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The publishing process is a stressful one. And despite all our best intentions, I don't know a single person who is able to play it cool all the time.
Everyone, and I mean everyone, stresses out at some point.
Which is how I very often end up with e-mails like, "OMG I THINK I JUST BLEW IT I E-MAILED AN AGENT AND IT HAD AN EXTRA PERIOD AT THE END OF IT OMG WHAT DO I DO CAN YOU UNSEND E-MAILS PLEASE HELP EMERGENCY EMERGENCY."
And "I don't see this covered in your FAQs, but should I spell out the word "Street" when I provide my mailing address or is "St." okay?"
Deep breaths, people! (Those e-mails are fictional by the way. No authors were harmed in the making of this blog post).
A typo isn't going to sink your query. Fiddling with tiny, inconsequential changes in your manuscript isn't going to be the difference whether someone buys it or not if you decide to self-publish.
Success can seem so fleeting in the publishing process that it can feel like you're about to fall off a cliff at every moment. But it's not true. You're fine.
When you find yourself unsure or spinning, ask yourself a very basic question: "Is this really going to be the thing that sinks my query/manuscript?"
Chances are the answer is no.
The little things won't sink you. It can be tough to distinguish between what's a big deal and not when you're stressed, but try and keep your head.
Art: Mater Dolorosa by Titian
0 Comments on Don't overthink it as of 5/27/2014 12:30:00 PM
Lots and lots and lots of good stuff. Let's get started.
Should books come out faster? The idea has long taken hold with self-publishing, but it's percolating elsewhere. Even traditional publishing imprints are experimenting with releasing series as fast as possible.
Are you putting off reading the rest of this article? Maybe this is why.
There are times when social media can feel so infuriating, when it feels like all everyone does it look for an excuse to feel outraged, and sometimes you might even find yourself the target of that outrage.
There are times when it feels like other people are so popular, so happy, and you're struck by your own imperfections.
There are times when you feel like you put so much work into just staying above water, doing the bare minimum, to check off a box of "Things Writers Are Supposed to Be Doing," but like the Red Queen in Alice and Wonderland you're just running to stay in the same place.
There are times when it feels tempting to shut it all down, to just retreat into the real world, to let the next fad come and pass and not invest so much time into something so temporal.
It's tempting to want to shut down your social media accounts and not even bother with the difficulties that come with putting yourself out there on the Internet, especially those times when someone out there in cyberland takes time out of their day to try to cut you down to size. The Chinese government invented a chilling term for the practice of seeking out people to shame on the Internet. They call it the Human Flesh Search Engine.
I've felt all of those things at various times over the last seven+ years of blogging (gahh!!!! Seven years WHERE DOES THE TIME GO). But I've never decided to shut it all down. I still have my social accounts, and I still blog.
For one thing, to shut it down feels like a false retreat. Yes, maybe you would feel a short term gain to disappear into virtual darkness and just let the Twitterverse spin on. You may win a temporary reprieve, but as people like Satoshi Nakamoto go to show, the Internet can still find you even (or especially) when you don't want to be found.
It seems like this is the way the world is going whether we like it or not. The future is going to be a confusing mix of public and private, with a heavy emphasis on the public. Even if you have warts out there on the Internet, at least you're out there. At least you have a trail that people can examine and consider the whole, people who know you and can come to your defense. It gives you a voice, even if it can feel at times like there's no escape.
As tempting as it can be to want to hunker down and let the world pass over you, it still seems like you lose still more by retreating into the wilderness. I don't know where this is all going, but I'm excited enough about the future to stay in public on the Internet, even as I wonder sometimes what in the world we're all doing.
Have you ever thought about shutting down your accounts and retreating? What did you decide?
Art: The Red Queen's Race by John Tenniel
0 Comments on The temptation of shutting down your social media accounts as of 3/10/2014 2:28:00 PM
One of the most persistent myths in the writing pantheon is that "serious" writers write every day.
Like many myths, this one contains a kernel of truth, namely that many writers do write every day. The rhythm and discipline of sitting down every day is important to some writers, and many of them believe so wholeheartedly in their own process that they elevate this to "requirement" status. They can't imagine not writing every day, so it becomes an ironclad rule and some hector others as unserious.
But you really don't have to write every day. You really don't. I certainly don't write every day.
I'm not a morning person, so I can't wake up early to write in the mornings. And after a long day's work I'm usually too mentally exhausted to write. So I get my writing done on weekends.
Moreover, I find the breaks between writing times to be very beneficial. Those breaks are ideas times, when I'm letting my mind wander, making free associations, and planning what I'm going to write when the weekend comes. By the time I finally get back to the computer, I'm ready.
Does this mean I write more slowly? I don't think so, actually. I wrote all three Jacob Wonderbar novels in 6-8 months. I just had to carve out quite a bit of time on the weekends.
Don't let other writers shame your style. You don't have to write every day. Unless you do. Whatever works for you. Just get the job done.
Art: Captive balloon with clock face and bell, floating above the Eiffel Tower by Camille Grávis
0 Comments on You don't have to write every day as of 3/3/2014 12:02:00 PM
We all know about famous writers who took their own life, including Virginia Woolf, Ernest Hemingway, Sylvia Plath, John Kennedy Toole, and David Foster Wallace.
When I wrote a few weeks ago about some of the cathartic effects of writing through a tough time, there were a few people who took that to mean that I thought that writing alone is therapy. That's not what I believe.
Writing is not therapy. Therapy is therapy.
Writing can help organize your thoughts and expel some of your feelings, but it's not going to bring you back above water if you're drowning. The writing and publication process is frustrating in the very best of worlds, and while writing can help give meaning, it is a very volatile place to be placing all of your hopes.
If you feel yourself struggling, please, find the help you need.
Art: Portrait of Virginia Woolf by George Charles Beresford
34 Comments on Writers and Suicide, last added: 11/20/2012
I was re-reading Bird by Bird yesterday and liked this quote:
One writer I know tells me that he sits down every morning and says to himself nicely, "It's not like you don't have a choice, because you do--you can either type or kill yourself."
That's how I feel about it a lot of times. If I'm not writing, I have to fight the urge to want to kill myself. Not healthy.
Anonymous said, on 11/9/2012 9:26:00 AM
A good place to begin your search for help is The National Institute for Mental Health. You can find it here: http://www.nimh.nih.gov/index.shtml
You're not alone. There is no reason that you have to suffer in silence.
Shop for a therapist the way you would a house or a car. Meet with as many as you need to meet with until you find the one that you click with. That you are comfortable with. That is the one who can help you.
Visit the self-help section of the bookstore. There are many tools in the mental health toolbox. Writing is one, but there are many others. Find what works for you and use it.
Anonymous said, on 11/9/2012 9:39:00 AM
That's true, you are not alone there are people out there that can help and do care.
I hope you take the opportunity to find the help your looking for ...it's worth finding.
That's kind of you to post this, Nathan. I wonder if people who are not active in religious communities and who tend to think too much could be at greater risk. (I'm a Unitarian, so I'm not talking about belief in God, but rather about the give-and-take of a committed community.) We're each part of a bigger circle, and our own actions affect others deeply. If you knew your suicide would put your nieces and nephews at greater risk, wouldn't you think twice, and get for yourself the care you would want THEM to get for themselves?
FWIW, there have been non-anecdotal studies that have shown writers/creative types are no more prone to mental illnesses than the general population. That said, I've certainly had my dark moments, and to some extent have channeled those into my work. I'd also like to add my voice to Nathan's and the others and say yes to therapy if those dark moments encompass your life.
Thank you so much for this, Nathan. As a novelist and suicide attempt survivor, I find this subject near and dear to my heart. Too often I see writers and other artists dismissing their mental health issues, or romanticizing them as some sort of mad genius.
Personally, I can't write when I'm unwell. And I absolutely agree that while writing can be cathartic, it should never take the place of medication, therapy, or whatever other intervention is needed to bring one back to mental equilibrium.
Wow! I didn't know this. I wonder if this is true of artists in general. Creative souls and mental health problems often seem to go hand in hand.
I'll add on to the advice. Therapy is good. But if you are really drowning, see a psychiatrist, as well. Medication can be life-saving. Sometimes you need a little leg up out of the hole.
The book Touched With Fire by Kay Redfield Jamison gets into all of this, talking about how writers, and especially poets are more prone to Bipolar disorders and risk of suicide. It broke my heart to read in it how many of my favorite poets had sought help in their time and not survived their illnesses; made me wonder what if they'd had the advances that we have today.
Treatment today isn't perfect but it can and does save lives. Once people accept that 'mental illness' is a myth and all of these illnesses are based in the brain just like epilepsy and others, then we will have one less foe to fight in this: stigma.
I speak openly on my blog and in interviews about my own struggle with BP1 because I want other writers to know they're not alone. They need to hear the message you're conveying today: that it can and does kill people if left untreated and what a tragedy that is.
Thank you, Mr. Bransford, for shining your light on this today. The more voices that speak out against the stigma, the better off we will all be.
I wish I could give ya a big ol' hug. Tears of gratitude in my eyes, you may have saved a life today.
Writing is a lonely job for the most part. You live in a fantasy world. It's easy to get trapped in it and want to spend more time there than with real people. Then there are the rejections. You put your heart and soul into a book. It's hard to hear people tear it apart. You have to keep your self value separate from your writing and remember to take rejections with a grain of salt.
I didn't know writers were more likely to kill themselves, but it makes sense to me. Don't a lot of writers also have drinking problems? I used to drink in celebration every time I finished a book. Now I try to do something healthier.
I've never understood what prompts a person to commit suicide. I've heard of the higher than usual percentages of alcoholics and manic-depressives in creative types as well.
Why any writer would want to put pen to paper while underwater beats me, though I suppose it saves on buying a desk.
In all seriousness, however - neat post. Writing can fix a lot of stuff but it's not there to fix a writer who is also troubled soul.
Stoich91 said, on 11/9/2012 10:51:00 AM
OH MY GOODNESS. That is disturbing, and something that is not often mentioned at writer's conferences, ;) but should be.
Of course, a lot of people have the wrong MOTIVE for writing about things; vindication, pride, anger, jealousy, hatred.
People who write are perhaps not more prone to suicide, yet troubled minds often find their way to a paper and pen; it's not surprising, then, to say that people who are emotionally prone and do not 'tend' to their minds may end up insane, or, at least evidenced by suicide note norm, that people who commit suicide seem to wax poetic near the end.
Very interesting topic. Thanks!
Pris said, on 11/9/2012 11:37:00 AM
I think a number of people struggling with mental health go into writing as a call for help, for the same reason they go into mental health professions, where they are also over represented. I once told a friend whose wife was struggling, we accept and treat any kind of disease as long as they are below the eyebrows. As a person that once struggled with a serious depression problem that turned out to be a perfectly treatable auto-immune thyroid issue, if you don't feel like living, if life seems dreadful, if there is no hope, SEE a DOCTOR. Stop trying to lift yourself by the bootstraps. Depression is not normal. I mean you, Jaimie!
Writers tend to be introspective people. Sometimes this means that writing can help a writer work through an issue, and that will be enough. But it also means that it can trap writers inside of their issues, allowing them to dwell and explore and get stuck without any outside feedback to clarify misunderstandings, offer alternate interpretations, or help the writer through. That kind of isolation and insulation aren't going to help a person overcome mental or emotional problems. Sometimes outside help is needed and THAT IS OK.
I use my writing exactly as you said: to organize my thoughts. I've had really bad days, but after I write (sometimes a lot) I feel so much better afterwards. I guess it's like talking to someone, but not having to worry about their opinion on things.
Funny that you should post this subject now, Nathan. Going through a blue period myself. However the one bright spot is my creative life. Winter Roses is stronger than ever, and the cover for it is looking gorgeous. I've heard that artistic types find it more difficult to gain emotional balance. I tend to be either jumping out of my skin with excitement or rather more subdued, myself. Oh well, let us all be make alowances for one another fighting our way through the thorns, snakes and stings of the earthly garden we're trying to tame and keep weed-free so we can grow beauty and goodness.
Very important post, Nathan. A topic not everyone would be willing to wade into. Thank you.
As a mental health professional, can I say a few things about suicidal thoughts?
I hope this isn't inappropriate, I just think that some folks might be drawn to this post, because they may be struggling with these feelings.
So, occasional flashes of suicidal thoughts are normal. But any thoughts of suicide that are persistent or serious are a sign that someone is feeling overwhelmed. They feel the only way to escape the pain they are feeling is to stop feeling altogether.
Although they feel this way, it's not true. Like any other feeling, anger or sadness and other feelings, suicidal feelings are temporary and will pass. And there are other ways to feel better, to get relief from the pain. Suicide is a very sad and permanent solution to a temporary problem. (Even if it doesn't feel as though it's temporary, it is)!
People feeling like this can be lost in it, and reaching out to someone else can help them feel comforted and supported. It can help them look for ways to get relief from the pain. It can help them get past the wave of the feeling without acting on it.
A psychiatrist can give them medications that can give some relief.
And a therapist, a good one, can help get at the causes of the pain altogether and help them break free of it over time.
Writing is a great tool while you are healing, but writing, by definition, is something you do alone. Someone in this much pain needs other people to help out. They deserve to not have to do this alone, it's okay for them to ask for help, there are people who want to help.
And working through this, making it past it and healing, would be great material for a book down the road. :)
When I read your post weeks ago, I didn't interpret your message to say that writing can replace therapy. I can't speak for the others who commented and equated one with the other, but whenever I allude to the therapeutical benefits of writing, I am speaking very loosely without attaching any clinical nuances to it. There is often something freeing and soothing about writing what's deep inside you, and the other stuff you'd mentioned before makes sense too. There are many different levels of angst someone can experience, from the light stuff to the heavier stuff to the seriously heavy stuff, and I hope people would know when they've reached the far end of the spectrum and ask for help.
I also hope that those who had commented here about their struggles will find comfort.
Thanks for another thoughtful post, Nathan.
Anonymous said, on 11/10/2012 12:37:00 AM
Sigh.
I never wanted to kill myself, but I just entered therapy for some pretty serious problems. This leads me to think that now is really NOT the best time to be doing NaNoWriMo. I had this idea that it might distract me or something...instead it's probably just adding to the giant pile of crap weighing down on me. However, I do enjoy writing and sometimes while I'm writing, I forget about all that. #conflicted
Doug said, on 11/10/2012 6:40:00 AM
Some additional discussion can be found in the forum thread from a couple of weeks ago.
I recently lost a friend to, I would call it, self-sacrifice suicide. She blogged, she Tweeted, she selflessly helped other people, and she was partnered with a mentally unstable partner, who was emotionally abusive.
She hurt, therefore, she drank. Other people might swallow their feelings with drugs, food, sex, or other substances, but it all comes down to trying to handle everything ourselves, refusing to ask for help.
People are social creatures, meant to be interdependent. It is not a sign of weakness to ask for help, it is a sign of strength. It is a not a sign of strength to take care of everybody BUT ourselves; it is a sign of weakness and fear.
Please, if you are feeling despair or overwhelmed, ask for help. We are all worthy of being helped and being loved and taken care of.
This comes down to not being able/willing to articulate your feelings of hopelessness, vocally, in words that are NOT on a page, to another person. Sometimes we turn to the page because we feel we don't have any other friends, or we're simply too embarrassed to admit we're not as together as everyone thinks we are. Many cultures have a big stigma against mental illness, whatever the cause.
However, I will say that some of these authors were aware of the mystique associated with the depressed writer, and used that to their advantage. Especially Plath.
Anonymous said, on 11/10/2012 1:29:00 PM
It seems that true creativity In music composition, as well as writers, come from those who go through emotional and/or physical trauma. I think we spend so much time in our own heads it's more difficult to teach out for help. Does that make sense?
Anonymous said, on 11/11/2012 12:55:00 PM
You're right. Writing is cathartic sometimes, but not it's therapy.
You always seem to hit it spot on, Nathan. And you always seem to grow and improve as a blogger, too. I hope you never underestimate how special you are!!
Anonymous said, on 11/11/2012 7:42:00 PM
I never started cutting myself until I became published.
It's write or die for me. The whole life of the writer has saved me from the depths. I've lived quite the life, enough to fill the pages of 10 memoirs. When I was locked up in places the only thing I did was write. Not certain I could do anything else. I work, I get fired for writing, etc. It is not therapy, no. But it allows me to work through and understand some of the horror I've seen. And I've seen a lot.
I am in therapy. I have a diagnosis. Two of them. I really am trying to work through the issues. The writing is a distraction, a vice, a way for me to feel good about something. I don't know.
I've already tried to kill myself once. I did die. They brought me back. I kept writing like a fiend. I got better. I recovered from the illnesses I have. But the trauma is something writers use to write, the writing a tool to explore those traumas.
I'm pretty sure if you were to take writing away from me by some unforseeable force, I may die, not by suicide but certainly in spirit. Never say never, however.
Elizabeth Gilbert did a great talk about how to manage creativity and the history of emotional turmoil of writers. It's brilliant. A definite watch for all writers on this topic of writers and suicide. http://www.ted.com/talks/elizabeth_gilbert_on_genius.html
Charlotte Perkins Gilman wrote The Yellow Wallpaper, a short story in 1892. I always recall this haunting story, the eerie tone of it, how horrific an idea to be locked away, told I couldn't write, that the writing was causing a mental breakdown. I had a brillant uncle, mental illness, poet, artist. He took meds, but he went on and off for years. Finally he was forced off because of his kidneys and wound up at 3 A.M. at an ATM in the Bronx. Needless to say, he was beaten almost to death and a listed as a John Doe in a New York city hospital for weeks. He sustainted multiple injuries, including head injuries and was never able to write his poetry the way he used to. He died of physical complications a year or so later. I think his spirit died and he gave up.
Keep writing, no matter what. If you are called to write, it is what you do and is so much more than a hobby. It is selfless rather than selfish. Writers absorb the world around them, the pain, the angst, the conflict and they wear it like skin; they carry the burden of tragedy just for the sake, really, of creating for others--as if the writing were a prayer for the world, a salve for healing. That's how I see it anyway. But I've always been a tad bit brooding (was born this way).
I wonder if this has something to do with the loneliness of writing. As a musician, I frequently collaborate with lots of people, especially good friends. But when I write, it's usually alone. I'm an introvert, so that doesn't really bother me, but I can see how people could become very isolated if they spend a lot of time writing. Maybe that's the true value of internet communities and writer's groups--they keep us from feeling alone all the time.
A writer wrote to me recently with a really great question. She wants to write a story that draws from a difficult chapter in her life, but wonders if the possible closure worth the tough memories and negative emotions it will stir up.
In her own words:
I have an idea for a story that I would like to write. However, the story draws on my experiences from a rough time in my past, and I anticipate it could be emotionally draining for me to write this story. But I also feel and perhaps hope that writing about this could help me find some closure for some stuff. Do you advise writing a story that would unleash some tough memories and negative emotions if the end product could be a great novel?
Naturally, twelve-year-old Jacob Wonderbar does not go through a divorce or anything remotely comparable to anything I experienced considering he hasn't even had his first kiss yet, and he doesn't become a depressed malcontent (nor, thankfully did I). But as I was writing I nevertheless poured many of the emotions I was feeling into the novel in ways where only I really know they're there. (Well. You know too now that you're reading this).
There's a moment in Jacob Wonderbar and the Interstellar Time Warp where Jacob goes back in time and sees himself, two years younger, just after his father had moved away from home never to be seen again. Twelve-year-old Jacob is struck by how incredibly sad his younger self looks, and he wants to go reassure him that things will get better and that he has a lot to look forward to.
There was a lot of me in that scene. Even in the course of writing a wacky space adventure, I was still channeling myself into the novel. We all do, whether we're writing precisely about what we've gone through or not.
I think there is incredible power in revisiting the painful moments in our past and getting them onto paper, some way, somehow. When I was going through my divorce everyone under the sun encouraged me to keep a journal to get my thoughts out, and I resisted for the longest time. I was spending all of my free time writing Jacob Wonderbar, the last thing I wanted to do was write still more on top of that.
But when I finally took it up for a brief time I was struck by how powerful it is. There's just something about getting those thoughts out of your head and onto a piece of paper that clarifies, expels, soothes, and calms.
There's some science to this too. There are scientists out there who see some benefit in the painful bout of mind-spinning that can follow a traumatic event:
Andrews and Thomson see depression as a way of bolstering our feeble analytical skills, making it easier to pay continuous attention to a difficult dilemma. The downcast mood and activation of the VLPFC are part of a “coordinated system” that, Andrews and Thomson say, exists “for the specific purpose of effectively analyzing the complex life problem that triggered the depression.” If depression didn’t exist — if we didn’t react to stress and trauma with endless ruminations — then we would be less likely to solve our predicaments. Wisdom isn’t cheap, and we pay for it with pain.
Writing is a way of channeling and focusing this rumination in the way that organizes your complex thoughts and channels them into order and a narrative. By taking these feelings and forcing them to make sense on the page, we are also identifying, describing, and understanding the things that are causing us pain.
Now, that's not to say that diving into a dark pool doesn't have its consequences, and if you feel yourself getting pulled under you absolutely need to reach for a life preserver or get out of the pool.
But I tend to think that this is one of the most important reasons to write. No matter what genre we're writing in, whether we're writing raw memoir or wacky kids adventures, we're ultimately trying to make sense of the world and of ourselves.
Art: La Bohémienne endormie by Henri Rousseau
27 Comments on Writing as Catharsis, last added: 10/12/2012
Absolutely - and I think it is just as you say, that the catharsis doesn't even have to be that you are experiencing the same situations or emotions as those in your novel. I've always felt that emotionally-charged scenes were the easiest to write, and I think this is partly because it provides an outlet for my own emotional energy, even if the emotions themselves are not a direct match. Those emotionally-charged scenes are some of my most satisfying and best work.
Amen, brother! As a therapist, I often encourage the kiddos I work with to write. I do get resistance (cause that sounds like more homework), but I'm a true believer in the process and the healing that can go a long with it.
Also, there are studies that show that people who write out their "stuff" are often healthier (mental or otherwise) for it.
Writing is most definitely a way to let out bottled-up emotions to aid in the healing process. It's a way of dealing with grief and trauma so it doesn't eat away at our souls.
