If you didn’t write… - An Englishman in New Jersey

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If you didn’t write…

Feb. 13th, 2010 at 6:08 AM

Back in ’03, before I left England for a new life in New Jersey, I used to write songs. For the previous fifteen years, I’d been lead singer and played keyboards in a rock band, Gentleman Jones.

Unless you count the tongue-in-cheek interviews I made up for the group’s (now woefully out of date) website, www.gentleman-jones.com, song lyrics were the nearest I came to writing fiction.

We were working on our third (self-produced) album, Veni Vidi Capitulati, when Senior Management and I decided to move to America, otherwise I daresay I’d still be coming up with new guitar riffs, jotting down lyrics and generally yodeling down a microphone on a regular basis.

If there’s one thing writers have in common, it’s that we all choose to put words on paper instead of doing something else.

For me, if I didn’t spend time on writing and writing-related things, I’d be doing something music-related.

How about you?

If you didn’t write, what would you choose to do?

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eneit

Feb. 13th, 2010 11:22 am (UTC)

yeah, music related. Although I still am doing music related stuff, my daughter has asked me to create some music for he to walk down the aisle to later this year, so I've been refining an idea I had

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Feb. 13th, 2010 12:11 pm (UTC)

I wish I could remember where I saw it, but there was a great YouTube video doing the rounds last year, where the bride, groom and everyone else danced down the aisle. It was excellent! :)

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eneit - Feb. 13th, 2010 02:08 pm (UTC) - Expand

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jongibbs - Feb. 13th, 2010 03:12 pm (UTC) - Expand

birdhousefrog

Feb. 13th, 2010 11:27 am (UTC)

When I'm not writing, I'm using the other side of my brain and preparing tax returns. It's a weird combination. The two don't play well together.

Oz

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Feb. 13th, 2010 12:12 pm (UTC)

Don't they both require a skill at making things up?

Just kidding :P

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birdhousefrog - Feb. 13th, 2010 12:26 pm (UTC) - Expand

sandy_williams

Feb. 13th, 2010 11:35 am (UTC)

If I didn't write I wouldn't be me. Srsly, there's no possible way I could go through life without making up my own stories.

But, if I didn't write, I'd spend my spare time reading, playing video and board games, and going to rock concerts/festivals. I *wish* I could do something music-related, but alas, I have zero musical talent.

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Feb. 13th, 2010 12:13 pm (UTC)

'...alas, I have zero musical talent.'

Hehe, it never stopped me :)

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Feb. 13th, 2010 11:38 am (UTC)

yeah, music, or art, or photography, or making clothes, or growing orchids.

In fact, I've done all those things at some stage during my life. Can't guarantee I won't ever return to them either ;-)

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Feb. 13th, 2010 12:14 pm (UTC)

It's interesting (though when I think about, not surprising) that most writers have other creative outlets.

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Feb. 13th, 2010 12:07 pm (UTC)

It isn't a choice, certainly not in my head. I have tried stage/film direction but I definitely do not have the talent to be anything more than journeyman in those directions. In another universe I would have been Jack Casady or Jack Bruce, but I can't carry a tune if it was handed to me in a Harrods bag. Number one son is a bass player with his band, Lucky8 or whatever it is called these days, so I suppose he is doing it for me. On the other hand, if I came into some money I might buy myself a Telecaster and learn. You're never too old.

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Feb. 13th, 2010 12:15 pm (UTC)

Stage/film direction sounds like fun, though I imagine that could get a little stressful too :)

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Feb. 13th, 2010 02:01 pm (UTC)

farm - self sustaining size - chickens, garden, goats, acreage. It wouldn't replace writing. I want both :) Someday maybe?

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Feb. 13th, 2010 03:13 pm (UTC)

Growing produce instead of ideas eh? :)

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Feb. 13th, 2010 02:05 pm (UTC)

Depends what time the choice would have been made. Today? Gardening and hiking, with a bit of dabbling in art. Age eight? Graphic arts, no question. I love it, but the time it would take to develop my skills now are not equivalent to the payoff (in any sense of the word) I get from writing.

(And music would be in there too if I stopped today. I have occasionally been known to abuse my guitar and vocal cords, but only rarely.)

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Feb. 13th, 2010 03:15 pm (UTC)

I've always enjoyed music, either listening to it, or making it up.

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Feb. 13th, 2010 02:23 pm (UTC)

I think of what I do when I'm not writing now, and things I did before I wrote as regularly as I write now, and it leads me to believe I'd be doing things related to gardening, nature observation, hiking, taking photos, drawing, dyeing, and learning about stuff.

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Feb. 13th, 2010 03:16 pm (UTC)

That sounds fun too, except the dyeing - I only plan to do that once, and hopefully not for a looooooooooooooooooong time ;)

Edited at 2010-02-13 03:17 pm (UTC)

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Feb. 13th, 2010 04:15 pm (UTC)

Maybe computer programming? I am also a failed stand-up comic.

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Feb. 13th, 2010 10:49 pm (UTC)

An Irish stand-up comedian? Whoever heard of such a thing? :)

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peadarog - Feb. 13th, 2010 10:50 pm (UTC) - Expand

worldmaker_13

Feb. 13th, 2010 05:07 pm (UTC)

I have no idea what I'd do if I didn't write. I've been writing as far back as I can remember. That's almost scary not knowing what else I could do creatively if I can't write.

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Feb. 13th, 2010 10:50 pm (UTC)

I suppose there's always the telly :)

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phoenixfirewolf

Feb. 13th, 2010 05:09 pm (UTC)

I can't imagine not writing... That thought hurts my brain more than it should. I'd ride more though. Probably get into training and lessons more than I do now as well. (horses of course)

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Feb. 13th, 2010 10:51 pm (UTC)

Lol :)

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karen_w_newton

Feb. 13th, 2010 05:41 pm (UTC)

Probably visual arts, maybe crafts. I was an art teacher, very briefly. It is interesting how much the brain is like a muscle. When I used to draw and paint, if I happened to look out a window and see something interesting, I would immediately try to frame it as a design or a painting. I don't do that anymore. But, when I hear about something-- an invention, a human situation like a messy divorce or a tragedy-- I try to frame it in terms of a story. I guess I have made the switch to words on paper (or hard disk, anyway) instead of paint on canvas.

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Feb. 13th, 2010 10:52 pm (UTC)

I suppose it becomes ingrained in our system.

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tangledaxon

Feb. 13th, 2010 05:55 pm (UTC)

I honestly don't know. Before I started writing full-time, I worked in the dog industry (dog training, dog daycares, etc.). Maybe I'd be doing that, but I wasn't happy because it was so heavy on customer service and business... which aren't really my thing.

I've thought about this before and I can't come up with anything else I'd be happy doing, except maybe being independently wealthy and reading all the time, hah.

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Feb. 13th, 2010 10:52 pm (UTC)

Independently wealthy sounds like it might be fun :)

Edited at 2010-02-13 10:53 pm (UTC)

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(Deleted comment)

Feb. 13th, 2010 10:53 pm (UTC)

Do you miss theater?

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amy34

Feb. 13th, 2010 06:07 pm (UTC)

I'd probably just play more computer games, sadly.

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Feb. 13th, 2010 10:54 pm (UTC)

Hehe, I don't blame you. There are some great computer games out there :)

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