# How do I get a Nobel Prize?



## ViKtoricus (Apr 2, 2014)

I've never heard of J.K. Rowling or Stephen King receive a Nobel Prize.



I don't wanna be such a low-level author like those guys.

I want the Nobel Prize for Literature.



How do I get it?



This is a serious question.


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## dale (Apr 2, 2014)

i think basically...in order to win a nobel prize for anything nowadays? you have to be like the biggest piece of crap possible.


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## Potty (Apr 2, 2014)

ViKtoricus said:


> This is a serious question.



I doubt that.


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## ViKtoricus (Apr 2, 2014)

Potty said:


> I doubt that.





I'm serious.

- - - Updated - - -



dale said:


> i think basically...in order to win a nobel prize for anything nowadays? you have to be like the biggest piece of crap possible.



How come?


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## A_Jones (Apr 2, 2014)

You are crazy ambitious arent you?   I want you to tell me why you want this.  Be very detailed.  Why?


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## ViKtoricus (Apr 2, 2014)

A_Jones said:


> You are crazy ambitious arent you?   I want you to tell me why you want this.  Be very detailed.  Why?



It might have to do with the fact that I have such low self-esteem that I want to make myself feel significant by stuffing myself with unbelievably awesome accomplishments.

As far as why I have a low self-esteem, you'll learn about that in my future bestselling autobiography.


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## A_Jones (Apr 2, 2014)

... the nobel prize should go to the most desurving of writers.  If you want it because you feel bad about yourself.... I dont think you desurve it.


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## dale (Apr 2, 2014)

A_Jones said:


> ... the nobel prize should go to the most desurving of writers.  If you want it because you feel bad about yourself.... I dont think you desurve it.


lol. i swear this on my daughter...if i ever got the message i was to receive the nobel prize for literature? i would laugh my ass off
and tell them to shove the award between their buttocks. not because i don't believe in myself as a writer...but because i don't believe
in a "nobel prize" being real anymore.


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## A_Jones (Apr 2, 2014)

I agree.  The nobel is a popularity contest.   But I still believe in what it is supposed to be.


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## Deleted member 49710 (Apr 2, 2014)

Looking over a list of Nobel Prize winners in literature, they seem to be writers who have built up a large and significant body of work over their lives. There probably is some subjectivity to the process. 

In any case, I'd start by writing something good.


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## Kevin (Apr 2, 2014)

except for that one guy, who only wrote that one book and was awarded posthumously http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_Confederacy_of_Dunces
  and I don't suggest anything (except that the pattern is broken, ie. no body of work), 

*edit: another what an idiot moment, and just when you think you know what you're talking about, the Noble is not the Pulitzer... sorry lasm.*


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## ViKtoricus (Apr 2, 2014)

What's wrong with wanting to be popular?

Here's the thing... There's no use being the best in an endeavor if there's no one else but you who can appreciate it.

The reason why Leonid Taranenko is a great athlete is because I, and many other sensible individuals, think that he is a great athlete.

If we all thought he was a worthless athlete, he probably is, even though he, in fact, held the world record for the Clean-and-Jerk (even lifting more than the Iranian dinosaur, Hossein Rezazadeh.).

The game of life is 90% social.


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## popsprocket (Apr 2, 2014)

There's nothing _wrong_ with wanting to be popular. It's just a shallow and/or vain desire - qualities that won't impress many people. There are definitely better aspirations to have.

But either way you have to start by finishing a book. I've seen you post a lot of these short excerpts since you joined, but have any of them made it into a full-length novel? Once you make it that far you just keep finishing books and getting better until you have to have an extra shelf put in just to hold all your award statues.


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## ViKtoricus (Apr 2, 2014)

popsprocket said:


> There's nothing _wrong_ with wanting to be popular. It's just a shallow and/or vain desire - qualities that won't impress many people. There are definitely better aspirations to have.
> 
> But either way you have to start by finishing a book. I've seen you post a lot of these short excerpts since you joined, but have any of them made it into a full-length novel? Once you make it that far you just keep finishing books and getting better until you have to have an extra shelf put in just to hold all your award statues.





I do have a book brewing. I'm taking a break from the workshop and working on a novel.

The problem is, it's an erotica...

Best case scenario is it gets published, becomes as popular as the Fifty Shades of Grey, and I become known as a lecherous person with a really vivid imagination.