For your reader Nathan... By all means you should write about the difficult period in your life, and yes, it will be painful some of the time. I know because I have done it. Three years ago I wrote a book that was part-memoir. It detailed the years I have lived in Mexico and part of my life story involved the death of my first child. Should I include this I wondered... how could I not I concluded. I spent a l-o-n-g time on the scene and felt "cleansed" when I had finished. When the book got published many people commented on how it had touched them. But one woman actually came to where I work and with tears running down her face, she told me that I had written her exact thoughts. She said that when her child died she couldn't form a cohesive picture of her grief, let alone articulate it. I never saw her again but knowing that my book helped her in this way was so satisfying. Sorry to be so long-winded but I urge you - go the whole way with your story.
I think writing is all about making people feel and think--both the reader and the writer. It's about making the reader feel something about a situation they've never experienced, and that requires tapping into those emotions that are human and universal. We might not all know what it's like to get a divorce, but we all know sadness. We can all connect to feelings of fear and anxiety and abandonment. Delving in and applying those emotions to fictional situations will make them read all the more real, helping the reader connect more powerfully to the story.
I find that this kind of writing--channeling emotions into plot points that aren't exact mirrors of my own experience--make for better catharsis as well. I like genre fiction because it doesn't present exact copies of our world; that makes the parallels I do find all the more meaningful. Similarly, channeling my emotions about a situation I've experienced into a different fictional scenario provides me enough distance to analyze and work through those emotions without being so different that they are no longer applicable.
P.S. I hope things have gotten/continue to get better for you.
Neil Larkins said, on 10/9/2012 4:20:00 PM
Writing as Catharsis: It's the ONLY way I can write...and it drives me freakin' nuts.
Totally. It's what gets me through the day. I wrote a dystopian novel based on my evil corporate job and it helped me get up and go to work. Delving into writing about deeper emotional issues might be tough, but it's writing what you know and it may end up the best writing you ever do. If not, it's still a way to process that stuff, so it's a win/win sitch, either way.
Writers put themselves into their stories one way or another. We are no different from other artists. I'm glad Jacob helped Nathan in your time of need, and glad he didn't go through a divorce. Yet. He’s got so much other stuff to get done…
I often tell people that if it wasn't for books - reading and writing - I would be a depressed, emotional mess. I find that writing helps me to sort through my thoughts and emotions and helps bring me out on the other side. It's so therapeutic!
Love this post, especially the musings on the possible advantages of depression -- I really do think this is true, that situational depression is trying to get us to look at the "why's" in our life -- and that our society's headlong rush to medicate ourselves out of these moods really is counterproductive in the long run.
Thanks for this post, Nathan! My protag. battles with anger and depression. I battle with depression (which thank God is much improved.) And anger is one factor in depression. I repress my anger. My protag does, too, I guess, because his anger explodes from time to time. Mine doesn't explode--not as dramatically as his, anyway. What I'm saying is, I think my WIP has been helpful for me in dealing with this stuff. My protag is like a support group!
verification: 45 andVDoi Sounds like the beginning of a novel! [You figure it out!]
I've read that after a traumatic event, it can be theraputic to relive the event in a controlled way. PTSD victims sometimes find violent video games helpful, because they can reenact gunfire and explosions in a more distanced, fictional way. Writing about a traumatic event and refining it into a story? Sounds like it might fit the bill, too.
If you check my timeline on Facebook you'll find a quote in my banner from Lisa Brackmann, aka OtherLisa. It's there because I think it's one of the wisest things I've ever heard, and it was just an offhand comment she made on another forum. It says "Take risks. Think deeply. Care about what you write. Have the ego and non-gendered balls to think that your work is important. Write what moves you, what entertains you and sometimes, what pains you. Dig into the places in yourself that hurt the most and see what you find. Sometimes that's where your book is hiding."
People say you should write what you know. I say you should write what scares you. And if what you know--what you've experienced--and what scares you are both the same, so much the better.
Anonymous said, on 10/10/2012 8:46:00 AM
Big hug to you for being so open, and for getting through a rough period in life, and then coming out of it with so much grace!!
I love both of your books for many reasons, and now I have one more.
For me this was a very powerful post. I recommended it to my writing friends. I also gave the link to your blog and mentioned it in my own blog post today at vzbyram.com. I didn't quote from it or paraphrase anything, just said they could check it for themselves.
I think I will print out your post and read it a bunch more times. Thank you so much for opening up about this topic.
bcomet said, on 10/10/2012 2:13:00 PM
Oh Nathan, I am so sorry. I was out most of the last 14 months with cancer treatments and I never knew. Sometimes, like with a big illness or upset, you HAVE to take a break. It's a hard call.
What I have done in the past in is write it down and put it away (the hard stuff) for as long as it takes (including forever) to be able to process it (the s..t). Oddly, there comes a time when it may be possible.
Most of all, I was so happy for you in your marriage and my heartfelt wishes are also genuine in this loss. I wish you much life and love ahead.
And I agree: I think this is one of the reasons we are drawn to be creative, it helps us heal.
I also think that emotional pain, as difficult as it is, leaves us a gift. It deepens us, and that comes out in our writing. I think you not only worked through something while writing the third Jacob book, but you made it a better book because of what you were going through and learning.
I hope you're going through a different time in your life now, though, and things are getting better! :)
Totally agree it's good "medicine" to write as therapy. Maybe not for 100% of people, but I would think most. It certainly helped me immensely as I went through a second grieving period since I hadn't "let it all out" the first time. Writing was the single most helpful thing I did to work through the issues involved in losing someone dear.
Yup. Just make sure, if you're journaling it: keep it safe from those who might regret having sneaked a peek.
As to the "a little of what we're going through in all we write," I find that that's less and less true the more fiction I write. While there is inescapably some part of the author in everything ever written, the more I write the farther afield I range into emotions I've not yet necessarily worn, but which I can virtually try on through the characters in my stories.
So yes, writing can in one fashion help us make sense of the world we're struggling through. In another sense, however, it can help us try to make sense of the world others are struggling through.
Ta-Nehisi Coates recently featured an interview with William Faulkner that naturally had an incredible array of quotable material, but which focused in part on the responsibility an author has to their art.
The meat:
The writer's only responsibility is to his art. He will be completely ruthless if he is a good one. He has a dream. It anguishes him so much he must get rid of it. He has no peace until then. Everything goes by the board: honor, pride, decency, security, happiness, all, to get the book written. If a writer has to rob his mother, he will not hesitate; the "Ode on a Grecian Urn" is worth any number of old ladies.
Faulkner comes from the kill, maim, dismember school of artistry, where the work is paramount and the lives that are affected are of secondary concern.
Easy to say. Not so much to do.
Many writers I know, especially memoirists or those who pull material from their real lives, grapple with the morality of affecting personal relationships in order to put forth their writing. When I heard him speak a few weeks back, Jonathan Franzen recounted how he hesitated using a thinly veiled version of his brother in The Corrections.
How should a writer navigate this tricky path? Does the work of art ultimately reign supreme over the feelings of the people who may be hurt in the process of creating a book? What should an author be prepared to sacrifice? What do writers owe the other people in their lives?
Photograph of William Faulkner by Carl Van Vechten. Please see the Wikimedia Commons page for information on the Vechten estate's requests for reproducing his photographs.
51 Comments on What Do Writers Owe the People in Their Lives?, last added: 8/1/2012
Intriguing. I'm afraid my "modern sensibilities" cause me to veer away from Faulkner's thoughts on this matter. An artist' art is to be wallowed in, & if the artist has alienated the whole world, who's left to wallow?
This may make me a bit of a jerk, but the people in my life have been informed that I am a writer and, as such, anything they say can and will be used as fodder for my literary ventures. Unless they specifically ask me not to. Does it sometimes make for awkward situations? Yes it does. However, better an awkward situation now than an explosion in my face when they read themselves on paper. (Admittedly, all I've really done is released myself from liability. But, by putting a warning label on myself, I usual find that my friends are more careful what they say around me. Which I also find quite beneficial. (:)
I have also labored with this issue while writing a semi-autobiographical piece. Although the characterization are not insulting, they are far from flattering. Since my perspective in involved, I can't claim that I opt for realism in such depictions. So, I have tried to be fair. My hope is that most will understand, but I expect I'll enrage a few of the more insecure people I know.
Here's the thing - I personally believe that the world is a beautiful place, one worth living in and saving. I believe people are, by and large, beautiful creatures, more good than bad.
As writers, we are obligated to write the truth as we understand it. I steal from those around me constantly. I am not a creator, I am a thief. But I've found people have a hard time seeing themselves even when looking in a mirror, let alone under a few layers of fiction. And even if they did - I can be content knowing that I write out of a place of love. If they find it hurtful, that is outside my control. That which is under my control, my motivation and my method, I am at peace with.
That said, I have based a couple of villains on real people I have known. If they were to recognize themselves, which I doubt they would, I could care less. Although I think the vast majority of us are primarily good, there are those that cross the line into something very, very dark, and there's nothing wrong with writing that truth.
As far as Faulkner and his ilk are concerned - ultimately, it's the same principle - write the truth as you understand it. I'm sure a lot of writers genuinely believe the world is a dark and cruel place, and must be navigated as such. But so often it feels like affectation to me, reaction inspired by the fear that happiness reveals a lack intellectual heft. Hemingway's line comes to mind - "Happiness in intelligent people is the rarest thing I know." I say, "BS disaffected malaise is boringly common amongst pseudo-intellectual cowards." Happiness is a choice, and it isn't an easy one. It takes courage to be happy. It takes strength to look the world in the eye and choose love, anyway. "So screw you, Hemingway, you cowardly misogynistic bastard," I say with a smile on my face. "You too, Faulkner."
I owe my friend Matt $20, but that doesn't have anything to do with writing. Actually, now that I think about it, I can probably give him a couple of my books and call it even.
Some days it's good to be a writer.
Other than that, I write fiction, and while some people may act as a primary inspiration, I try to craft unique personalities for my characters.
I owe my family patience and encouragement in their endeavors, because that's what they gave me.
Thankfulness is my first response to the people in my life. Being the friend of "a writer" is strewn with hazards, from getting quoted or, let's call it homaged, to being ignored for weeks. My book, The Oat Project, is a memoir about the summer in which I sowed 25 wild oats at age 37...with the help of my friends. Though I haven't pulled punches on what actually happened with things like smoking weed, going clubbing, or at the strip club, I've made sure the story stays focused on me and my experience. That decision helps with family, too--how we see our preacher's kids' upbringing differently, for example. Also, every friend in the book has had the option of choosing a different name. We writers have one most basic calling, to truth-telling, whether fiction or nonfiction. That's what I see as Art. Have I lost friends over the book? Yes. Has it strained other relationships? Yep. But it's also made others deeper and more authentic. Our readers come to know us through our words, and if it calls them to know themselves better or let themselves be known more, then riding the edge of offense is worth it.
This is an awesome question. I agree with you - Faulkner's way is completely accurate in theory but so hard to do. I am sitting on the makings of a memoir that I will probably sit on for most or all of my life because I cannot bear to expose some of the ridiculous moments in the lives of people I love, even those I loved at one time and maybe only respect from a distance at this point. I guess that means there are things more important to me than my burning desire to create. At least when it comes to nonfiction.
Good question. I'm not sure I am up to the task of applying Faulkners cut-throat methods. In my manuscripts, I take pieces from the people around me. For me, artistry has to come from an honest place. Like Isaiah mentioned, "anything they say can and will be used as fodder for my literary adventures," And the adventures are of my choosing. I'm with Carolyn on this, too. Flaws makes characters more interesting. I pick and choose the ones I want from the people around me, stretch and amplify them until I have what I want. The inspired source usually has no clue- like the saying that every family has at least one crazy person. If you don't know who it is, it's probably you. The people I love are both good and imperfect. As a writer, my imagination can only take me so far. For the rest, I must write what I know. My environment sparks creativity. If the unflattering characters are similar to anyone I know... it's not my intention to offend and I hope that my friends and family would be happy to know I draw so much inspiration from them.
I'm of the people come first variety, particularly as you can write great work any which way while treating people any way you choose. As has been pretty much proven by the wide variety of successful writers out there. I love Faulkner as a writer, but such comments always strike me as more about the image or persona a writer wants to convey about themselves as it does the artistic process they deem necessary. It's more about the vanity of perception than about the perception of art.
So interesting. I struggle with trying to convince people that I'm not writing about them or myself. It's fiction...I swear!! That being said, there are little nuggets of reality that I pull out of my everyday life to insert into my books because, honestly, how can you not.
I like your description of Falkner coming from the 'kill, maim, dismember school of artistry.' Ha! :)
This is an ethical choice, which makes me happy. I could talk about ethics all day. :) Where I'm leaning with ethics is that there are definitely wrong answers, but I'm not sure there are definitely right ones. The right ones seem to be a weighing of values, and choosing which value is most important to you.
This one pits doing good in the world through kindness and responibility to other people vs. doing good in the world through your truth and following your calling. It's not an easy one, and it may be the answer is in the grey area.
Since memoir is one thing that I plan to write, I'm sure I'll grapple with this. I think where I'm leaning toward is the Buddhist precept of: Do no harm.
If I genuinely think that something I write will be harmful, I'll try to find another way to write it. But harm is tricky, because just because someone's feelings have been hurt, doesn't mean I've harmed them. They may benefit from being told a difficult truth. But I don't really know that - it's impossible to know in advance how something will affect someone else. And it's none of my business, in some ways, because I don't have the right to decide how someone else is impacted. But I also don't want to be irresponsibly hurtful. So, it's tricky. It could also be argued that holding back on my truth harms me, and that holding back on truth deprives the world of an honest voice and clarity of vision.
So, in this rambling comment (sorry) I once again come to this conclusion:
Ethical responsibility means you make the best choice you can based on your priority of values. In other words, although you may value both, what is ultimately of greater value to you: Kindness or your truth. For me, it's probably truth, when done carefully.
But I believe ethical responsiblity means you do things with your eyes open. Sorry, Falkner, but you don't get to make a blanket statement that it doesn't matter that people got hurt because you choose truth over kindness, you acknowledge that it does matter, but because of your values, that was the best choice you could make. Eyes open. Sometimes sacrifice must be made, but maturity means you acknowledge that and accept the emotional impact of it.
Well, that was fun. I love talking ethics. :) Thanks for giving me a place to work this out, Nathan!
I’m reminded of the quotation whose source eludes me at the moment, though repeated by Anne Lamott- “A writer should write as if their parents are dead.”
I don't think in the quote I pulled he meant he was literally going to throw over his mom, but in the extended quote in the article he talks about the real-world consequences of pursuing writing as art, in terms of poverty and relationships. I extended that to memoirists just because it's all in the same ballpark - what real world consequences are writers willing to endure in pursuit of their work?
Anonymous said, on 7/30/2012 10:09:00 AM
I understand what he means - and if something is worth doing, it is worth doing wholeheartedly. But . . . what an arrogant, depressing quote: "the "Ode on a Grecian Urn" is worth any number of old ladies." I would like to think one human life is worth more than any material - even artistic things - and until all humanity agrees, what a miserable world. And what egotistical, horrible people such a comment makes art-makers seem!
Hmmmm. I hesitate to come down too hard on ole Faulkner (and boy do I love that "old ladies" quote) because what he created wasn't possible without some damage, then I'm not sure I'd change anything. I imagine many of our greatest historical pieces, works of art, etc are built with much pain and suffering not only to the artist but to those around him, as well. It would be a shame to not have those pyramids in Egypt!
Grain of salt!
But I wouldn't do it. I couldn't do it. People first, like Bryan says.
What's that line -- just because you're a great writer doesn't mean you can't be a complete jackass? Oh, okay. Maybe that's not a line after all. But it could be!
The excerpt you quoted says, basically, "The end justifies the means."
And we all know the kind of society that yields. Faulkner himself knew. This strikes me as a perfect response from someone with his/her legacy in mind at the time of an interview, not necessarily as advice.
Last Rites: The Death of William Saroyan --- A son's journal written during his father's last days, Last Rites tells a more complex and moving story than the senior Saroyan ever allowed.
Heritage -- A fictionalized autobiography. Rebecca West never forgave her son for depicting in Heritage the relationship between an illegitimate son and his two world-famous, unmarried parents, and for portraying the mother in unflattering terms.
I think the key phrase there is "if he is a good one." Looking at from the long view: 1. People will get over it. 2. Even if they don't, they will eventually die. (Most without leaving any discernible impact on the world.) 3. A good book will last forever.
Anonymous said, on 7/30/2012 11:25:00 AM
well, to write is to want to tell the truth about something.Perhaps, somethings about your environment or even somethings about yourself.There's no better way to do that than by relating with the People around you.Out of the hearts and the things around you that's where you will find some insight into human imperfection or human perfection out of that will you tell the truth.I also personally believe there's such thing as revelation.So, if you only write what is reveal to you.Then that's a different matter.
oluwafemi Balogun Author of From my soul to life and the society I love. email me @ [email protected]
Rick Daley hit the nail on the head, especially regarding crafting unique characters. It always puzzles me when writers say that some character is based on (and basically equivalent to) someone they know in real life. It seems a bit lazy to me, in all honesty. I value creativity, and so I prefer that when people are inspired by an event or base a character off someone they know, they add enough twists and depth that transforms the character into something original. (Of course, this is much easier said than done, especially if the person on whom you're basing the character on is colorful and evokes strong feelings on his or her own.)
I'm all for discipline, and I'm all for being inspired by everything around you, but I often don't get this ruthless do-what-you-must-and-damn-the-consequences mentality. However, that's because I'm a novelist; I'm writing fiction, and there's no reason I need to jeopardize a relationship by putting a carbon copy of someone on my pages. When it comes to non-fiction and memoirs, the situation gets stickier. One has to consider the consequences to the relationship against the benefits gained or truth served of painting someone in an unflattering (or worse) light. I suppose, if nothing else, the writer must be prepared to sacrifice that relationship and understand the fallout that may occur with other mutual friends, relatives, or acquaintances.
For supportive relationships, I also agree with Rick Daley that those who provide patience and encouragement are owed the same. Everyone has dreams and troubles. Writers don't get special privileges in those areas.
Except for a handful of true geniuses in a generation, the result won't justify the cost. In any case, it's an incredibly egotistical idea. "My art is more important than you." Oh yeah? Your art better be spec-fu**ing-tacular, then, buddy.
Some might ask, "How do you know if you're one of those geniuses if you don't sacrifice all else for your art? Shouldn't you try?" I might answer, "If you have to ask the question, you ain't it."
I don't put my husband into my books. Or my parents, my sister, or my stepchild. I rarely blog about them. None of them are writers, and they haven't chosen to make themselves somewhat public, the way I have.
But all of them have made certain sacrifices to support my writing: sacrifices of time, energy, money. Not seeing me as much as they'd like to.
On the other hand, that would also be true if I were a doctor, a pilot, or the Secretary of State. Our callings ask a price of us and our loved ones. To me that's part of living a fulfilling life. My husband could see me more often if I didn't write, but he'd be seeing a miserable me, because that's how I get when I don't write.
The balance is something each of us strike individually. Sometimes we're shut away writing. Sometimes we turn our backs on the writing desk to engage with those around us.
I have been thinking about the memoir issue you raised, though, having just finished reading Joyce Maynard's AT HOME IN THE WORLD, about her relationship with JD Salinger.
I write under a pen name as well as my own name. Because I incorporate personalities, stories and tidbits of people and situations I am more comfortable knowing that they and I will remain anonymous.
Thanks for asking the question. It has made me realize one of my biggest blocks in writing fiction is an attempt to protect those individuals, specifically one individual, who figure prominently in most of my stories. I have often argued with myself that this person does not really deserve protection - prior warning and deplorable behavior and all that - but all I've managed to do is bury it and keep the stories to myself. All your answers in the comments have helped me realize this and the importance of letting it out and letting it go. And hey, there's always a chance that the person in question won't recognize themselves in my work :)
mindbuilder said, on 7/30/2012 4:00:00 PM
Unless you're a memoirist, in which case your on the chopping block from the get-go, what do you need to worry about? People almost never recognize themselves as characters and most writers tend to flavor even the most realistic portrayal of a friend or family member. But, if someone does recognize themselves and feels insulted, you can always lie and say you based your character on someone else to save their feelings. You don't need to be deliberately hurtful to create art; in fact, basing a character on someone should make you more creative. And...as long as you give the people you love some of your time, I tend to think they'll still love you during the "Faulkner" stages of writing.
Faulkner was obviously not a mom. Read my post @ Linda Clare's Writer's Tips http://www.lindasclare.com
Lani Longshore said, on 7/30/2012 4:30:00 PM
I have the right to my story, and the responsibility to respect that my family and friends have the same right; the right to my creative passion, and the responsibility to respect that right for those around me. While I would like to think I wouldn't steal from my mother for my art, I have no problems telling my kids to go make their own snacks because Mommy is writing.
Anonymous said, on 7/30/2012 6:39:00 PM
I have to think about this for a while. It might take some time, too. Don't laugh either. I've often wondered about this.
For writing memoirs, Anne Lamont had this to say: “If people wanted you to write warmly about them, they should have behaved better.” As far as behaving well ourselves, I aim for a balanced life. That means time for writing and time for the people I love. Why does it have to be one or the other?
I have at least one manuscript that I've thrown to the digital weeds because my then-hubby thought one of my characters was close to him in some way. And because of this same person, an official ex-hubby, I've resisted doing a contemporary story because he asked me not to depict him in a story. I agreed. Didn't owe it to him, but was willing to acquiesce.
I struggle with conflicting thoughts about this topic all the time.
I agree with Faulkner 100%. But I'm rightfully scared of his advice as well. I chose to create a pen name in order to offer a bit of a privacy buffer to myself, my friends, my family, and my enemies as well. I think everyone deserves privacy and the right to be left alone.
It gets more complicated in our circumstances vs. Faulkner's, what with the internet. Books aren't being disseminated to strangers as often as they are to the author's friends and family. In that scenario, you might be more likely to get something like that "I Love Lucy" episode where Lucy decides to become a novelist and stick Ricky, Fred and Ethel in there. And then everybody sues for libel.
Art is whatever you can get away with according to Andy Warhol and almost everyone else who's "made it." But you have you make SURE you have the psychological fortitude to get away with it. I think the important thing is to be patient and sort out your feelings.
But ultimately, your life experiences are your property and your right. The people around you can't help but become a part of your life's story.
I think it's one thing for a writer to base a character on someone he or she knows. But I think it's another thing if a writer were to reveal secrets told to him or her in confidence, even if those secrets were "fictionalized". If that happened to me, I'd feel angry and violated.
