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Entertaining Myself #IWSG

Posted on August 3, 2022August 3, 2022 by Loni Townsend

It’s the first Wednesday of August, and guess what! I’m co-hosting the Insecure Writer’s Support Group blog hop today along with Lisa Buie Collard, Lee Lowery, and Tara Tyler! Be sure to give them a visit.

July saw my character hashing out his trauma with a long-hated enemy. I admit I’m disturbingly gleeful with how terrible this villain is. She’s a cold-blooded, psychotic killer, and sarcastic to boot. She murdered my character’s family, caused a war, and nearly wiped out the world with her single-minded selfishness. And my character’s stuck with her for the rest of eternity.

It’s been incredibly fun forcing him to face this foe, which brings me to the question of the month.

IWSG Question of the Month – When you set out to write a story, do you try to be more original or do you try to give readers what they want?

That’s a weird question. It implies readers don’t want original stories. Probably not what the question writer intended, but the either-or setup leaves me with the sense that I’m doing it wrong because neither apply. (I guess I prefer open ended questions rather than trying to shove this squirrel into a box.)

I shamelessly admit I don’t think about the reader when I’m writing. Writing is a purely self-indulgent hobby. Sure, I try to grow, improve, and do my best for other consumers to have a positive experience. But I write to entertain myself.

Does that make my work original? Sadly, no. My magic system stems from my tweenaged Sailor Moon days, with the alt-world travel of Sliders and extensive family trees rivaling Xanth’s character sprawl. The latest short story I wrote was a combo of two ideas I saw online.

Nothing I do is original, but that doesn’t bother me, because I’m having fun.

What about you? Are you having fun with your writing? Do you think readers want original stories? Do you draw inspiration from other sources?

About Insecure Writer’s Support Group
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You can find the sign up for the IWSG here. We owe Alex J Cavanaugh a huge thank you for thinking this blog hop up.

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46 thoughts on “Entertaining Myself #IWSG”

  1. Debs Carey says:
    August 3, 2022 at 4:55 AM

    Writing is all about my personal pleasure too – and I say so unashamedly 🙂 But it’s not how I earn my living so I guess it’s easier to be self-indulgent. If I needed to earn my living from writing, I would probably *try* to give the reader what they want, but I’m not sure how easy that’s to do.

    Thanks for co-hosting this month.

    Reply
  2. Patricia Anne Pierce-garcia Schaack says:
    August 3, 2022 at 4:57 AM

    Hi,
    I write my stories the way I would like to read them, and I hope that I will catch the heart of the reader that enters my world.

    Thank you so much for co-hosting.

    Shalom aleichem,
    Pat G @ EverythingMustChange

    Reply
  3. Alex J. Cavanaugh says:
    August 3, 2022 at 5:14 AM

    You just write and enjoy and that’s a good place to be.
    Thanks for co-hosting today!

    Reply
  4. Jemima Pett says:
    August 3, 2022 at 5:23 AM

    I agree with you. The question was strange.
    Oh, the lighthouse was my favourite eyecandy this month. I’ve discovered that lighthouses really sell in my area. Must write more lighthouse stories 🙂
    Thanks for co-hosting this month – and please pass said thanks to Lisa, too, as I couldn’t get her blog to let me comment.
    Jemima

    Reply
  5. Cathrina Constantine says:
    August 3, 2022 at 5:37 AM

    I believe, reading hones a writer’s pen, so to say. And from all those books we’ve read, writer’s absorb various ways in expressing ourselves though our writing. Loads of books are somewhat similar when it comes to certain genres, except for, hopefully, an original plot.

    Loni, thank you for co-hosting. Enjoy the summer!

    Reply
  6. Nancy Gideon says:
    August 3, 2022 at 6:46 AM

    Nothing is original, Loni, it’s just our personal spin on the known and understood. Nice spin, BTW! LOVE your art. And squirrels – in or out of boxes. Thanks for co-hosting!!

