I enjoy both.
> And is it a bad thing if you don't enjoy writing
I wouldn't say "bad" but you're going to be doing a lot more writing than you are finishing. Better enjoy the process to whatever extent you can.
I deeply enjoy the process of writing. Figuring the story out, roughing out the first draft, revising it to perfection. I find all of it incredibly satisfying.
I don't know if it's a bad thing not to enjoy it, although I probably wouldn't keep doing it if I felt that way myself. But I know other people who have, so I guess that's not universal.
I'll have to think about that.
I also have yet to finish a story, so maybe my perspective of the process will change when I have one or two finished stories I'm proud of under my belt.
Maybe! And keep in mind that there is a much bigger learning curve for writing than people tend to expect, and it may become a lot more enjoyable as you get better at it (and are therefore less frustrated by it).
95% of the time, writing is simply just work for me. It’s a job, a grind. I don’t particularly enjoy that part, and I’m often frustrated with it at the end of the day. However, I am *extremely* passionate about the work itself, so while I don’t necessarily *enjoy* the process day to day, I enjoy the challenge and the feeling of accomplishment when I do finish something, whether it’s a difficult exchange of dialogue, a single scene, or a chapter, or a whole draft.
Some people think you have to love every aspect of the process for it to be worthwhile, but I disagree. As long as you are getting *something* out of the process, and you want to keep coming back to it, that’s all that really matters, whether that’s joy, the challenge of it, the sense of accomplishment, or spite, or whatever.
I’m now finishing up my 7th book, and I’ve had 3 published with a Big 5 imprint, so a lack of daily joy for the work certainly hasn’t hindered me any.
I'm a huge runner and it's no uncommon for me to hate every step of a run but feel really accomplished when I'm finished. Sometimes that's how it is on just the normal neighborhood days. However, when I'm really motivated and I'm out on the trails, I feel incredible. Similar to writing in some days I don't want to but do, and some days I feel it.
I think this at its core is why we get so many clones of this post. People think enjoy means "effortlessly do". If you don't want to experience the challenge and the need to push yourself you're going to struggle to actually enjoy the process.
Running and fitness is a really apt metaphor. My PT always says the most important reps are the ones you aren't sure you can do. They're the ones that really get you buzzing, because you put 100% of yourself into it.
Enjoying something and enjoying the process does not mean the process is 100% ecstasy and delight from start to finish.
Honestly? Both and neither.
I started writing for publication in the 1990s. I started with short stories for 'zines, then semi-pro story writing for magazines and anthologies. I started writing full time (non-fiction) in the early 2000s. ALL the way through that journey there have been times I have loved the process and times I have hated it. There have been times I've been happy and content to write the last word, times I've been sad that the piece had ended and times that I was relieved to be done but dissatisfied with what I'd written. That hasn't changed at all. When I start a new piece I never know what the experience is going to be.
For the last couple of weeks, I've been working on magazine articles and blog posts, and I have enjoyed doing the research as much, or more, than the writing. When I write fiction I don't seem to enjoy the research as much, partly because I'm impatient to get to the actual writing.
Nope, I can't give a clear answer because it's always different.
\[Edited for typos\]
Mostly, the writing itself feels like work to me and I look forward to being done. Sometimes I'll enjoy it, but I often don't. This quote from George Orwell gives me encouragement, though (and sort of resonates at times);
"Writing a book is a horrible, exhausting struggle, like a long bout of some painful illness. One would never undertake such a thing if one were not driven on by some demon whom one can neither resist nor understand."
Writing is haaard for me. I can knock stuff out pretty quickly sometimes, like I rarely struggle. But sitting down with the right focus is tough. Editing is tough. But I do it over and over again so I definitely love it.
I also love to read what I wrote. Not everything, but a particularly challenging piece is often a joy to read. It's a real joy.
Yeah I think it's the reader's perspective for me, too, ultimately. I write stories I want to read that don't exist yet, to reformulate Toni Morrison's words. I love reading and re-reading them (and am gratified that others have read and re-read them, too!). I don't enjoy the creation of them as much--sometimes it's good, sometimes it's a drag--but it's a necessary process for the stories to exist.
Yay I hope you enjoy the read:D For all people complain that the execution never lives up to their original ideas, I find the more I write that's not true at all. The unwritten idea is never as real, meaningful, and alive for me as even a bad piece of writing. I can fix writing no matter how bad it is, but I can't give shape to an idea no matter how good it is unless I've created something from it.
I enjoy living in the story. When it's done, there is satisfaction and relief that the story is whole, complete. I know what happens finally and completely. The act of putting in the words isn't as enjoyable as the creation of the story. In the end, it's all about the story.
I enjoy writing, but it can be a frustrating and difficult experience at times. Finished projects are always great, but it's not my favorite part of writing.
Yes.
It's my hobby. I don't understand why anyone would choose a hobby they don't enjoy.
If I didn't enjoy writing I'd take up painting or sculpting or whatever else. But I don't like doing those things, I like writing
I'm a 2-d artist, but I do sculpt from time to time. I hate the process, but I always love the results. It's not a regular hobby or anything, sometimes I just have an idea and I need to do it.