That's not Nobel Prize material. And that's what worries me.


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## stormageddon (Apr 2, 2014)

Vik, your posts never fail to entertain :') If that really is your aim, I would suggest compiling a list of recent winners and reading through their work. Try to distil what it is about them that's special, if anything, and incorporate it into your work without losing the you-ness in your writing. But I wouldn't suggest following that dream- if it happens, great, but if you spend your life working towards it and never win, I doubt that will be good for your self-esteem.

If you simply want to be a good writer, or rather, the best, you're already on the right track. You have ambition, thick skin and respond well to criticism from what I've seen, so just keep at it. If you do need a boost, maybe try entering the LM competitions. At worst, you'll enjoy yourself.

PS: from what I understand, erotica is a very lucrative genre, if incredibly creepy. And if you look at the way society's going, it won't be long before it wins a Nobel prize.


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## ViKtoricus (Apr 2, 2014)

stormageddon said:


> PS: from what I understand, erotica is a very lucrative genre, if incredibly creepy. And if you look at the way society's going, it won't be long before it wins a Nobel prize.



Hahah!

Thanks.


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## Plasticweld (Apr 2, 2014)

I have a hard time understanding low self esteem. From my experience it comes from being selfish. I read what you wrote and can only think that if you achieved any notoriety it would be as hollow as what you already have.  You seem to look past what you already have for something you can only dream of.  The reality is that today you can make a difference in someone else's life by doing something for them. That way there will be at least one person who looks up to you as a hero. If you really want to be important try being an important part of some ones life. Let them say I could not imagine going through this without your help.  Famous men do so because they  have the character and the strength to help others. People who just have notoriety come and go like the winds.  Pardon the preaching but asked a question and did so earnestly.


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## Kevin (Apr 2, 2014)

We won't hold it against you if you become popular. We might ask you for stuff, though.


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## ViKtoricus (Apr 2, 2014)

Kevin said:


> We won't hold it against you if you become popular. We might ask you for stuff, though.



I'll give out lots of things. I'll give toys to poor children, food for the hungry, and do other charitable things.

But once I become famous, I will only share my secrets to success to a chosen few, like my sons and daughters.


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## A_Jones (Apr 2, 2014)

Plasticweld said:


> I have a hard time understanding low self esteem. From my experience it comes from being selfish. I read what you wrote and can only think that if you achieved any notoriety it would be as hollow as what you already have.  You seem to look past what you already have for something you can only dream of.  The reality is that today you can make a difference in someone else's life by doing something for them. That way there will be at least one person who looks up to you as a hero. If you really want to be important try being an important part of some ones life. Let them say I could not imagine going through this without your help.  Famous men do so because they  have the character and the strength to help others. People who just have notoriety come and go like the winds.  Pardon the preaching but asked a question and did so earnestly.


This.  Its not charity if you brag about it.  The truly.charitable are silent givers.


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## ViKtoricus (Apr 2, 2014)

A_Jones said:


> The truly.charitable are silent givers.



And are also very, very unknown.

I don't wanna be an unsung hero like them. I want the bards to compose songs about how awesome Viktoricus is.


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## bookmasta (Apr 2, 2014)

ViKtoricus said:


> And are also very, very unknown.
> 
> I don't wanna be an unsung hero like them. I want the bards to compose songs about how awesome Viktoricus is.



Uh...Egos usually lead to failure.


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## A_Jones (Apr 2, 2014)

You are only achieving the opposite by saying such things.


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## Bishop (Apr 2, 2014)

I don't care about a Nobel or a Pulitzer. I'm all about the Hugo and the Nebula award.  

My life goal is to win the Nebula award, but I expect I'll have to write a boatload of novels before I get one that is worthy of that honor.

More on topic? If any of us knew the process on how to win a Nobel... Do I really have to even say this?


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## dale (Apr 3, 2014)

ViKtoricus said:


> I'll give out lots of things. I'll give toys to poor children, food for the hungry, and do other charitable things.
> 
> But once I become famous, I will only share my secrets to success to a chosen few, like my sons and daughters.



well, let's just hope you don't have many children.