    Reply
  7. Madeline Mora-Summonte says:
    August 3, 2022 at 7:17 AM

    I love that you’re having so much fun! Keep it going! 🙂

    Reply
  8. Melissa Maygrove says:
    August 3, 2022 at 7:23 AM

    Don’t feel bad. The inspiration for my first book came from Twilight.
    Thanks for co-hosting.

    Reply
  9. L. Diane Wolfe says:
    August 3, 2022 at 7:57 AM

    Have fun, then! Why be miserable when you’re writing?

    Reply
  10. Diane Burton says:
    August 3, 2022 at 7:58 AM

    I had difficulty with the question, too. Instead of what readers want, I interpreted it as what readers expect. Thanks for cohosting this month.

    Reply
  11. Sonia Dogra says:
    August 3, 2022 at 8:12 AM

    Those are some well-done pictures. Good that you have fun with writing. That is how it should be! Thanks for co-hosting.

    Reply
  12. joylene says:
    August 3, 2022 at 8:14 AM

    I’m with you, Loni; I don’t write to please my readers. I have to admit I do feel a tinge of guilt about that. Ha, not true. Thanks for co-hosting.

    Reply
  13. Michelle Wallace says:
    August 3, 2022 at 8:27 AM

    Thank you for co-hosting the blog hop this month, Loni!
    I agree with the fun part! Whenever I approach my writing, having fun is top of my list.

    Reply
  14. M.J. Fifield says:
    August 3, 2022 at 8:56 AM

    The only time I really think about the reader when writing is when I write a scene and I think something like, “Oh, my sister-in-law will hate that *this* happened…” but then I do it anyway, because it’s what’s best for the story.

    I’m glad you’re having fun with your writing. That’s the most important thing, in my book.

    Love the artwork!

    Reply
  15. Jacqui Murray says:
    August 3, 2022 at 9:07 AM

    I love the sound of your character–“cold-blooded, psychotic killer, and sarcastic to boot”. My kind of villain hero!

    Reply
  16. tara tyler says:
    August 3, 2022 at 9:12 AM

    can’t help but adore a deliciously evil villain!
    writing for fun and entertaining ourselves is a sure-fire way to entertain others who are like-minded—I love it!

    thanks for co-hosting =)

    Reply
  17. C. Lee McKenzie says:
    August 3, 2022 at 9:52 AM

    There’s nothing wrong with being self-indulgent when writing. Thanks for co-hosting today.

    Reply
  18. Natalie Aguirre says:
    August 3, 2022 at 11:23 AM

    Thanks for co-hosting. I think writing for fun is important too. Sounds like you’ve been having tons of fun with your villain lately.

    Reply
  19. Kate says:
    August 3, 2022 at 11:50 AM

    I agree. I write things I want to read so I really only think about the one reader – me!

    Reply
  20. Victoria Marie Lees says:
    August 3, 2022 at 2:11 PM

    Good for you, Loni, to entertain yourself first. You have a following, so you must be doing something right. More power to you. Thanks for cohosting IWSG’s question this month. Have a beautiful August!

    Reply
  21. Nalin Ratnayake says:
    August 3, 2022 at 2:29 PM

    Thanks for co-hosting this month! After reading your post, I almost think that “self-entertainment” should have been a third option in the prompt! Some of my favorite creative time is writing content for my homebrew D&D campaign. But it’s so full of inside jokes, shameless ripoffs, unfortunate cliches, and over-the-top hijinks that I would never dream of even publicly posting it, let alone trying to publish it. And yet… it’s so fun! (Is there an emoji for guilty pleasure?)

    Reply
  22. MIffie Seideman says:
    August 3, 2022 at 2:46 PM

    I absolutely loved this: “My magic system stems from my tweenaged Sailor Moon days, with the alt-world travel of Sliders and extensive family trees rivaling Xanth’s character sprawl.”
    Thanks for co-hosting the blog hop today!

    Reply
  23. Arlee Bird says:
    August 3, 2022 at 2:50 PM

    I think most readers want originality in stories, but they also need to be able to somehow relate to them. A skillful writer can do that. What I don’t like is when writers experiment too much with language and style to the point that it distracts from the fun of reading. Sometimes it can work in the hands of, once again, a skillful writer. Some part of any writing needs to stay grounded in some sort of reality or familiarity.

