, it should be asked and truthfully answered before you even think about dipping your pen into the inkstand or open a Word doc.

It's a simple question, too: Do I have to say something or am I wasting my potential readers' time?

If in doubt about the answer, let it be. Thank you.

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Vanity in a lot of writers will always force them to answer that question. [Yes I have something to say]

One other point about those books and stories you get, they have never been placed in front of another person to be checked. The reason is because they don’t want either ridicule, rejection or a bad review. They all think publish and be damned.

You and I lucy, have learnt to check our own stories harder than an editor would. I have thrown six chapters away because I felt it was not working and had too much of the nothing. Others writers of first time or one story only have not got that luxury, and are very protective of their writing.

I will always help anyone that I think has talent or they think they have talent. I will find time to read their story with too much nothing and nurture them in the way of replacing the nothing with something. People are too afraid of someone stealing their idea to ask for that kind of help. True writers never steal the story or concept of an idea off of another person. [Well I never have.]

Be well IAN 2411

Yeah. I know that my piece of Nothing is totally flawed because everybody thinks they got something to say.

I haz the sad :(

Oh, and yeah, I'll plant a tree this weekend. Brilliant idea. A plum tree would be great. Or pears. Must discuss this with Master.

According to Stephen King, whom I highly respect, there are two kinds of writers. The writers of the first kind write for their readers. The writers of the second one, though, write for themselves.

Keep in mind that King wrote 4,500 pages about a bloke looking like Clint Eastwood who searches for some tower. Don't get me wrong here: I am totally with you on that topic. But sometimes -- one out of a million times -- form triumphs over content, quantity over quality.

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Originally Posted by Venom

According to Stephen King, whom I highly respect, there are two kinds of writers. The writers of the first kind write for their readers. The writers of the second one, though, write for themselves.

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I think it was RAH who said that you should write your first draft for yourself, then on the second draft write for the rest of the world.

Herman Hesse (to go on dropping names) said that the secret of inspiration is to write the book you want to read; but this might explain why he stayed a cult author. Better is to write the book you want to read, the way everyone would want to read it.

Everyones a critic lol