The Journey or the Arriving?

by Isabella Hynde
20th March 2012

Anthony Scott Glenn answered Victoria Limbert's question, 'The Passage of Time' with this, 'Sometimes it is the journey that is the most important part'. (I've taken it out of context)

Is the Journey the most important part of your writing endeavours or is the Arriving? The Arriving will be different things to different people. It might be getting published for some. It might be the satisfaction of hearing people make positive comments about your work. For others still it might the act of creation that is the important part. I would like to know what you find the most important part of writing.

Replies

What insight Victoria! I see the continuum of life that you're speaking of. It is the never ending circle.

PS I like the way you brought it back to the original question. I've just re-edited for a submission and find that is my never ending cycle.

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Isabella
Hynde
330 points
Developing your craft
Isabella Hynde
25/03/2012

Some times if you have been writing for a long time you can become a little numb to your own stories, but that precious break, and reading your book as a reader would do (From start to finish without looking for grammar and spelling mistakes) you become more emotional and hitch a ride on the rollarcoaster of your creations.

Ash (the character who dies in my book) went through alot of hardships and believed he was something he actually turned out not to be, so for him, he died with alot of heartbreak and sadness. So his death cut me up the most as I gave him some awful situations to overcome-in fact i was bloody terrible to him!

Not every death in my books affect me that way. So...this joins up with the original question.....his journey was truly important to the book, and his Arrival, his Destination (death) was far more important to the journey of my other characters. I am beginning to believe the journey and the arrival is a never ending cycle...

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Victoria
Limbert
330 points
Practical publishing
Fiction
Crime, Mystery, Thriller
Speculative Fiction
Adventure
Gothic and Horror
Romance
Victoria Limbert
25/03/2012

Katie-Ellen, great piece of advice.

I felt a little heartless as I didn't cry whilst writing my character's death. It was only until I opened my manuscript again and re-read the chapter where he dies that I felt any kind of emotion. It sounds strange, but I think I mourned his death by continuing to write...

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Anthony Scott
Glenn
330 points
Developing your craft
Short stories
Fiction
Business, Management and Education
Middle Grade (Children's)
Picture Books (Children's)
Comic
Speculative Fiction
Adventure
Historical
Crime, Mystery, Thriller
Anthony Scott Glenn
24/03/2012