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Which Writer’s Career Would You Most Like to Emulate?

March 10, 2010 by Nathan Bransford 279 Comments

We all have writers we look up to for their body of work, their fame, the adulation they receive, and maybe even the islands they own.

Whose career would you most like to emulate? Would you go for the fame, riches, awards, or all of the above?

Which writer’s life do you look at and say: I want that.

Filed Under: The Writing Life Tagged With: You Tell Me

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Cathi Stoler says

    March 11, 2010 at 9:13 pm

    I could just be the female James Patterson and go for the bucks. Of course, I'd write good stories, too.

    Reply
  2. Anonymous says

    March 11, 2010 at 11:16 pm

    Bizzarely, before today, I had no idea who Neil Gaiman was/is. I googled him and looked at his list of works…I still have no idea.

    Me? Lorrie Moore, Charles Baxter, Amy Hempel, or Janet Kaufman. I would be so happy with any one of their careers: a solid body of work, a unique vision and style, a readership comprised of readers full of respect and awe.

    Reply
  3. ELP says

    March 12, 2010 at 1:39 am

    Cormac McCarthy's prestige, as prolific as Stephen King, and as publicly popular as Dan Brown. Yes, I read him, too. And John Kennedy Toole. I read everything and I'm not ashamed to admit it . . . but I haven't read a good romance since high school (does Jane Austen count as romance?).

    Reply
  4. ELP says

    March 12, 2010 at 1:39 am

    Cormac McCarthy's prestige, as prolific as Stephen King, and as publicly popular as Dan Brown. Yes, I read him, too. And John Kennedy Toole. I read everything and I'm not ashamed to admit it . . . but I haven't read a good romance since high school (does Jane Austen count as romance?).

    Reply
  5. kerem mermutlu says

    March 12, 2010 at 3:59 pm

    hi there,
    i would say philip roth or haruki murakarmi. Two writers who costantly produce great work and as they get older get better and better. It seems that they write more books as they age too. They are racing against time with which stories to tell.
    http://www.keremmermutlu.tumblr.com

    Reply
  6. kgirl says

    March 12, 2010 at 4:22 pm

    Judy Blume in terms of influence, Yann Martel in terms of sheer, enviable talent and Michael Ondaatje because, hawt.

    Reply
  7. kgirl says

    March 12, 2010 at 4:23 pm

    Judy Blume in terms of influence, Yann Martel in terms of sheer, enviable talent and Michael Ondaatje because, hawt.

    Reply
  8. Chuck H. says

    March 12, 2010 at 4:42 pm

    P. G. Wodehouse. Made people laugh, lived to be 96, wrote a book for every year of his life.

    Reply
  9. ebunadewumi says

    March 13, 2010 at 7:35 am

    Jane Austen because I love Emma and Pride and Prejudice and it would be sweet to have the staying power.

    JK Rowling because I would be rich and famous and for being something cool like being a writer and not just something lame like having a sex tape.

    Reply
  10. Tara says

    March 13, 2010 at 9:40 am

    STEPHEN COLBERT. (He's got at least one book out, hasn't he?)

    Reply
  11. Anonymous says

    March 13, 2010 at 4:05 pm

    Robert A Heinlein, because he had a real impact on how millions of people view the world.

    Reply
  12. Anonymous says

    March 13, 2010 at 8:14 pm

    Terry Pratchett. He's hilarious, insightful, has legions of devoted fans, he's written dozens of books (I have an entire self that's just his books), and on top of that, he's a nice person.

    My second choice would have to be Maureen Johnson for similar reasons. I don't like "chick lit" and her books are YA, but I still like them because she's so funny. She also keeps a hilarious blog and is probably the YA queen of Twitter. She has scores of fans, but doesn't get stalked like other authors as well.

    I don't care about quantity of fans, but it would be fantastic to have that kind of hard core following.

    Reply
  13. David F. Weisman says

    March 13, 2010 at 9:48 pm

    Lois McMaster Bujold – I want to win awards, sell lots of books, and deserve both.

    Reply
  14. katelanfoisy says

    March 14, 2010 at 4:29 am

    William S. Burroughs was an absolute genius. Although I could probably do without the William Tell act and the heroin addiction, but then again it wouldn't have been the same. We all go through our ups and downs. His techniques and writing practices were intriguing.

    Reply
  15. Ego says

    March 14, 2010 at 11:57 am

    +1 for Agatha Christie

    As an aspiring crime-writer I would love to have a tenth of her genius.