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## shadowwalker (Apr 3, 2014)

First, until you've written (and that means completed) a few novels, don't worry about a Nobel because it's not going to happen. Second, setting an award like that as a goal is bound for failure, mainly because no one can predict if their book will even make the best-seller lists, let alone merit such an award. Third, you really, really, really need to come into the real world of writing. I've read some of your stuff, and quite a few of your posts, and, IMHO, you're still in the "I want to be a writer" stage (and this thread makes that abundantly clear). Until you cross over to the "I want to write!" stage in your heart and in your head, you're really not going to have anything to pass on to anyone.


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## dale (Apr 3, 2014)

shadowwalker said:


> First, until you've written (and that means completed) a few novels, don't worry about a Nobel because it's not going to happen. Second, setting an award like that as a goal is bound for failure, mainly because no one can predict if their book will even make the best-seller lists, let alone merit such an award. Third, you really, really, really need to come into the real world of writing. I've read some of your stuff, and quite a few of your posts, and, IMHO, you're still in the "I want to be a writer" stage (and this thread makes that abundantly clear). Until you cross over to the "I want to write!" stage in your heart and in your head, you're really not going to have anything to pass on to anyone.



hey, girl. you just don't KNOW this dude and his genius. he can write better dialogue than jrr tolkien. ain't you heard? 
i swear...by today's standards? he DESERVES a nobel prize.


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## Bilston Blue (Apr 3, 2014)

A suggestion perhaps for the renaming of the thread to: How to reach the place where nobody'll take me seriously 101.

8-[


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## patskywriter (Apr 3, 2014)

Here you go:

http://www.amazon.com/dp/1843913747/?tag=writingforu06-20

You're welcome.


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## Schrody (Apr 3, 2014)

I often asked myself the same thing. Then, when I realized (I was a kid), that Nobel Prize is actually a bunch of money, I didn't want it anymore. Of course, everything stayed at that childish dream. There's a saying: "The one who asks for a medal (reward) don't deserve it, the one who deserved it, don't need it." Sorry for the rough translation.


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## Schrody (Apr 3, 2014)

Bishop said:


> I don't care about a Nobel or a Pulitzer. I'm all about the Hugo and the Nebula award.
> 
> My life goal is to win the Nebula award, but I expect I'll have to write a boatload of novels before I get one that is worthy of that honor.
> 
> More on topic? If any of us knew the process on how to win a Nobel... Do I really have to even say this?



Please don't be offended by this one, but novels that won some of the awards like Nebula, etc., are usually... bad. It's just a popularity contest. But, of course, that depends on your personal taste.


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## Sam (Apr 3, 2014)

People who are truly brilliant at something do not need recognition of their peers to validate who they are or what they are doing. 

Popularity, wealth, prestige -- it's the kind of superficiality that makes me misanthropic. I'd rather die happy and content with who I am and what I've done, than die wealthy, popular, and miserable while surrounded by sycophants in some mansion.


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## Terry D (Apr 3, 2014)

Sometimes, starting immature thread after immature thread and getting page after page of responses is all the recognition someone needs. Remember the old adage: "Don't feed the..."


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## Kyle R (Apr 3, 2014)

dale said:


> lol. i swear this on my daughter...if i ever got the message i was to receive the nobel prize for literature? i would laugh my ass off
> and tell them to shove the award between their buttocks. not because i don't believe in myself as a writer...but because i don't believe
> in a "nobel prize" being real anymore.



The prize comes with a lump sum of over one million US dollars. Send the check my way before you turn down anything!


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## stormageddon (Apr 3, 2014)

Terry D said:


> Sometimes, starting immature thread after immature thread and getting page after page of responses is all the recognition someone needs. Remember the old adage: "Don't feed the..."



If nobody started aforementioned immature threads, this site would be far less entertaining. Why not dream big? Why can't you have an ego? You'll get further in life if you love yourself than if you hate yourself, and if you don't have dreams, you won't get anywhere.

When I started writing frequently aged 12, I had a dream, and that was to have a bestseller published by 18. With eight days to go before the deadline, I can safely say that that is not going to happen, but if I hadn't had that dream I wouldn't be a tenth the writer I am today, even if I still have a hell of a long road ahead of me.

What are dreams but motivation? Vik, if a Nobel prize is your dream then go for it. Having something to aim for is a starting place, and it is not immature to have ambition, nor is being overly realistic about your chances of success conducive to your future as a writer.


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## Schrody (Apr 3, 2014)

Terry D said:


> Sometimes, starting immature thread after immature thread and getting page after page of responses is all the recognition someone needs. Remember the old adage: "Don't feed the..."