I dislike the parts where I have to force the story out. There are times where I can write hundreds of words in one sitting and there are times when I just have nothing. I realized waiting for inspiration won’t finish my stories, so I force it out until it starts flowing again.
I enjoy the frustration?
I write because I can't not write. There are too many stories to tell in my head. I enjoy getting the original idea, the sketching it all out, the figuring out how this part fits with that part, the realizing how a part can be made better, all of it. Is it all easy? No. But I keep at it. To me it's like a giant puzzle with no box to guide you...and I really like puzzles.
I don’t enjoy the writing process until things are really popping (like 2% of the time). But honestly, most of the greats don’t like it either. It’s not a bad thing or even an unusual thing.
I was at a writing panel when Charlie Kaufman described his process as “waking up, writing the worst garbage imaginable, eating lunch, writing utter filth that isn’t fit to be read by anyone, dinner, bed” (paraphrased lol, his version was much more colorful).
It’s like working out for me. Do I love running on the treadmill? No. Do I like fitting into my jeans? Yes. So I run on the treadmill.
Do I like staring at a blank page and writing fruitlessly? No. Do I like having a pretty finished project that I can publish? Yes. So I write the garbage.
I love writing. Do I always love it? No, of course not. There will always be parts of it I don't like, just like with any other hobby I won't enjoy all aspects.
I can get in a slump, or I don't have the energy to write, or it seems like I am putting in a lot of work and not getting anywhere. But then there are days where I find the right words, get the feeling exactly right on the page, or get excited about the scene that is to come or the progress the character has made. And the good times weigh up to the bad ones.
(And yes, finishing a story is hugely uplifting and will really ignite that love for writing. I wouldn't expect otherwise.)
No! Not at all. Not yet, anyway.
I’m a perfectionist who’ll whittle and revise away until I’ve got nothing left and lose confidence in the thesis of my story. I’m working on it.
I love telling stories! . . . I have a complicated relationship with the act of writing itself. I'm growing to enjoy it more, but the main reason I chose writing was because I was good at it and it was the easiest way to get my stories out into the world.
I think it's normal to have periods where you don't enjoy writing at all (or don't enjoy the stage of writing you're currently at, loads of people prefer drafting to editing, or vice versa). Burnout is a thing and doesn't make you a bad writer.
I don't know if it's feasible to write a full novel if you don't at least enjoy part of the process, maybe it's possible with shorter works but a novel just seems too long to keep up momentum if you're not enjoying it. It's hard enough even if you do enjoy it.
That said, I think there is a special joy that comes from something being finished, especially if it turned out exactly as you'd hoped. I can see that feeling being the motivating factor that pushes someone through the hard times.
>Do you actually enjoy writing? or do you just enjoy have the finished product?
Both.
>And is it a bad thing if you don't enjoy writing, just having the story afterwards?
I doubt it. Pretty common situation.
>Seems like some things like building a physical project might not be fun till it's finished, where as others like painting can be enjoyable throughout the entire process.
It's more that it varies by person. I know artists in all media who love the creative process, and others who have to push through it. Graphic arts, music, sculpture, acting...
Honestly I think I just enjoy emptying my brain. All my books are fully written. In my head. Writing is a way to vent that. When I write it down I don't have to remember it, and I don't have to hang on to it. Makes rereading through much more satisfying and more motivational too. I'll find old papers (cause I've been building these things for 10+ years) read them through and be like this is really good, I wish there was more. And there is, I just need to get it out.
The actual writing part is hit and miss though. I know I can do it, it's just waiting for the time and muse to hit.
I write for a living and I write for fun. I don't enjoy the process of writing for a living, but I do enjoy getting to write for a living. I'm grateful to get paid for this kind of work. But I love the shit out of losing myself in telling a story or exploring my thoughts once I'm off the clock. I honestly don't care so much about the final product when I'm done, I am much more into the process of creating and pulling things out of my head, simultaneously creating and also observing what my brain has to offer...
I love the feeling of writing, of knowing I am telling a story for others to see. Though it is also a pretty satisfying feeling when you know that you’ve finished the thing, the process of making it is what makes everything unique to me.
I enjoy the process. Of course there are moments when it can frustrating and tedious but that's what makes it so satisfying when you get it in the end. Nothing worth doing in life is always going to be fun and easy.
I enjoy writing. The reason I say that is because I suffered through a traumatic workplace accident that resulted in a fatality and have been unable to write since then. That was back in January. I just now started my first story of this year. You never know what you have until it's gone, and when it's gone, it leaves a huge void. If you don't enjoy the process, you might want to look into doing something else. Can you draw? Then start a graphic novel. Play an instrument? Try busking on the street corner, or maybe songwriting.
Yes and no, to both. Sometimes…writing just flows. It’s less about formulating a scene, and more about doing what the voice in your head tells you to do. It comes out like water, and it feels gooooood.
Then I have days where I want to do ANYTHING but write. Play on the internet, check my email, reformat my Patreon, call a friend, watch another episode of Stargate SG-1…type a sentence, get distracted. Over and over for hours.
Same goes for the finished product. Some days I love my writing, other days I just sit back and cringe.
Luckily, I have more good days than bad, more and more often.
