# So the writing genie visits you and... **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [September 22, 2004, 7:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-the-writing-genie-visits-you-and/265546 "2004-09-22T19:54:05Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![wonky](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wonky/32/393_2.png) [@wonky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wonky)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2004, 7:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-the-writing-genie-visits-you-and/265546/1 "2004-09-22T19:54:05Z")
… will grant you the ability to write one good book. Any genre, any subject, any length. You may or may not be able to sell it. That’s up to you. You may or may not be able to parlay it into a career. That’s up to you, too. Would you go for fame? Infamy? Money? Reputation? Social impact? The Great YourCountryHere Novel? What would you write (if anything) and why? ---
**Author:** ![CandidGamera](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/candidgamera/32/2878_2.png) [@CandidGamera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CandidGamera)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2004, 8:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-the-writing-genie-visits-you-and/265546/2 "2004-09-22T20:00:44Z")
I would wish to write a 6th Hitchhiker’s Guide novel, to provide proper closure to the series. ---
**Author:** ![rjung](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/45deac/32.png) [@rjung](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rjung)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2004, 8:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-the-writing-genie-visits-you-and/265546/3 "2004-09-22T20:02:45Z")
Money, fame, and social impact, in that order. I’ll shamelessly settle for hacking out stuff like Alan Dean Foster or Stephen King if it means easy money. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Lord\_Ashtar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ea924/32.png) [@Lord\_Ashtar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lord_Ashtar)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2004, 8:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-the-writing-genie-visits-you-and/265546/4 "2004-09-22T20:37:32Z")
I have a fantastic fantasy novel kinda sorta written in my head. It would be the greatest fantasy novel ever ever ever. I’d write that. ---
**Author:** ![Anaamika](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Anaamika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anaamika)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2004, 8:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-the-writing-genie-visits-you-and/265546/5 "2004-09-22T20:51:49Z")
I guess this would be under fame, but… What I would most like to write is a book that causes a whole section of people who walk around saying “I don’t read fiction” to change their mind and realize they LOVE to read. Kind of like Harry potter got a bunch of kids to read books. ---
**Author:** ![The\_world\_s\_most\_deadliest](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/bc79bd/32.png) [@The\_world\_s\_most\_deadliest](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_world_s_most_deadliest)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2004, 8:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-the-writing-genie-visits-you-and/265546/6 "2004-09-22T20:56:44Z")
I’d like to write the book from that movie “In the Mouth of Madness” - the one that drives people insane, causes their eyes to bleed while reading it, and unleashes the Great Old Ones from their otherworldly prison to rule the earth. Cause man, that’s talent. ---
**Author:** ![Lobsang](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lobsang/32/4067_2.png) [@Lobsang](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lobsang)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2004, 9:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-the-writing-genie-visits-you-and/265546/7 "2004-09-22T21:00:54Z")
> [@jsgoddess](#): > > … will grant you the ability to write one good book. Any genre, any subject, any length.Would you go for fame? Infamy? Money? Reputation? Social impact? The Great YourCountryHere Novel? I want to write an epic sci-fi fantasy that blows all the others out of the water. I just want to ‘get it out’. Money, fame, rep, social impact, all bonuses. But the main thing is to ‘get it out of my system’. ---
**Author:** ![wonky](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wonky/32/393_2.png) [@wonky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wonky)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2004, 9:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-the-writing-genie-visits-you-and/265546/8 "2004-09-22T21:02:05Z")
> [@The world's most deadliest...](#): > > I’d like to write the book from that movie “In the Mouth of Madness” - the one that drives people insane, causes their eyes to bleed while reading it, and unleashes the Great Old Ones from their otherworldly prison to rule the earth. Cause man, that’s talent. You want to be Danielle Steele? :eek: 😃 ---
**Author:** ![The\_world\_s\_most\_deadliest](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/bc79bd/32.png) [@The\_world\_s\_most\_deadliest](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_world_s_most_deadliest)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2004, 9:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-the-writing-genie-visits-you-and/265546/9 "2004-09-22T21:46:00Z")
> [@jsgoddess](#): > > You want to be Danielle Steele? :eek: > > 😃 I very rarely type this, but LOL. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![sturmhauke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e47c2d/32.png) [@sturmhauke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sturmhauke)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2004, 10:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-the-writing-genie-visits-you-and/265546/10 "2004-09-22T22:04:09Z")
I’d write a totally kick ass hard SF (none of that wishy-washy sci-fi technobabble) that got no technical detail wrong, yet still appealed to a large audience and even made them more interested in science. But monkeys would have to fly out of my butt before that’ll happen. ---
**Author:** ![Ephemera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8baadc/32.png) [@Ephemera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ephemera)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2004, 1:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-the-writing-genie-visits-you-and/265546/11 "2004-09-23T01:45:28Z")
I’d have to go for an epic length science fiction novel of indeterminate subject matter that spans generations and dozens of worlds. If at all possible, I’d love for it to supplant Herbert, Asimov, Tolkien, Roddenberry, Lucas, et al and have it be the new measuring stick by which all sci-fi is judged. Fame, money, and reputation will do quite nicely. ---
