# What do you want readers to take away from your writing?



## cinderblock (Sep 12, 2015)

Just something I've been wondering lately. Beyond just the humble, "Eh, I just wanna entertain."


EDIT: Unfiltered answers from the heart are highly encouraged. This isn't an interview for the NY Times Book Review. The more politically incorrect and narcissistic, the better. 

So my answer is that I want people to be blown away and go, "OMG what just happened," and be shellshocked for the rest of their lives. I want them to have random moments for the rest of their lives, where they're listening to someone and suddenly start thinking back about the book they read ten years ago and just smile, so the person goes, "What's so funny?" I want to expand people's consciousness. I want them to feel like they had a psychedelic breakthrough. Like they went on an Ayahuasca retreat by reading my story. I want them to go, "Wow, where does he get his ideas?!" and "Wow, I can never write this good in a million years."


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## Schrody (Sep 12, 2015)

I want my stories, character lives, stay with them for a long time. I want my readers to think about what they read, not to be afraid to ask questions, and explore the possibilities...


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## Deleted member 56686 (Sep 12, 2015)

Kind of what Schrody said really, but I would also want the reader to get caught up in the world I was creating, and hopefully, get a chuckle or two.


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## Deafmute (Sep 12, 2015)

Read my sig that is basically the message of all my books.


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## stevesh (Sep 12, 2015)

The receipt from their purchase.


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## escorial (Sep 12, 2015)

Its not what I want people to take from what I write its what I want to express and just get it posted..I take so much and give little to be honest


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## PiP (Sep 12, 2015)

escorial said:


> Its not what I want people to take from what I write its what I want to express and just get it posted..I take so much and give little to be honest



Esc, you have the knack of using the minimum amount of words to express so much in your poetry. You give more than you think...


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## dither (Sep 12, 2015)

A wry smile and the thought " yep, been there,done that lol."
Just to totally connect with somebody.


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## shadowwalker (Sep 12, 2015)

Similarly to a couple of others, I want readers to forget there's a real world for a while, and to have some of what they experienced with my writing to stick with them, in some way, even if it's just the emotions they felt.


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## T.S.Bowman (Sep 12, 2015)

I want people to get and keep a good sense of the ridiculous nature of the world. I want them to, perhaps, see things from a more humorous point of view than they did before. 

There is humor in every situation if you care to look for it.


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## Bishop (Sep 13, 2015)

I want people to be entertained. I want people to understand that humanity may very well be a very weak and insignificant species in the grand scheme of galaxy, and that space travel is our future while worrying about who can legally marry who is one of many, many pointless squabbles our race is focused on solely because we fail to grasp the 'bigger picture'.

But more than all that, I want Sci-Fi to be readable and entertaining to a wider audience than the usual fare. I want simple, soft science fiction concepts and driving, deep characters who engage the reader on far more than the technological setting. I want people to want to read about my characters more than my technology, and for it to be clear and easy for even the sci-fi illiterate to read and enjoy my work.


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## InnerFlame00 (Sep 13, 2015)

Right now? I just want people to notice the things I spend so much hard work creating. I want to exist. I want what I create to _matter_ and not just gather dust in a corner or a file folder.

in the grand scheme of things, I want my writing to 

a. Entertain - mostly, make them laugh.
b. Make people think
c. Impact the world in some way, however small. I want to leave something meaningful of myself.

I'm also definitely with Bishop on the sci-fi stuff


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## cinderblock (Sep 13, 2015)

Bishop said:


> I want people to be entertained. I want people to understand that humanity may very well be a very weak and insignificant species in the grand scheme of galaxy, and that space travel is our future while worrying about who can legally marry who is one of many, many pointless squabbles our race is focused on solely because we fail to grasp the 'bigger picture'.
> 
> But more than all that, I want Sci-Fi to be readable and entertaining to a wider audience than the usual fare. I want simple, soft science fiction concepts and driving, deep characters who engage the reader on far more than the technological setting. I want people to want to read about my characters more than my technology, and for it to be clear and easy for even the sci-fi illiterate to read and enjoy my work.