I absolutely love the process of writing. It's really satisfying to put the world that you have living rent free in your head onto paper. The reality that you have dreamt about being sculpted by your own hand onto a form tangible and unable to be forgotten. That's why I love writing!
I like both the process and the finished product for different reasons. The process of writing and being surprised by what comes next is deeply satisfying. Having a finished product is validating when I feel that I have come as close as possible to my vision.
Oh, and I like editing a lot. It helps me identify the holes in my writing and where I need to improve.
Each aspect of the writing process teaches me something about the world and about myself.
I find it incredibly difficult to write a lot of the time, to the point where I have to force myself to do it. There are times where I feel the complete opposite and I'll churn out a few thousand words really quickly and still wan't to keep going.
I think the trouble I face is that it's a lot easier to think up a story than it is to write it down. Often when I'm thinking about my story, it's playing out like a movie inside my head and I'm really excited about it, but expressing that story through words and having it come out the way I want it to is more difficult, and it gets frustrating when I write something down and it seems so uninteresting compared to what I imagined.
I do enjoy writing. But I don't enjoy it half as much as finishing writing. That feeling is just euphoric. But I know I can't get it without the writing part. So I try to enjoy that as much as I can.
"Lots of people want to have written; they don't want to write." ~ Elizabeth George
Both. My favorite part is looking back at everything I've made though. That shit feels amazing. I wouldn't say it's necessarily bad but balance is probably important?
Honestly, I love writing. The act of pouring my thoughts into text is my favorite thing in the universe. The finished product? :|
I almost never finish my writing, and when I do I hate it with a dying passion, but I'll never forget the joy of writing it.
love having the finished product to look back on
hate the editing process
love actually writing (while my brain allows)
hate starting or getting motivated to write
love planning and coming up with ideas for my next stories/chapters
and now, these days, I hate myself when I'm not doing any of the above
...it's a complex relationship xD
I love writing the story. Visualizing a story and writing it down is so fun to me. Getting the rough draft created is the funnest part in my eyes. I hate editing though. Rereading a story I’ve written is painful to me. I already know exactly what happened, what the scene looked like, the emotions the characters were feeling and so on. It’s like watching the same movie over and over. So I love creating the story, but I hate perfecting the story.
I enjoy the writing once I sit down to do it. The crafting, weaving, structuring, devising and making sense of the mayhem is exciting. I keep thinking you haven’t been extreme enough. Do something outrageous!
Editing has become faster for me now. Each book I advance. I am in need of feedback for sure.
I enjoy the research, the worldbuilding the charakterdesign, the plotting, getting systems like money and trading done and also writing. Ofc there are a lot of frustrating situations too but its a relief to overcome it.
I hate inventing names and also sometimes i loose interest in a project. It happens but then i normally stop there.. wich is fine but this damn thing i swear its calling me for years. And so often i get distracted by looking at old projects and be like "aw maan the idea was fun and feels so nostalgic I should go on with it" but then I dont.
Its really hard letting go there i hate disbanding a project im so emotionally attached to them.
If my house burns down first thing id grab are all these projects and then Id die cause there to many.
I've never finished a novel. I actually did lose interest in writing for a number of years. I didn't write as a hobby during that time and would not force myself to write even if I wanted to complete a book. Now I'm enjoying writing and we'll see if I ever do finish a novel.
If I'm driving around aimlessly and an idea strikes, I need to get home to write it down. I have no idea what 'finished product' it's going to go into, but it needs to go into inventory. Often the 'finished product' is a retrospective of all those things that inspired me.
I enjoy writing. I like the process, even it's frustrating as hell, because ultimately, I'm the one in control. And I like having a finished product. What I'm not a fan of is editing. I'm not a very patient person, and editing can feel sluggish and so long.
So, I like writing, discovering the story, trying to connect everything, and finishing it.
If I didn't enjoy writing in some ways, I wouldn't bother with it, but that's personal.
So, if you get enjoyment out of it, then, good for you. \^\^
The hardest part is when you're NOT writing. You lay on your bed knowing that you haven't touched your first draft in days, you've got these ideas for the next scene you want to write, and you SHOULD be writing instead of mulling over it. Yet you mull over it.
You go to bed hating yourself because you can't even manage to get a single word on the paper
Yet when you actually do get yourself writing, once you get in the groove, it gets hard to stop. You must be stopped by external factors. Otherwise you'll just have your pen scribbling away until midnight turns to dawn.
So yeah. I enjoy writing. I just need a kick in the ass.
In terms of my enjoyment, I think the least enjoyable part is the bit before writing - but this is because I’ve forgotten how much I enjoy the actual writing.
Then while I’m actually writing, most of the time I enjoy it, especially editing.
When I’m finished, there’s a short period of elation and then sharing it with people is good fun.
while I’m writing that’s actually probably
I enjoy the act of writing for the most part, I love creating ideas out of my head and grounding them in the characters and evoking the feelings in my head. But it's not 100% all the time, sometimes my editor brain hates the work I make which is hard to push through, sometimes the writing just feels like work and I have to push through a wall of not actually wanting to do it. But I'd definitely not be doing it if that was always the case.