He's a very bad troll then.


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## Bishop (Apr 3, 2014)

Schrody said:


> Please don't be offended by this one, but novels that won some of the awards like Nebula, etc., are usually... bad. It's just a popularity contest. But, of course, that depends on your personal taste.



It's not an insult, because I know my tastes. I like bad, dime-store sci-fi, and that's what I write. I've loved most of the Nebula and Hugo winners that I've read and it just makes me want it more.


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## spartan928 (Apr 3, 2014)

You can't use all this external stuff as some kind of motor to drive your creative talents. That never works, and it never will. Just write the best possible thing you can and put it out there. You won't make a dime or win awards with wishful thinking or by trying to design all your writing around such lofty ideals. None of that will happen without getting published anyay, so just concentrate on finishing something you feel is your best possible work. That is what is in front of you, the Nobel Prize committee is not.


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## spartan928 (Apr 3, 2014)

stormageddon said:


> If nobody started aforementioned immature threads, this site would be far less entertaining. Why not dream big? Why can't you have an ego? You'll get further in life if you love yourself than if you hate yourself, and if you don't have dreams, you won't get anywhere.
> 
> When I started writing frequently aged 12, I had a dream, and that was to have a bestseller published by 18. With eight days to go before the deadline, I can safely say that that is not going to happen, but if I hadn't had that dream I wouldn't be a tenth the writer I am today, even if I still have a hell of a long road ahead of me.
> 
> What are dreams but motivation? Vik, if a Nobel prize is your dream then go for it. Having something to aim for is a starting place, and it is not immature to have ambition, nor is being overly realistic about your chances of success conducive to your future as a writer.




Sure ambition and dreams are great. But when somebody says "what do I have to do to win the Nobel", the entire point of the art of writing is absent from that point of view. It's just my opinion, but that is the perspective of someone who loses the race before they leave the gate.


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## Schrody (Apr 3, 2014)

Bishop said:


> It's not an insult, because I know my tastes. I like bad, dime-store sci-fi, and that's what I write. I've loved most of the Nebula and Hugo winners that I've read and it just makes me want it more.



If you know what to expect from those writers, then it's okay. I didn't want you to be disappointed because you were expecting something different.


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## stormageddon (Apr 3, 2014)

spartan928 said:


> Sure ambition and dreams are great. But when somebody says "what do I have to do to win the Nobel", the entire point of the art of writing is absent from that point of view. It's just my opinion, but that is the perspective of someone who loses the race before they leave the gate.



I disagree. People write for different reasons, just as people read for different reasons. Every reason is as valid as any other. "What do I have to do to win the Nobel" does not suggest a shallow reason for going into writing, particularly if you read Vik's following comments. They are the words of a dreamer, of someone who wants to be recognized and remembered, to be a hero and an inspiration. They are, at worst, the words of a human 

You say "the entire point of writing" as though it is a definite concept. I can guarantee the purpose of writing as I see it is different to how you see it. And does that make either of us inferior to the other? No. We both want to write, and that's enough.


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## Jeko (Apr 3, 2014)

I'll be blunt; an amateur writer wanting to win the Nobel prize is like a child wanting to be an astronaut. Anything is possible, but there will be a point at which you'll start being realistic about the craft you're pursuing. 

For the Nobel prize to be included in that realism, you need to stop thinking about the Nobel prize. Think about how your work can benefit other people, not yourself.


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## stormageddon (Apr 3, 2014)

Personally, the more realistic I am the less I want to write. I see the logic behind what you're saying, but the reality is it just doesn't work like that for everyone.

For me, writing is escapism from the [insert profanity] that is the real world, at least in part. If I'm realistic about it, that ceases to be true, and I lose the will to write. Probably immature, but I didn't choose that thinking pattern.

Any dream that gets you writing and improving is a valid dream, is my main point in this.

A little kid dreaming to be an astronaut can change the future of the human race, as every Whovian knows (I here refer you to Waters of Mars). Dreaming of winning a Nobel prize will not make you a worse writer or get in the way of your life, so I really don't get what the big deal is here. And you can approach a dream with realism. That's the entire point of the original post. Not "I want to do this" but "how can I do this".