Reason why I rarely read sci-fi - and when I do, I'm extremely selective and ignore the ones written by science majors - is because too many people focus on the technology, and mainstream readers seem to think descriptions of technology give it "street cred." It's sadly become like the horror genre. It's where people who don't know how to write, go with the pretense of blowing people away with gore, or in scifi, it's technology. But after a certain amount of torture scenes and blood and guts, the shock wears off and you get desensitized. You start wanting something more, better writing, smarter dialogue, smart characters you can actually give a damn about, a real story with humanity and heart. With technology, it never got better than time travel and teleportation. So why do we keep acting like we just came up with a new technology that's gonna blow people away? Why is there such an emphasis on that?


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## Khalid M (Sep 13, 2015)

I want to leave my mark on people, give them goosebumps, make them come back to my work years after finishing it for a rush of nostalgia. I'd also like, if possible, broaden their perspective on some things.


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## K.S. Crooks (Sep 13, 2015)

That they enjoyed the adventure and can't wait for more.


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## bazz cargo (Sep 13, 2015)

I want to change the world for the better.


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## pgbthewriter (Sep 13, 2015)

I mostly write for myself, anything that other people get from it is just a bonus for me....


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## Terry D (Sep 13, 2015)

cinderblock said:


> Just something I've been wondering lately. Beyond just the humble, "Eh, I just wanna entertain."
> 
> 
> EDIT: Unfiltered answers from the heart are highly encouraged. This isn't an interview for the NY Times Book Review. The more politically incorrect and narcissistic, the better.
> ...



Well, there's nothing humble about entertaining, IMO. It's hard work to grab a reader and keep them 'entertained' long enough to get through 500+ pages, but that's just what I want to do in all my fiction. I don't deliver insightful messages, or try to change anyone's life. I just want to give my reader a really neat place to go and introduce them to some friends of mine, some of whom they'll love and some they will hate. I often compare my stories to a ride at a traveling carnival. The seats might be sticky, and the ride might make you a little queasy, but I'm hoping when you get off, you go around and get in line again.


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## ShadowEyes (Sep 13, 2015)

I want my readers to become fascinated with history. I want them to feel as if they're learning truths about the world, escaping into the past, but also being able to apply those experiences to their present lives. I feel fantasy is limited in that it's not very intellectually stimulating, moral, or down-to-earth. Some of my favorite books are biographies and children's literature. I enjoy epic fantasies to an extent, but I'm a little jealous because I cannot write magic as a usable, good asset to the main characters due to my religious beliefs. Nor can I have a pantheon of gods. So I try to focus my fantasy on microcosmic, slice-of-life stories that are set in the real world. I also find that a lot of oriental fantasy is not afraid to use religious symbolism, character names, or ideas. Has our western history become so trite that we'd rather shrug it off? I think the opposite is true:  that our history is too complex and deep to be fully portrayed and, as of yet, hasn't been to a very good extent. Tolkien had a good start, but I want to do better.


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## Kyle R (Sep 13, 2015)

I want readers to mutate from my radioactive prose, thus creating a new world full of super-powered humans.


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## ShadowEyes (Sep 13, 2015)

Kyle R said:


> I want readers to mutate from my radioactive prose, thus creating a new world full of super-powered humans.



Mental note:  Reading Kyle's prose may be dangerous for your health. Do not read while under the influence or operating machinery. Do not pass Go; do not collect $200. In fact, give Kyle $200. Ask your doctor about reading if you experience any life-altering epiphanies. Reading™. "For a better night's sleep."


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## Bishop (Sep 13, 2015)

cinderblock said:


> Reason why I rarely read sci-fi - and when I do, I'm extremely selective and ignore the ones written by science majors - is because too many people focus on the technology, and mainstream readers seem to think descriptions of technology give it "street cred." It's sadly become like the horror genre. It's where people who don't know how to write, go with the pretense of blowing people away with gore, or in scifi, it's technology. But after a certain amount of torture scenes and blood and guts, the shock wears off and you get desensitized. You start wanting something more, better writing, smarter dialogue, smart characters you can actually give a damn about, a real story with humanity and heart. With technology, it never got better than time travel and teleportation. So why do we keep acting like we just came up with a new technology that's gonna blow people away? Why is there such an emphasis on that?