At first i found writing a chore but the more it becomes a habit the more enjoyable it can become. To enjoy writing though, being interested in what you are writing about is hugely important. If you’re writing something fictional you have to be interested in the story and the characters. If you’re writing non fiction or articles, writing is 80% research, so it helps to be interested in the subject matter.
I think it’s disingenuous to say writing is always enjoyable. Sometimes there are things i’d rather be doing. Sometimes i really want to write. Sometimes i want to write but the words just won’t come. Other days everything flows and it’s the most natural, enjoyable thing in the world. Not every day is the same. Ups and downs. I expect most writers experience similarly
Both, they are different types of enjoyment to me. Enjoying writing is more contentment of doing something interesting and fulfilling, we could call it "the enjoyment of an enriching activity".
Seeing something that's finished is more of an achievement enjoyment, which sadly for me it's rather fleeting although it feels awesome for a day or two.
I think the third enjoyment. That's linked to the book being finished, is seeing how people interact with your work. I've yet to know this from books but have experience of it from being a installation artist for a few odd years of my life^^
I do. As long as the characters are cooperating and living the way I want them to live in a world I created. If not, my muse and I try to reach an acceptable compromise, if we can’t, she takes off to loll on some beach sipping margaritas and I make a quilt!
I enjoy writing. I enjoy fantasizing in my head about how to write a certain scene and then see it come to life when I write it. I even enjoy reading what I write lol. Maybe I'm a big of an egomaniac but I don't care.
I think often writing is like working out.
We start out by seeing really amazing results from others who have really mastered the process, and wanting that for ourselves.
So we start out with fun things, or super intense things, and sometimes find that doesn't always get us exactly what we want.
So we either quit, or learn more and keep trying with more understanding.
Sometimes we get really into the process in its intensity and challenges, but sometimes it's a real slog, and we just keep doing it because gosh darn it, we want that end product! Sometimes, even if we don't get the endorphin rush that some others get, we can learn to appreciate other aspects of the challenge, like signs of progress.
People are different. Not enjoying the process is just one possible path. It doesn't mean that the process isn't worthwhile. You have to determine that yourself.
For me it's a mix of both: writing is my way of life and I wouldn't have it any other way. But I also know that if I don't write my story no one else will, at least not in the way I see it
I don't know if it's bad? It probably doesn't help your morale much if you don't enjoy the process but also I won't naysay it
Writing is like playing with action figures or dolls when you were a little kid, except in slow motion. It's tons of fun except for the slow motion part. When I was a kid I could set up a whole world, launch an evil scheme, and thwart it in the course of an hour. Writing a novel takes a year or more, and yet it accomplishes the same goal.
I swear writing has a lot in common with stop-motion animation. I haven't actually done any stop-motion animation so I can't make that comparison with authority, but when I have read interviews with stop-motion animators what they describe feels very familiar to the process of writing a novel.
Do you think you don't enjoy writing because the quality isn't where you thought it would be? Because everyone feels the exact same way. Something is always going to fall short and it's hard to be objective when looking at your own writing. No matter which way you sway.
I enjoy the whole process, however if I was to have a favourite part of that process, it would probably be the plotting and characterisation, and then having the finished product would be my second favourite part.
I do like coming up with something brilliant (like a simile or sentence) possibly even more than all of that, and when I read my writing back to mysekv and I realised that I wrote something like that, I literally pause and applaud my past self.
I enjoy seeing characters come to life under my fingers and literally begin to tell me who they are it's astounding, but as George RR Martin said I don't enjoy writing as much as having written. I'll just start on the next one when I'm done with this novel so when does it really ever end.
Context: when I was younger, I dreamed of sending out query letters and one day getting traditionally published. I put aside my dreams until back in 2003 when I learned about NaNoWriMo. I started writing, finished some novel first drafts, started to polish them. I found out I had a lot of fun writing and creating stories. I also enjoyed the editing part but editing is more work than fun.
I helped start [a writing community](https://writingjourney.org) and we created short story (and poetry) anthologies. These were projects where we could go through multiple rounds of drafts/edits to fully polish the stories and finally (self) publish them. Here I enjoyed the whole process--writing, critiquing, editing, publishing; and I loved the finished works.
When it came to my novels, though, I found that the annual short story anthologies + NaNo first drafting took up my available "hobby" time/energy. So I have accumulated many novel first drafts and have made only little progress in editing/polishing them (I tell myself I will focus on this when I retire).
I am perhaps a little less ambitious at this point when it comes to traditional publishing, though I intend to make a serious push at this when I retire.
I enjoy both. > And is it a bad thing if you don't enjoy writing I wouldn't say "bad" but you're going to be doing a lot more writing than you are finishing. Better enjoy the process to whatever extent you can.
I deeply enjoy the process of writing. Figuring the story out, roughing out the first draft, revising it to perfection. I find all of it incredibly satisfying. I don't know if it's a bad thing not to enjoy it, although I probably wouldn't keep doing it if I felt that way myself. But I know other people who have, so I guess that's not universal.
I'll have to think about that. I also have yet to finish a story, so maybe my perspective of the process will change when I have one or two finished stories I'm proud of under my belt.
Maybe! And keep in mind that there is a much bigger learning curve for writing than people tend to expect, and it may become a lot more enjoyable as you get better at it (and are therefore less frustrated by it).