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## spartan928 (Apr 3, 2014)

stormageddon said:


> I disagree. People write for different reasons, just as people read for different reasons. Every reason is as valid as any other. "What do I have to do to win the Nobel" does not suggest a shallow reason for going into writing, particularly if you read Vik's following comments. They are the words of a dreamer, of someone who wants to be recognized and remembered, to be a hero and an inspiration. They are, at worst, the words of a human
> 
> You say "the entire point of writing" as though it is a definite concept. I can guarantee the purpose of writing as I see it is different to how you see it. And does that make either of us inferior to the other? No. We both want to write, and that's enough.


 

I said the entire point *of the art* of writing is absent in the question about winning the Nobel. I don't disagree with the ambition of it, but discussion about the "how to" of it is rather humorous. The only answer to that question is to spend a lifetime earning the respect of the literary world by writing and publishing great art. He's asking the wrong question. It should be, "how can I go about creating great literature"? In my experience, people who spend a lot of time asking questions about how to make more money, win awards or get people to love their work spend more time talking than doing because their priorities are misplaced.


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## Kepharel (Apr 3, 2014)

When you're old enough to look into your grandchild's eyes and see how important you are to them then nothing else matters, not Nobel prizes for literature, money, fame, any of it. Look deep inside that all consuming gaze and you will see. It's the nearest you will ever get to realising your own immortality and what greater gift is there than that.


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## stormageddon (Apr 3, 2014)

spartan928 said:


> I said the entire point *of the art* of writing is absent in the question about winning the Nobel. I don't disagree with the ambition of it, but discussion about the "how to" of it is rather humorous. The only answer to that question is to spend a lifetime earning the respect of the literary world by writing and publishing great art. He's asking the wrong question. It should be, "how can I go about creating great literature"? In my experience, people who spend a lot of time asking questions about how to make more money, win awards or get people to love their work spend more time talking about making great art than figuring out how to do it because their priorities are misplaced.



Fair enough, you're making a good point but I think that in itself is part of the learning experience, in particular for us younger writers. I know I have a lot of issues with seeing the obvious, which I attribute to my uncooperative teenage brain. I also know I phrase things poorly a lot.

As a result, when I read Vik's original post I assumed that the question was a form of "how can I go about creating great literature". I may have been wrong, though. But reading through his workshop posts, I think he has more than proved himself willing to learn the intricacies of the art rather than just talk about them. He merely happens to have an exceptionally entertaining way of posing his questions.

By the way Vik, sorry to keep referring to you like this, I imagine it became creepy a long time ago and is now bordering on the realms of stalkerish.


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## dale (Apr 3, 2014)

Kepharel said:


> When you're old enough to look into your grandchild's eyes and see how important you are to them then nothing else matters, not Nobel prizes for literature, money, fame, any of it. Look deep inside that all consuming gaze and you will see It's the nearest you will ever get to realising your own immortality and what greater gift is there than that.



edit: damnit. the gif didn't work.


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## thepancreas11 (Apr 3, 2014)

I'm doing work solving the structures of protein and DNA complexes. That ought to be my best shot at a Nobel Prize.

Furthermore, I would think that you'd have to be:
A) EXTREEEEEEEEEEEMMMMMMMMMEEEEEEELLLLLLY Talented.
B) Stirring the collective political and socio-economic soul of planet Earth in a way that people are just like, "Well, poop. I'm going to stop the conflict between Jews and Palestinians in Israel now!"
C) Not seeking a Nobel Prize in Literature. Seriously, if you're doing it for the award, you'll never get the award.

Also, let's not call Rowling and King chumps given that one of them holds the record for most money ever authoring and the other holds the record for most books sold in a lifetime. Generally, let us try to be gracious to those that have come before us.


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## Sam (Apr 4, 2014)

> Also, let's not call Rowling and King chumps given that one of them  holds the record for most money ever authoring and the other holds the  record for most books sold in a lifetime. Generally, let us try to be  gracious to those that have come before us.



Yes, because wealth and popularity are the benchmarks to which we all should aspire.


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## qwertyman (Apr 4, 2014)

Sleep with Mrs Nobel.


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## Ariel (Apr 4, 2014)

I think that respect to all persons is probably the right form of conduct for any person not just those who are trying for the Nobel prize.  Calling other authors chumps because they've found monetary success but haven't earned certain awards is not gracious nor is it attractive.  Being sarcastic about the same runs the same track.

I have seen more than one person in this thread be rude about the original poster's aspiration and about other authors.  I don't remember such behavior being generally acceptable here.