    What I envy most about her lifestyle is her humility. She was too shy to speak at literary dinners, and never knew what to say when people praised her work. So endearing; the world's most successful novelist.

    In her place I'd probably have a head the size of a small planet. If I'm ever successful I hope I'll have a fraction of her grace.

    Reply
  16. Lynn says

    March 14, 2010 at 4:53 pm

    Lewis Carroll, Joseph Heller, Leo Tolstoy and William Gibson.

    Reply
  17. Naomi Hart says

    March 14, 2010 at 10:16 pm

    David Sedaris. Is that weird???
    He writes about his life and so do I. It's just that he's published and I'm not. I also appreciate his literary start on This American Life and the series of odd, painful and soul destroying jobs he had previous to writing, which as a musical theatre performer, I can unfortunately relate far too well to.

    Reply
  18. Bernard S. Jansen says

    March 15, 2010 at 2:34 am

    I'd say not Hemmingway for obvious reasons. I'd like to write like him, but could never want to live or die like him.

    Elmore Leonard comes to mind. Prolific, enjoys writing, happy to share his experience with others, and is still writing at an age when most people have become dead.

    Reply
  19. Michael says

    March 16, 2010 at 2:08 am

    Jim Butcher, easily.

    Reply
  20. JK says

    March 16, 2010 at 6:50 pm

    WOW so surprised everyone is like JK Rowling, Stephen King, Neil Gaiman, Stephanie Meyer (I didn't see her name as I scrolled down but I'm assuming it's there).

    My pick: Thomas Mann. Win the Nobel Prize for Literature, retire to the Pacific Palisades, write three timeless classics, be really transgressive and beyond the times, and make no apologies. Learning foreign languages and lecturing at various universities may be a bit difficult however.

    Reply
  21. DeadlyAccurate says

    March 17, 2010 at 9:00 pm

    Janet Evanovich. I've been reading her stuff since she wrote for Loveswept. She has a strong following (I showed up for a book signing once only to find it would be a six hour wait, and I got there just as it started). She writes–well, gets published–at a consistent but not insane pace. She makes great money. And she writes fun stuff I enjoy reading.

    I think I'd interact more with readers, though, unless the crazy people got to be too much.

    Reply
  22. Cyndy Aleo-Carreira says

    March 17, 2010 at 9:15 pm

    @DeadlyAccurate Evanovich used to interact with her readers quite a bit. I admit I quit visiting her Web site a while ago, though after getting a little bored. I would get tired of writing the same characters all the time in the same type of situations. See also: Dan Brown. I'm not sure the money is worth it.

    Reply
  23. Bernard says

    March 18, 2010 at 5:54 am

    Fredrick forsyth, or hilary ruben. Love the whole leaving the city for Kenya or joining the RAF just for kicks…

    Reply
  24. Kit says

    March 18, 2010 at 11:24 pm

    Without question that would be Clive Barker. Ridiculously graphic horror, quality literate stories. Wild imagination. Screenplays. Graphic Novels. Art shows. Movie Director. In control of his own life. Unapologetic.

    Reply
  25. Helen E. Kourous. Hard SF is back. says

    March 19, 2010 at 2:05 am

    Lois McMaster Bujold. I look at her life… and she's ME! But she got there first! It's encouraging and discouraging at the same time. I keep telling myself there's still room out there… uber geeks unite!

    Reply
  26. Trish says

    March 23, 2010 at 2:40 am

    Roald Dahl of course. He was so clever and entertaining. For adult books, I pick Bryce Courtenay, also entertaining and versatile. I would also love to write like Paullina Simons.

    Reply
  27. Blanche King says

    March 31, 2010 at 3:48 am

    Agatha Christie. She has a way with mysteries that really brings out the British culture and diverts attention from the actual culprit.

    Reply
  28. Michael Stubblefield says

    May 15, 2010 at 6:22 pm

    Crazy, but I'd never actually thought of it. I'd always just wanted my book on the shelf. I've maybe been reading a book and thought "I'd like to write as well as this person", but I hadn't thought of their career per se as what I'd like to emulate.

    Putting a little thought into it, I'm going to agree with a lot of the previous posts on Neil Gaiman. He gets to write a wide variety of different projects and seems like he enjoys interacting with his fans. It seems like his writing supports a good life, and that's something I'd like to emulate.

    Reply
  29. Patti says

    September 9, 2010 at 5:53 am

    Oh,come on! Stephen King. He has all the money and success in the world and 3 seconds of writers' block!

    Reply
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