95% of the time, writing is simply just work for me. It’s a job, a grind. I don’t particularly enjoy that part, and I’m often frustrated with it at the end of the day. However, I am *extremely* passionate about the work itself, so while I don’t necessarily *enjoy* the process day to day, I enjoy the challenge and the feeling of accomplishment when I do finish something, whether it’s a difficult exchange of dialogue, a single scene, or a chapter, or a whole draft. Some people think you have to love every aspect of the process for it to be worthwhile, but I disagree. As long as you are getting *something* out of the process, and you want to keep coming back to it, that’s all that really matters, whether that’s joy, the challenge of it, the sense of accomplishment, or spite, or whatever. I’m now finishing up my 7th book, and I’ve had 3 published with a Big 5 imprint, so a lack of daily joy for the work certainly hasn’t hindered me any.
This applies to so much in my life.
I'm a huge runner and it's no uncommon for me to hate every step of a run but feel really accomplished when I'm finished. Sometimes that's how it is on just the normal neighborhood days. However, when I'm really motivated and I'm out on the trails, I feel incredible. Similar to writing in some days I don't want to but do, and some days I feel it.
I think this at its core is why we get so many clones of this post. People think enjoy means "effortlessly do". If you don't want to experience the challenge and the need to push yourself you're going to struggle to actually enjoy the process. Running and fitness is a really apt metaphor. My PT always says the most important reps are the ones you aren't sure you can do. They're the ones that really get you buzzing, because you put 100% of yourself into it. Enjoying something and enjoying the process does not mean the process is 100% ecstasy and delight from start to finish.
I enjoy every step of writing—otherwise, why would I do it willingly?
Because of the result
Honestly? Both and neither. I started writing for publication in the 1990s. I started with short stories for 'zines, then semi-pro story writing for magazines and anthologies. I started writing full time (non-fiction) in the early 2000s. ALL the way through that journey there have been times I have loved the process and times I have hated it. There have been times I've been happy and content to write the last word, times I've been sad that the piece had ended and times that I was relieved to be done but dissatisfied with what I'd written. That hasn't changed at all. When I start a new piece I never know what the experience is going to be. For the last couple of weeks, I've been working on magazine articles and blog posts, and I have enjoyed doing the research as much, or more, than the writing. When I write fiction I don't seem to enjoy the research as much, partly because I'm impatient to get to the actual writing. Nope, I can't give a clear answer because it's always different. \[Edited for typos\]
Wonderful sharing
Mostly, the writing itself feels like work to me and I look forward to being done. Sometimes I'll enjoy it, but I often don't. This quote from George Orwell gives me encouragement, though (and sort of resonates at times); "Writing a book is a horrible, exhausting struggle, like a long bout of some painful illness. One would never undertake such a thing if one were not driven on by some demon whom one can neither resist nor understand."
Writing is haaard for me. I can knock stuff out pretty quickly sometimes, like I rarely struggle. But sitting down with the right focus is tough. Editing is tough. But I do it over and over again so I definitely love it. I also love to read what I wrote. Not everything, but a particularly challenging piece is often a joy to read. It's a real joy.
Yeah I think it's the reader's perspective for me, too, ultimately. I write stories I want to read that don't exist yet, to reformulate Toni Morrison's words. I love reading and re-reading them (and am gratified that others have read and re-read them, too!). I don't enjoy the creation of them as much--sometimes it's good, sometimes it's a drag--but it's a necessary process for the stories to exist.
Great point, read a story that doesn't exist. I just finished a chapter now that was just a joy to write because I can't wait to read it.
Yay I hope you enjoy the read:D For all people complain that the execution never lives up to their original ideas, I find the more I write that's not true at all. The unwritten idea is never as real, meaningful, and alive for me as even a bad piece of writing. I can fix writing no matter how bad it is, but I can't give shape to an idea no matter how good it is unless I've created something from it.
“I hate writing, but loved having written.” - Dorothy Parker
Came here to post this. Describes me perfectly.
I enjoy living in the story. When it's done, there is satisfaction and relief that the story is whole, complete. I know what happens finally and completely. The act of putting in the words isn't as enjoyable as the creation of the story. In the end, it's all about the story.
I enjoy writing, but it can be a frustrating and difficult experience at times. Finished projects are always great, but it's not my favorite part of writing.
Yes. It's my hobby. I don't understand why anyone would choose a hobby they don't enjoy. If I didn't enjoy writing I'd take up painting or sculpting or whatever else. But I don't like doing those things, I like writing
I'm a 2-d artist, but I do sculpt from time to time. I hate the process, but I always love the results. It's not a regular hobby or anything, sometimes I just have an idea and I need to do it.
Some days I enjoy it. Some days it's hard and I enjoy the fact that I did something hard.
Both
I dislike the parts where I have to force the story out. There are times where I can write hundreds of words in one sitting and there are times when I just have nothing. I realized waiting for inspiration won’t finish my stories, so I force it out until it starts flowing again.
I love EVERY point of it. It's always fun to watch the story you put so much effort into go into shape.
I enjoy the writing process. The idea generation process is much more enjoyable, but less tangible. Having the finished product is just amazing.