**Author:** ![Draelin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ce73a5/32.png) [@Draelin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Draelin)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2004, 2:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-the-writing-genie-visits-you-and/265546/12 "2004-09-23T14:12:52Z")
I’d probably go for an epic, series-lengthfantasy spectacular that changed the face of fiction forever. More intricate and intrigue-filled than Martin, more complex and magical than Jordan, more revered than Tolkein, more popular than Rowling. And then I’d like a pony and an unlimited supply of coffee ice cream. To be perfectly honest, I’d do it for the _money_. Fame, social impact, and all the rest are nice and everything, but paying the rent for the rest of my life is nicer. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Sattua](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sattua/32/11906_2.png) [@Sattua](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sattua)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2004, 2:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-the-writing-genie-visits-you-and/265546/13 "2004-09-23T14:26:21Z")
Money money money–and then reputation. If I have to make my millions the John Grisham way, well okay then, but it would be nice to be canonized. ---
**Author:** ![Shirley\_Ujest](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/45deac/32.png) [@Shirley\_Ujest](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shirley_Ujest)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2004, 2:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-the-writing-genie-visits-you-and/265546/14 "2004-09-23T14:47:34Z")
I would like to write a book that people like me enjoy and have a little pleasant career without any sci-fi/trekkie/furry groupies. And if it were sci-fi it would be funny sci-fi. as I don’t care for sci fi None of this reg-tag rebel group saving the universe from the Evil Overlord Oppressor of Fun That Goes On For #27 Books and All the Characters Have Two Apostrophe’s per Name - Stuff. And everyone is skinny and wears lycra body suits. I mean, _c’mon. It’s done to death!_ ---
**Author:** ![pepperlandgirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/f17d59/32.png) [@pepperlandgirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pepperlandgirl)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2004, 2:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-the-writing-genie-visits-you-and/265546/15 "2004-09-23T14:53:19Z")
I’d write a Literary novel, maybe around 200 pages. It won’t sell well, because not many people read Literary novels, but it would get respect in the circles that I care about, and it’ll be taught in American lit classes, perhaps as the first important book of the 21st century. Some kids will hate it, as apparently, some kids hate everything, but others will love it and it’ll speak to them. Maybe a few people will take up a correspondence with me, and I’ll continue writing. Of course, I’ll be frustrated as well because my books will always be compared to my first book and found lacking, and it won’t be until I die that people realize my entire catalogue is worth a look. ---
**Author:** ![wonky](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wonky/32/393_2.png) [@wonky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wonky)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2004, 3:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-the-writing-genie-visits-you-and/265546/16 "2004-09-23T15:28:35Z")
> [@Sattua](#): > > Money money money–and then reputation. If I have to make my millions the John Grisham way, well okay then, but it would be nice to be canonized. So what genre would you write in if you are going for the biggest money? ---
**Author:** ![Edward\_The\_Head](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ce73a5/32.png) [@Edward\_The\_Head](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Edward_The_Head)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2004, 3:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-the-writing-genie-visits-you-and/265546/17 "2004-09-23T15:37:53Z")
> [@jsgoddess](#): > > So what genre would you write in if you are going for the biggest money? That’s easy, sex, sex and more sex. And I’m not talking about the romance novel type either. But then when as has a sex book done all that great? ---
**Author:** ![bouv](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/bc8723/32.png) [@bouv](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bouv)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2004, 3:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-the-writing-genie-visits-you-and/265546/18 "2004-09-23T15:43:18Z")
Actually, I’d rather not write a book, if that’s OK with you. I’d like to write a play (well, musical, but then the writing genie would also need to give me the ability to write music…or at least find someone else who can write music.) I’ve written a couple plays before, and even had one performed (but just in high school, I’ll admit the play wasn’t that good. Funny, yes, but that’s it. No plot, or any of that important stuff.) Anyways, I’ve got this great idea in my head about a musical involving a superhero. I would love for me to be able to write it and get someone to do some music for it (I can write lyrics, just not the actual notes.) All I would want is for it to be performed in some kind of large-ish venue. (I.e., not a college or HS play.) It doesn’t have to be Broadway, off-Broadway is fine, but I just want at least a thousand people to see it over the course of it’s run. I wouldn’t need to make money off of it, but just break even (though I really can’t forsee that many expenses involved inwriting a musical.) ---
**Author:** ![stpauler](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9d8465/32.png) [@stpauler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/stpauler)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2004, 6:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-the-writing-genie-visits-you-and/265546/19 "2004-09-23T18:50:21Z")
I’d go for social impact. A sociological book that would ween people off of religion and into realms of moral and rational living. I shall call it “Scientology”. Ok, all of it except that last part. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![HPL](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/3da27b/32.png) [@HPL](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HPL)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2004, 7:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-the-writing-genie-visits-you-and/265546/20 "2004-09-23T19:27:37Z")
> [@The world's most deadliest...](#): > > I’d like to write the book from that movie “In the Mouth of Madness” - the one that drives people insane, causes their eyes to bleed while reading it, and unleashes the Great Old Ones from their otherworldly prison to rule the earth. Cause man, that’s talent. May I be the first to pre-order? [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-the-writing-genie-visits-you-and/265546.md?page=2)