What's your price?

[ddegreeff]

Being the keeper of a wandering mind, I often find myself debating (um, myself) with silly 'this or that' questions, like would I rather lose and arm or a leg? Wrestle Starsky or Hutch? Stop a bank robber or a hostage taker? And so, as I passed a sign advertising the Powerball lottery, I was struck with a new one: would I rather hit the lotto, or publish my first NYT bestseller? Obviously there are a lot of variables to that question (future career success, size of winning pool, etc), so I broke the question down into a simpler form: how much money would it take for me to never write anything, ever again? I came up with my answer, but for now I want to see what you fine folks have to say: what would it take? What's your price?

[Jaime]

Hmmm, as cliche as it sounds, the problem for me is that it isn't about the money - I simply want people to know and love my characters. If I never had to worry about money again, then that would only give me the freedom to write 24/7. And to have a book that becomes a household name/title? No amount of money could buy that feeling :)

[Margo]

No amount of money could get me to stop writing. I've tried walking away before. I can't do it. Not won't, can't.

[Quill]

Money.

*laughs hollow laugh, face shadowed in nearly empty cafe*

What's money?

*ice cubes rattle as takes sip from whiskey rocks. resumes writing*

[Mira]

Interesting question. At first, like Margo, I thought no amount of money would do it.

But then I thought I might start feeling guilty at the amount of good I could do with the money if I kept turning it down. So, I do think I have a price. It would be really, really, really high though. I'd need to be able to buy and sell continents, end hunger in Africa, buy off the elections in the U.S., buy up all the oil companies, things like that.

So, I would stop writing if someone gave me....900 billion dollars. Is that enough? What's after a billion? Well, I suppose I could invest it and earn interest, so 900 billion dollars, I'd never write again. And no, I'm not kidding.

I'd hire someone to write my books and tell them what to say, though. :)

[Quill]

Mira's right. I'd do it for all the money on the planet.

And then I'd write anyway. Who'd be able to stop me?

[Margo]

And then I'd write anyway. Who'd be able to stop me?

That's a freaking good point.

But I'll still have to go with 'no price' simply because I doubt anyone would give me all the money in the world. I can't be trusted with that kind of power and influence.

[Down the well]

Some days I'd quit for twenty bucks and a latte.

But, really, even if I did win the lotto I'd keep writing. And then I would buy my own friggin publishing company and publish only PAPER BOOKS.

[Sommer Leigh]

Some days I'd quit for twenty bucks and a latte.

But, really, even if I did win the lotto I'd keep writing. And then I would buy my own friggin publishing company and publish only PAPER BOOKS.

Some days I feel like this too. Like, for twenty bucks and a latte I'll not only quit but I'll give you my second draft edits and you can try having the writing career.

I always come to my senses and buy my own latte, but still. Some days...

[Mira]

Quit for 20 bucks and a latte? LOL. You guys are funny.

Thanks for reminding me, Down the Well. When I get my 900 billion, I'll have to start an e-publishing company.

[Heather B]

The look any non-writer would give this thread O_o ("money vs. writing? seriously?")
But I'm in the club who just couldn't stop writing. When I work so many days in a row and don't get any writing done I get really angry.
I'm pretty sure my boy would choose the contract, too. Just to keep his own sanity.

[Margo]

When I work so many days in a row and don't get any writing done I get really angry.

You, too? I start feeling really stressed out and irritable, and everything is a major crisis I Just. Can't. Handle. When I go back to my commitment to write everyday, even 200 or 300 words if I'm too busy for more, my mood lightens significantly after just a couple of days. If I didn't write, I'd probably have to be medicated for the safety of the general public. Werewriter on the loose! GARRRRRR!!!!!

[ddegreeff]

I figured most of the responses would follow along this line, but seriously? Like all you folks, I get a certain high from writing that can't be matched, but hell yeah I could be bought off. You're telling me that if someone came to you tomorrow with a suitcase filled with $100 million (okay, maybe that would take two suitcases...), you wouldn't be able to take one for the team, start a school to counter inner-city illiteracy, and maybe appease your muse by taking up the piano or drawing funny faces on all your new pictures of Benji Franklin? Sure, it might suck for a while, but how does that old saying go? "Having more money than God absolutely buys you happiness"? Yeah, it's something like that.

[Margo]

...but seriously?

I'm surprised you're surprised. It's old-hat writers advice that if you can not write you should not write. With the pain of rejection, the years most people spend developing their skills while those around them scoff, the extremely low chance of fame or fortune or even traditional publication...don't you think more people would quit if they could? Most do quit, eventually, especially now that the runaway successes of writers like Rowling and Brown and Meyers have people who might not otherwise have tried their hand at writing dashing off novels only to hit a brick wall of rejection when they learn it's not that easy. The ones who are left are a different animal.

[Heather B]

The ones who are left are a different animal.

And it doesn't take much for us to lose our heads. What does money matter when you're running naked through the woods?