I love Faulkner, but I don't subscribe to his theory of the artist. Writers are not a strange species with its own morality; we are still people who owe things to our parents and friends and spouses and children. I think that writing should be integrated with relationships so that the two feed each other, rather than destroying each other. It may be a hard balance to achieve, but it can be done.
On the subject of taking elements from people we know for characters, or the more delicate matter of writing memoirs, writers can tell the truth, but with respect. I've read blog posts where writers say horribly insulting things about one parent, while praising the other parent to the sky. That may be their opinion, but it's off-putting since the reader feels the lack of respect.
To be sure, writing is about our emotions and our raw experience, but I think they must be recollected in tranquility and made sense of by the activity of our minds. If that's the case, it should be a matter of course to take memories, even painful ones involving other people, and present them in such a way that they retain their power, but don't lash out at those involved.
I've been in a situation where I neglected my partner so I could spend most of my time on the computer writing, composing, illustrating my stories. I was obsessed with it back then and only really happy when creating something. Ironically, after he left because of loneliness and neglect, I began tapering off creative work. I just didn't realise or think how my total committment to creativity was affecting him, although sometimes I felt guilty when he popped his head around the office door with a humorous anecdote from something he'd just watched on TV. I realise, with horror, that I was selfish. However, he did ask to come back some years later, so maybe the situation wasn't that horrendous.
I also realise now that if one appreciates the people in one's life, they must be shown this appreciation and effection otherwise they will leave - and are entitled to. Sometimes the shock and pain of their loss is enough to make such inroads into our energy and creativity that we lose both our love and our gift. So being generous with our time and affection towards the ones we love is definitely a win-win.
The other aspect you raised, Nathan, about basing a character on someone you know is also a position I've been in. I know a very elderly lady who is such a quirky and incredible person that I started writing a whole book about her. When she visited, I'd sit beside the laptop typing down her words as she spoke. This was all with her permission and good will. We'd laugh at our (usually one-sided) conversations when I read it back afterwards. I also based a character on someone whom I didn't like nearly as much. I used a different name and place so he was fairly unrecognizable. He didn't seem to mind when he read the scenes involving his character. I never mentioned it was him, but he guessed from the familiarity of the dialogue. It was strange that he didn't mind being recreated as the bad guy. Well, at least, that was the impression he gave. *gulp* I also realise now that the feelings of one's friends and acquaintances have to be treated with a whole lot of tenderness and respect as we all have fragile self esteems that can be undermined so easily. Without a healthy self-esteem it's very hard to achieve and become successful at anything or even form satisfying relationships, so we have to be mindful at all times of not eroding this important aspect of those around us - even if it means undercutting our own ego. Just thought of a popular saying: If you forget yourself, then others will remember you.
This is a quote I live by: "No success in life can compensate for failure in the home." ~David O. McKay I'm certain when lying on their deathbed, no one ever said they wished they had spent more time at the office. There needs to be balance.
Fiction can be a wonderful disguise for real life characters, but be careful. When my dad read my first attempt at a novel he wanted to kick my husband's butt.
Wow. In a way I've spent my whole life thinking about Faulkner's words. I beleived them when I was a young person. I think that his attitude can be extremely damaging to a young person that wants to become a writer, and here's why. I interpet him to be saying that not only as a writer is his work worth more than a regular person is worth, but that he, himself, is not a regular person. But the truth is that we are all "regular" people and a young writer has a long way to go - the sheer amount of time it takes to learn to write, let alone to become successful at it. To live as Faulkner suggests is to live in a climate of isolation and hostility towards the world, I think. It's taken me my entire writing life to arrive at a place where I understand that my writing is not opposed to the rest of my life, but rather the two inform and enrich one another; that I am not different or better than other people, writing is just the way that I express my creativity. Other people express theirs in other ways but it's all the same energy. The writer part of myself is not better or separate from the other parts of myself. This is such a complicated issue, especially when you throw in what it's like to have to make a living in spite of your writing ambitions. I actually spent seventeen years writing a novel about this exact issue as I tried to work it out for myself.
I think writers owe people in their lives respect. By that, I mean yes, of course writers are inspired by real events and by real people they know, so there is no way you can be immune to the way they seep into your creative process. But it also makes for better writing when you massage reality and blend events and mix them up and change a character trait or two. That's where the creativity comes in, and that also is how one's writing taps into universal characters and themes and gets to a deeper story.
I found this pretty hard to do as I was writing my first book. When I started writing it, I used people's names and then realized that would easily backfire so I changed the names. Still, I struggled with the thought of how I could be offending/ hurting people by even using any likeness of them in a very real story about my life/ personal growth. In the end, I decided that the story was about me and my life, and how said persons had interacted with it at one point or another. I still tried to be as tactful and respectful as possible, but went with the story I had burning inside of me. Had it just been about me and no other characters, it would not have been as interesting.
Hello! I am back, after what I realized was my first extended blog break in five years. Five years! My how the time flies. I haven't been idle this past month as I have been hard at work finishing Wonderbar #3, but it still feels a bit strange to be getting back to the blog game.
To that end, I thought I'd tackle one of the most dangerous moments for any writer: The long break.
I've known writers who hit their stride, were interrupted for one reason or another, and then days turned into weeks turned into months and they were never able to get back in the saddle. All that work was squandered. Breaks = kryptonite achilles heel termite ridden ankle breaking weakening things. Don't let long breaks destroy you!
So. Once you break your writing rhythm, how do you get it back?
Here's how I do it:
1) Know that your first day back will not be productive
You must know that your first day back after a long absence will not be as productive as a normal day. This is okay. Knowing is the first stage of not panicking and not getting down on yourself. Don't set page goals, don't be hard on yourself. Just focus on getting your rhythm back. That's all you need to accomplish.
2) Don't head straight for the novel
Instead of going right back to my novel and feeling the crushing weight of the blinking cursor, I start off by writing something, anything other than fiction. E-mails, blog posts, forum posts, you name it. Chances are you have stuff that has piled up, and it's easier to write an e-mail than figuring out what is going to happen next in your novel.
Don't procrastinate endlessly, but get the words flowing for an easier reentry. Then it's time to...
3) Badger yourself into opening up your novel and getting started again even if it feels like you are peeling off your own skin.
It can feel so incredibly intimidating to start again. You might not remember where you left off. You had gotten used to filling your time with episodes of Downton Abbey.
Writing is hard. Getting back into writing is really, really hard.
Do whatever you have to do to get that file open. Cursing and threats of bodily harm against yourself are perfectly acceptable. So are rewards. Just get the dang file or notepad open.
4) Start somewhere easy
When you do crack open the old novel, start somewhere that will get things flowing and keep your confidence high. Know a scene you want to write but aren't there yet in the plot? Write it anyway. Need to do some revising to get back into the rhythm? Awesome, start there.
Writing a novel is full of tasks large and small, everything from figuring out the whole freaking plot to making sure the chapters are numbered properly. Tackling one of those smaller tasks still gets you closer to the finish line, and sometimes they can help you get back in rhythm.
5) Don't get down on yourself
Remember, the first day back is just about getting back into it. It's not going to be your best day. It might not be fun. But you did it. You're back in the saddle, which is why it's so crucially important to...
6) Follow up with a good day of writing
You slogged your way back into writing. Don't waste it! Chase it as quickly as possible with a good, solid, uninterrupted, productive chunk of time. Now you'll have momentum. So keep it up!
Also: Shouting, "I'm back, baby!!" is strongly encouraged.
What about you? What's your favorite te
61 Comments on How to Return to Writing After a Long Break, last added: 2/8/2012
Great advice! For me, whenever returning to a work I have been away from for awhile, whether it be a book I've not worked on for months, or a WIP I've had to put aside for a few weeks because life got in the way, I start by reading it from start to finish. Re-reading what's there refreshes my mind, and while I'm reading, inevitably I start to notice little things I want to edit, or ideas spark that I want to include. It puts me back in the skin of the characters anew. If I'm still struggling, I will often read or re-read a book that has similar subject matter to what I've written and see what the author did well and why it's working. I take notes and try and find ways to bring the same momentum to my own story.
This is a timely post for me. January seems to make my mind feel leaden. Great advice and a great time of year for it as I imagine I'm not the only one who feels this way.
Good to see you blogging again! To get back into the rythm, I like to throw myself into a story's prologue (which I end up never using). It's just enough to warm up the engines for the first day or two before I type out: C-h-a-p-t-e-r--1.
All so true. Thanks for spelling it out like that. I totally agree with the first commenter: it is a lot like rehabbing an injury. And you know what. Rehab = not a great time at first.
Welcome back Nathan! We've missed your humor and suggestions! BTW your twitter comment about Madonna last night made my husband about roll off the couch laughing!
For me, I need to completely remove all distractions. I wake up early while the house is quiet and hit the computer. No email, Facebook, Twitter, blogging, or surfing until I met my starting goal (which may be as few as 500 words).
WORD VERIFICATION: inkies. Writers who prefer pen and paper to the computer.
I've always found other creative writing to be the answer. Especially fun, easy stuff like flash fiction. But I also like how you point out that writing anything, even email, is still writing, and is better than not writing.
Nice to have you back, NB, and for the Clippers to be in first.
I loved this post. It was just want I needed to hear. I've been on a long break, for about six months because of school, and I think this advice will help me get back into the swing of things. Thanks! :)
After a break from writing, I'll often skim over what happened last in the novel and brainstorm how to continue. I like preparing myself for not just the first day return, but for the rest of the writing days that follow.
I'm with Robin; reading your work is helpful. If you start reading your work, you'll start seeing the story inside your head again. The characters will start moving and talking. Now you're back inside the story, and when you read up to that blank page in the manuscript it will feel much more natural to simply continue on, putting the new words on the page to fill that blank space.
This is a timely post. I've been writing but had a week and a half off before getting back to another ms to hopefully finish up this month. This one has been like pulling teeth out of a wild horse. Today is awful. I just can't seem to see any point but yet I can't let this one go. Keep going I guess and hope I figure it out.
It's hard to get back to it when you've been away, that's for sure.
I also start slow. I write other things--god knows I have enough of those to keep me occupied. I also try to write something fun that loosens me up.
I'm realistic and know while I might have been putting out a couple thousand or more words when I was in the groove, I'm not in that groove yet. First I have to get all the dust out of that groove and I hate housekeeping.
I love your idea of writing a scene you've been thinking of adding even though you're not there in the story yet.
Yes, I do mutter and shout. I've been known to threaten death and destruction, and channel Captain Picard--Make it so, #1.
Good advice, Nathan. Now that my mystery novel TAINTED SOULS is up and running on Kindle, and I'm done will all the formatting for Smashwords, too, I really have excuse for not getting back into the writing of the work in progress.
That doesn't mean I won't find an excuse, of course....
You have so much good stuff that honestly, I was glad to catch up on it without the added pressure of ”keeping up”. Thank you for coming back to it, but also thank you for letting me catch up!
Thanks for the encouragement. I've been on such a long hiatus (2 months!) from my novel and, besides a few blog posts, have done very little writing, to the point that I don't even know if this comment is grammatically correct.
A lot of times I'll listen to specific music while writing a certain novel. If I take a break, I'll get back into it by first listening to that music again, think about my characters. Then I'll read what I wrote previously, make a few edits until I get to the place I left off, and then I'm back!
Yay! Nathan's back! Nathan, with his intelligence and fun, interesting discussions and his wonderful humor. Yay!!
I missed you, Nathan!!!!!
And you're right. 5 years is too long without a break. So, I'm really glad you took a rest and please do take many more breaks in the future so you can rest and be energized.
But in the meantime, it's so nice to have you back!
I really like this post, especially since I'm struggling with it. I was writing before Grad school, but I've had a terrible time getting back to it. It's validating to have you write a whole post about this, and I appreciate the suggestions here alot - thanks!
Glad you're back, and that you got to work on book #3. I like the advice. Especially the bit about writing out of order. I sometimes do that and write a scene that is a few chapters ahead. Just seeing the word count increase is enough to make me feel good, and get me back into the work with enthusiasm.
Good to see you had a productive break! I had to go back and start small with a new short story before tackling the novel head on. Short story = fun, short sharp and getting me in shape to climb that jolly mountain again aka novel
I haven't been away from my WIP but my computer crashed and burned over the weekend and took all my backups with it. (Lesson learned not to trust my computer with my backups.) I do have some work saved in another location but it's not everything. Trying to start again is really difficult after this major blow.
Imagine my delight when I read your post. Your advice is so timely and gives me comfort that I will recover and get back into the groove. A big thank you, thank you, thank you!!!
Welcome Back, Stranger. :) Nice to read you again. This post couldn't be more timely as I started back on Winter Roses again only last week...after some positive self-talk. The novel is finished, but it always needs fine-tuning. When I sent the first chapter to you, Nathan, a year ago, I managed to paste one of the paras in the wrong spot. (Concentration not everything it could be.) I didn't find it hard to get back in the swing, except I'd forgotten some of the finer points. Luckily I'd done illustrations for the story, and that jogged the memory. 'Oh, that character has a dimple in his chin.'
I need to follow your advice. Because I'm being pulled in too many directions which don't include my manuscript.
Anonymous said, on 2/6/2012 6:23:00 PM
I once went through a serious family crisis and had to stop writing for three months. I spent three months watching a family member in the ICU. Editors were great. They told me to take my time and not to rush. But I started to worry how I would write again. I'd never taken that much time off.
But it just happened. One day the family crisis started to get better and I started to write again. Writing actually took me away from all the intense drama I'd been dealing with. It was therapy. When you experience this once, you always know that even if you have to stop for a while, you'll go back eventually. It's a good feeling.
Thank you, Nathan. I'm trying to get back to my novel after two months off. I've had several false starts--hopefully your advice will make my next attempt more productive.
Great post. Josin summed it up well. I usually start with revision, and then go to that scene I've been itching to write but haven't gotten to yet. The trick is keeping the momentum going, isn't it? Not stopping when you're this close to finishing. Maintaining that momentum once you get it back is key.
I find that when I've been away from writing for a bit, just sitting down and writing something, a few words in the novel, a character sketch, a thought for a story, or even not writing but listening to writing music gets me going again. When I sit down and put my fingers to the keys with my earphones in, I know it's time to work, and I do. Force of habit I think.
Excellent advice. Wish I'd had it 6 months ago but no worries. I am sure I'll use it the next time I get sidetracked on my novel. Life sure gets in the way of writing about life.
Welcome back, Nathan! And this post comes at a most opportune time. When I finished my final edits for my novel and subbed to my publisher at the start of January, I thought I deserved a break and rewarded myself with one. Well, I'm still "rewarding" myself, and finding it hard to get back in the swing of things! Time to get butt back into chair...
This post came at the perfect time. I've just sat down and am short several handfuls of hair from trying to "get back into it". My writing-return methods are similar to Robin Reul up above--I like to read through the entire novel, just to remind myself what I've written, why I love it, who I've missed in my novel, and to put me back into the right world before I try to expand it.
I also like to read snippets from a favorite novel to get my imagination spinning again and thrust my brain into the love of writing/reading/words/etc.
Great advise. And to me, its timing is just perfect. I retufned last night to my text after six months. It's not easy. But this advice came in with encouragement. Thanks!
It's pretty much like you said. I just sit down, me and my blank screen and start writing. What I start with might be crap and might have to be revamped later, but at least it's a starting point.
When writing a long piece, I go back and re-read what I wrote the previous day, to get myself back into the grove of that piece before I start on today's writing. Might slow me down a little, but at least I feel like the style and quality is consistent.
Welcome back, Nathan! Did you finish Wonderbar 3? Your tips are great and timely for me since I've been on a book-writing break for a couple of months now. Drinking wine also helps to loosen up the flow of prose those first couple of days back :)
Didn't know I missed your sage-ness 'til you showed up again.
My issue isn't the break, it's worse: getting started after several false starts through the year.
Anonymous said, on 2/8/2012 7:28:00 AM
So, in the "good times" department, I stopped work on my novel on October 18th. I didn't return to it until the end of January, but I FINALLY finished a first draft shortly thereafter.
The thing is, I stopped working on it because problems in my personal life became absolutely overwhelming.
They remain overwhelming.
But at a certain point, I realized that I was looking at having both a permanently unfinished novel AND a personal life that's a mess. It seemed to me it would be better to have a completed novel and a personal life that's a mess.
So I got back to work on it.
Here's the upside - when you're looking down the gaping maw of what might be a truly gut wrenching future, opening up the file of a novel just no longer ranks too high on the things that suck scale.
Perspective.
And again on a silver lining point, revision is going really well. Luckily for me, it's a dark story, and God knows I've got a lot of fuel for the fire these days. At least I can do something productive with it.
I relate to the writing dark things comment... I let my inner demons get some excercise and wear off some energy that way...
I may be the only one like this, but I find long times away from writing to be like any other time of writing. I just sit down and write.
The only time I was really affected by this was while writing my first novel, which still needs divine intervention to make it readable but thats another story (no pun intended).
I must confess that I don't really like deadlines. I wrote two novels without a deadline, I wrote them pretty quickly, and while I understand they work for some people, deadlines mostly serve to stress me out.
But I may be a rare bird. Do you like deadlines? Do you need deadlines? Do you work better when you have one?
59 Comments on Do You Work Better On a Deadline?, last added: 12/10/2011
I like deadlines in my work life, but not in my writing life. It makes me dread writing to be honest, so I'm too the point where I think I am ready to embrace the fact that I should just write when I want to and not worry!
I don't think I have ever worked without a deadline. Most of them have largely been created by myself... but as Noelle said, I have a lot of interests and am easily distracted.
I think the deadline makes me see the red blinking lights and hear alarm bells in my head where having an open and unrestricted timeframe would allow me to stall forever.
Procrastinators of the world, UNITE!
You know... next week. Or sometime around then. No rush.
Deadlines give me an additional goal to work toward, and help me spend my time writing or editing more wisely. Self imposed ones don't work quite as well...
I need deadlines. Without a deadline, something isn't a priority. There's no date by which it must be done so all the things with due dates keep preempting it. I can set my own dates for when I want things done but otherwise, if there's no date set, it's probably not getting done for a while.
I'm like you, Nathan, I don't like writing creatively to a hard and fast deadline. I can freeze up, or get anxious or blocked. My muse works best when it can stretch out and relax and there are no demands.
I also have a difficult time judging the quality of my work quickly. I need time and space to get perspective.
However, as an exception, I will say that I can write non-fiction to a deadline, although I still need time to judge the quality of my work. But I think non-fiction uses a different part of the brain, and that part of my brain functions under pressure. But my creative mind does function at it's best under time line pressure.
I prefer self-imposed "soft" deadlines. Those deadlines keep me moving and I usually come fairly close to meeting them, with minimal stress.
But a publisher-imposed "hard" deadline, though it makes me tense, definitely makes me work harder and more consistently.
I don't think I've ever worked on a book without at least a soft deadline in mind -- at least not after selling my first book. It takes some kind of deadline to make me take writing seriously.
Unfortunately, I do not like deadlines because I think they cause undue stress. But, I work better knowing that I have a deadline to meet. I usually just create a self imposed deadline, meet it, and move on. Thanks for sharing.
I'm split. I can work under pressure, and deadlines are sometimes necessary given my awesome powers of procrastination, but I think my best writing to date was composed when I was totally unrestricted.
WORD VERIFICATION: rodedobi. A western bonanza with horses, cowboys, and Malfoy's house-Elf.
I don't like deadlines unless they're my personal deadlines. This is because I consider myself a self-starter and therefore have no need for someone else to tell me/push me to get work done. I know how I operate, plus, I like to leave some leeway time in case something happens that slows productivity. Though deadlines are good for getting people motivated it can stress others out, especially if productivity is being slow for lack of inspiration. So, if I'm going to be under a deadline, I much rather it be a deadline set by me than that set by someone else.
I've never had a real deadline, unless you count nano, so I really wouldnt know. However, I do tend to produce a lot more work when I have self-imposed deadlines, or at least a minimum daily word count. The only problem with just worrying about the words, though, is that you can tend to forget about the story. I was doing my own version of nano this past may, and I ended up writing 20k then cutting the last 10k bc they were useless. So, foccusing just on word count can be a really bad thing.
But... I'm not exactly talking about deadlines anymore. And basically, my answer to your question is that I really don't know yet.
Deadlines are a bit of a love-hate relationship with me. They stress me out, but I'm a tinkerer by heart, and I need something to make me stop and finish the piece.
Self-made deadlines only work for me if I've got someone else keeping me to it.
I loathe deadlines. Absolutely loathe them. Detest them. Dislike them. I suppose it can't get any clearer than that:) When I'm faced with one, I invariably procrastinate until the last possible minute to get down to business... which didn't help me at all this week when the space bar on my keyboard gave out, followed by my printer (literally, with a bang)... that too, a mere hour before the deadline for submission of an essay! Ah, if only I'd paid more mind to that darn deadline...:)
Prudence Breitrose said, on 12/7/2011 9:37:00 AM
Without a deadline I tell myself that my brain goes away by 10.30 in the morning (which may explain why it took me eight years to crank out my first book). With an editor-imposed deadline for revisions, the brain seems to function all day, and much of the night.
In my day job, I like to have deadlines so I know how to prioritize my tasks. In writing, I've only had self-imposed deadlines. I do this only when I'm feeling stuck and need to motivate myself to get going. In general, I prefer to let things flow at a natural pace. I expect when I do have publisher deadlines I will hate them passionately. Stress and creativity, in my experience, are antithetical.
Maya said, on 12/7/2011 10:30:00 AM
Never had one so I don't know for sure. I think it would be really hard though. Yes, I can write a bunch of drivel but for true inspiration and creativity, I need time.
Deadlines are a motivator. It's easy to become distracted and skip a day or five on your work in progress. But I find that it gets done a lot easier and quicker knowing I have a deadline to meet.
Yes, I work better with a deadline. Perhaps, those of us writers who work better with deadlines could be called Clutch Writers. You know, those writers, who like Kobe Bryant can pull up to hit a three pointer over the triple team in the last five seconds of the game.
It is not that we are procrastinators; it is that we sometimes work better when we work against the clock. It makes our work and the down time between projects seem more valuable.
Of course, there is something to be said for pacing one's self.
Hate deadlines. I want all the time I can get to tinker, refine, procrastinate, daydream, etc., until someone or something says, "Times up." But we were talking about what works better, umm, deadline.