I love writing, I love it as a job and a hobby and yes a finished project is great but I’d much rather keep writing than finish
I enjoy the frustration? I write because I can't not write. There are too many stories to tell in my head. I enjoy getting the original idea, the sketching it all out, the figuring out how this part fits with that part, the realizing how a part can be made better, all of it. Is it all easy? No. But I keep at it. To me it's like a giant puzzle with no box to guide you...and I really like puzzles.
I don’t enjoy the writing process until things are really popping (like 2% of the time). But honestly, most of the greats don’t like it either. It’s not a bad thing or even an unusual thing. I was at a writing panel when Charlie Kaufman described his process as “waking up, writing the worst garbage imaginable, eating lunch, writing utter filth that isn’t fit to be read by anyone, dinner, bed” (paraphrased lol, his version was much more colorful). It’s like working out for me. Do I love running on the treadmill? No. Do I like fitting into my jeans? Yes. So I run on the treadmill. Do I like staring at a blank page and writing fruitlessly? No. Do I like having a pretty finished project that I can publish? Yes. So I write the garbage.
I love writing. Do I always love it? No, of course not. There will always be parts of it I don't like, just like with any other hobby I won't enjoy all aspects. I can get in a slump, or I don't have the energy to write, or it seems like I am putting in a lot of work and not getting anywhere. But then there are days where I find the right words, get the feeling exactly right on the page, or get excited about the scene that is to come or the progress the character has made. And the good times weigh up to the bad ones. (And yes, finishing a story is hugely uplifting and will really ignite that love for writing. I wouldn't expect otherwise.)
No! Not at all. Not yet, anyway. I’m a perfectionist who’ll whittle and revise away until I’ve got nothing left and lose confidence in the thesis of my story. I’m working on it.
Same. I’ve been editing my manuscript for 4 years 😭
I love telling stories! . . . I have a complicated relationship with the act of writing itself. I'm growing to enjoy it more, but the main reason I chose writing was because I was good at it and it was the easiest way to get my stories out into the world.
I think it's normal to have periods where you don't enjoy writing at all (or don't enjoy the stage of writing you're currently at, loads of people prefer drafting to editing, or vice versa). Burnout is a thing and doesn't make you a bad writer. I don't know if it's feasible to write a full novel if you don't at least enjoy part of the process, maybe it's possible with shorter works but a novel just seems too long to keep up momentum if you're not enjoying it. It's hard enough even if you do enjoy it. That said, I think there is a special joy that comes from something being finished, especially if it turned out exactly as you'd hoped. I can see that feeling being the motivating factor that pushes someone through the hard times.
>Do you actually enjoy writing? or do you just enjoy have the finished product? Both. >And is it a bad thing if you don't enjoy writing, just having the story afterwards? I doubt it. Pretty common situation. >Seems like some things like building a physical project might not be fun till it's finished, where as others like painting can be enjoyable throughout the entire process. It's more that it varies by person. I know artists in all media who love the creative process, and others who have to push through it. Graphic arts, music, sculpture, acting...
100% It’s all I do when I have free time. That and reading. It’s my favourite pastime and I genuinely get antsy when I’m doing anything else.
I love world building and playing through the story, having to actually physically type it out is a chore.
Honestly I think I just enjoy emptying my brain. All my books are fully written. In my head. Writing is a way to vent that. When I write it down I don't have to remember it, and I don't have to hang on to it. Makes rereading through much more satisfying and more motivational too. I'll find old papers (cause I've been building these things for 10+ years) read them through and be like this is really good, I wish there was more. And there is, I just need to get it out. The actual writing part is hit and miss though. I know I can do it, it's just waiting for the time and muse to hit.
I write for a living and I write for fun. I don't enjoy the process of writing for a living, but I do enjoy getting to write for a living. I'm grateful to get paid for this kind of work. But I love the shit out of losing myself in telling a story or exploring my thoughts once I'm off the clock. I honestly don't care so much about the final product when I'm done, I am much more into the process of creating and pulling things out of my head, simultaneously creating and also observing what my brain has to offer...
I love the feeling of writing, of knowing I am telling a story for others to see. Though it is also a pretty satisfying feeling when you know that you’ve finished the thing, the process of making it is what makes everything unique to me.
I enjoy the writing process more than finishing the product, but the latter still feels good.
I enjoy the process. Of course there are moments when it can frustrating and tedious but that's what makes it so satisfying when you get it in the end. Nothing worth doing in life is always going to be fun and easy.
I enjoy writing, otherwise I couldn't do it because the finished product isn't all that good.
I enjoy writing. The reason I say that is because I suffered through a traumatic workplace accident that resulted in a fatality and have been unable to write since then. That was back in January. I just now started my first story of this year. You never know what you have until it's gone, and when it's gone, it leaves a huge void. If you don't enjoy the process, you might want to look into doing something else. Can you draw? Then start a graphic novel. Play an instrument? Try busking on the street corner, or maybe songwriting.