Well, I'm not sure if what you're saying is a thumbs up or down for what I said, but I will say I agree to a certain degree. I'm a student of the Robert Heinlein/Harry Harrison style, where the sci-fi is far more of a setting than a driving trait. In all honesty, my characters are my most important factor, and I work hard on them. They're idiots at times, but I love them. I want that to draw readers in, and let the starships just be the beautiful backdrop I imagine them to be.


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## T.S.Bowman (Sep 13, 2015)

> I feel fantasy is limited in that it's not very intellectually stimulating, moral, or down-to-earth.



I am trying to decide, as a Fantasy writer, whether I should be offended or not. Lol


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## ShadowEyes (Sep 14, 2015)

T.S.Bowman said:


> I am trying to decide, as a Fantasy writer, whether I should be offended or not. Lol



All that thinking just to kill some goblins! Really, they're not worth it. Last time I checked, gobos only gave, like, 50 exp.


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## voltigeur (Sep 14, 2015)

I have to admit that for me Sci Fi is about the pew pew boom boom. :icon_joker: 

Probably why I'm a big fan of the original Battle Star Galatica but not the second one. 

I have to agree with Shadow Eyes; as a historical fiction writer I want my readers first to enjoy the story and hopefully experience a thrill ride. I want them to cheer, be pissed off be horrified and rooting my characters on the entire time. I don't know how good I am at it but that is what I strive for. (In beta reads I'm starting to see that happen. :!

Maybe on a higher level a reader will be inspired to study history. I would be thrilled to know someone read my book went to the library and spent weeks figuring out where I messed up. Its part of the genre. And hopefully they realize that life is _never_ what CNN, FOX, CBS, ABC or anyone else tells you it is. (I'd better stop there.)


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## T.S.Bowman (Sep 14, 2015)

ShadowEyes said:


> All that thinking just to kill some goblins! Really, they're not worth it. Last time I checked, gobos only gave, like, 50 exp.



True. But those of us who have low level characters (or writing ability) need all the exp we can get.


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## J Anfinson (Sep 14, 2015)

I'd like readers to enjoy my works the same as I've enjoyed the works of so many other great writers. To love and hate my characters the same as I've loved and hated so many. To laugh like I have, to tear up, to be afraid, etc. If I can get a few people to do that, I'll be happy. The money is only a bonus.


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## Phil Istine (Sep 15, 2015)

The day after reading, I would want readers to visualise scenes from my story and ask themselves, 'I wonder what else this guy has written.'

It might help if I were to write a story first though


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## JustRob (Sep 15, 2015)

T.S.Bowman said:


> > I feel fantasy is limited in that it's not very intellectually stimulating, moral, or down-to-earth.
> 
> 
> I am trying to decide, as a Fantasy writer, whether I should be offended or not. Lol



My writing is all about making fantasy intellectually stimulating and examining how well ordinary people sustain their morality and remain down to earth when faced with fantastic situations, so I guess that I'm actually addressing exactly that challenge.


What I would like my readers to take away are my doubts about my ability to write a good story. I've thrown in an odd collection of elements including a time machine, a Lancaster bomber, an extradimensional alien, fairies, unicorns and a warthog but despite the ludicrous situations my all too human characters are more concerned with debating such things as the morality of divorce when children are involved. I suppose I'm just following the trend though, that any sci-fi / fantasy scenario turns into a soap opera in the long run. My angel and I have passed that comment about so many TV series, that the original concepts eventually run out of steam and the routine soap opera plots creep in. That's when we stop watching them. There are plenty of moral, down to earth situations in real life to cope with.


The moral for serious sci-fi / fantasy writers then is not to keep your stories grounded like tethered balloons but to let them fly. Maybe that's what readers take away from my work, thoughts about where the story might have gone if it weren't for the fundamental human element.


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## Mike C (Sep 15, 2015)

I'd like readers to be left with an unassailable urge to send me money.