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## Kevin (Apr 4, 2014)

be obama


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## qwertyman (Apr 4, 2014)

I hear Mrs Nobel is dynamite.


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## bazz cargo (Apr 4, 2014)

> I've never heard of J.K. Rowling or Stephen King receive a Nobel Prize.
> 
> 
> 
> ...



Step 1. Write something worthy of a Nobel Prize.
Step 2. Hope they notice it.

The one thing I can't get past is the amount of work I would have to put in. Athletes spend vast amounts of time, effort and money just to be slightly better at running, jumping or throwing. A writer would have to live in front of their computer. Obsessive creative people are incapable of daily tasks, holding a job down or a relationship. The price for a Nobel Prize kind of reward is enormous. Good luck.


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## Blade (Apr 4, 2014)

The Nobel Prize for literature was won by Alice Monroe, a short story specialist with a life time of what I would consider good work behind her. The thing is that the award is largely symbolic, she is now in her early 80's and neither the financial prize nor the noteriety is going to have much of an impact in her life.

As well, since the prize is awarded by a committee, it would be pretty well impossible to determine what the 'thinking' behind the award was ans in order to address yourself to it.

Ambition is all well and good but I think the Nobel Prize is more symbol than substance.:grumpy:


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## kilroy214 (Apr 4, 2014)

I don't even know how to respond to your original question. If your opinion of King and Rowling (who have won dozens of awards between the two) is that they're "low level" I'd hate to think what kind of writer that makes me, or you for that matter. I don't write to make money, I write because I love to do it, and when I don't do it I start going crazy. If I become published and can make a career out of it, all the better, and if that makes me "low level", then I guess that's what I'll be. I highly doubt any nobel winner for literature started out with the soul purpose of winning an award like that.
So to answer your question, "How do I win the nobel prize?"
The same way you get to Carnegie Hall.


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## Terry D (Apr 4, 2014)

kilroy214 said:


> The same way you get to Carnegie Hall.



By taxi?:eagerness:


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## kilroy214 (Apr 4, 2014)

Exactly, Terry.


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## Apple Ice (Apr 4, 2014)

Can't decide if you're being serious or not Vik. I would say good luck but we both know it won't happen and that I don't mean it, may as well be truthful. Give me Rowling's career over the Nobel winners any day. Being remembered is a fools dream. No one is remembered, they occasionally come up in conversation or appear on a list and at best are on a syllabus, but they're not remembered. Only family family and friends remember you and when they die, you're truly dead. Having a nice life is more important and money can make having a nice life a lot easier. Money over memory.


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## Schrody (Apr 4, 2014)

kilroy214 said:


> The same way you get to Carnegie Hall.



Practice.


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## dale (Apr 4, 2014)

Kevin said:


> be obama



yeah. giving obama the nobel peace prize pretty much sealed the deal on a nobel prize being a total farce.


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## Morkonan (Apr 4, 2014)

ViKtoricus said:


> What's wrong with wanting to be popular?



Do you deserve to be popular? If you want to be popular, do something positive to deserve it.



> Here's the thing... There's no use being the best in an endeavor if there's no one else but you who can appreciate it.



That is completely false - It all depends on what motivates you. If you are only motivated by public acclaim, that is all that will ever satisfy you, no matter how skilled you become. But, if you are motivated by your love of something and a desire to achieve mastery of it, then your satisfaction is determined by your own self-recognition of your accomplishments. One is easier to achieve than the other...



> The reason why Leonid Taranenko is a great athlete is because I, and many other sensible individuals, think that he is a great athlete.



?

Seriously?

The reason he is a "great athlete" is because he can do a full standing military press of an entire school building over his head...



> The game of life is 90% social.



You don't understand "the game of life."


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## Morkonan (Apr 4, 2014)

dale said:


> yeah. giving obama the nobel peace prize pretty much sealed the deal on a nobel prize being a total farce.



Just a note: The Nobel Peace Prize is not decided by the same panel or using the same qualifications that involve the various other Nobel Prizes. It is singularly unique and, yes, I agree that it's largely a popularity contest. It has lately become a political tool, as well.


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## Blade (Apr 4, 2014)

dale said:


> yeah. giving obama the nobel peace prize pretty much sealed the deal on a nobel prize being a total farce.