I prefer a deadline or a target date to aim for. Meeting deadlines, and being able to deliver your product are important abilities to have in today's world.
Stressful or motivating? It depends on the request and the time limit.
No, I don't work with deadlines. Deadlines suck. But with a set word count every day like in NaNo, it really forces me to put more UMPH! in my writing for whatever reason.
No, I don't work better, but I WORK. That's the big difference! ;-) My deadlines are mostly self-imposed, but as I gear up to write as a blogger for a new tourism website, Baja.com, I am beginning to see how the stress of deadlines can actually stymie creativity.
So you're working on Jacob W number 3? Omg, I'm way behind obtaining the previous 2. I must pester the local librarian to pick up some copies. The local kids would love to read these stories, I'm sure.
I think I'd work better with a deadline. It would inspire and rev up the creative engine. I tend to aimlessly rewrite for years - even decades - if left to my own volition. A fantasy novel I started 30 years ago still lies incomplete on ancient floppy drives, although the time I spent on it was epic. Another novel started about 11-12 years ago is finished, story-wise, but I'm still re-inventing and struggling with syntax. Must take myself in hand and build up some self-belief. I think these are the reasons I've floundered. If I could envision the end of the road even without a deadline perhaps the journey will finally be over.
I need deadlines. They take the stress off for me. If I don't have them, I skip around the maypole as if I have all the time in the world, and I accomplish nothing. For me, a deadline is that light at the end of the tunnel.
I need them or I don't work. But I often put off stuff until two minutes before deadline and then have to run through it screaming like my hair's on fire.
very worried about the day I have real hard and fast publishing deadlines.
It's the one thing that terrifies me about possibly getting published someday, being under a deadline. In my regular profession, interior design, deadlines are fine, but with writing, well, that scares the heck out of me.
I've never actually had to write on a deadline... yet. I can imagine that changing in the near future though.
Truthfully, though, I think that a deadline would slow me down. The preasure increases my anxiety level, which, in turn clouds my thinking. I think a dealine would hender me greatly...
I'm totally a procrastinator, which is why I read Absalom, Absalom! by William Faulkner in one day back when I was in graduate school. (And at the end of that day, I was ready to throw the book across the room, even though it was a good story.) I need deadlines, because I work better under pressure. Otherwise I'll just keep putting off the work.
Oh, oh, Noelle! I see the squirrel! *runs across yard giggling and chasing small fuzzy critter*
I seriously need a deadline. I can't even work with a self-imposed one, because however much I try to sound stern, I know it's self-imposed and I can break it and there will be no consequences. But if someone else gives me a deadline - a crit partner or editor, then it's nose to the grindstone until I'm done.
I usually don't need them- I've been the kid who got their homework done ahead of time all my life. But lately it doesn't matter who sets the deadline, my brain seems to have other plans. Am working through it.
In the meantime, I'm enjoying the 'whooshing' noise, and smirking, thinking of Douglas.
Rock on, Jedi Master, I hope your holiday season is shaping up to be bright.
After 15 years in print journalism, I find I have difficulty working without a deadline. Otherwise I fall prey to too many BSOs (Big, shiny...ooooh!) instead of actually working. I do, however, adjust my self-imposed ones as needed when work or something else blows up and makes keeping the original ones I set impossible.
I'm enough of a self-starter that I don't really need deadlines to motivate me. So I imagine that, if I ever have them someday, they'll only serve to make me nervous.
Michelle Gardner said, on 12/8/2011 7:41:00 AM
"The ultimate inspiration is the deadline" is inscribed on a paperweight that sits next to my keyboard. While I don't wait until absolute deadline to get started on a project, having one does help me focus better on the piece.
Stress will kill you and deadlines are stressful, particularly if your cup is empty or filling slowly. I am fortunate. I have deadlines which are easy to meet which makes my publisher and me happy and responsible.
I do like having deadlines, as long as they are reasonable. Without them, it can be a bit hard for me to get started on big writing projects and similar things. Of course, so far all of my writing deadlines have been self-imposed. But even with school or work, I've thrived with deadlines, so I'm hoping that will transfer over to publisher deadlines someday, too,
Deadlines are helpful in all stages of a book's production. Most people will put things off, even those who aren't hardcore procrastinators, so tight deadlines are needed. I know I do better with tight deadlines.
Anonymous said, on 12/8/2011 11:23:00 PM
If I'm under a lot of stress, then I can't write - like, at all.
To get into a good rhythm, I need boredom almost. The less I have going on, the easier it is for me to write.
I said to another writer guy one time: in order to speed up, one needs to slow down.
He had no idea what I was talking about. Par for the course, really.
How's the Wonderbar series going, Nate? Are you a billionaire yet? Me, I'm about to finish my fifth novel, so I might be a millionaire soon. Do ever get called that - Nate? You don't mind if I call you Nate, do you?
I prefer not to have deadlines as they stress me out. If I do have a deadline, I'll drop everything else and work on the piece with a deadline exclusively, aiming to get it finished months in advance so that I can relax again. So having a deadline throws everything else in my life out of whack.
Believe it or not, there are many writers out there, real writers, who don’t particularly like writing very much.
It’s true! Some find the process tedious, even torturous, and find it difficult to stay focused for the length of time it takes to finish.
Like many writers out there, I’m someone who finds writing really difficult. I ultimately derive great pleasure from the writing process and feel incredibly fortunate to have the time to devote to it, but that doesn’t mean I find every moment riveting.
What burns in the heart of writers varies from person to person, so you’ll have to find what works for you. But here are some ideas that might help keep you in the writer’s chair.
- Cultivate Your Fear of Failure. Despite what Yoda might have you believe, fear does not always lead to anger, hate, and suffering. Fear is one of the best motivators you have. Invest in the idea of your novel. Develop the idea that you’re letting yourself down if you don’t finish it. Put pressure on yourself. Be afraid the regret you’ll feel the rest of your life if you don’t accomplish your dream. Fear is a feeling that can keep you going.
- Set Deadlines With Teeth. Deadlines don’t actually work that well for me personally (they tend to just stress me out), but I know people who swear by them. The trick is setting a deadline with teeth. If you secretly know that the deadline you’re setting for yourself is a soft one, it’s not going to have its hair-raising, stress-inducing maximum effect. So either you have to learn to be scared of yourself and your own punishments or you may need a partner in crime who can help you keep to them.
- Daydream a Little. It’s okay to imagine what would happen if your book blew up and you were on the cover of fifty magazines (do those still exist?) and you were the toast of the literati and a gazillionaire. Don’t let those dreams become expectations to the point that not getting those things gets you down, but give yourself the freedom to imagine those best case scenarios.
- Befriend Writers Who Have Finished a Novel. Before I knew real writers, the idea of writing a novel seemed so impossibly vast it seemed almost magical. But then you get to know the people behind the books, and there’s not as much of a secret to it: They are people who sat in place for as long as it took to write a novel. Get to know them. Lean on them. They may give you a blank, pitying, horrified stare when you start fretting you’re never going to finish, but that blank stare will get you back to the keyboard in no time.
- Write Something You Love. It may be tempting to try and chase the flavor of the moment or what the industry says is selling or the novel you think you should write, but that doesn’t work. You need to love your novel unconditionally if you’re going to finish.
What about you? What motivates you?
46 Comments on Five Ways to Stay Motivated While Writing a Novel, last added: 11/4/2011
I try to remember that these cool characters that exist in my head won't be known by anyone unless I get them down on paper and give them a cool story. Also, in my experience, the hardest part is to get started. Once you are in the mode, writing is easier, even fun. I suppose, perhaps, it's like running. Getting out of bed and putting on your running shoes is the tough part. Once you are out there, whew! Although I don't run and have no intention of ever running, so my comparison may be whack.
abc = you hit this on the nose when you compared writing to running, even if you don't run. Writing is like a long distance marathon run. You're on your own and no one else feels the wind, the pain, the exhilaration of finishing the race. You may wear out your shoes and your muscles may get tired in the process, but the best advice is to keep on running/writing. It is a good sort of pain.
Anne Lamott compared writing a book with marriage, whereas writing an essay (or other short piece) is more like a one-night stand. There's instant gratification with a short piece (not that essays are always quick), and there's the deep joy that comes from going the distance... in a relationship, and in the long form narrative. Thanks for these great words of encouragement as I'm trying to finish my novel this month, Nathan.
What is wrong with you people? :) Writing is the funnest thing in the world (whether outlining, drafting, revising, critiquing--all of it!) My problem comes with making myself stop and actually live the rest of my life. I would write all day long if I could. And I totally agree about writing what you love!
Good ideas. I don't have much trouble staying motivated, but maybe that's just me. If I get away from writing, I keep wanting to get back. But others may need to take your comments to heart.
Even when I'm thoroughly burned out on a project, I'm far too curious to see how it is going to play out to step away from it for more than a day.
When I write, it's like I'm watching a movie in my mind and using the keyboard to describe what I see--and that is typically enjoyable, no matter how rough it might also be. Even when the words feel like blood being squeezed from a turnip, my own desire to keep "watching the movie" to the end typically keeps me going.
Like you, Nathan, I don't do well with deadlines. Give me a deadline and I freeze. But I do very much like your other points. Especially "Day Dream a Little". I don't give myself permission to do that often enough.
The word-count progress bar on the NaNo site is like a miracle: suddenly the project is finite! My ambitions, from being unmanageably boundless, have focused themselves into a single defined goal.
Now it's true I've only got 1044 words. But still - it doesn't say zero any more! The power of symbol, perhaps?
Great post, Nathan. Love your subtle sense of humor. :)
I'm with warmingHam. Rewards are a HUGE motivator for me. I have a complex system of rewards based on how much time and how much I accomplish. I have so much fun setting up the reward system and thinking of the rewards, and ultimately the reward system becomes a reward in itself.
I also use all of your other suggestions, I like your suggestions - thanks - except one. I know the deadline with teeth would backfire with me. I do great with rewards, but a punishment system would just make me mad, upset and ultimately deeply depressed.
Although....that could give me fodder for my writing, so I may have to re-think that.
I'm so glad to hear of writers who at times find it laborious to sit down and slug out a scene. Been there, done that, and will probably do it many more times. But then I realize how much I love my characters and want to see them grow and triumph by the end of the story and on we go. Great post!
Thank you so much for posting this today Nathan. I've definitely been struggling lately with not liking writing. My boyfriend is a musician who loves going to band practice and loves working on his music every day. I dread writing, except when I sit down and actually do it. I think the most poignant part of what you wrote was the last part about working on something you love. Writing is painful for me (or the thought of getting started) but the only thing that gets my butt in the chair is the idea that I get to hang out in a world that I like hanging out in. Also, I used to hang a quote above my desk by Frank Herbert that said something along the lines of the Dorothy Parker quote that Suzanne posted. "I'd much rather go fishing, for example, or go sharpen pencils, or go swimming, or what not [than write]". I think I will put that up above my desk again!
It's crazy to me that I'm on round two of this. Round one having been the first novel, which was fully rewritten three times--which, technically, means I'm on round four I suppose. The first book actually came easily. Out of nowhere--bam, hours of creativity just pouring out of me. Of course, it was all crap, but the idea was in there. It was kind of like whittling to get it out.That first book was fun. All of it. Even the endless revisions. This second one isn't as much fun--but I think it's better. What keeps me going is knowing that it wasn't very long ago that I was staring at a blank computer screen wondering if/why I wanted to put myself through this again--writing those first tentative words. Now I'm looking at the finish line. Lagging a little at the end here, but still steadily approaching. Fear is my thing. Fear of letting myself down. Of never getting published. Of wasting the last four years of my life for nothing. Since that would SUCK, I keep going.
I love "Set Deadlines with Teeth." I'm always driven to accomplish whatever I set out to do. I work well under pressure. My biggest problem has been finishing a manuscript and thinking it is done because I wrote "the end" instead of letting it gel, then rewriting, rewriting, rewriting. I'm now going to set new deadlines "with teeth" for the rewrites. : )
I can never set goals with teeth. I will break them. I'm trying to ride the wave of nano and try and get this book done. I'm a profound daydreamer and not just about my writing career but the characters that are my own and others.
Yay for other writers that find writing frustrating and difficult. I always feel very alone when I read interviews with some many writers that talk about how they MUST write or they will DIE. Sometimes I feel like I'm going to die when I do write.
Which is why I reward with candy after each chapter. Good days mean a major sugar high around dinner time. Mmmm, candy...
Not being one of those who has finished a book, I know one thing that interferes with staying at the keyboard is negative self talk. When I keep telling myself this sounds dumb, there's little point in sticking with it. I know I can't see if it's garbage until I finish.
Even when it's "done", that's just the first step. When I write an article or short story, I have to leave it for a day and then I can look at it objectively. Usually it's not so bad and with a little tweaking I'm pleased with the results.
I'm a fast writer, so I find it amazing how simple everyday step like writing just 1667 words can result in a finish novel. In a month. Just like that. (And yes, speaking from a personal experience)
Anonymous said, on 11/2/2011 12:57:00 PM
It's such a different process for every writer I can't even comment on it.
Personally, I've always loved revising a little more than writing. Tinkering with words, characters, descriptions, plot points, etc. just trying to get the best out of all of it is wonderful. This being said, I definitely have a hard time finishing a novel. I've somehow managed to write novel-length work four times (alas, nothing publishable... Yet), but that in no way reduces that fear of the blank page or the feeling of doom each time I realize just how far I am from "The End."
This reminded me of something a friend has done. He'll set a hard goal for himself, and then if he doesn't make it, his consequence has "teeth" that he abhors. For example, if he decides to not have treats for a month and then caves in, he'll have to make an anonymous donation to an organization he can't stand...eg: the ACLU or KKK.
So a deadline with teeth could be that you give a friend a pre-addressed and stamped envelope with a cashiers check to mail on a certain date which can only be traded for a copy of your first draft (or whatever) before the mail date arrives. That's the kind of thing that would motivate me. It also scares me to the max, but what's life without a little fear? ;-)
I agree with most of what you said, Nathan, but self-imposed fear can be very destructive for people who already suffer from low self-esteem. Like you, I seldom enjoy the writing process, and the last thing I need is to manufacture some more emotional baggage to drag along.
I actually love writing, although not all phases of it. About the middle of every novel, I usually find myself wondering why I ever wanted to write, and editing gives me horrible migraine headaches, probably from staring so intently at the computer screen for so many hours. For the most part, however, writing gives me tremendous joy. I love the endorphin rush I get from the entire creative process, and I love using words creatively to build a story. Three things keep me motivated when writing novels: the sheer joy of creativity, the challenge of becoming an increasingly better writer and the idea of a finished book with an awesome book cover.
What motivates me? Most important - I want to know what happens! I create a world and characters and set them into motion. I've got the big picture idea - beginning, middle, end. But how they get there and the details in between - that's the mysterious part. I'm curious and want to know how it all turns out. So I get my butt in the chair and type or pull out a pen and put it to paper and keep doing that until I've reached the end. On my third now. Page by page. Just writing to see how it all turns out.
I wonder if fear is the best word to use here, although I agree with that sentiment. I suppose it's more you have to fear for something rather than be afraid of something. I do cultivate some of this fear in myself, mostly a fear of not accomplishing what I set out to do, but I also encourage a more positive side of that fear, so that my desires become needs: I need to get this story down on the page, even if it goes nowhere after that. I need to take the next step so I know I tried, even if I fail, because then I won't only have myself to blame.
And allowing yourself to have positive dreams is also a good motivator. We need the silly little ones to keep us going sometimes, since so much else is pressure and labor.
Haha, I think I am the "writer who has finished a novel" within my group of writer friends and acquaintances. I used to think it was an insurmountable task, too, and sometimes in the middle of a first draft I can't see how I'll ever finish, but eventually I do and realize it wasn't so bad. I'm the one always telling other writers that a little bit a day adds up quicker than you realize. It's true!
It can be hard to get started writing but I love when I get to the part where I start to laugh out loud at the funny parts and tear up at the sad parts. My kids give me strange looks, though.
I'm not sure if I love writing as much as creating and sharing a story. I'm always creating stories in my imagination to amuse myself, and the thought that these might amuse another person is a wonderful motivator to write them down. One story started from a little girl's voice speaking in my mind about her friend, the sea witch. The others usually start as a kind of wish-fulfillment. I've ways wanted to write the ultimate fairy story, I mean about fairies - the fairies who were spoken of in awe in the most ancient mythologies. They were a mystical and noble race who were known as the 'good folk' or the 'people of peace' and who were possibly a few more rungs up the evolutionary ladder than human beings. They weren't cursed with sickness, poverty or many limitations; and apparently lived long powerful lives that were the stuff of myth and legend. Oh, to meet one of these magnificient beings...
I have friends and acquaintances who have accomplished a lot as writers; they work regularly as freelance writers, or they've taken several writing workshops. They've published short stories and poetry. I'm glad that they're succeeding, but it also motivates me to succeed too. Maybe it sounds bad for me to say this, but it makes me feel a little bit competitive; I don't want to feel left behind. Of course, I write because I love it and I can't imagine not doing it. But at the same time I'd like to have something to show for all those hours at my desk too.
I don't know if it's the whole "I hate writing" so much as it is "I hate writing about this" sort of thing. I love to write. Any person who loves to write, can spend hours on end just writing. If you don't like it, then I'm sorry, you just ain't a writer. The easy part is starting. The hard part is what happens in between because you want to get to that golden gate of an ending, though in reality it's the journey that's gonna make that ending worthwhile. I can't do deadlines. I can't overplan because then the whole story loses it's flavour and sponteneity. Failure isn't an option until whatever I've written is written. Then again, I've never really been in a situation where money is on the line...or even on the horizon, so my point of view may be askew in that sense.
Personally I love writing, it's the revising I'm not so fond of. Sometimes it's good, but after one too many critters to spoil the broth if you will, the revising feels--like different soup.
So I use writing a new story as my reward for getting revising done. IF I revise to set goal, I can write. Rewards motivate everyone, it's finding the right reward that makes it effective.
The Deadlines with Teeth is a good suggestion: just make the deadline goal reasonable, otherwise that deadline will lose its teeth fast!
@Suzanne Korb: my quote would be: 'I love writing the first draft and I love having written the final draft: I just hate writing and revising all of the drafts in between!'
To the people who love writing so much: writing is a fun trip: it's the perfecting the writing that's a pain to me: the grammar nit-picking, the endless research, the plot hole repairs, the deep character development: the revising, the revising and the revising. If you enjoy all that stuff, then, indeed, you are a better writer than I am -and I envy you!
It took me 8 years to write my novel. That's because I have a lazy streak and am easily distracted, plus real life sometimes interrupted the process. What kept me going is this: I truly loved my story and the characters I created. If not for that, 8 years would have become 80, with no end in sight.
(Not sure where that previous username came from, except to say I'm rather new at this stuff. Sorry) It took me 8 years to write my novel. That's because I have a lazy streak and am easily distracted, plus real life sometimes interrupted the process. What kept me going is this: I truly loved my story and the characters I created. If not for that, 8 years would have become 80, with no end in sight.
What motivates me is creating something others will enjoy. Although it holds no weight with agents, I was thrilled that my son said, "With a few tweaks it will be as good as [his favorite book, a very popular one being movied right now]." Since he pretty well represents my target market, and since he lacks any capacity for false kindness, this to me is success. (A dozen beta readers responded similarly, with only one who didn't get it.)
Anyway, what do you do when "write what you love" leads you to write something that's a really good story but which seems to have hit the tail end of a trend that the publishing industry is getting tired of? Not because you focused on the trend when writing, but just because it happened that way? Do you shelve it and bring it back out in a couple of years, hoping for a trend echo, or do you keep pushing on the string?
@Peter Dudley: Keep pushing the string! The whole Vampire thing should have been dead years ago, even before Buffy, and especially after: but the Vampire thing just keeps coming back: as will Young Wizards, Dragons, Nazis, Zombies, Love Stories, Murder Mysteries, Thundercats...
In the tangled morass of uncertainty that is the query process, it becomes easy to lose sight of the basics. People e-mail me every day me for feedback and suggestions on their query (which I'm unfortunately unable to provide), and want to know why their project isn't working and why they're not finding success with the query process.
Every project is different, every situation is different, and it's really difficult to pinpoint the exact reason why something isn't working. But when you boil it down, there are really only two possibilities.
Either: a) Your query isn't strong enough, or b) Your query is fine but your project isn't resonating with agents
Which is it?
Well, if you're receiving some requests for partials or full manuscripts, chances are your query is fine and you just need to keep at it. You may be on the right track and just need to find the right match. Or you have a great query but there's something lacking in the manuscript. But unless you receiving some specific feedback that gives you an idea for a revision, the result is the same: All you can do is keep trying.
If you aren't receiving any requests, it might be time to pull back your query for some more feedback and possible tweaking. If you're following the batch querying theory you should have plenty of opportunity to keep things moving while perhaps trying out a different approach.
Ultimately, while it can be agonizing to pursue the traditional publication path without knowing whether your novel will or won't make it through the gauntlet, it's also exciting too! Your work is out there. It's so tempting to want answers, but there's no one out there who can tell you for sure why something is or isn't working. The only thing to do is to keep evaluating the response, try to keep a level head, and keep things moving forward.
c) The writing mafia, headed by the triumvirate of King/Meyer/Rowling, is terrified my manuscript will thwart their plans to ‘dumb-down’ literature so they, and only they, will be the only people to ever be published ever again. To this end they have sent out strict instructions to their Evil Gatekeepers (Agents) minions to reject my MS upon sight!
I'm still working on getting my manuscript where I want it, so I haven't gotten to queries yet, but when I do, I plan to comb through every piece of advice you've ever given about them (on this here fine blog).
And I would never ever EVER email you personally for advice. Don't people know you have a job? And a life? Well, they should.
Anonymous said, on 7/5/2011 7:35:00 AM
Most are receiving rejections because it's a subjective business. It always has been and always will be.
Some, granted, don't know how to write a query from a thank you note. But the majority are being rejected because it's subjective and they just have to keep exhausting every single possibility there is out there now that's available to authors.
Anonymous said, on 7/5/2011 7:38:00 AM
Hillsy. I seriously vote for C as that's the truth.
You mean after all the time you spend helping us with advice on the blog, running the forums, and everything else, you don't have time to help perfect every query that hits your inbox?
I've done my first batch of queries and it's time to attack that query letter (of which I was inordinately proud) and also revise the manuscript (ditto ridiculously proud) to up the word count a bit.
