Just been out to the local writers’ circle this evening. The speaker was Robert Barnard, a crime writer with around 40 novels under his belt.

He is an excellent speaker and an extremely funny man to listen to so, if you get the chance, go listen to him.

But the thing that impressed me most, one simple statement, was this.

He said that many people ask him why he writes. His answer is:

I write, simply to entertain.

No pretensions. No bullshit. Just honest entertainment.

Well said, Bob.

Dee.

What a fine chap! I wonder whether he agonises less over his writing than someone who is in it for the money/fame etc? I know that if I'm writing with a view to entering a competition, or selling a story then the process is more pressured than, say, writing an RLG. Often the writing that I do for the sake of it has more heart and less editing than the other pieces too. Just need to work that into all my other writing. Hmmm...
Sue

That’s the same thing Elmore Leonard says. He writes to entertain himself first then hopefully the reader.
That is why he’s one of my favourite writers.
Thanks for sharing,
Dawn,x

There's probably a lot in that! If you - as the writer - are not engaged, interested and entertained by what you write, how can you reasonably expect anyone else to be!

I guess this is particularly important if, like me, you tend to write from an opening scenario and don't really know, to start of with, where the story is going. If you get bored along the way, it's almost certain that the reader will, as well!

Very true John. If you are bored by your own work it needs rewriting.

I have to confess I haven’t read any of RB's books, but I will get one or two now. We asked him which were his favourites so I’ve got a short list. He also – very endearingly – told us which one not to bother with, calling it bloody rubbish!

I like his attitude because I really hate it when people ask me about the hidden meaning in my writing… there isn’t any. I’m not trying to subvert society. I don’t want to change the world. I just want people to read something I’ve written and feel entertained by it – diverted for a while but not challenged.

And – like Robert Barnard – I don’t see anything wrong with that.

Dee.

Yes.

I've had a touch of that from people who have read the two novels I've written. 'I enjoyed it - but (don't you just hate the 'but'?) - but what were you really saying to us? What was the message!'

Tsk! As you would say, Dee!

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