The status of the Nobel Prize really has declined over the years.:grumpy: With Physics and Chemistry, and even Literature for that matter, no one can figure out what the prize is actually for and if they go political at all it is 'foot in the mouth'. Unfortunately it is an 'Iconic' award and does have dollar backup so the media will keep on rolling out the red carpet for it. (having little else to do)

Does anyone else cringe at the term 'iconic'? I am not sure if it is overworked or just represents obsolescence but I just hate running into it all the time.:indecisiveness:


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## ViKtoricus (Apr 4, 2014)

Apple Ice said:


> Can't decide if you're being serious or not Vik.



I am.



Apple Ice said:


> I would say good luck but we both know it won't happen and that I don't mean it, may as well be truthful. Give me Rowling's career over the Nobel winners any day. Being remembered is a fools dream. No one is remembered, they occasionally come up in conversation or appear on a list and at best are on a syllabus, but they're not remembered. Only family family and friends remember you and when they die, you're truly dead. Having a nice life is more important and money can make having a nice life a lot easier. Money over memory.





I'm not sure how to respond to this.

I don't want to directly disagree with you because your view that "Having a nice life is more important than money" does hold value.



But really think about it for a moment. Isn't that the mentality that the oppressive people have been trying to instill to us ever since? They all say, "No. Go to college. It's more realistic to be a nurse than to be the next American Idol".

What ever happened to courage? What ever happened to taking risks? How is life worth living if you don't give it your best shot?



Also, to everyone...

The reason why I dream of the Nobel Prize is because it's a realistic goal. It's a BIG goal, yes, but it's realistic. If it was up to me, I'd dream of breaking Leonid Taranenko's world record and be the first man to squat more than Paul Anderson. But I know those goals are no longer realistic because... I'm already 22. If you're in your twenties and you still haven't squatted at least 600 pounds, or bench pressed 500 pounds, your dream of breaking any world record in the sport of powerlifting or weightlifting is over.



But a Nobel Prize for Literature, where the only thing you have to do is to put the right words on paper.

Now THAT is realistic.


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## bookmasta (Apr 4, 2014)

ViKtoricus said:


> But a Nobel Prize for Literature, where the only thing you have to do is to put the right words on paper.
> 
> Now THAT is realistic.



Not really when you consider how many writers there are, how many fewer authors exist on top of that, and the even slimmer margin who actually become popular enough to win such award. Realism is an important facet when trying to achieve any goal. Otherwise, its like running a marathon and looking at the finish when you haven't even crossed the starting line.


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## ViKtoricus (Apr 4, 2014)

bookmasta said:


> Not really when you consider how many writers there are, how many fewer authors exist on top of that, and the even slimmer margin who actually become popular enough to win such award. Realism is an important facet when trying to achieve any goal. Otherwise, its like running a marathon and looking at the finish when you haven't even crossed the starting line.



What if I tell you I KNOW I'm destined for the Nobel Prize?



I'm *the one*.


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## dale (Apr 4, 2014)

ViKtoricus said:


> I am.
> 
> 
> 
> ...



what the hell are "the right words"? the nobel prize committee determines this? who are they? what exactly qualifies them to judge anything at all?


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## bookmasta (Apr 4, 2014)

ViKtoricus said:


> What if I tell you I KNOW I'm destined for the Nobel Prize?
> 
> 
> 
> I'm *the one*.



Do have a plan to start working towards such a goal?


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## Jeko (Apr 4, 2014)

> the only thing you have to do is to put the right words on paper.



http://www.nobelprize.org/nobel_prizes/literature/laureates/

It's a lot more than that, ViK.


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## Potty (Apr 4, 2014)

[video=youtube_share;ak7J3AOElXk]http://youtu.be/ak7J3AOElXk[/video]


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## ViKtoricus (Apr 4, 2014)

bookmasta said:


> Do have a plan to start working towards such a goal?





Write literature. Not the next Twilight. Not the next Hunger Games. But Literature.

I must write the kind of things that will become a part of school syllabus.



That's the first goal. The next one is to bribe the committee into putting me on the list of candidates. I know that by that time, I'd already be rich, so I'd be able to bribe the committee.


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## Jeko (Apr 4, 2014)

> The next one is to bribe the committee into putting me on the list of candidates. I know that by that time, I'd already be rich, so I'd be able to bribe the committee.



I thought you said you were serious.