    Arlee Bird
    Tossing It Out

    Reply
  24. diedre says:
    August 3, 2022 at 3:26 PM

    Hi Loni!

    You are definitely living your best writing life! Good, that’s how it should be. Certainly, we want our readers to love our work, but how will they know until it’s written?
    Thank you for co-hosting!

    Reply
  25. Jean Davis says:
    August 3, 2022 at 3:29 PM

    Ha! Same. I write for me in the first draft.

    Aren’t villains fun? We do love torturing our characters. It makes for great reading. Not that we want near that much drama in our own lives. 🙂

    Reply
  26. Olga Godim says:
    August 3, 2022 at 3:31 PM

    Yes. I subscribe to your motto: “I write to entertain myself.” I do too. So when the readers like my stories too, that’s a bonus rather than a goal.

    Reply
  27. Olga Godim says:
    August 3, 2022 at 3:35 PM

    I also wanted to add (but I hit ‘post comment’ too soon) that I absolutely admire your illustrations. Your aesthetic sense coincides with mine 95%. 🙂 I like to give myself 5% of wriggle room.

    Reply
  28. S.E. White says:
    August 3, 2022 at 4:09 PM

    Fair enough! And self-indulgence is probably the only way to stick with this writing gig. It’s incredibly difficult to muscle through without at least enjoying it a little. Thanks for co-hosting this month!

    Reply
  29. Erika Beebe says:
    August 3, 2022 at 5:01 PM

    I love your attitude! Thank you for cohosting this month 🙂 Keep the squirrel chatter going!

    Reply
  30. Jenni says:
    August 3, 2022 at 6:08 PM

    I agree that it shouldn’t be either or. You can’t really avoid be original–no one is like you–but at the same time now one can be completely original, because we’re all influenced by the books we read. I like how you described your villain and main character, like they’re real people.

    Reply
  31. Lee Lowery says:
    August 3, 2022 at 7:27 PM

    I don’t think about the reader at this point, and I am totally enjoying myself. I love my characters, I love the setting, I love the research.

    And I know I’ve said this before, but I just love your ninja squirrel graphic. It makes me so happy every time I stop by to see that warm, fuzzy squirrel hugging the Red Bull. ❤️

    Reply
  32. Liz A. says:
    August 3, 2022 at 7:50 PM

    Yeah, I wouldn’t know what to do with this question, either. Your answer makes good sense. It sounds like you’ve make progress on your work, so that’s good. Happy August.

    Reply
  33. JQ Rose says:
    August 4, 2022 at 6:16 AM

    I have fun creating the first drafts of my story, but after 10 drafts, it’s just plain hard work! Thanks for co-hosting this month!

    Reply
  34. Susan M Gourley says:
    August 4, 2022 at 8:24 AM

    I think if the writer is having fun that will come through in the story and hopefully, ensure the reader has fun also. My daughter is a huge Sailor Moon fan. She called me after she saw Thor: Love and Thunder to tell me it was a ripoff of a Sailor Moon story.

    Reply
  35. Damyanti Biswas says:
    August 4, 2022 at 2:25 PM

    Just enjoy the space you are in. Nothing wrong with writing for ourselves. In my experience, it has been therapeutic.

    Reply
  36. Steven Arellano Rose says:
    August 4, 2022 at 6:13 PM

    Personally I believe many readers like original stories even though they may not be looking for them intentionally. They just like to be entertained and if an author can entertain them while writing original work, he/she has done good work and has truly mastered storytelling. Youve brought upsome really good points, thanks! And thanks for co-hosting, too!

    Reply
  37. Andrea Torrey Balsara says:
    August 5, 2022 at 9:11 AM

    I think if you’re having fun with your writing, your reader will too. I love it when I sense the author’s cackle behind the scenes and their glee at writing.