I agree that rejections are subjective, but I also believe that if you can show your story arc clearly and succinctly, you're head and shoulders above the crowd. I use a "template" of
1) opening paragraph with targeted detail saying why the agent was chosen (I google "agent+interview" to find something to reference) 2) mini-synopsis that has: who the protagonist is, what he/she needs to do (what reader is rooting for) and why that's important 3) closing with personal details as to why the author is qualified to write this book.
Then the professional "can provide full" stuff. Never more than a page.
My first agent told me she'd signed me because "not many authors can show their story arc in a synopsis" and after reading a lot of queries & synopsis for my critique service, I see that. It's hard to disengage from the details we love, and just get down to the spine of the story, and the hook.
Gotta check out the forums. I love this stuff. (Sick, I know.)
Brittany said, on 7/5/2011 8:39:00 AM
Nathan-- Is it all right to send revised queries to people you've already sent queries to? I read query critiques, and sometimes I hardly recognize the revised versions...and I'm just reading a few once or twice a week. If your query was forgettable, is it all right to send again?
Wow. I'm no where near that point of the publication process, and suddenly I'm not as excited to get there. That sounds frightening.
I don't handle rejection well (honestly, does anyone?), but I guess, when I get to that point, I'll have to suck it up and deal with it. I will definitely be coming back to this blog for tips at that point of the process, so thank you so much for providing them!
Rejections can be daunting or not, depending on our own attitude. If we use it constructively, it benefits us.
Query letter writing has been elevated almost to the status of the book itself. Why is that? Is it due to the influx of writers, clogging the market? It's the first rung up if you succeed, if not, back to the unpublished mud with you.
BTW - love the photo.
J. T. Shea said, on 7/5/2011 9:05:00 AM
Whirlochre, how can they be out to get you when they're really out to get me? Let's split them. Half (3 billion people) out to get you, and the other 3 billion out to get me.
Hillsy, you too!? Okay, let's make it 2 billion vs Whirlochre, 2 billion vs me, and 2 billion vs you. You can have Stephen King, Whirlochre can have J. K. Rowling, and I'll take Stephanie Meyer.
But really, I don't get rejections. For a very simple reason...
My query got eight form responses out of twelve and only one request for a full-- but that was from an agent I met at a conference.
I am a writer and I cannot write a query letter. Pathetic.
Anonymous said, on 7/5/2011 9:14:00 AM
When I first started querying I was excited just to form rejections because I finally felt in the game. Of course after several more, I wanted to throw in the towel. I know there is a lot of pressure on the query letter itself but I'd have to assume that even if the letter isn't perfect an agent would still request material based on the story being pitched. How many rejections constitute another look at the query letter?
Hmmm.... it seems to me that there's also that c) there are so many people submitting mss these days that the law of supply and demand allows agents to pick and choose very, very carefully only those things which they think will be top sellers, skipping over those mss which may even be better but will not be as marketable. But, then again, I'm only an English teacher, so I can only guess at these things.
when i sent my manuscript to a wonderful historical fiction author who had offered to help (and then was extraordinarily kind enough to eventually put her blurb on my novel) she also asked to see my query letter.
she said wonderful things about the novel and DESTROYED my query letter. it was apparently awful--self deprecating, nervous, tentative, washed out awful. she took the time to wreck it with the most brilliantly constructive comments possible and i am so grateful!
Anonymous said, on 7/5/2011 10:27:00 AM
You forgot to throw in the non-responders.
Ten queries sent, 4 requests, 2 passes and four dead silences. Those suck more than the rejections.
Some agencies allow you to query different agents at the same agency (not simultaneiously) but how are you supposed to know when it's no longer simultaneous if the first agent you query never responds?
Just as I'm beginning to feel disheartened, along comes Nathan with words of hope! I've received several requests for excerpts and/or a synopsis, so maybe it's not the query letter.
I did get feedback from one agent that it seemed too "episodic." OK. I could work with that if I knew what he meant. Of course, I know the definition, but how does it apply to my story/writing? Aren't most works of fiction "episodic" to some extent? I really appreciated that he cared to offer feedback at all - just still not sure what I need to do to correct it. So, tell me, when you were an agent (it wasn't you, by the way), if you felt the writing was too episodic, pray what would you be trying to tell me?
That's good advice, but it's important to keep in mind that you may get a rejection for reasons other than your letter or manuscript. Maybe the agent isn't accepting new cilents, maybe the agent's assistant who scans all the queries didn't like the concept of the story. Maybe you sent it to the wrong person in the office. There are lots of reasons. The only remedy is to keep at it.
When I was younger........ I could find myself dreaming of writing books. But now, maybe I`m too lazy for the work I think it take to write and correct all these pages...
I was getting nothing but form rejections, until I decided to put a little literary oomph into the query. Then I got a reply saying that the attached 10 pages weren't as good as she was expecting, which told me that the query letter worked, but not the beginning of the manuscript.
I had to come to terms that the beginning chapter of the book, which I was very attached to, was not very strong. I recently bit the bullet and re-wrote the first chapter, with my more improved writing skill, and am ready to head back into the trenches (as soon as I write a synopsis :P)
Unfortunately, there are other reasons why manuscripts are being rejected. Most agents are looking for books that will bring in mega sales and are rejecting some amazing books, including Paul Harding's TINKERS which went on to win a Pulitzer Prize as an indie-published novel and THE SILENCE OF MEDAIR which went on to become a Finalist in the Aurealis Awards after being self-published. Here's a rather illuminating blog post by Kristine Kathryn Rusch who's won numerous major awards, is the only person to ever receive a Hugo Award for fiction and a Hugo Award for editing, and had books on best-selling lists all over the world: The Business Rusch: You Are Not Alone. And here’s Kristine Kathryn Rusch’s Bio. In today’s market, no matter how perfect their query letter and how excellent their book, many of the best books will never be requested by agents. That’s another, darker side to the story about today’s market. It’s also why some of the best writers are turning to self-publishing.
I'm not much into the query, but what I appreciated about this article was that it brought out the importance of the MS. I think alot of times people can get focused on writing the perfect query, when the thing that really needs attention is the basic writing.
It's so hard for writers to know when that's the issue!! I think if I had several rejections (actually I'd do this before I sent it out) I'd look for professional feedback on my work someway or another. New eyes and a fresh perspective.
After forty form rejections by major fantasy agents, I managed to get a hold of some editors and find out why no one was interested in my project. Turned out my novel premise is just too weird to be considered marketable in mainstream publishing. Sometimes there's nothing wrong with what you're doing -- it's just that you're not pitching it to the right people.
Interesting response from Marilyn Peake. I can understand why she says this. I paid for an agent's critique of my pages at a conference, and submitted a manuscript that everyone - my crit groups, my individual CPs, everyone - had loved. The agent's feedback was that it was good, but that it was too quiet to be marketable. I'm still deciding what to do about that - revise again, or submit to houses that are known for quiet stuff - but there is, with agents, an element of "how mass-marketable is this, anyway?" In a sense, because so many houses are closed to unagented submissions, this is discouraging.
Mira makes an interesting point about getting professional feedback, but a professional crit of an entire novel can be very expensive. However, if you have the writing chops to take feedback on your first few chapters and then apply it to the manuscript in its entirety, then I think it can be worth doing.
Lexi. Yep. That's a good point for C and unfortunately it's pretty common. Basically as the agents said, my work is not marketable at all and / or no one would be interested in it. Strange, but for a novel which will be released in November it already has few hundred fans and followers and after a simple preview I got these feedbacks; "a great idea developed into a highly marketable product." or "Not usually greatly into fantasy genre, BUT I reckon I could enjoy this one.", ". So your point C definitely stands. And the best is, officially not I'm the professional, not I'm the marketing genius... yet it seems not I'm the one who was dead wrong, but those few dozens of agents who rejected it without even reading my work (As most of them actually never read it, just rejected it.).
Istvan, I suspect in the UK some agents are rejecting without even a cursory glance at the first paragraph, so overwhelmed are they by their slush piles. And most successful indies sought mainstream publication before going it alone.
So no one should accept their work is not good enough SIMPLY because they cannot interest an agent (though of course there’s always the possibility the book is unreadable). If I’d had faith in the responses of agents to my books, they’d still be unread and I’d be a lot poorer.
Lexi. I believe the same goes in the U.S. When I read that some agents are making a "race" about query reading and they're telling... "Imagine. I finished 300 queries today.". Well, that's already sounds weird. How many of those queries were actually read? And how many were rejected just to have a chance to blog that day; "I finished 300 queries today.".
Many used to ask, why traditional publishing is dying? Well, this is one of the reasons.
Thanks for writing on this subject. Every rejection feels like some one just laughed at my baby's picture. Sometimes it's hard to find a theme as most rejections I've received have been vague and boiler plate. After 12 rejections, some after partials and one full request, I asked one particularly friendly agent for a little more specific info, which was helpful. Now I have to look at my manuscript again and decide if I should just keep moving or attack my "final" edit one more time.
I personally would've said that if agents have enough queries that they can afford to just skim over 300 queries per day, then that puts traditional publishing in rather rude health.
It's like saying "Do you know why my resteraunt is struggling so much? Its because I've got capacity for 200 diners and every night 500 people turn up to eat."
The idea that agents are just disregarding their query pile and skimming over everything is much more myth than reality. But if an agent IS skimming over their query pile it's because they have enough clients already, not because they're rude terrible horrible people.
"Do you know why my resteraunt is struggling so much? Its because I've got capacity for 200 diners and every night 500 people turn up to eat."
If you have the capacity for 200, you won't invite 500 for a party. Only if you're stupid or greedy. Agents has the capacity of 50 or 100 per day, yet they're accepting much more, because "We're soooooo professional and the "we're receiving many queries" on our blog looks so good and make us real professionals in the eyes of our fans.". And this is a joke as they're not reading the half of the mentioned quantity. If they don't have the capacity, they should simply stop asking queries for a month or two. But nope. They rather ask for more, because that shines our endless ego. And because of this, they're doing a damned lame job in most cases (There are only few exceptions.). They should learn that quantity is not equal with quality. And in a job where quantity is existing and taking the lead, that's never going to be quality job anymore.
Nathan. If they're capping queries, that would be much more acceptable. What agents forgot is the simple basic business etiquette. As a writer I don't care about what problems do they have or how many queries they're accepting, until they're saying "Our business is open! Now, we accept thousand billion queries." . If they can't read that much, then don't request that much. But as they're accepting hundreds of queries, the basic business etiquette demands a fair review for every single one of them, instead of the "I skim this one, because other fool is going to send me more.". Agents simply lost their credibility.
Hmmm. If I should do this, I would accept queries for two or three weeks, or I would set a limit of X hundred queries then when it's reaching the number, I would close the session. Then I would review the received queries for one or two weeks. Then another query session would come, then another review session. And so on and so on. Maybe an agent wouldn't get that much query as before, but maybe they wouldn't pass good manuscripts too. As I read some agent blogs, some agent is believing if they're accepting hundreds of thousands or few qatrillion queries, they'll look so professional. But in the reality if they can't read that much, they shouldn't accept that much. Writers are not idiots. They also consider agents as human beings and they used to accept if an agent is not willing to accept queries for a week or two, or for a month or two.
Anonymous said, on 7/6/2011 11:45:00 AM
Agent! Shhhhmagent! We don't need no stinkin' agents!
Self-doubt feeds the author. Without self-doubt, we don't strive to do our best --- to keep writing despite rejections and humiliations. (See Dean Koontz, for example, who writes: "I have more self-doubt than any writer I’ve ever known. That is one reason I revise every page to the point of absurdity! The positive aspect of self-doubt – if you can channel it into useful activity instead of being paralyzed by it – is that by the time you reach the end of a novel, you know precisely why you made every decision in the narrative, the multiple purposes of every metaphor and image. Having been your own hardest critic you still have dreams but not illusions."). Self-doubt is what propels us to be better, to write better, to fixate on commas and words that most other people ignore.
Writers have a pretty unique challenge.
On the one hand you have to have the confidence to spend and hours at something without really knowing how it's going to turn out, and often without knowing whether you really have the talent or the right idea to execute a story that people are going to love. It takes fortitude, commitment, and a deep confidence that what you're doing is worth it.
On the other hand, you have to have the self-doubt to be critical enough of your own work to make it better. You have to turn a cold eye to your writing to spot flaws and weak spots, to know your own weaknesses, to improve on them, and not get carried away.
These impulses seem contradictory, but I'd actually argue that they're two sides of the same coin: It's all confidence.
To be able to spot your own flaws requires confidence. Staring your own weaknesses and flaws in the face doesn't come from a place of self-doubt, it comes from a place of strength. You have to be a strong person in order to own up to your flaws and to shoulder the responsibility of making your work better.
There are some writers out there who seem so boldly confident and brash, but it's really a mask. When someone suffers from supreme overconfidence and can't see their own flaws, in truth they're not confident at all. They lack the strength to admit their own shortcomings. We all have flaws, but not everyone has the strength to confront them.
And on the flip side, it's important not to overdo the self-doubt and paralyze yourself with indecision either. It's easy to despair that you're not good enough, that you'll never get there, and to magnify the weaknesses in your writing, especially when you're just beginning. That too is what happens when you are approaching writing with insufficient confidence.
The only way to strike the right balance as a writer it is if you build up your confidence in a healthy, clear-headed way.
Confidence will give you the strength to doubt yourself.
Art: Doubts by Henrietta Rae
49 Comments on Separating Confidence From Self-Doubt, last added: 4/28/2011
I'm with Peter D. There is a lot of room for misinterpretation and misunderstanding where confidence is concerned. As a writer, I'm riddled with self-doubt about what to write, where next to go in my career, how to go accomplish goals. I'm very careful. And then I wonder if it's holding me back. But at the same time, I'm pitching forward in this career with no "day job" to fall back on and people view that as confidence (I'm a good faker). So I don't know, ultimately Nathan. I just don't know if I feel they're two sides of the same coin.
I've never thought about it that way, it does take confidence to look your mistakes in the eye and not be rattled.
I've seen some writers who haven't reached the "my writing sucks" phase and it's really hard to watch them receive crits on their work...because they are in complete denial and mad about it.
Love this spin on it! I'm a bit of a self-doubt ninja, I'm afraid, and tend to wallow in the shadow side when all doesn't seem to be working well but underneath that is a desire for excellence.
Now whether or not I can ever reach that...an another issue I wrestle with...never ends, does it??
I needed that clarification today. So I'm not just driving myself crazy. This whole questioning every little detail is actually me being confident enough to question it. Ah Ha! You are a great inspiration Nathan!
I completely agree. Being willing to make changes to your own work, in order to make it better, is absolutely confidence. Because you have to believe you CAN make it better.
As someone who is newly writing at all, self-doubt kicks in everyday. My confidence comes when I remember I have a story in me that no one else does. Thank you for this post.
Great post! I think it's also important to try as much as possible to focus on the work itself rather than fantasizing or awfulizing about the outcome. Fantasies of both doom and success can be another way of avoidance and another way of eroding self confidence.
The tough thing, though, is how to BUILD that confidence when you've had little external success. I feel like I'm finally reaching a place where I have that kind of confidence, but it's taken years to develop it in the face of rejection.
The thing is, doubts or otherwise, as a writer you will inherently know whether your story is crap, your narrative stilted or whether its worth the effort to have gone through everything to put it on paper.
It's all about what you're willing to push yourself through. Do you think it's ready? Have you worked on the manuscript for years? Do you really want it published?
It's all on you, and what seperates us relative unknowns from Koontzs and Kings.
I also think it can work the other way. Doubting yourself and seriously examining those doubts to see what you're actually capable of can lead to confidence in your real abilities. I have an excess of doubts, but charting my progress shows me what doubts are valid. They make up the border of my real assessment.
The balance between technical and emotional support on your blog is admirable. It's why I keep coming back. Um, kind of paralyzed right now. I like what James Scott Bell said (earlier in the comments): "...when in doubt, pound the keys." Maybe you could draft a post on how you were able to develop that 'clear-headed' confidence for scaredy-cats like myself.
For me, it's like riding a daily, weekly, monthly roller-coaster. I read a passage and rewrite it, read it again and think it's great. Next day (week/month) I read it again and it sucks. Sometimes it works the other way around.
I agree 100% Nathan, though I would phrase the last line differently: Confidence gives us the strength to question ourselves. "Is this the best I can do? What would happen if I tried this instead?" Those questions come from a place of confidence, because we have to trust our own abilities enough to believe we can be better.
Thank you for this thought. I'm in the middle of re-writes, so I might just print it out and tape it to the wall above my desk. It would be a good reminder when self-doubt creeps in.
Are you trying to say that the hours I spend tossing and turning in bed over the new (again) realization that nothing in my MS makes sense is time well-spent?
I'm like Dean Koontz. I revise every page almost to the point of absurdity. But that's not due to self-doubt, that's knowledge gained from writing and revising for many years and learning the art of writing. I know I can do it; I can write a novel and I think I'm confident enough to do a reasnonably good job. In any event, we'll see when my first novel comes out.
I'm still thinking about this, Nathan, and this is what I came up with: Confidence leads to the question, "Can I do any better?" whereas self-doubt gives way to the belief, "I can't do any better." One pushes us to strive for excellence, the other gives an excuse to settle for mediocrity.
Confidence is bolstered by approval, but a writer has to have a sense of their own self-worth to write in the first place.
Self-doubt is increased by rejection, but that is part of the writing process--finding the right fit with the story, the agent, the publisher, etc.
What helps immensely is one nice comment on a writer's blog. It makes the writer feel that at least one person has heard their 'voice in the void'.
Writers, like artists and other 'performers', need approval for that little bit of their soul that they are offering for public view. That feeds our self-confidence.
But confidence and self-doubt seem to be a part of what makes the creative people creative. Perhaps they form two halves of a whole. Too much of either one and we become stalemated.
Really appreciating all the writing posts, Nathan!
I love this post. It reminds me a bit of something Linda Sue Park said in her keynote address at SCBWI winter conference a few months ago. She said that the trick was not to have faith in yourself, but to have faith in the project. If you make it about you too much then you can become neurotic. I think that Nathan is expressing a similar sentiment when he talks about healthy self-confidence. Perhaps the "healthy" portion is the having faith in the project and having faith in the slow process. Lovely post.
Sierra McConnell said, on 4/26/2011 11:10:00 AM
I've said it before, and wrote it on many marker boards anon-y-mously.
"A truly wise man knows that he is not truly wise."
Because I don't think it's so much confidence as knowledge that you know you're wrong. You know you're not the best at it. That you suck, but you don't suck. That you're walking the fine line between glory and failure, and that if you are good at keeping yourself in that precarious check and balance, then the manuscript is both perfect and needs work.
It's all perception. You're never going to be happy. You just have to be happy with the moment you have /now/. That one page. That one paragraph. That one sentence.
Even if it could be better. Small confidence. No doubt. Just the knowledge that no matter what you do, someone, someplace is always going to say it could be better than it is.
Excellent post, Nathan. Awesome insight. I agree with everything you’re saying here. Writers need to have enough self confidence to trust they have the basic talent to become successful, but they also need to realize how to accept critiques about their work, especially when their work contains flaws that need improvement. There are many levels of writing skill, and writers can always improve their work. A good critiquer is worth their weight in solid gold.
It's the Dunning-Kruger effect. Basically, the better you get at a particular craft or activity (like writing), the more you're able to see your flaws realistically. ....At least, that's what I tell myself as I revise, whenever I feel like the ms is really really bad....!
Great post, Nathan. I love King's words on perseverance! For me, though, it's the words of another man, a man far removed from the writing life, that keep me "pounding those keys." I guess you could say it's my "fuel."
"Whether you think you can or think you can't, you are right." Henry Ford
And this is why I read your blog every day Nathan. Your topics seem to speak to me in just the right way and at just the right time.
Today I got cut from Amazon's Breakthrough Novel Award Contest. I'd made it to the semi-finals (250 down from 5000), but that's as far as I'll go this time around.
Thanks for your daily effort Nathan!
Daniel Guiteras Launch On Need -The Quest To Save Columbia's Crew
Too much perspective -- just leaving a comment fills me with self-doubtitis. Even finishing a ms only staves it away momentarily. It floods right back in with the next project just around the corner. Can someone tell me how you celebrate when you finally put your revisions to bed and really finish your book?
All artists feel that self doubt. Even big stars get the "well that's it. I'll never work again" syndrome. Here's a link to a few quotes about this: http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/keywords/self-doubt.html
I don't know why, but when I was reading your post, I kept having a soundtrack in my head of the old "Wide World of Sports" opening theme. "...the thrill of victory and the agony of defeat."
I suppose it is this rollercoaster ride between doubt and confidence that makes writing so cathartic. We excise our demons, we look to bring hope and love to our audience (as well as a measure of hope to ourselves) and we lean on our characters, our plots and our worlds to provide us entertainment and sanity.
And THAT is why I have a tattoo of a yin-yang on my back. Or was it because of my short-lived Eastern Philosophy phase in college combined with a night of jagermeister?
So continuing on the Dickinson route (putting everything I ever write into a trunk for my descendants to wade through and/or torch at will) isn't the best plan?
Why, Master Jedi? Why isn't it the best plan? Why? WHY!?! I want it to be the best plan...
*eats another peanut butter cookie*
I know. Try not. Do or do not. Yadda Yadda (or 'Yoda, Yoda' if you prefer.) I'm working on it.
The only weakness I see in your argument, Nathan, and I totally respect you, is the phrase, a clear-headed healthy way. What? Tell me more. I have never read one of your books, March, I know, and I just hope it lives up to how smart you are. But! What? Clear and healthy? What the hell does that mean? And what world do you live in, Master Bransford? I want to live there too. Your fan, without a doubt. I think the terms used in this post haven't been thought out enough. My opinion, sorry.
PS. Yikes! I think I meant May, not March. Man, self-doubt at work in five minutes. I take it all back. The argument was just a little clunky—not sure. Maybe. Ignore me, please. Do yourself a favor.
J. T. Shea said, on 4/26/2011 7:14:00 PM
No wonder that poor girl has doubts, with Austin Powers peering down her front!
You're right--it is only the strong who can examine themselves for weakness and work toward improvement. This is true for writing as well as anything in life. You've definitely inspired this writer to be stronger in self examination and improvement.
How do you know if your self doubt is justified? I mean what if I really do suck as a writer and will never get published. Is there a point at which you cut and run?