But seriously... I'd like readers to finish a story thinking they haven't had the full story - that the character had lives before the story began, and continue to live after the story ended. And I'd like them to be happy with that thought.


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## cinderblock (Sep 15, 2015)

ShadowEyes said:


> I want my readers to become fascinated with history. I want them to feel as if they're learning truths about the world, escaping into the past, but also being able to apply those experiences to their present lives. I feel fantasy is limited in that it's not very intellectually stimulating, moral, or down-to-earth. Some of my favorite books are biographies and children's literature. I enjoy epic fantasies to an extent, but *I'm a little jealous because I cannot write magic as a usable, good asset to the main characters due to my religious beliefs. Nor can I have a pantheon of gods. *So I try to focus my fantasy on microcosmic, slice-of-life stories that are set in the real world. I also find that a lot of oriental fantasy is not afraid to use religious symbolism, character names, or ideas. Has our western history become so trite that we'd rather shrug it off? I think the opposite is true:  that our history is too complex and deep to be fully portrayed and, as of yet, hasn't been to a very good extent. Tolkien had a good start, but I want to do better.



That's fascinating your religion forbids you to write about magic.

Can I ask you what your practice?


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## Tettsuo (Sep 15, 2015)

I want to communicate with readers in a way that shares my life and my experiences.  I hope that these themes can benefit the world, but if not, I want the reader to at least be both entertained and in a way connected to me as an artist.

My work is a mirror into my soul... seriously.  I'm a sci-fi and fantasy writer, but I know diddly squat about most sciences and I'm not a real fan of these sprawling massive worlds that many fantasy writers create.  I do accounting!  I'm no scientist.  I'm no deep thinker willing to build huge fantasy worlds.  But I feel I have something to say, something to share.  And boy do I love to share it!

Hopefully, along the way, I can make a crap-ton of money doing what I love.


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## T.S.Bowman (Sep 16, 2015)

JustRob said:


> My writing is all about making fantasy intellectually stimulating and examining how well ordinary people sustain their morality and remain down to earth when faced with fantastic situations, so I guess that I'm actually addressing exactly that challenge.
> 
> 
> What I would like my readers to take away are my doubts about my ability to write a good story. I've thrown in an odd collection of elements including a time machine, a Lancaster bomber, an extradimensional alien, fairies, unicorns and a warthog but despite the ludicrous situations my all too human characters are more concerned with debating such things as the morality of divorce when children are involved. I suppose I'm just following the trend though, that any sci-fi / fantasy scenario turns into a soap opera in the long run. My angel and I have passed that comment about so many TV series, that the original concepts eventually run out of steam and the routine soap opera plots creep in. That's when we stop watching them. There are plenty of moral, down to earth situations in real life to cope with.
> ...



I suppose I could sit down and try to write something intellectually stimulating and such. But...I don't do so purposefully. I write with the intention of giving the reader something fun to read. Call my work "pulp Fantasy" if you will. I want my work, at least in the Fantasy realm, to remain on the lighter side. I have a darker story floating around in my head that I will get to once Side Worlds is finished. That one will be more stimulating in the "What would you do" sense.


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## ShadowEyes (Sep 16, 2015)

cinderblock said:


> That's fascinating your religion forbids you to write about magic.
> 
> Can I ask you what your practice?



I had studied this for a bit and was bereft of a clear answer. Moral issues tend to have a way of defining themselves as they become breached. Fantasy is still a relatively new genre (in the sense that it's widely practiced only recently). My native religion, Catholicism, is not. Therefore, there's a lot of precedent to sort through. I don't know if you wanted an in-depth answer, but I'll try to keep it brief.

Why magic?
+  In Abrahamic traditions, magic is a supernatural reality (angels, demons, God, the devil, magic really exist).
     -  The Bible says that magic can be learned, but it only comes from the consent of demons/the devil, etc.
     -  Teaching or recommending magic in the real world is forbidden.