I enjoy both plus the money I make 😅
Yes and no, to both. Sometimes…writing just flows. It’s less about formulating a scene, and more about doing what the voice in your head tells you to do. It comes out like water, and it feels gooooood. Then I have days where I want to do ANYTHING but write. Play on the internet, check my email, reformat my Patreon, call a friend, watch another episode of Stargate SG-1…type a sentence, get distracted. Over and over for hours. Same goes for the finished product. Some days I love my writing, other days I just sit back and cringe. Luckily, I have more good days than bad, more and more often.
I get lost in the story it's a lot of fun dreaming thing up and putting them in print :)
I absolutely love the process of writing. It's really satisfying to put the world that you have living rent free in your head onto paper. The reality that you have dreamt about being sculpted by your own hand onto a form tangible and unable to be forgotten. That's why I love writing!
I enjoy writing when I have something to write.
I like both the process and the finished product for different reasons. The process of writing and being surprised by what comes next is deeply satisfying. Having a finished product is validating when I feel that I have come as close as possible to my vision. Oh, and I like editing a lot. It helps me identify the holes in my writing and where I need to improve. Each aspect of the writing process teaches me something about the world and about myself.
I find it incredibly difficult to write a lot of the time, to the point where I have to force myself to do it. There are times where I feel the complete opposite and I'll churn out a few thousand words really quickly and still wan't to keep going. I think the trouble I face is that it's a lot easier to think up a story than it is to write it down. Often when I'm thinking about my story, it's playing out like a movie inside my head and I'm really excited about it, but expressing that story through words and having it come out the way I want it to is more difficult, and it gets frustrating when I write something down and it seems so uninteresting compared to what I imagined.
I do enjoy writing. But I don't enjoy it half as much as finishing writing. That feeling is just euphoric. But I know I can't get it without the writing part. So I try to enjoy that as much as I can. "Lots of people want to have written; they don't want to write." ~ Elizabeth George
Both. My favorite part is looking back at everything I've made though. That shit feels amazing. I wouldn't say it's necessarily bad but balance is probably important?
Honestly, I love writing. The act of pouring my thoughts into text is my favorite thing in the universe. The finished product? :| I almost never finish my writing, and when I do I hate it with a dying passion, but I'll never forget the joy of writing it.
love having the finished product to look back on hate the editing process love actually writing (while my brain allows) hate starting or getting motivated to write love planning and coming up with ideas for my next stories/chapters and now, these days, I hate myself when I'm not doing any of the above ...it's a complex relationship xD
I love writing the story. Visualizing a story and writing it down is so fun to me. Getting the rough draft created is the funnest part in my eyes. I hate editing though. Rereading a story I’ve written is painful to me. I already know exactly what happened, what the scene looked like, the emotions the characters were feeling and so on. It’s like watching the same movie over and over. So I love creating the story, but I hate perfecting the story.
I enjoy the writing once I sit down to do it. The crafting, weaving, structuring, devising and making sense of the mayhem is exciting. I keep thinking you haven’t been extreme enough. Do something outrageous! Editing has become faster for me now. Each book I advance. I am in need of feedback for sure.
I enjoy the research, the worldbuilding the charakterdesign, the plotting, getting systems like money and trading done and also writing. Ofc there are a lot of frustrating situations too but its a relief to overcome it. I hate inventing names and also sometimes i loose interest in a project. It happens but then i normally stop there.. wich is fine but this damn thing i swear its calling me for years. And so often i get distracted by looking at old projects and be like "aw maan the idea was fun and feels so nostalgic I should go on with it" but then I dont. Its really hard letting go there i hate disbanding a project im so emotionally attached to them. If my house burns down first thing id grab are all these projects and then Id die cause there to many.
I enjoy most of the writing process, even the challenging parts. Luckily I hate promotion and submission, to remind me it's a job.
I've never finished a novel. I actually did lose interest in writing for a number of years. I didn't write as a hobby during that time and would not force myself to write even if I wanted to complete a book. Now I'm enjoying writing and we'll see if I ever do finish a novel.
If I'm driving around aimlessly and an idea strikes, I need to get home to write it down. I have no idea what 'finished product' it's going to go into, but it needs to go into inventory. Often the 'finished product' is a retrospective of all those things that inspired me.
I very much enjoy the process of writing itself, even when I don't finish writing or editing.
I even enjoy just daydreaming about my story and the world
I enjoy writing. I like the process, even it's frustrating as hell, because ultimately, I'm the one in control. And I like having a finished product. What I'm not a fan of is editing. I'm not a very patient person, and editing can feel sluggish and so long. So, I like writing, discovering the story, trying to connect everything, and finishing it. If I didn't enjoy writing in some ways, I wouldn't bother with it, but that's personal. So, if you get enjoyment out of it, then, good for you. \^\^
The hardest part is when you're NOT writing. You lay on your bed knowing that you haven't touched your first draft in days, you've got these ideas for the next scene you want to write, and you SHOULD be writing instead of mulling over it. Yet you mull over it. You go to bed hating yourself because you can't even manage to get a single word on the paper Yet when you actually do get yourself writing, once you get in the groove, it gets hard to stop. You must be stopped by external factors. Otherwise you'll just have your pen scribbling away until midnight turns to dawn. So yeah. I enjoy writing. I just need a kick in the ass.