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## ViKtoricus (Apr 4, 2014)

Cadence said:


> I thought you said you were serious.





I am. And I am also a worshiper of Niccolo Machiavelli.


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## dale (Apr 4, 2014)

ViKtoricus said:


> Write literature. Not the next Twilight. Not the next Hunger Games. But Literature.
> 
> I must write the kind of things that will become a part of school syllabus.
> 
> ...



hold on...are you really asian?


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## ViKtoricus (Apr 4, 2014)

dale said:


> hold on...are you really asian?



What the heck kind of question is this??

My avatar picture is not that handsome. What makes it so hard to believe that it's me?


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## Kyle R (Apr 4, 2014)

Having the desire and the motivation is great (it really is!), but one needs discipline and diligence as well. Translation: hard work. There's no succeeding at a high level without it.

Hard, sweat-dripping-from-your-brow, fists-in-your-hair, eyes-dried-from-the-glare-of-your-computer-screen work. 

A lot of people _want_ to be great. But only a few actually have the balls to put in the effort to get there.

The _wanna-be_s just talk a bunch of hot air. The doers are too busy _doing_.

Don't be a talker. Be a _doer_! :encouragement:


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## dale (Apr 4, 2014)

ViKtoricus said:


> What the heck kind of question is this??
> 
> My avatar picture is not that handsome. What makes it so hard to believe that it's me?



  lol. because...most asians i know don't concern themselves with "global acceptance". not on that level. asians seem to be very clannish. but it might just be it. maybe you ask all the inane questions you do for an asian motive. or...an "eastern" motive. i mean...sorry...i'm not trying to offend. i just find this kind of thing interesting.


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## Hunter56 (Apr 4, 2014)

dale said:


> lol. because...most asians i know don't concern themselves with "global acceptance". not on that level. asians seem to be very clannish. but it might just be it. maybe you ask all the inane questions you do for an asian motive. or...an "eastern" motive. i mean...sorry...i'm not trying to offend. i just find this kind of thing interesting.



Looking at Vik's avatar, he might actually be Hispanic. I'm not sure though, some Hispanics look like Asians and vice versa.

As for the OP, it certainly will be a tough task and the recipients usually don't achieve it until they're very old, but if you genuinely desire it and are willing to put in the effort then I say go for it. I'd be lying if I said I didn't have some wild aspirations myself.


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## tepelus (Apr 4, 2014)

ViKtoricus said:


> What if I tell you I KNOW I'm destined for the Nobel Prize?
> 
> 
> 
> I'm *the one*.



Special snowflake syndrome much?


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## TheYellowMustang (Apr 4, 2014)

popsprocket said:


> There's nothing _wrong_ with wanting to be popular. It's just a shallow and/or vain desire - qualities that won't impress many people.



I don't think it's a shallow or vain desire at all. I think it's a desire that most if not all animals share. I see it as a result of lingering survival instincts mixed with the strange way we measure success these days. Humans used to be dependent on being a part of a group to survive. However, although I don't see anything wrong with wanting to be popular, I don't think you will succeed in a creative project if that's your driving force. So I think it's an aspiration that is very natural to have, but that you should be careful not to let it become the source of motivation for telling stories. 

I hope I'm not sounding argumentative..


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## Bilston Blue (Apr 5, 2014)

I'll see your troll song, Potty, and raise it with this:

[video=youtube;U9u5zqKvC7E]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U9u5zqKvC7E[/video]


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## bookmasta (Apr 5, 2014)

Bilston Blue said:


> I'll see your troll song, Potty, and raise it with this:
> 
> [video=youtube;U9u5zqKvC7E]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U9u5zqKvC7E[/video]




My head...it hurts!


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## Potty (Apr 5, 2014)

*This thread is veering off track rapidly and has now been closed for 24 hours in the hopes that when it is reopened we might actually discuss the tactics one might employ to get a Nobel prize.

Any further evidence of behaviour designed to bait others into posting comments that will break the flaming rule will be dealt with, and any more off topic posts will be removed. *


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## Sam (Apr 7, 2014)

Let's try this again, shall we? Perhaps this time we can discuss the topic like adults.


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## Rowan (Apr 7, 2014)

Sleep with someone on the nobel prize committee?


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## Sam (Apr 7, 2014)

I see that it is impossible for people to give proper answers, or take this thread seriously, so there's no point in belabouring it any longer. 

Closed permanently.


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