Niamh calls her mom an “obsessive fixer,” and ascribes her desire to write to enjoying “having full control over an outcome for once.” (p.20). Do you think this desire for control is often an inspiration for novelists?
I think there’s probably some truth to that, although I wouldn’t say it’s the only reason people write. Writing is one of the few places where an author has complete control over the world they’re creating—the characters, the ending, and even what questions get answered. If someone has grown up feeling like they had little control over their own life, I can see how that would be especially appealing.
At the same time, I think many novelists write for the opposite reason: to explore uncertainty rather than resolve it. Some stories seem to take on a life of their own, and the writer discovers the characters along the way instead of controlling every aspect. So I thought Niamh’s comment was interesting because it reflects her motivation, but I’m not sure it applies universally to writers
I understand the need for control, as I am a fixer myself! It makes sense that writers have that need, too. They are in charge of where a story takes us.
Annie was in charge of her characters so indeed she wanted to be a fixer for her daughter. But let’s remember she was a fictional author. I certainly do not want you speak for the authors I know.
This is a great question for authors, the issues of control.
But I’ve heard in author’s interviews that the characters sometimes take them places that the author hadn’t planned. So not all authors have control all the time.
Hmmm. I’m not a writer, but I think a lot of writers who are interviewed say they were either led by the character or the plot in directions they never had imagined. Sort of like a dream. I think most novels are sort of an escape for the writer. I suppose you could have a general outline of how things should progress, but creativity generally requires thinking outside the box.
I agree that the desire to have control of a project is easily accomplished through writing. However, I do not think being in control is the inspiration. I truly feel writers have a story to tell and writing is the vehicle to express themselves. ‘Writers don’t write for control, they write to express ideas and share their thoughts. Often the themes are ones they care about deeply. Writing is in their souls, and its important to have a way to share with others. The writer does have control of his/her writing, however, how the reader feels after reading these thoughts, is not in his control, that control, if you want to call it so, belongs to the reader.
I wouldn’t say that authors write to be in control; I think they are creative people who have something to say, plus they have a way with words. Along the way, they create their own worlds so I suppose that could be a control of sorts, but not the main reason for writing.
I understand that writers have different processes. A couple of my favorites speak of sitting down to write in order to find out what her characters are going to do. This doesn’t seem like “fixing”, but of course the reality is that it all takes place in the writers’ heads and that’s where the control is.
I think authors have a variety of reasons for writing. I am sure there are some who want full control, but others speak of how their own characters surprise them by acting in ways they might not have predicted. Some write for personal catharsis and some write to share information or to persuade others to their point of view. Some write for pure entertainment.