Where is it licit?
+  In its historical context (for example, reading the Odyssey where the expectation that other gods is the cultural reality).
+  In its "soft" form (think Gandalf, where he doesn't acquire it, but is simply magical by his nature; i.e. like angels).
+  As an antagonistic force (think traditional vampires, werewolves, zombies, ghosts, demons, necromancers, etc.).
     -  All of these uses take the power _away_ from the protagonist and put it into the hands of atmospheric (like hell), character (like            Superman's morals), or complication           (oh no zombies) conflicts. Thematic conflicts would be "moral stories" or allegories; those          are boring.


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## popsprocket (Sep 16, 2015)

I want my readers to take away a burning need to read whatever I write next.

I'll let you know how that goes when I get my first fan.


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## TJ1985 (Sep 16, 2015)

popsprocket said:


> I'll let you know how that goes when I get my first fan.



Here you go, Pops.  

I just want people to be curious about the characters I write, to maybe try and figure out what is going on in the character's mind. Or mine.


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## popsprocket (Sep 16, 2015)

TJ1985 said:


> Here you go, Pops.



*weeps softly*


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## Crowley K. Jarvis (Sep 16, 2015)

Madness. If, just for a second, I can impart but the briefest glimpse into a broken mind, not simply to understand, but to empathize, then I have succeeded.


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## cinderblock (Sep 16, 2015)

ShadowEyes said:


> I had studied this for a bit and was bereft of a clear answer. Moral issues tend to have a way of defining themselves as they become breached. Fantasy is still a relatively new genre (in the sense that it's widely practiced only recently). My native religion, Catholicism, is not. Therefore, there's a lot of precedent to sort through. I don't know if you wanted an in-depth answer, but I'll try to keep it brief.
> 
> Why magic?
> +  In Abrahamic traditions, magic is a supernatural reality (angels, demons, God, the devil, magic really exist).
> ...



Wow, thank you for sharing that. What an amazingly analytical breakdown. You've clearly put tremendous energy into figuring all this out. 

I'm sure there are plenty of authors you're aware of, who are Catholic, but break these guidelines. What are your thoughts on them? And have you ever inquired other authors (famous or otherwise) on this matter, and if so, I'd love know what was their response/justification.


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## cinderblock (Sep 16, 2015)

I'm really enjoying some of these responses. Some of them are very heartfelt and vulnerable, and I could totally see them being standout quotes from interviews. It seriously makes me wanna read some of your stories.


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## CraniumInsanium (Sep 16, 2015)

To be perfectly honest when I sit down to write a story I wipe my brain about any of that bollocks about a moral lesson, or self revelation or any kind of "what does the MC realize during the story?", or there being a purpose to any of what I'm writing. The exception to that rule may apply to a series, or large novel perhaps when a defined cast, start, finish and the pieces in between have to fall into play to allow for a resolution. 

Most of my work is a bleeping drag-race from start to finish where the impossible happens. I think most of my stories are about "Encounters", where my characters ended up being in the wrong spot at the right time, or vice versa. That the characters are almost secondary to the action/drama that unfolds around them. I want the ability to break the mold in ways I haven't seen done, pushing the limits so that someone thinks "well you don't see that happen in a story everyday" while still remaining unpredictable in the plot.  

I've got stories to tell. Sometimes they're about something coming into someones life and utterly wrecking it until the characters die, sometimes it's a psychological horror show about a characters plunge into insanity and that's where the story leaves you with a cliffhanger. 

I want my stories to evoke feeling in my readers. They can be happy, sad, angry or breathlessly excited about if there's a continuation. If you can get a reader emotionally involved in your story, regardless of what's happening in the story, we as writers have achieved our purpose. We are in essence Storytellers. If we don't have an audience who's willing to give us the time of day for a glance, much less a commitment of a slice of their life to read the world we've created then we are our own worst critics.


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## ShadowEyes (Sep 16, 2015)

cinderblock said:


> Wow, thank you for sharing that. What an amazingly analytical breakdown. You've clearly put tremendous energy into figuring all this out.
> 
> I'm sure there are plenty of authors you're aware of, who are Catholic, but break these guidelines. What are your thoughts on them? And have you ever inquired other authors (famous or otherwise) on this matter, and if so, I'd love know what was their response/justification.



Thanks.