Of course the problem is I can't seem to do that even after I get the harshest criticism.
I am confident enough to doubt. I am glad there are great resources out there (including one another) to help us hone our skills.
I think writing critique groups are an excellent way for iron to sharpen iron. My writing improves when other writers are there to help me see flaws and areas needing improvement.
This is such a great post. Whenever I get critiques back from my CP's, I tend to skim over the good stuff (though it's important to know what you do well too), and go straight to what's not working. I allow myself a few minutes of "I suck. How am I going to fix this?" Then, like James Scott Bell says, I start pounding the keys.
This was an amazing post! I feel everything you are saying from the first word all the way down to the last. It is good to know that everyone goes through this roller coaster of emotions while writing. I will keep this in mind as I tirelessly edit my word and tell myself I'm not good enough...but the point is that I keep on going no matter that outcome. I'll get there at, I know it. Thanks Nathan
I like this post. I would just like to add more emphasis on commitment. At the times when self-doubt isn't the useful editing offspring of confidence, but of the paralyzing I-should- just -give -up variety, we have this option:
When I find myself thinking, "I am such a fraud Then I say to myself, "perhaps I am a fraud but I'm doing this anyway." Then I get back in there. Commitment...can't write books without it.
Nathan, Thank you so much for posting this excerpt from my post on the Forums! It's funny how self-doubt works. I was in a really bad way on the day that I wrote that post in your forums: strung up, dejected, and downright hard on myself. Basically, I received a critique that my language is too high brow and I shouldn't use so many "dictionary" words. The critiquer didn't have any problems with my plot, story, or interest level but wanted me to dumb down my writing to make it more "mainstream."
So, I took a long hard look at my writing. And, this is what I discovered: I need to have the confidence not to write like everyone else. It's okay for me to write a fantasy novel that uses good language and high-calibre descriptions. It is okay to appeal to the intelligent rather than the masses.
I will continue doubting my work --- resulting in agonies over the proper word in the particular paragraph --- but I also need to stand up for it. As you said, it's all about confidence. Thank you for this post. I'm going to bookmark it and refer back when I'm feeling down about my writing.
Some days very much like this one, I wonder what in the world I'm doing all of this writing for anyway. And then, as if guided by an unseen hand from a far, I stumble upon a message like yours. Thank you so much, Nathan.
I can't quantify this. I don't know if it's been proven by science (Livia?). I don't know if it's the endorphins talking. All I know is that when I'm stuck on a plot challenge or can't think of where things go next, I exercise. And it's amazing how it unlocks the brain.
And even from a macro sense, I find myself more productive and happier during weeks where I exercise. The ideas and words just tend to flow better.
Am I alone on this? Does exercise help your creativity?
Exercise sometimes lets my brain have the space (and blood flow) to work stuff out. I've solved more than one serious story issue while doing something invigorating but mindless.
Exercise (running or whatever) is a great stress release that keeps you in a good frame of mind for life in general (including writing).
But I also use my long runs as very productive meditative time, where I can plan things like how to structure and article, or go into my characters' heads or figure out what might happen to them.
Agreed! I like to run without headphones because it simultaneously clears my mind and allows for creative juices to flow. If anything, it gets my legs moving so they're less likely to fall asleep or get blood clots from sitting down all day!
I do yoga after a morning of writing. Helps to stretch the muscles out after sitting for so long. Bellydancing is good too. Helps to burn off the calories of the crap I eat while I'm writing. :D
When I left Fort Knox, I was the fittest I had ever been in my life. I also inexplicably lost half my vocabulary. Words I had known and used for years tripped me up.
Exercise actually interferes with my thought processes and creativity. The more still I am, the more creative I am.
Yes! I exercise almost every day, doing either biking or resistance training. It releases tension and I find that being relaxed helps with thinking/writing.
Sticking my toddler in the stroller for a run or even a walk totally helps boost my creativity. I don't know if it's being outside with the fresh air and all...or just that my toddler is strapped down and occupied. It is seriously my best time to think. I don't listen to music or anything so I can brainstorm without distraction.
Absolutely! When I run into a plot problem, I lift weights, the heavier the better. And I find cardio is great for letting new ideas drift into my head.
Sierra McConnell said, on 12/6/2010 7:30:00 AM
I can't exercise much as I used to be able to because of certain health problems, but I find that any "mindless" task helps. Just window shopping at the mall, walking slowly around, cooking, baking, or gardening, helps. Because it gets you to focus on one thing and one thing only.
Nathan, don't forget the reason nobody likes to admit: EXERCISE MAKES YOU LOOK BETTER.
People who like the way they look make happier, more productive writers (or construction workers or doctors or rocket scientists). People who aren't fat think better, in part because they're not battling self-esteem issues every word of the way. The fit body also channels energy to the brain for good writing, no need to waste that energy on fat-support. And people who look fabulous gain a whole lot of confidence for the ego-pummeling business of publishing, about which we're always wringing our hands. (Use those hands to do some dumbbell curls instead.)
So don't underestimate the aesthetic angle, even though it's generally not cool to talk about it. I actually believe the chief motivator toward exercise is the appearance boost for most of us. And how grand that we end up healthier, too. :-)
I lift weights for my main exercise. I like to watch mindless TV (e.g., recorded made-for-SyFy Channel Saturday night bad movies), so I don't ponder plot problems while working out. But the wonderful effect on my mood and mental clarity for hours afterwards is great for my writing sessions.
Oh, I suppose it's great for my regular, paid work sessions, too, but, gee, who cares about that?
I am a runner, and it is SUCH a great outlet. It relieves stress, refreshes the mind, and gets the endorphins flowing. After a run, I'm in a better mood and feeling motivated in all senses. Not to mention the ideas that come to me sometimes when I'm out there, just me and the road and the tunes in my ear.
Furthermore, exercise is just flat out good for you, and when you feel better about yourself, you're going to feel better about your endeavors.
It's true. I even tried to write and recumbent bike at the same time once. It didn't work.
My best ideas/thoughts come at the most inconvenient places: while exercising, in the shower or in the car. I guess I need a recorder and some bath crayons...
Totally true. I walk 5miles almost every morning and I have to carry a notebook in my pocket to capture those wonderful but fleeting words that just start coming around mile 2.
Anonymous said, on 12/6/2010 7:55:00 AM
"I've plugged many a hole while running or swimming."
This is definitely true. I can look at my own work from weeks that I'm exercsing and weeks that I'm sedentary and see a huge difference in both the quality of writing and the amount of time it takes me to write it. I don't know how many times in the last few weeks I've solved a problem in something I'm working on by setting it aside to think about during a long run--it really works!
Very true. And we are in good company. Haruki Murakami's memoir "What I Talk about When I Talk About Running" explores precisely this theme. He explores how his running is interlinked to his writing.
Don't know, but I do know that not long after I started writing from home fulltime I joined a gym. Then I started karate. Then I started running. Some of it just may be the I'm-glued-to-my-chair-for-hours-on-end-let-me-out-of-here, but it sure doesn't hurt to air out your brain (as well as your butt) from time to time.
I'm sure I'm echoing what everyone else has said, but I most definitely have had a good chunk of my book/plot aha! moments while I was running. Or taking a shower. Or driving. It's in those moments where I am free to just be alone with my thoughts, where I give myself enough time to flesh out an idea.
Of course by the time I get out of the shower I've forgotten it. Grrr.
I've had many times at the gym where after a treadmill run I have to rush to my phone to jot down a virtual "note" before forgetting..
According to all the fitness magazines I read at the gym exercise does help keep your brain in shape. I think creativity is included in that. I always feel more creative after a cardio kick session or running.
I can't speak for whether or not exercise boosts creativity. I do hip-hop dance 2-3 times a week, religiously, and the ONLY thing I am thinking about during that time is the choreography. But it's an amazing outlet and incredibly freeing. So maybe it loosens something up in me creatively. Also, I've been writing a book about the Holocaust, so it's been great to have something on the complete opposite end of the spectrum to balance it all out.
I finally figured this out earlier in the year. I took a couple days off work to get a better handle on some rewrites. Whenever I got stuck, I'd jump on my--then--new Wii Fit Plus and play. I thought I was goofing off. But when I sat back down, voila! The problem unstuck.
I never exercise. Ideas usually stem through the inanities of life for me--taking a shower, trying to fall asleep, eating dinner. I knew I was a freak...
No doubt! It seems to clear my mind of what may be junking it up, making way for ideas and creative fun.
Another big factor for me is how motivational it is: later in the day if I don't feel like writing, I remind myself that I didn't feel like working out but I did it anyway, and how great was that.
That gives me enough internal encouragement and you-can-do-it to make me spring back to my current writing project.
I've been killing myself for two weeks trying to write the last chapter of my first WIP by locking myself in my room. You just reminded of the one thing that's gotten me this far - dead writer's don't write. I have 1.8 acres of leaves in the yard so I'm going to shut the 'puter down and treat my brain to a few hours of oxygen.
I've been killing myself for two weeks trying to write the last chapter of my first WIP by locking myself in my room. You just reminded of the one thing that's gotten me this far - dead writer's don't write. I have 1.8 acres of leaves in the yard so I'm going to shut the 'puter down and treat my brain to a few hours of oxygen.
Absolutely! I'm a walker. I just listened to an interview with a neuroscientist who studies writing and the brain, so I now have teh science behind why I should get out there and walk! Fascinating. I just blogged about it. Like most writers, I've had many, many experiences where I got a great idea when I was least expecting it.
Exercise/fitness is very important. Walking and weight training are my choices.
We walked every day in Paris on our last visit and probably covered 5-6 miles a day walking, sometimes more. Some walks were uphill (Montmartre) and some were straight up - the Arc de Triomphe 300 steps (+).
There's nothing like fresh air to clear the grey matter, and when it's by water of some kind (river, ocean, lake)it also calms my thinking.
Besides, as an observer, something I've posted about, you have to get out and see the world around you. Exercise just adds another layer.
Very good point, Nathan. We don't want to get sluggish.
I'm with you, Nathan. At my annual writing retreat (a week on the beach in Oregon), the daily morning beach-walk is a crucial element of the great work that always gets done, and I'm pretty sure that goes for everyone there.
My normal workout routine (Curves) is less invigorating, but still essential to keeping my mind clear.
I broke my back earlier this year, which meant no more running, and yes, my morale and my writing both suffered. I found myself scrubbing toilets and washing dishes by hand and doing other brainless physical chores to make up for it. There's something about turning your body on and your mind off that's great for getting the creativity going. Plus, having clean clothes to wear and clean dishes to eat off of? Is there anything better?
"Running! If there's any activity happier, more exhilarating, more nourishing to the imagination, I can't think of what it might be. In running the mind flees with the body, the mysterious efflorescence of language seems to pulse in the brain, in rhythm with our feet and the swinging of our arms." — Joyce Carol Oates
If it's good enough for her, it's totes good enough for me!
It might, if I had time to actually do it. Between working a full time job, keeping my house clean and my laundry done and all that other stuff that comes with being married and domesticated, PLUS trying to write on top of it, I don't get a whole lot of time to jump on the treadmill.
Yes, yes! I know I often feel like there aren't enough hours in the day to do it all (paid work, writing time, eating, etc., etc.) but exercise is *so* important! You've got to do or else you turn into a crank with sunken eyes from staring at your computer monitor all day.
I used to swim competitively, and there is nothing like the endless rhythm of laps to help you sort out that latest plot tangle.
I love the creative boost that comes with exercise!
J. T. Shea said, on 12/6/2010 11:04:00 AM
I'm making POST-resolutions this year. I'm going to break them all before the year's end, and then break everyone else's resolutions too. Though I am just back from a long and uncharacteristically snowy Irish walk.
No doubt the pic was taken just before those disgustingly healthy-looking joggers leaped into the Reservoir and swam a few laps to cool off after their jog? I hate them! Even though I am better-looking than all of them put together.
I've never heard that exercising helps let the words flow, but I am so willing to try it. I think you may be right, because I know how much happier I feel when I exercise versus how I feel when I haven't exercised.
Interesting post.
Marigold said, on 12/6/2010 11:35:00 AM
I just dictate to my personal assistant while I run on the threadmill.
Hah, I wish. I rarely have free time so all the time I can spare goes to writing. Exercise? I only think about it if a character needs to workout in a scene.
For me the best thing about exercising (walking the dog) is the sense of accomplishment. "Today I don't totally suck; I fulfilled my obligation to the dog. In the eyes of at least one other living being, I am a success." It also helps to make my bed as soon as I get up. "Look, I can be a grownup today."
Absolutely, great reminder. Just sitting in one place hunkered over a keyboard most of the day takes its toll on a body. Mood-lifter, muscle-stretcher, creativity-booster: That's exercise!
I don't jog but I do walk for exercise. Often, I've seen images along the way that I've incorporated into my novels--rusty shovels and abandoned tricycles under a carport, or black dots of sparrows like stubble on the chin of the sky.
I totally agree, and not just for the health benefits of exercise. I really believe that you have to do other things once in a while in order to help your brain recharge. If I do nothing but sit in front of a computer all day (or stare at a notebook, or whatever you use to write), it kills my creativity because I start resenting having to be there, if nothing else.
I took my posts down because they weren't what I wanted to say.
What I want to say is, absolutely! Good topic - writing is not only solitary, but sedentary. In addition to BIC, there's BOOC (butt out of chair). :)
I swim regularly and swimming works out all types of things in my mind. Giving the mind time to rest and roam without my interference is wonderful for my creativity.
For me it's either exercise or a hot shower. There's nothing like a well-watered brain after a plot snarl. ; )
Anonymous said, on 12/6/2010 1:24:00 PM
Yes, exercise definitely helps-and manual labor. I've stumble across a majority of my "brillent" ideas either while I'm mucking out stalls or scrubbing floors.
Excercise...yes! Definitley. But another good place to lift the mood, awaken the senses, and refill the creative ink well...go to a coffee shop. Sit and pretend to work while your ears, like radar, span the conversations and your eyes peek from beneath your lashes to watch people--their twitches, their gestures, their words, and how they interact. It's a good excercise in itself because your characters won't be the same in every book if you simply spend the time watching human nature.
I also recommend showering for creativity. Not enough writers shower because they get sucked into their screens. And everyone knows how many great ideas come in the shower.
So, writers, for the love of all that is holy, take showers.
This actually has been proven by science, to a degree. Studies have shown that cardio exercise is an extremely affective treatment for depression and anxiety. Therapists and psychologists encourage their patients to exercise because it's good for emotional health, and I believe you need to be emotionally healthy to write.
Today I read an article that said that exercising boosted your energy and made you feel better throughout the rest of the day. That's why it probably helps with creativity. I've also read that repeated manual labor gives the brain room to think and that's how some authors get their ideas.
Anonymous said, on 12/6/2010 2:27:00 PM
'I believe you need to be emotionally healthy to write.'
A neccessary part of my everyday writing "routine" is taking a dance class. I'm pretty sure some of my best ideas get trapped in my body(!), so I do a lot of stretching and dancing. I often find myself talking into my phone recorder on the way home as thoughts pour out. Hey, whatever works. :)
Nice post, Nathan! :D It's different from your usual posts. I don't do heavy exercise to get my creative juices flowing, but sometimes a nice long walk around the neighborhood helps!
You are so right Nathan! When people ask me what I do when I get stuck in my writing, my answer is always, "I ride my bike." Exercise is a steroid for creativity.
Several people have mentioned studies showing that exercise promotes brain health, and it's true! I just read a book on it, Spark, by John Ratey. FYI, Ratey also says that the exercise needs to be aerobic (weight-lifting, for example, doesn't help your brain). But if you want to see the studies (discussed so that non-scientists can understand them), you can find them in Ratey's book.
I don't need convincing - I've cycled over 3000 km since July and lost over 10kg. I'm in the best shape I've been since my early thirties. See new profile pic ;-)
You are so on point with this post. I just started back exercising after a 6 month hiatus while writing. I hurt - literally all over, but I'm doing it again tonight (of course my kid's doing a marathon training and needs someone to be her partner - help! I see lots of pain in my future)
I used to run and loved it, but now my knees have had it, so I go for a bush walk instead. I fast-walk for an hour every day. and that's where I get most of my inspirations and ideas for plots. It never fails me. If I'm having a problem with a plot, I think while I walk.
Along the way, I see kangaroos, foxes, rundown old houses, old car wrecks and sometimes a person or kids climbing trees.
Try it, you may see some odd characters on your walk, maybe even me. I'm odd. I look like a hobbit.
While I was training for my second marathon (a walk-run plan, nothing extreme) and revising my first novel, I would take an MP3 recorder with me on runs and (breathily) talk out writing problems.
Anything (even funny looks from other folks on the trail) for art.
Wow, I'm late to the party! The answer is, yes. Plenty of science behind it. A couple things off the top of my head:
1. Exercise puts you into a relaxed state that's more conducive to free associating and coming up with ideas. (I know it's true for a period afterwards, not sure about during, but could happen too) That's the spontaneous pathway mentioned in this article
2. Also, exercise improves bloodflow, and thus oxygen to the brain. Can't think of a specific study that shows that this blood flow makes you perform better, but it's well established that exercise prevents age related cognitive decline. So if you want to be writing into your later years, exercise!!!
My personal favorite booster is the after exercise shower. Two creativity boosters in one!
Totally agree. Exercise always helps. Days I don't exercise I feel sluggish and need naps to get through the day. I love to swim, really gets the blood pumping :)
Oh yes. My buddy did her Masters Lecture on this very topic and had a bunch of us writers get hooked on the idea of tread desks. It's not a running experience, but a slow walk. I have my tread desk set up in my writing studio and use it as well as my regular sit down desk. Walking while typing is not really hard and you forget that you are moving. I find that I crave the movement now and when I am stuck I get up and walk right there, rain or shine. I highly recommend it. Not a fad. I am very happy with it.
February Grace, I have fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue so I can't always work out or exercise. I do what I can and try not to beat myself up when its physically not possible.
Some days getting out of bed and making a cup of hot tea is all I can do.
I'm grateful for each day I'm given.
Hugs to you!!!!!
Tambra
Anonymous said, on 12/6/2010 4:48:00 PM
I'm a distance swimmer, and create problems solve themselves while I go back and forth, back and forth across the pool for an hour or more. The otherwise numbingly repetitions activity uncork the creative juices.
So does sleep. When I wake up, problems that stumped me the night before are often magically solved. If I don't milk myself within an hour of waking, however, they go back into the dark place and they're lost forever.
J. T. Shea said, on 12/6/2010 5:08:00 PM
Marigold, I dictate to my personal assistants while THEY run on the treadmill.
Sarah, put the dog on the treadmill! I only make my bed on Tuesdays, and I be a grownup only on alternate Thursdays.
Carol Riggs, I'm still trying to incorporate images of a snowy Irish suburb into my WIP set largely in the equatorial jungles of an alien planet. Though I do already have an iceberg, a glacier and hundreds of huge Yetis in my jungle. 'LOST', eat your heart out! Polar bears are nothing.
Right on, Mira! Without exercise, I could end up with a bad case of BTBFC, butt too big for chair.
Livia, what kind of a scientist are you? If you can't think of a specific study that shows what you want to show, MAKE ONE UP!
Tambra, some days getting out of bed and making a cup of hot tea can be an act of heroism.
I just came back from a run! I totally agree. I need to get those endorphins going to keep me motivated through the tuff times. In fact I need to stop eating all the holiday food that seems to be planting itself in my path lately. I feel a lot better mentally when I don't fill my diet with cookies and candy.
RLS said, on 12/6/2010 6:10:00 PM
Yes, but sometimes resting inspires as well. For me, it's making a change--going from a quiet to boisterous room, inside to out, sitting to the stairclimber. But most of all, it is showing up to the page. Amazingly, I may think I'm unsure where to go next, but once I'm in that dance with the keyboard or page ... poof, I'm productive again.
Ah, Nathan. I do wish you were still "in the business." I recently saw another Corona for you on eBay, too...
You got me on this one.
I think exercise is as important for a writer as an open mind and sleep.
Living in your head can cause an awful lot of things to occur, including adrenaline and other build ups.
When I was a kid in college, I found I studied best for tests by doing push-ups. Years later, when learning a new language (Spanish) in my 30s, I did the same and it worked again.
I some days hate going to my Taekwando school for a work out. But every time I do, I love how I feel afterward. All sorts of frustrations released, ideas sparked, head cleared with a fresh sense of preparedness.
I'm a big fan of martial arts for exercise, as it involves discipline, like writing, and self-improvement, and occasionally testing your progress against others as well.
I hope to live as long as Auchincloss, or at least to be as productive as long as him.
At my current rate, I have to. I'm in reasonable physical shape (except for a recent altercation with a minivan, which has me on injured reserve until my torn knee ligament heals), but no longer a bright young star just below the horizon or under 40. So, to achieve my writing goals, I'll probably have to survive at least as long as Auchincloss.
Of course, to achieve my martial arts goals, I'll probably have to do the same as well--if trying for it doesn't kill me first!
I love exercising. It's invigorating and calming all at once and, for me, lets my mind be open to so many possibilites. Even just walking through the city is stimulating. I look at people I pass and make up little stories about them. It's fun.Also, without exercise, I'd really look blubby!
Anonymous said, on 12/6/2010 6:44:00 PM
I run two miles every morning, celtic music running into my ears via mp3 player. I usually sing loudly as I go, and am ignored by the continuous line of pine trees (I live in a tree farm). The days that I don't run, I don't usually write. So yes, I have to run or there isn't another chapter!
Oh, lord yes. I've commented about this before, many times. I'm hardly a jock, but I absolutely have to get out and get some oxygen to my brain. It helps me problem-solve, keeps me from getting hideously depressed and at least prevents a few of those middle-aged pounds from accumulating on my butt from all the "butt in chair" (the rest of them, what can I do?)
Plus I have a bad back from an accident, and if I don't exercise regularly, I have really bad pain to deal with, and nobody likes that.
I totally agree with this post. Usually I walk a couple of miles a day around a track, and the whole time I just keep getting fantastic ideas while also working out plot elements and characterizations. Recently I even dug out an old tape recorder from my news reporting days and carry it with me while walking to record my ideas because I was forgetting far too many of them by the time I got home.
Absolutely! The other thing is doing something outside myself for someone else. There's something about the look in someone's eyes when they "receive" from me that makes the gears and wheels in my head turn faster. My heart is engaged, but it propels my thoughts to a deeper level of character development. It makes me feel *human* and my writing reflects that vulnerability, I hope. Good to hear from you, Nathan. Happy Christmas!