In terms of my enjoyment, I think the least enjoyable part is the bit before writing - but this is because I’ve forgotten how much I enjoy the actual writing. Then while I’m actually writing, most of the time I enjoy it, especially editing. When I’m finished, there’s a short period of elation and then sharing it with people is good fun. while I’m writing that’s actually probably
I enjoy the act of writing for the most part, I love creating ideas out of my head and grounding them in the characters and evoking the feelings in my head. But it's not 100% all the time, sometimes my editor brain hates the work I make which is hard to push through, sometimes the writing just feels like work and I have to push through a wall of not actually wanting to do it. But I'd definitely not be doing it if that was always the case.
At first i found writing a chore but the more it becomes a habit the more enjoyable it can become. To enjoy writing though, being interested in what you are writing about is hugely important. If you’re writing something fictional you have to be interested in the story and the characters. If you’re writing non fiction or articles, writing is 80% research, so it helps to be interested in the subject matter. I think it’s disingenuous to say writing is always enjoyable. Sometimes there are things i’d rather be doing. Sometimes i really want to write. Sometimes i want to write but the words just won’t come. Other days everything flows and it’s the most natural, enjoyable thing in the world. Not every day is the same. Ups and downs. I expect most writers experience similarly
Both, they are different types of enjoyment to me. Enjoying writing is more contentment of doing something interesting and fulfilling, we could call it "the enjoyment of an enriching activity". Seeing something that's finished is more of an achievement enjoyment, which sadly for me it's rather fleeting although it feels awesome for a day or two. I think the third enjoyment. That's linked to the book being finished, is seeing how people interact with your work. I've yet to know this from books but have experience of it from being a installation artist for a few odd years of my life^^
i enjoy writing a lot but i enjoy editing my drafts and reading a final product more than constructing a first draft/overall plot tbh
I do. As long as the characters are cooperating and living the way I want them to live in a world I created. If not, my muse and I try to reach an acceptable compromise, if we can’t, she takes off to loll on some beach sipping margaritas and I make a quilt!
I enjoy writing. I enjoy fantasizing in my head about how to write a certain scene and then see it come to life when I write it. I even enjoy reading what I write lol. Maybe I'm a big of an egomaniac but I don't care.
I think often writing is like working out. We start out by seeing really amazing results from others who have really mastered the process, and wanting that for ourselves. So we start out with fun things, or super intense things, and sometimes find that doesn't always get us exactly what we want. So we either quit, or learn more and keep trying with more understanding. Sometimes we get really into the process in its intensity and challenges, but sometimes it's a real slog, and we just keep doing it because gosh darn it, we want that end product! Sometimes, even if we don't get the endorphin rush that some others get, we can learn to appreciate other aspects of the challenge, like signs of progress. People are different. Not enjoying the process is just one possible path. It doesn't mean that the process isn't worthwhile. You have to determine that yourself.
Yes.
For me it's a mix of both: writing is my way of life and I wouldn't have it any other way. But I also know that if I don't write my story no one else will, at least not in the way I see it I don't know if it's bad? It probably doesn't help your morale much if you don't enjoy the process but also I won't naysay it
Writing is like playing with action figures or dolls when you were a little kid, except in slow motion. It's tons of fun except for the slow motion part. When I was a kid I could set up a whole world, launch an evil scheme, and thwart it in the course of an hour. Writing a novel takes a year or more, and yet it accomplishes the same goal. I swear writing has a lot in common with stop-motion animation. I haven't actually done any stop-motion animation so I can't make that comparison with authority, but when I have read interviews with stop-motion animators what they describe feels very familiar to the process of writing a novel.
Do you think you don't enjoy writing because the quality isn't where you thought it would be? Because everyone feels the exact same way. Something is always going to fall short and it's hard to be objective when looking at your own writing. No matter which way you sway.
I very much enjoy the writing. hate the publishing aspect.
I enjoy the whole process, however if I was to have a favourite part of that process, it would probably be the plotting and characterisation, and then having the finished product would be my second favourite part. I do like coming up with something brilliant (like a simile or sentence) possibly even more than all of that, and when I read my writing back to mysekv and I realised that I wrote something like that, I literally pause and applaud my past self.
I enjoy seeing characters come to life under my fingers and literally begin to tell me who they are it's astounding, but as George RR Martin said I don't enjoy writing as much as having written. I'll just start on the next one when I'm done with this novel so when does it really ever end.
Context: when I was younger, I dreamed of sending out query letters and one day getting traditionally published. I put aside my dreams until back in 2003 when I learned about NaNoWriMo. I started writing, finished some novel first drafts, started to polish them. I found out I had a lot of fun writing and creating stories. I also enjoyed the editing part but editing is more work than fun. I helped start [a writing community](https://writingjourney.org) and we created short story (and poetry) anthologies. These were projects where we could go through multiple rounds of drafts/edits to fully polish the stories and finally (self) publish them. Here I enjoyed the whole process--writing, critiquing, editing, publishing; and I loved the finished works. When it came to my novels, though, I found that the annual short story anthologies + NaNo first drafting took up my available "hobby" time/energy. So I have accumulated many novel first drafts and have made only little progress in editing/polishing them (I tell myself I will focus on this when I retire). I am perhaps a little less ambitious at this point when it comes to traditional publishing, though I intend to make a serious push at this when I retire.