I actually don't know of any other Catholic authors who write fiction. Except, maybe, my mentor, but he agrees with these points. He told me, "The real world has its own horrors... Write about them."

As for prominent religious fantasy authors, I'm also unsure. The only one I know of is Brandon Sanderson, a Mormon, and I never got to talk to him.

I thought this one was longer than it is...:
http://www.themillions.com/2011/11/where-have-all-the-catholic-writers-gone.html

This is where I got my summary above:
http://unamsanctamcatholicam.blogspot.com/2010/03/fantasy-magic-and-christian-author.html?m=1

Another opinion [I don't agree with this one]:
http://rorate-caeli.blogspot.com/2014/02/the-fantasy-writing-of-tolkien-was.html?m=1


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## Bloggsworth (Sep 16, 2015)

I don't expect them to take anything, I don't write for anyone else's benefit...


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## Crowley K. Jarvis (Sep 16, 2015)

ShadowEyes said:


> I had studied this for a bit and was bereft of a clear answer. Moral issues tend to have a way of defining themselves as they become breached. Fantasy is still a relatively new genre (in the sense that it's widely practiced only recently). My native religion, Catholicism, is not. Therefore, there's a lot of precedent to sort through. I don't know if you wanted an in-depth answer, but I'll try to keep it brief.
> 
> Why magic?
> +  In Abrahamic traditions, magic is a supernatural reality (angels, demons, God, the devil, magic really exist).
> ...




That is true. 

But as a fiction writer, nothing is spiritistic or evil unless you say it is. 

In all of my worlds, magic doesn't come from any conscious being. It is an energy source, like light or electricity. 

When you invent the world, you invent the universe. It's gods, it's physics, and the entire backstory of it's creation. Just because that might be the case in OUR world, shouldn't mean I can't put mana in my fiction as a non-conscious energy type. 

But some people will see evil in everything.

I remember my grandma wouldn't let me watch Pokemon in her house because they were 'magic.' x)


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## Terry D (Sep 16, 2015)

I like Stephen King's take on theme. He feels that the first draft of a book should be pure story. Just pour out the story as it comes to you (sorry plotters, Steve is the King of pantsers) and don't ask what the deeper meaning of any of it is. In the second draft he looks for the threads (or sometimes the big honkin' rivers) of theme that are bound to be there and he works at refining those.


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## Bishop (Sep 16, 2015)

Terry D said:


> I like Stephen King's take on theme. He feels that the first draft of a book should be pure story. Just pour out the story as it comes to you (sorry plotters, Steve is the King of pantsers) and don't ask what the deeper meaning of any of it is. In the second draft he looks for the threads (or sometimes the big honkin' rivers) of theme that are bound to be there and he works at refining those.



I use this method as well. I don't even really think of STORY all that much when I begin. I usually think of characters, and a situation they're in. Then, it sort of evolves with their action. By about 10k words, I have an idea for an overarching plot, by about 25k words, I've got an idea for scenes in the middle, and by 50k words, I know what the ending scene will play out like. Never write a word of it until I get to it, but it still sticks in my mind. Unless I change it along the way, which I've done. Or change it AFTER, like I did with my first novel, whose changed ending is MUCH better.

But either way, there's no thinking about the theme until I can set it in a drawer and come back to it a few weeks later, read it and see what themes are there, then develop them in my second draft. Or omit them if they annoy me. I feel like my themes are more organic this way, and less injected.


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## Crowley K. Jarvis (Sep 17, 2015)

That's how I write too. More or less. 

Only one of my ideas is being slightly plotted. Just for coherence, as it takes place on  Europa and I still want it to have a semblance of realism when seriously discussing colonizing an ice moon. 

Otherwise, none of my stories start with 'plot ideas.'

I think of a character. I think of a planet. A world. A social structure. Government, all the stereotypes in their population, whatever species I'm inventing. Then I write what happens. I would prefer to stay that way. Even if I could churn out the best words, there would be no point if the ideas weren't good to begin with. 

I suppose that's another thing I want readers to take away.