Not only is exercising helpful to stimulate creativity, it is vital to a writer's health. We tend to sit for long stretches at a time. Not good, especially as we get older. It is so extremely difficult to break away when we get in a writing groove, but sometimes we must. I began to suffer some major muscle pain in the past, so I now try to force myself to take breaks and go for a walk or hit the gym. 9 times out of 10 I find doing so will also help rejuvenate my creativity and thus, help improve my work.
Preach it from the mountaintop, brother! Exercise boosts self-confidence, which lets you get your mind off of yourself for a minute. In my experience, if I am not happy with myself physically, it consumes too much of my thoughts. I don't mean in a vain way--but in a health-conscious and self-respect-having way.
So I exercise to be a happier me with more mental focus on all things creative. And I know a teeny amount about exercising for the sake of restoring focus--I lost 49 pounds in 2009. One year and four months later and *not a pound* is back. Thanks for the post, Nathan!
There's nothing like the pain of running to remind me how pleasant solving a plot problem is.
Tracey said, on 12/7/2010 2:36:00 AM
Does it help me with creativity? Not in the least. In fact, thanks to lymphedema tarda, walking around is pretty much guaranteed to exhaust me, leaving me little energy for writing or daily chores and, most likely, with swollen legs and a lot of pain for the next few days.
Going for regular walks and getting fresh air in my snoot isn't worth suffering bone-aching pain and being unable to sit, stand or walk without feeling that my feet are resting on knife blades pointing upward. It just isn't.
Does obsessively clicking "refresh" on your email after you send a query to an agent count as exercise for your fingers? :) Seriously, I agree. Some of my best ideas come when I'm focused on something else, be it power walking or showering or cleaning the cat's hairballs off the carpet.
I'm a deep believer that when your body is busy and mind relaxed, those connections form that didn't seem to be gelling before, so I'm with you. If I'm REALLY stuck, I don't even take my iPod.
Definitely! I always go for a long walk when I'm stuck with something in my writing or when I simply need to clear my head. It's also a great way to keep in shape.
I walk to and from work every day, and I've thought of so many scenes and ideas while walking. The time alone and away from distractions means I can really think about what I want to happen in a scene or plot, and it's great to have that time while still doing something purposeful.
I'm totall with you here. Exercise helps me solve story problems and boost my mood. I even have a treadmill desk and spend part of my writing day walking.
Totally agree! I love to run while listening to my ipod and when I'm concentrating on a story arc, it seems like every other song is describing my characters. The connections I feel to my characters strengthens and it helps me to add depth to them and their situations.
Nathan, that's the second time you post something I experience right after. Perhaps it's just because I notice it more? ^^
There's been a lot of snow up here in Quebec City, and let me tell you, I'm getting a *lot* of ideas while shoveling. Take that, plotholes! Winter is winning over you! :D
i noticed this BIG TIME during NaNoWriMo. normally, i run 3-4 miles per day, plus weight lifting and stretching. i'll occasionally throw in some cycling or swimming as well. i was doing really well until my kids got sick during the 2nd week of november. they were sick, so i didn't work out. my writing slowed considerably and it was a struggle to get a few sentences down. then my husband and i got sick, so again, no exercise, which meant craptacular writing. after thanksgiving weekend (during which i didn't exercise either), i got back into it. everyone was finally healthy, so i made myself get back to the gym. i'll tell you what, i cranked out about 15,000 or my 50,000 words in those last 3 days. about half of it on 11/30.
Exercise is key! Gets the blood flowing, gets me out of the house and away from the computer, and it's a change of scenery. All very important :)
I also teach yoga. So if I don't have time to get a workout in and I'm really stuck/blocked/frustrated, I'll try an inversion in the house.
I highly recommend it! It literally flips your perspective, turns your world upside-down, and irrigates your brain with blood. If you're new to yoga/inversions, almost everyone can do downward-facing dog, or just sit/stand and fold at the waist - anything that gets your head below your heart. Give it a try! :)
My internist says running helps her with puzzling cases. Often out running the diagnosis will pop into her head. For me, it is frustrating to have a great idea while on bike, on run or in pool and not have a place to jot it down.
These post came at a great time. I've just made some pre-resolutions and one of them was to excercise. I made this one knowing there was a high likelihood I would fail.
Maybe this is just the extra boost I need?
Anonymous said, on 12/9/2010 12:52:00 AM
There's lots of material on exercise improving learning acquisition and recall, mainly by affecting the activity of a growth factor called BDNF (brain-derived neurotrophic factor) in the hippocampus.
BDNF is signaled strongly by inflammation, stress hormones, and other such signaling events which are stimulated by exercise. This is more of a long-term effect, as -- per the name -- BDNF is involved in the growth and plasticity of neurons in the hippocampus.
The post-exercise euphoria and creativity boost is likely a function of endorphins (your body's own morphine) and increased blood flow to the brain; there's some research into this but not as much as you'd want to draw real conclusions.
Hmmm. Interesting. I will try this exercise you speak of. No, seriously, I never thought of using the pursuit of better heart health as a tool to help writers block/indirection. So thanks!!
Actually, I think it's the switch between mental and physical activity that boosts creativity. If I'm stuck, I do the washing up or the hoovering, or clean out a cupboard. It's not technically exercise, but it is changing to a type of activity that is done by the body rather than the mind. Disengaging conscious thought (and giving yourself the fiction that you're doing something constructive and not procrastinating) allows your sub-conscious to sort out your writing problems.
I know this is true from experience: I come up with more ideas and solve more problems when I'm running. Also, I've been known to sit on a weight bench between sets and write down ideas. The people at the gym are occasionally not amused by this....
I agree completely! Doing anything to get away from your work for a while can provide a new perspective, but there's something special about breaking a sweat.
I'm terrible when it comes to exercising, but I do find a walk in cold air always clears the cobwebs and I am usually brainstorming (without paper at hand) while I walk.
NaNoWriMo is over!! Congrats to all participants, and hope everyone is enjoying some non-writing activities. Would you believe that the event produced 2,799,449,947 words? That's two BILLION. Good work, people.
My former client Natalie Whipple has written one of the most beautifully honest posts I've read in an extremely long time. She dared to speak something that writers usually don't discuss: the agony of being on submission for fifteen months. A truly amazing post, and she followed it up with a post on what she learned.
But in actually-good book news, just in time for the holidays, my former colleague Sarah LaPolla has an amazing roundup of her favorite books of the year to help inspire your shopping list.
Simon & Schuster gave a book deal to God. Or at least God's Twitter account.
And e-book distributor Smashwords announced that it is ending discounting and is moving to a model where the author or publisher exclusively sets the retail price. CEO Mark Coker explains their reasoning behind the shift. Closely related to all of this, for all you publishing wonks out there, Mike Shatzkin reviews the biggest story in publishing in 2010: the shift to the agency model.
Interesting content on the Nixon-era childrens' books, although it's not really that "terrifying". I don't expect the vocabularies or social folkways from a few decades ago to match our own present ones. Heck, 20 years from now we might look at how badly men are treating in commercials with the same level of revulsion.
Those Nixon-era books should have been horror stories, yikes! I was a child in the 70s and yes, I suppose it was a scary time and on top of that we had to wear 70s outfits, enough said...
Loved the "So you want to write a novel" video. Hilarious, I was that deluded once actually, well, not as bad but close (at least I read Stephen King's On Writing)
@Nathan Natalie has inspired lots of posts with her amazing honest talk about her journey. It's hard not to get down about the industry, sometimes. Then I read about a friend's success, and it keeps me going.
And that was a very depressing book...but speaking of political correctness, the comedy stunt of signing God certainly doesn't care about it. That entire press release was pretty offensive if someone actually meant it.
Great posts by your former clients! Definitely great insights.
I read Natalie's post - so brave and heart-wrenching. She got an amazing response to it. Obviously, so many of us aspiring writers can identify. I was so touched by all the support and well-wishes she received! Such a FANTASTIC community of writers out here in the blogosphere. :)
Nano kicked my can a little. Didn't quite get to the 50K. But, my December is all about reading!! NeToReMo and 650k words read in a month!! Wish me luck!
Re - the children's books: The Nixon era was terrifying - period. Lies, belligerent police action, Intelligence faux pas, you name it. Trying to cut through the crap fostered in the fifties, meant saying bluntly what needed to be said - even in literature/books for kids.
Nathan - liked the commentary by your wife regarding the French language and Paris (on her blog). I can identify with that.
The presidency didn't become a cult of personality until 1960.
Since then liberals and conservatives have fought a daily battle to find the ultimate Fuhrer who can begin the Fourth Reich and eliminate the other side for all eternity.
Liberal fundamentalists and Conservative fundamentalists of atheism and theism are repulsive and in retreat as the middle way of civilizations truth arms itself to crush both camps. That is why everything is in flux, People see the lunatics are running the asylum and they have sealed the perimeter and are organizing S.W.A.T. teams to retake the institutions which protect our freedom, so we are safe from each other and safe from the crushing power of people who gather together to use the power of government as a tool of oppression.
Richard Nixon created SSDI to give money to the mentally ill who were left to sleep in the streets after the messianic fundamentalist social mindset decided to close the hospitals without creating an alternative leaving them to starve unmedicated in the streets.
Today is Friday the third of November 2010 it is not The Obama Era. The christian right wing was crushed mercilessly by the truthful middle. Now it's the liberal god doesn't exist because I am a true god cometh in the flesh as enlightened liberal judgement caster on the unwashed uneducated masses, who display the same filthy arrogance the right wing did before their justified demise in 1992.
Political historics as a savvy overview states unequivocally: Obama is a ringer to crush ivy league posers. "Give them what they want and it shall annihilate them." In the end Vonnegut attempted suicide in 1984. Abbey Hoffman and Hunter Thompson succeeded. Few people understand the idea that it takes one to no one as stated thusly: "Judge not lest ye be judged"
There are many political blogs to read I hope this doesn't become one.
J said, on 12/3/2010 1:08:00 PM
Nathan, your wife is so freaking adorable!
Reading her blog made me just feel happy for you guys.
So happy for you and your 'good news' but I will miss "seeing" you over here.
J. T. Shea said, on 12/3/2010 5:23:00 PM
I want to read about Natalie Whipple's Ninja and the hot cheerleader! And about the crime lord's invisible daughter! Both books! Right now! Bad publishing industry! Bad! Bad! Bad! WHAAAAA!!!
Rachelle Gardner versus comparing? How right she is! One of my worst faults, BTW.
Mrs. Nathan's Sweet Juniper link lists 'Terrifying Children's Books' only from the Nixon and Reagan and Eisenhower eras. Perhaps they'll list the 'Terrifying Children's Books' from the Kennedy and Johnson and Carter eras next week. But I'm not holding my breath...Though the site does have an interesting photo of President Gerald Ford as a kid.
I see God is now repped by the Levine Greenburg Literary Agency. I wonder did he have to query? Even with 5 billion sales, the last of his big three books was published thirteen hundred years ago. Maybe he might post his query and excerpts on the Forums?
Dwkazzie, you have a lot to answer for! Agents and publishers will soon be inundated by novels written by Teddy Bears!
dwkazzie - that was wonderful! Loved the deadpan. :)
This is alittle off topic, but boy the forums have been jumping this week, Nathan. I can barely keep up with the threads. Pretty fun.
So, wonderful links, as always, thank you. I am going to address half of the links now, and half later, because I am a graduate student and, as such, I am extremely organized and structured, even when there's no point to being organized and structured. Yes indeed. That's the way us students roll.
So, let's see. What's first? Well, super congrats to the NaNo people! All those wonderful words and writing. I admit I am jealous, I really wanted to do NaNo, but couldn't. So, next year, I'm going to complete NaNo and win. Then you get to lord it over everyone you know, right? Something to look forward to.
Natalie's article was vulnerable and heartbreaking. I so feel for her. I am also really surprised - she has such a wonderful voice, surely someone would be smart enough to snap her up! I also saw something scary in her article - she said that if no one picked her up she'd drop the book. !!!!!!! Let me say that again. !!!!!!! No offense, but that's just nuttso! First of all, Nathan offered representation on that book, and do you know how picky he is??? I mean, in a good way? Second, you cleary can build a following, Natalie. If no one is smart enough to pick you up, you might check out the Smashwords link on this thread. But don't drop your book! If only for the important reason that I want to read it! Okay, enough said. Your book will be in print one way or another and that's final.
Okay, moving on - I really liked Rachelle's article! Very affirming and practical, too.
I really enjoy your wife's blog, Nathan! She has a wonderful voice, the kind of voice where you re-read her articles, because they are fun. She can be very funny, too, especially when she's giving you a hard time. Ha, ha. I love those. I laughed at the Empire State building post, that was so funny.
I enjoyed the Nixon era book link. It was very interesting to see the seeds of our books now in the books then. Also, some were really funny and creepy which was fun.
Okay, so that's enough for now. I don't know if that's exactly half....but although I am an organized and structured grad student, let's not take it too far. No need to actually count the links.
So, hope everyone is all warm and cozy, and thanks so much again for the links, Nathan!
I hate, hate, hate agency model pricing. What it means for the reader (i.e. me) is that ebook prices end up being, in many cases, HIGHER than the paper book prices. Ridiculous. I am buying a lot fewer books now.
Thanks for the link to Natalie's post. Truly revealing and awesome. Thanks, Natalie.
And more thanks for linking to your wife. I was so curious about her. She sounds adorable from her words on the Locusts and Wild Honey website. I feel a kind of empathy and that I can relate to her, perhaps because she seems so original and sweet-natured. I'm kidding myself, of course. But I wish I knew her. Lucky you, Nathan!
First of all I can't discuss the Natalie posts. I mean I did comment there, and her courage is amazingly commendable, but I can't really talk about it without either tearing up or taking off.
Otherwise, AP sent you a creepy link? Dude. I'm so there!
And in other news a man married a dog, and a woman bought the rights to the sun. No, I'm not joking, Google those topics.
Thanks for allowing my post to stand Nathan. Maybe someday when the publishing industry is through this binge and purge insanity you'll go back in ten years and be the type of acquiring editor that makes sure important books receive the structural and line editing required and then are sold like crazy the old fashioned way, handshake to handshake. You made the right move to get out and your clients all report extremely ethical and inspired support from you through the ever increasing madness of a business that still has not faced the new "cultural" reality IE; people want information and heartfelt opinions from people they know have invested the time in their works arguments. Its younger people who are forcing this change and it's a change towards unfiltered truth and commentary labeled as commentary. Keep up the good work.
Okay, I'm ready for the second half, but the question is: is the second half ready for me? Well, ready or not, here I come!
Okay, so what's next? Sarah LaPolla's list. You know, she's got a nice voice, I like reading her writing. I liked her recommendations, too. But I don't think she should refer to you, Nathan, as our dearly departed. I think the reasons for that speak for themselves and since I assume you will be enjoying a very long, healthy and happy life, if only for the purposes of writing a blog I enjoy, then maybe we could rephrase that one.
I wish I'd thought of the God Twitter. It's a very clever idea. However, I don't like what they are doing with it. I was really hoping for some wisdom or thoughtful humor. Well, maybe it will find its stride over time.
Fascinating article by the Smashwords guy - he sounds intelligent and with his finger on the pulse of what's happening. I like Shatzkin's article for information. He is in favor of the agency model, though, and I'm not sure why.
Okay, I guess my splitting the links in half wasn't exactly even because I'm done! It was extremely organized, though, you can't argue with that. Thanks for the fun and informative links, Nathan! Hope everyone had a great weekend!
I love the God tweets. While I think religion is important, some people take it too seriously. It's nice to have a relaxing chuckle every now and then.
We have all probably started ill-fated novels that, shall we say, did not go where we wanted them to go. For one reason or another, either our will or our preparation or the idea failed us, and sure enough, they ended up in novel hell.
Based on the Nine Circles of Hell in Dante's Divine Comedy, here are the nine circles of writing hell.
Save your novel from these sins, my fellow writers! Repent before it is too late!
First Circle - Limbo
Hello shiny idea for a novel! Should I write you? Should I not write you? Maybe I'll write a few pages and see how you go. Should I... oohhh Farmville.
Second Circle - Lust
Novel, you are so brilliant, you shine like a beautiful bright beacon, nay, like filigree sparkling in the darkest of unlit nights. Everything you do is wonderful, to change but one of your words would be a sin unto mankind. Whatever you want novel, whether it's second person stream of consciousness or an illogical plot twist or overwrought prose that makes people blush, you can have it, please take it, it's yours. I LOVE YOU, NOVEL.
Third Circle - Gluttony
No time to eat. No time to work. No time for breaks. No time to attend to essential hygiene. Twenty-six-hours straight. MUST. WRITE. NOVEL. I. WILL. NOT. BURN. OUT.
Okay, I'm starting to get burned out...
Fourth Circle - Greed
Dude, Stephenie Meyer wrote that vampire book in like six weeks or something and now she's a gagillionaire. How hard can it be?!
Fifth Circle - Anger
I hate agents, I hate query letters, I hate rejection letters, I hate editors, I hate published authors, I hate unpublished authors, I hate periods, I hate exclamation points, I hate semi-colons, I hate paper, I hate words, I hate the space between words, and most of all, I HATE THIS FREAKING NOVEL!!!
Sixth Circle - Heresy
You know what novel I don't like? THE GREAT GATSBY. I mean, what's the big deal?! Green lights and drunks and parties and blah blah blah? What a bunch of trash. I threw that book across the room. That Scott person needs to get a clue, I can't believe anyone published him. And DON'T GET ME STARTED on how much editing he needed.
Seventh Circle - Violence
Oh, you think you're reeeeallll clever, don't you, Manuscript. You think you're smart and witty and amazing and your characters are funny and you're going to make people cry. Well, how about I introduce you to my friend MR. SHREDDER!!! Mwa ha ha ha ha ha.....
Eighth Circle - Fraud
Oprah won't REALLY care if I make up this memoir...
So not a traditional ninth's circle but I'd add infidelity.
Oh, hello shiny new idea. Want to go to the laptop with me tonight? The WIP doesn't have to know. We need a little break from each other. Time alone is healthy for a relationship. I'll just write a little of you, shiny new idea. We both know this isn't serious. Just a little fun.
Holy... that's not really 5k words, is it? But the WIP... But THIS!
LOL..Brilliant. Been through 1,2 and 4. And hoping never to go through some others. The gold, baby line reminded me of Jerry Seinfeld and Kenny Bania, "It's gold, Jerry! Gold!" :D
A descriptive look at the ego and its various degrees of self-righteousness.
To understand this list and the places the human mind will take us on our internal journey through the written word onward can be as terrifying in its veracity.
Love, love, love this post! Hilarious and so true.
I feel like the Second Circle is really common for novice writers, especially poets. There's a tendency to believe things are perfect just as they pour out of you, and that revision is blasphemy. I know I've been there.
Been there, done that . . . and that. . . and that . . . and that . . . and that . . . and that . . . and that . . . and that . . . wait wasn't there supposed to be a frozen lake around here somewhere?
OK I so I laughed out loud - I'm still not descending into the land of initialisation.
Ninth Circle - Treachery I, the flowery novel, covered in clichés and bejewelled in adverbial everythings, know I need to be nip-tucked crisp and ironed out smooth but neither I (nor you mother) will tell you. HA!HA!HA!
WV: psyndio - HP/Voldemort spell for sending people into psychosis? Got it! ;)
Well, no wonder you got rejected, no-longer-shiny novel. Your plot stinks, your characters stink, and I couldn't write my way out of a paper bag with a sharp knife. I'll never be a published writer, so I might as well play Farmville all night.
I just think you are brilliant. That was great. I think I'm in the "anger" phase where I stopped sending out query letters. They all suck. Time to buy the Sell Your Novel Toolkit, I think!
I believe when I wrote the bones to I AM WOLF, I was sitting there thinking wow, it's finished!! Then my editor got ahold of it.. When he was finished, it was a bloody mess. I listened to him though, and it turned out to be a wonderful experience.
Oh my heavens! I needed this laugh today! Thank you!
My favorite would have to be "Heresy." I just didn't get that book. We read it in 11th grade English and it was my least favorite. (Followed closely by Huck Finn.)
Though I do love "Violence" because I used to shred copies of my manuscript after I'd finished editing those sections.
Hmmm...I wonder if Winston Churchill was channeling Dante when he wrote the following: "Writing a book is an adventure. To begin with, it is a toy and an amusement; then it becomes a mistress, and then it becomes a master, and then a tyrant. The last phase is that just as you are about to be reconciled to your servitude, you kill the monster, and fling him out to the public."
Mine has been stuck somewhere in Limbo for awhile--but my favorite stage is Gluttony. I'm planning to indulge in this over the holidays, oh sweet novel thou awaitest me patiently! (don't worry, my family will pull me away to eat and interact with them)
There are many kinds of hell. Sometimes we let ourselves fall into one of those 9 levels through lack of passion and commitment. Have confidence in your idea, but listen to the revision angels.
To remove yourself from any of those levels, simply impose discipline and get an enforcer (Ideal reader, crit group,or spouse) to ensure you write, write, and write some more. Then you must revise, shop the book around, etc.
Perhaps Nano is one of those hells? (you write until you drop or else) I'm just saying it could be.
Interesting post, Nathan, with thanks to Dante for stimulating your imagination.
I can't wait to see what you come up with for purgatory. :)
Anonymous said, on 11/23/2010 10:55:00 AM
Know what? I will continue to have my net novel in my blogspot for some people to copy and print. It's more EXPENSIVE that way. They have to buy INK and bond paper from the store and they will have to learn Math. By the time they printed my stories each "copier" is spending at least $50.00 for the ink and $6.00 for the paper.Then they can copy and print again another novel for their own perusal and eureka they will have to spend more than that for ink and bond paper. Who is gaining here you tell me? The INK store of course. Now where can we dump the snow?
Perfect description of what writing a novel is like. Very clever, Nathan! :)
~TRA
http://xtheredangelx.blogspot.com
Anonymous said, on 11/23/2010 12:02:00 PM
Nine circles of writing hell. Might there be a writing purgatory as well? Why not a writing heaven, where epiphanies about writing's many impermeable membranes are ascendent?