    Reply
  38. Lori L. MacLaughlin says:
    August 5, 2022 at 6:42 PM

    I’ve always heard that everything’s been done and there are no original ideas out there anymore. What we have are known ideas that we take and make our own with our unique twists and voice, so I think that makes them original in their own way. And writing for fun is the only way to do it. Love the artwork! Thank you for co-hosting!

    Reply
  39. J Lenni Dorner says:
    August 7, 2022 at 5:39 PM

    Readers wanting or not wanting original stories only matters if they can access them, which means either independent publishing or getting an agent / publisher to take a chance on something original. And then figuring out how and who to market that book.
    “Libraries will get you through times of no money better than money will get you through times of no libraries.”
    ―Anne Herbert
    My IWSG blog post discussed my love of originality. I’m looking forward to the bout of books readathon and WEP’s flash fiction later this month.
    Life threw me a curveball with a neighborhood crisis this week, but we got through it.
    Winnie the Pooh is the world’s Ambassador of Friendship. In the US, National Friendship Day is the first Sunday of August. #FriendshipDay2022

    J Lenni Dorner (he/him 👨🏽 or 🧑🏽 they/them) ~ Co-host of the #AtoZchallenge, OperationAwesome6 Debut Author Interviewer, Reference& Speculative Fiction Author

    Reply
  40. Beth Camp says:
    August 8, 2022 at 7:33 AM

    This month’s IWSG question threw me for a loop as well because I get immersed in the story and the characters and don’t really think about readers as much as what’s happening next! Maybe during revision? And the latest challenge a reader threw me — deep point of view. Aargh! research needed. Thank you for co-hosting and just opening up about the writing process. Have a great month ahead.

    Reply
  41. Esther O'Neill says:
    August 8, 2022 at 9:46 AM

    First, thanks for co-hosting, especially in August, a month I’d love to abolish.
    Next ? Write to entertain myself ? Olga too ?
    Stuck in an alarming rut, and gridlocked traffic too, – a sudden gift – an idea so exciting,
    I couldn’t wait to get home,
    Doesn’t happen often, meaning hardly ever, but when it does, treasure every moment.

    Reply
  42. Kim Elliott says:
    August 8, 2022 at 3:42 PM

    Moon Prism Power! Oh that Sailor Moon reference threw me into nostalgia mode. I have tried to get my husband to dress up as Tuxedo Mask, but no luck. I see tons of Sailor Moon merch in stores these days, but back when I was a tween there was next to nothing. I did find a few things in KB Toys which I still have in storage in my parents’ basement… Anyways, sorry this comment had nothing to do with writing.

    Reply
  43. Elizabeth Seckman says:
    August 9, 2022 at 5:52 PM

    That’s why my answer was such crap!!! My brain didn’t wrap around the idea that a story can’t be both. I mean I think of the reader when I polish up a story– I want the story to be entertaining and enjoyable. I certainly don’t want them thinking they just wasted 2.99 on a piece of crap.

    I’m glad I stopped by. I was reading all these posts that were honestly making me feel a bit like a sell out.

    Reply
  44. Sherry Ellis says:
    August 16, 2022 at 9:53 AM

    I hear you on that. I write what I like. Of course, I hope the audience likes it, but really I am entertaining my muse and telling my stories. I don’t think that’s anything to be ashamed of. 🙂

    Reply
  45. Nick Wilford says:
    August 22, 2022 at 10:36 PM

    We all draw from what came before so nothing is truly original, but we can twist it into something new.
    I always think if the writer is having fun that should carry across to the reader.

    Reply
  46. Deniz says:
    August 25, 2022 at 2:10 AM

    Whoa. As someone who always has trouble raising the stakes, I love how gleeful you are about having your protagonist face off against such a terrible foe! *takes notes*

    Reply

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Welcome to my blog. I post here on Wednesdays most of the time, but you can find me on social media any day of the week. My topics include my stories and writing, life at the Town's End, creating and tinkering with graphics, things I learn and think might be helpful to others, and the occasional amateur photo. Thanks for stopping by! I hope to see you around.

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