Is This How You Write?
By Jim Bauer
@porwest (78759)
United States
June 5, 2018 4:50pm CST
For me, the short answer is no.
Over the years, ever since online writing sites have been around, I have found myself writing on several of them. From HubPages, to Bubblews, Niume, WebAnswers, and even blog sites, I have written for several of them.
In my travels across the web, I think it's much the same for a lot of us, as often times I run across many of the people I have run across in the past on other former sites.
But the question is not so much about what we write on sites like this one, and ones that came before it. It is about what we write when we are writing more seriously.
The thing that comes to mind is that even before some of these kinds of sites came around, some of us were already "writers" in one form or another. Some of us wrote fiction and pursued traditional publishing routes. Others were more serious article writers, either shooting for publication in major magazines or other places.
Sites like this simply provided a venue to pursue at least some form of writing, but also allowed us to be a bit more free in what we would write about, and in particular, the form or style in which we write.
Well, and one could earn a little something as well. That is always a plus.
When I write on a site like MyLot is this how I actually write? Like I said, the short answer is no. Do I take the care and time and precision that I do with my fiction? No. Do I take the care and time and precision that I do with my nonfiction? No. Do I take the care and time and precision with my writing here that I may do elsewhere, for other purposes, and with other intent?
No.
Certainly some of my style and form may find its way in certain posts. But the way I write here as opposed to how I write "for real" is very different. And for a variety of reasons I think it is the same for a good many of us who actually pursue writing as opposed to simple social interaction, or sharing what we are doing for the day, what's happening in our lives, and so on and so forth.
None of us are looking to provide anything we post on sites like this as part of our portfolio, and for many of us the reason we write at all for sites like this is for very different reasons than we may pursue other writing ventures.
So, for you, what's your story? Is this how you write? Is the writing you do here a reflection of your form? Your style? Your voice? Is what you do here handled with same care and precision you may pursue other writing?
15 people like this
16 responses
@peavey (16936)
• United States
5 Jun 18
No, not at all. I come here to relax and find interesting things to think about. When I write, it's with a completely different mindset that when I write an article or blog post.
I am retired, but I used to make a decent living writing and it was hard work. Writing for pleasure or to pass the time is a totally different situation.
4 people like this
@sprite1950 (30453)
• Corsham, England
7 Jun 18
I'm not a true writer and never have been. My first paid site was WebAnswers, where I first knew you , but I'm more into forums and blogging sites like this one. I'm not patient enough to try writing a novel, I'm much too shallow
2 people like this
@LovingMyBabies (85127)
• Valdosta, Georgia
15 Nov 18
This is more relaxing and I also use here to share the good news of my faith with others! =)
2 people like this
@TheHorse (206374)
• Walnut Creek, California
4 Jun 21
Faith is such an interesting subject. I'm thinking of doing a post about my idols and role models. Among them are Willie Mays, Bach, Alex DeGrassi (a guitar player), Martin Luther King, and Jesus Christ. But I'm not even sure if I'm religious!
1 person likes this
@Marilynda1225 (79963)
• United States
5 Jun 18
Basically I'm just here to chat with my friends. None of my writing here is formal but just relaxed conversation
2 people like this
@MarshaMusselman (38663)
• Midland, Michigan
15 Nov 18
I would say probably not.
I remember your name from somewhere but I'm not sure where exactly. Do you still roam about hubpages or write on forums there? If not, then maybe I just remember you from a previous site.
My first writing site online was writing.com they don't pay normally there. You do get gift points to use around the site in various ways. That sure for me my start. I've recently removed almost all my writing from there. I'm on hubpages a little and hope to write more there soon.
@TheHorse (206374)
• Walnut Creek, California
4 Jun 21
Great post! My background is in writing "scholarly" articles, meaning (in the real world) carefully written articles and book chapters that nobody reads except for other "academics." In the late 1990s, I went through a short story and poetry writing phase, and actually got a few things published. It felt "validating." In the early 2000s, I started writing for Epinions, and was paid for reviewing products. Epinions was also a "community," like MyLot. That led to my "addiction" and the need to have an outlet for writing. And so...here I am.
@ridingbet (66857)
• Philippines
6 Jun 18
i write about my life. i am not a fiction writer so anything that i discuss here, are true.
1 person likes this
@JohnRoberts (109857)
• Los Angeles, California
6 Jun 18
I do not write as precisely as I did for "real articles." I have come to like the less pressure here of not having to be so exact. It's more of a conversation here.
2 people like this
@aureliah (24321)
• Kenya
13 Jun 18
I would say that this is not how I write. Sorry to say but I actually take more care when I'm writing for sites that give me some "good" money
@mlgen1037 (29886)
• Manila, Philippines
6 Jun 18
I never thought if writing as a profession though many times I was told to do so. I write simply because I want to express what I feel or because I want to share a part of me. Nothing serious but I am glad that in a way people appreciate.
2 people like this
@Starmaiden (9311)
• Canada
6 Jun 18
Not at all, but I do find inspiration in writing for sites like this. I take my other writing more seriously. I do have to watch what I post here though, because I just may wish to write an article or a book on the same topic. I don't want to give too much away.
1 person likes this
@moirai (2836)
• Philippines
9 Jun 18
Well, unlike you and the many others you describe, writing was never really something I pursued or wanted to pursue as a career. So I don't actually know what you mean by form and style. Those words sound like technical writing terms to me which I don't really understand, and don't feel the need to understand. I also do not write fiction as I am not very creative. I think my mind was built more for analysis than creation.
But I do tend to write a lot, if you will notice. By this, I mean really lengthy posts and comments. But they are mostly just me writing down my thoughts.
@just4him (307029)
• Green Bay, Wisconsin
6 Jun 18
I try to write the same, regardless of what I'm writing. I know I'm still learning some writing techniques, even though I'm already published. You can never stop learning. So, I practice my writing here, and when I work on a book, I put into my manuscript what I've learned. I hope.