'Hey! This wasn't just written for $$$! He actually had a good, unique idea! Wow! I love this!' xD


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## ShadowEyes (Sep 17, 2015)

Crowley K. Jarvis said:


> That's how I write too. More or less.
> 
> Only one of my ideas is being slightly plotted. Just for coherence, as it takes place on  Europa and I still want it to have a semblance of realism when seriously discussing colonizing an ice moon.
> 
> ...



Isn't "thinking" plotting as well? My strawman for pantsing is just writing with no idea of where you're going.

Also, I'm of the notion that ideas are cheap. The best writer could take a mediocre idea and make a good story and vice versa.

I look for story materials, classify them, look for their potentiality, and then massage them into workable material. Might take 500 words to brainstorm a character, then I take one trait, write that out, then mix it with the plot idea (if it's a character story). It's like cooking.


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## Crowley K. Jarvis (Sep 17, 2015)

ShadowEyes said:


> Isn't "thinking" plotting as well? My strawman for pantsing is just writing with no idea of where you're going.
> 
> Also, I'm of the notion that ideas are cheap. The best writer could take a mediocre idea and make a good story and vice versa.
> 
> I look for story materials, classify them, look for their potentiality, and then massage them into workable material. Might take 500 words to brainstorm a character, then I take one trait, write that out, then mix it with the plot idea (if it's a character story). It's like cooking.


'

When I say 'think'.... 

It means: Stand outside in the yard. Insert earbuds. Drink red bull. Swing around a fake wooden sword. Invent idea.

No plotting takes place. Hahaha. I make a movie in my head. Then I write it down. Otherwise, I'm a turrible cook.


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## T.S.Bowman (Sep 18, 2015)

The Plotting  vs Pantsing thing has been discussed, sometimes rather heatedly, many times here. 

One is no better than the other. They are just different methods of reaching the same goal. 

I write Pantser style. Although recently Kyle R managed to corrupt me and I wound up doing a bit of plotting for one of my upcoming stories. 

Pantsing it doesn't mean I have no idea where the story is going. I usually have the ideas for the middle and end in mind when I start writing. I just allow the story to dictate things in between those points. I don't try to make it do something it doesn't want to do. There have been many times where I started trying to plot things out, only to have the characters flip me the middle finger and go merrily on their way in the direction of their choice.


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## shadowwalker (Sep 18, 2015)

ShadowEyes said:


> Isn't "thinking" plotting as well?



No. Well, unless you're one of those folks who insist everyone plots whether they admit it or not.



ShadowEyes said:


> My strawman for pantsing is just writing with no idea of where you're going.



But it's not just aimless meandering - I decide whether to turn right or left based on where I've already been. There's a *big *difference between not planning and chaos, and that's where so many arguments take seed.


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## ArrowInTheBowOfTheLord (Sep 20, 2015)

ShadowEyes said:


> I actually don't know of any other Catholic authors who write fiction.



Oooh, you should read Michael O'Brien. He doesn't write fantasy (mostly realistic fiction, a bit of science fiction, and one historical fiction), but his novels are likely the best I have read by any modern Catholic author. Voyage to Alpha Centauri is one of my personal favorites, but Sophia House and Father Elijah are probably his best.


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## LOLeah (Sep 20, 2015)

There are a few themes in my novel that I hope will make my readers open their minds and hearts. But mostly I just want to give them that intangible, nameless gift that I got from every good piece of literature I have read in my life. I want them to be immersed in my story, to where every spare minute they have they are reading it and when they can't be reading it, they're thinking about it. Until it's finished and they are depressed. lol That's what I want for my readers.


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## Conundrum (Sep 22, 2015)

In a horror story, I want to scare my audience to the point of sleeplessness.
In a thriller, I want to keep them in such a heightened state of anticipation that they can't stop turning the pages.
In an actioner, I want them to feel blown away.
In a mystery, I want to invite the reader to participate in solving the puzzle.
In a science fiction story, I want to take them to worlds and futures they've never been before.


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## John Oberon (Sep 22, 2015)

I just want people to come back and read more. I don't really care too much why they come back, just so they do.


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## Mutimir (Sep 22, 2015)

I want readers to feel like they aren't alone.


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