I'm looking at my first big story as a training novel; therefore it must be finished no matter how absurd. I'll do anything to finish including burn in hell. I just like to finish stuff and learn whatever lessons must be learned. It's all good even writer's hell. You gotta have skin in the game to relate to other peoples thoughts and struggles.
How 'bout the tenth circle being "Making a Typographical Error in your Comment Identity thereby taking people to the wrong and slightly strange blog."?
Ha! Clever, Nathan. :) I'm realizing that changing this from a work blog to a personal blog will give you more opportunities to stretch your writing chops. Yay!
For me, I skip all the rest and start at Hell level number 9, and I do this without having written the novel. I don't mean to be immodest, but I'm very efficient when it comes to descending levels. It's a sort of gift.
After reading this, I think my first NaNoWriMo pep talk next will be titled, "Abandon hope, all ye who enter here." It might not be the best way to raise morale among the troops, but at least it would be honest.
I must be stuck in the fifth circle, except for the hating the manuscript part. It does help explain my free read, Query This Sucker! Memoirs of an Angry Author.
I needed to laugh today and this really hit the spot. Not sure what circle I am languishing in at the moment. Nice to know it's not a circle reserved especially for me.
so i'm hovering in the most beautiful arc above the 5th and 7th circles, travelling back and forth between the two.
i love this post, nathan, really, but where are our precious pearls? you know, the ones you drop into our cyber laps that tell us what to do to get out of these circles?
I agree with Leah: infidelity can be another sin! I'm currently spreading myself between three novels and a short story collection, but shh...don't tell any of them that!
Third Circle: Opening scene, Romancing The Stone. Author finishes novel…tears, no tissues, no paper towels, no TP with which to wipe her tears, post-it works. Ah…the joy of finally finishing, what…you mean it’s supposed to be published.
Ms trite says: From the loft of heaven, ideas come, and if into the fires of hell they descend…visit the purgatory of writers, isle one, Staples, multi-purpose, 20 lb, 500 sheets…START OVER.
Very funny indeed... and oh-so-painfully true. But seriously, The Great Gatsby is boring.
Anonymous said, on 11/24/2010 6:41:00 PM
8. Become a literary agent.
This will guarantee traffic at your site.
People will read your blog, chiefly because they'll want to leave a sugary sweet comment so that you, the literary agent, will see their name and their face (and hopefully remember it fondly... when you reject their work). What these people fail to take into account, however, is that in all likelihood you'll be moving on to something else within a matter of months anyhow.
Becoming a literary agent is also a great way to get your novel published - so really it's a win win situation: you end up getting published, and you end up with a large following!
Keep it in mind, however, that every now and then some clever personage will see right through your ruse, and leave some class of antagonistic comment behind.
That's alright though because, having modeled your style on that of Sauron's, from The Lord of the Rings, you love any opportunity to act in a dictatorial fashion... and can simply delete that person's comment.
Happy Thanksgiving to Nathan and his family, and to all of my American friends south of the 49'th!
The query process is understandably terrifying. In fact, I'm pretty sure they use it as a torture device in some countries. And that's even before you jump online and find out that every agent has a slightly different idea of what makes a good query and every discussion forum has a different formula and next thing you know you'll find yourself checking yourself into an asylum as a precautionary measure.
Lost in all of this is perhaps the most important element of the query: YOU.
You! The writer! The personage! The prodigiously talented talent!
A few months back, Jessica Faust at BookEnds had some terrific advice: don't try and write a query that will appeal to everyone, write the best query you can that will appeal to many.
Not only is this terrific advice, it doesn't just apply to queries - in fact I would carry this forward to the actual writing as well. It doesn't work to write the book that you think you should write or that you think is what the market wants or that everyone in the world will like. Don't try to write for everyone, write for many. And that "many" can be just as many people as you want.
And it doesn't just apply to queries and manuscripts, it applies to how you conduct yourself and think of yourself as a writer. Sometimes I think people get so nervous about doing the wrong thing they button themselves up and hide away their real self. And sure, put on some nice clothes and put your best foot forward, but don't lose yourself in the process. If someone doesn't want to work with the real you, trust me, you don't want to work with them either.
Queries, manuscripts, correspondence: the absolute best thing you can do is to just be yourself.
44 Comments on The Importance of Being Yourself, last added: 11/20/2010
Sorry, this is a response to yesterday's post. The greatest fear before a writer is the dangers he/she is unaware of. Like, haling from the third world, writing a very daring book, going thru the nightmarish process of getting published in the US (because the audience is global)... and in the end being kicked around. Like:
Receiving your first copy thru amazon which you had to buy as it is supposedly in stock. The publisher in the meantime keeps you in the dark about the status or schedule of the book and while the book is in stock he tells you the book is at the printers. (! ?)Then finding out "About the author" as on the book, is not what you agreed but something else and also has factual errors. The pub no doubt has not bothered to put an index in the end and has introduced some typos that did not exist in your script.
I thought maybe holding your book in your hand will be a moment - yes it was, a truly depressing one.
Anonymous said, on 11/18/2010 9:04:00 AM
Your words are very sharp. "If they don't like you. You don't like them either." Great.That should be the best thing you could say to the critic. The hell with them. Same thing here if they don't like reading my blogs they could go to another site.
Liked the photo of Oscar Wilde - just visited his gravesite in Pere Lachaise cemetary in Paris. Kisses from his followers cover the tomb. He's still adored today for the wit and wisdom he created during his life. (being earnest)
I've always followed my own mind when the information is confusing. It's my story after all. I will, however, follow guidelines when necessary to enter the gates of publishing.
Great post, Nathan, and something positive for writers.
Who ended up in prison, ironically enough, for the crime of being 'himself'.
But damn, didn't he shine? And hasn't he inspired generations of writers and artists? And didn't he influence the rewrite of the entire British penal code?
Makes sense. Isn't everyone always stressing how important voice is? Yet the first thing you'll lose if you try to do everything by eighteen sets of meticulous rules is that voice.
I'm so happy to read this post because by this age I've figured out that I can't be anybody else...
You are, as always, twelve kinds of awesome. I'd say thirteen but hey, everyone needs goals to aspire to... :D Even Bransford the Great! (now that you've got Author down what's next...first man on Mars? You could so totally do that.)
Great post. I think people are so hung up on getting the query letter "right" (as in the way the THINK agents want it) that they forget why they are doing it to begin with. They need to write it with the same excitement and enthusiasm they do their manuscript. Most of us see the query letter as a horrible--our life depends on doing it right--task. It's such horrible pressure. But, I'm a victim of the query letter, too. I must change my approach.
We all get a little too hung up on what people should be saying. Rather than what we could say most creatively because it's coming from our true selves. Anyway, haha. That's what I'm doing on my blog now by writing about creative writing, books, and the publishing world from a several zany alter personalities. It's way more fun this way. Not holding back any more.
If only other agents could be this encouraging... reading their submission guidelines sometimes feels like a thinly disguised attempt at saying "don't bother, we're going to reject you anyway." It's even more discouraging when you've gone out of your way to do everything right and you still have to hear that tired old line: it's just "not the right fit". Or worse- the silence stretches on until you can only ASSUME you weren't the right fit- again. You're one of the few people to show sympathy to our plight. You rock.
Great point. This applies to any kind of introduction. If you aren't yourself in the introduction, you will have to be that other person for the relationship.
Anonymous said, on 11/18/2010 11:00:00 AM
I have a dilemma. My story is told from 1st person pov and there are mysteries that the MC must slowly discover throughout the MS.
I want to know if it is okay in the query to reveal the POV of the villain to create a deeper interest than the MC herself can reveal, or would this be to misleading to an agent and make them think the story is told from more than one POV?
Example:
Wonderful heroine, blah blah, is about to graduate....
Secretive villain, blah blah, is watching the heroine and laying a trap....
I have a difficult time hiding my natural snarkiness in my writing. It creeps up out of nowhere! I try to keep it out of my query's, really who wants to hang out with that without a couple of beers!
I find querying to be like a roulette wheel, you just never know where it's going to land. With that said, it's a great opportunity to showcase yourself. I also believe that a simple blog can show your range and talents as a writer easily.
This is great. I agree, our unique voices should shine through no matter what medium we are using to get our message across, and that includes our blog. You have a very clear, strong voice Nathan. I'm sure it carries over into your author voice, which will most likely resonate throughout your novels. I like you. I like your voice, so I assume I'll like your novels. Author voice is one of my favorite topics.
I couldn't agree more. The whole point of querying is to find an agent you can work well with. They need to know who you are.
I would add that, if the query is well written, agents who like the idea of the story will read the pages even if the query doesn't follow their particular preferences like personalization or word count and genre at the beginning or end or jumping right into the details of the plot at the outset.
As usual, thank you for coming in and blogging the right message at the right time. Yesterday's blog had me thinking about my writig and if it would ever be good enough for the world to enjoy. You're right, that doesn't matter. The next story that I am writing is a fun MG story and I am writing it for my children. If they like it then that will be good enough. I can see why James Patterson always wears a hat that says RELAX on it in all of his book cover photos. We should all just do just that, relax. Oh, and write a multimillion dollar block buster, new york times best selling book.
You must have ESP or something. I'm going through this ordeal, too, with the manuscript I'm querying. Not so much the query as the MS itself. Thank you for the words of inspiration, Nathan. Glad that you're still helping us make sense of the writing world. I'm pretty sure we'd be lost without you.
And for the more senior readers among us, comes the earworm of Rick Nelson's "Garden Party". "You can't please everyone, so you've got to please yourself." Wise words no matter what your generation.
And Nathan says it best "If someone doesn't want to work with the real you, trust me, you don't want to work with them either."
First off, best of luck Nathan at your position at CNet! I wish you all the best and thank you very much for continuing this prodigiously informative and entertaining blog. ( I dared myself to use prodigiously in a sentence)
I found, while drafting my query I was trying so hard to make myself sound appealing to a mass audience. The writing, however, didn’t sound like me, the voice wasn’t mine. I began drafting the query, and after the four revision my voice suddenly emerged. The thing is, I didn’t think about it, I just happened. I felt comfortable with the words put on paper because they were born from my conscious and not some used car salesman, cliché-ridden marketing voice.
I’m putting my best foot forward and submitting my queries.
Just blogged about this very topic yesterday; I can see how an attitude of being yourself is key to success: "Acceptance, Normalcy are Overrated." -- http://cameronsullivan.blogspot.com/2010/11/acceptance-normalcy-are-overrated.html Thanks Nathan
After almost 100 published books, I have just received my first 1-star review ever!-- and to add insult to injury,that review was on one of my favorite books from the last ten years. I should have been devasted, but as I analyzed the review I realized that everything the writer hated about the book, my editor loved. If I had written it to please this reviewer--i.e., popular taste-- I never would have sold the book. With this simple realization a lot of things fell into place for me. Be yourself. Some people are going to love you, some people are not. Nothing you can do will change this. Good post, Nathan, and perfectly timed!
Anonymous said, on 11/18/2010 5:07:00 PM
Graffiti on a wall: Killjoy was here.
Comment added underneath: It's Killroy, stupid.
The first comment is me being myself. The second is someone else being someone else.
Mr. Former Agent Man: Your best post ever, in my humble opinion.
Just read in "The War of Art," a book I highly recommend as it was recommended to me, that trying to pander to whatever trend or fad in anything, be it literature or fashion or literature after a fashion, is in fact the very definition of the one thing most of us don't ever want to be called: a "hack."
And Mira...ah, Mira. How could anyone ever interpret anything you say as other than adorable?
Excellent post, Nathan! Thanks so much for the motivation...too often do people write to impress others and please everyone, when such a feat is impossible. "Being yourself" won't just give someone a decent (but not great) audience, but it will also make you happy.
I absolutely love the research and work that goes into finding out about the editor or agent to whom you are querying. First of all, you learn so much along the way about the process; what to do, what to avoid, AND you are wasting less time by NOT submitting to people who are not interested in what you write.
Attending conferences is an excellent way of making a connection, and you will usually get the opportunity to submit to publishers that are normally closed to non-agented work.
Another great resource is Jill Corcoran's post: http://jillcorcoran.blogspot.com/2009/03/how-to-write-query-letter-advice-from.html
Sorry to be off topic, but I've just this moment caught up on my email as I've been offline for three weeks. You're no longer an agent, Nathan? This is quite apocolyptic in nature. Wow.
Well, I'm glad you're happy and optimistic about it. I'm happy cos I can wax lyrical about the joys and wonder of this blog and you without worrying you'll think I'm sucking up because of your agently status. Now I'll just worry you'll think I'm trying to ... the other thing. But if I inform that I'm old enough to adopt you, then we can all relax. And I can be as affectionate and charming as I like without fear or favour.
Or something like that. :)
Good luck with your new endeavours. It's all very exciting. I'm so glad that this blog is continuing. One of my fave places to visit.
Nathan, would have responded to this earlier, but just got back from India and the data rates there are terrible! This is a good reminder for me. While I've taken much of your advice about first chapters (still scared to submit one for comment) in writing my first fiction novel, I've struggled with keeping my "voice" while following the "rules" of writing a good story. It's much harder than I had imagined it would be. thank you for this encouragement. Maybe some day I'll brave the Friday forum...
To be sure, there are mixed opinions about the utility of getting words-down-any-words-down and powering through to get something on the page. Personally I feel that getting words-down-any-words-down can be very helpful, as I find it much easier to go back and revise than to try and conjure something for the first time.
But how does one power through? I have never attempted the marathon/race to the moon/mountain climb that is NaNoWriMo, but I'm sure that at some point that brain starts yelping, "No! More! Words!"
How do you quell that feeling and power through to keep going?
86 Comments on NaNoWriMo You Tell Me: How Do You Power Through?, last added: 10/30/2010
NaNoWriMo doesn't work for me at all. I've tried it twice.
I do all my writing and early revising in my head. Word count is only achieved by emptying out my brain. In this way, I'm more of a tortoise than a NaNoWriMo hare. (or a marathoner to a sprinter) I schedule my writing time and make myself type a page a day, minimum, six days a week, 50 weeks a year. (I give myself time off for holidays.)
Plus, starting for me is ridiculously easy. I'm halfway through one novel and have three more in the form of a trilogy waiting in my writing queue. (that's not counting all of the other cool story ideas that are sketched out.) All three of the books in the trilogy are in various stages of completion, as well. It's what I was working on when the inspiration for my current work in progress hit.
Being "mugged" by a story concept is an interesting experience. I hadn't planned to write the story I'm working on for another five or six years.
Sierra McConnell said, on 10/27/2010 11:04:00 AM
The people at NaNo Forums swear by a thing called WriteOrDie. I've never used it, but they say it will start playing baby crying noises or Rick James if you stop typing.
For me, personally, I just love to see the word count bar go up. I'm all about verification. So anything goes. There were so many scenes of bathing and eating in the first few drafts that were written out...
reader said, on 10/27/2010 11:13:00 AM
Two kinds of writers in the world, the pro NaNoWriMo and the ones that want to hide under the bed at the mere thought.
These comments remind me why I'm the latter -- writing nonsence to up a word count, writing description you know won't stay, writing dialogue that you'll have to rip out later...
It's hard enough for me to edit the crap I meant to write, much less the word-vomit, but I think it's a great idea if you're an expert reviser. Good luck to those plugging along! :)
I've used many of the "tricks" listed already. Plus, I find I can keep going better if I'm not in a really quiet place. But too many distractions, well, distract me.
I stumbled on the solution the last year I did NaNo--and finished it. I spent a Saturday writing while a Deadliest Catch marathon played in the background. If something gnarly was going on, I'd stop and watch a few minutes, then go back to the writing refreshed. I logged 5,400 words that day.
My writing mantra when there isn't a Deadliest Catch marathon is "Shitty first drafts! Shitty first drafts!" Because Anne Lamott said they were okay.
First, I remind myself that it's a draft (of a very short novel) and doesn't have to be amazing. Since I have used NaNoWriMo in the past as an exercise ("Huh, I wonder if I could write comedy?" or the like), that helps me not take it too seriously. Second, pick an idea that has lots of good conflict. My last NaNo had a very simple premise (man versus parrot versus freeloading flatmate), but the situation was inherently full of comedy fodder, so it kept the words flowing.
Kathleen said, on 10/27/2010 11:27:00 AM
For me, focusing on the storyline rather than the mechanics of grammar, dialogue, etc... in the moment helps. Then I go back with my English Teacher hat on and edit. When I am wrapped up in my story, the words fly around in my head too fast to type them sometimes. NaNoWriMo gives me license to do that and I love it!
I either get out my spiral notebook and a favorite pen and write longhand (with lots of doodling and notations in the margins) or I do timed writing blitzes (45 minutes of writing interspersed with 15-30 minute breaks) with a minimum word-count goal, reminding myself it's a first draft and I can fix everything later.
I definitely don't stop to do research or try to find "the perfect word" when I'm feeling the no-more-words block. And I always try to walk away when I'm in the middle of something---even if it's the middle of a sentence. It makes me want to get back to it.
I'm with one writer who says she stops at the end of a paragraph rather than a scene. Sometimes I stop mid paragraph, other times I've stopped mid-sentence, that way I can get back to it the next day and at least get started. That was a very helpful technique.
Write or Die is awesome, I have it installed on my computer. Not only does it play noises, but if you put in on one particular setting, if you pause for too long it will start deleting your words. LOL Talk about motivation. At that point, you start typing anything just to keep it from deleting the little you cranked out. I highly recommend it and it's cheap or free.
I always have trouble about halfway through, and I know I'm not alone in this, so getting the first half down as quickly as possible gets the easy part out of the way. Then I have time to agonize over the second half, to take a day or two off and avoid the thing like the plague. And then the far of losing kicks me into gear.
When your brain says, "No! More! Words!", interpret that to mean, "More! Research/Outlining! NOW!"
Anonymous said, on 10/27/2010 12:13:00 PM
OK, so you are rock bottom and need to write a chapter of 2000 words. So, write down 20 points of progression through that chapter, eg. 1. hero arrives home 2. hero finds poisoned dog 3. hero calls mother-in -law 4. hero sharpens knife - and so on. Then write 100 words on each point - hey presto WORDS! 2000 of them. It's a cheap trick, and in my case avoids 'writer's block' ie. procrastination and laziness. xxx
Joe G said, on 10/27/2010 12:16:00 PM
Generally if a project just isn't coming to me, I'm not that interested in it. I can usually sit down and get something out, even if it's not inspired. If I can't write, it's probably related to other things that are going on in my life that are distracting me.
I think there's this perception, though, that we're supposed to write things as quickly as possible and then start revising. I'm the sort of writer who generally takes his time doing something, because you never know how a story is going to evolve (and once it's written, odds are good you're not going to be making massive revisions to the plot). You can fly fast and loose with your writing or you can write slow and steady, carefully. Running out of steam for a little while could just be the natural rhythms of your imagination. You never know what you might come up with during the down time.
It's important though that once you start finding yourself thinking all the time about what's going to happen in the next chapter, you'd better sit down and start writing. It's like exercise. Easy to do once you're in the habit, but boy, that first day, you need to get off the couch, put down the slice of pizza, or, in writer's terms, turn off the TV, stay in for the night...
No, I don't think this 'get-the-words-down-any-words-down' technique works for me. Not even if I read them backwards.
Lynne, coffee at midnight is plain right for me! And I'm up at 6 am too, but that's because I haven't gone to bed yet. I blame Nathan. I'm on San Francisco time, even though I live in Ireland.
Sierra, that's right! Dump the bathing and eating scenes. Dirty hungry characters are more interesting.
Way back I read in an interview with director P.T. Anderson (Boogie Nights, There Will be Blood ("are you an angry man?")) where he described his writing process as getting up really early and smoking and drinking coffee. Supposedly in the wee hours your brain is still tapping into your unconscious and therefore producing all kinds of juicy and creative stuff.
Now I'm too lazy to get up earlier than I absolutely have to, but I'm thinking this could be an interesting experiment. I won't condone smoking, but I think coffee is always a good plan. Wine too. I'm feeling a couple glasses of wine are sometimes just the trick. Unless you can't drink because you shouldn't and then of course don't drink wine.
Can you get a prescription for medical marijuana with writer's block as an ailment?
Anonymous said, on 10/27/2010 12:37:00 PM
no internet no tv telephone only for dependents/spousal calls a lot of woods to walk/think in or a winter beach (won't keep you that long)
wonderer said, on 10/27/2010 12:49:00 PM
I agree with those who have mentioned word wars and watching the word count bar climb (you can get a nice Excel spreadsheet off the NaNo forums, too, for even more word count tracking goodness).
A3Writer@10:39's suggestion about writing towards the next "carrot" scene is also something I rely on. It works particularly well at NaNo speed because that exciting scene is never more than a few days away.
Depending on the situation and the amount of time left in the month, I might also power through by: - complaining to / commiserating with other NaNoers - taking my laptop to a coffee shop full of other NaNoers all typing away madly - taking a day or two off to brainstorm instead of write - skipping a bit that's just not coming, and moving on to a scene that will cooperate
For me, writing at NaNo speed doesn't sacrifice quality; instead, as James@10:56 said, it gives the story a narrative momentum and a life of its own. I can't sustain that pace year-round, but it's sure exhilarating while it lasts.
I've never done WriMo, but here's a trick that works for me when I get stuck for words while writing: I switch point of view.
My first novel, which I'm currently revising, is written in third person. So when I hit a wall in a scene, I'd open a new document and do a first-person writing exercise to dig a little deeper into my character's head.
I don't know if it'd work as well in reverse, but it might. If you're writing in first person and are firmly embedded in your character's head, it might help to jump outside the character for a while and get a different perspective.
I doubt, though, that anybody writing a novel in 30 short days could benefit from this technique. It's not exactly a time saver.
That question frightens me. Seriously, how am I ever going to power through NaNoWriMo? Well, I’m not exactly planning to power through writing an entire novel in one month. I’m finding the NaNoWriMo community to be an incredibly excitable, supportive and enthusiastic one. It makes sense – NaNoWriMo participants are all in the initial falling in love stage with their novels. And their excitement is fantastically contagious! Since NaNoWriMo allows outlines to be written beforehand, I decided to try writing one. I never write outlines, but this time I completed a detailed outline in less than two days.
I’m pretty happy with where this all seems to be going. For NaNoWriMo, I’m planning to write a YA Paranormal novel for which a story idea and outline came to me fairly quickly and easily. I think that writing this novel will keep me much happier as I struggle through rewriting a complicated science fiction novel with time-traveling, political intrigue, and characters from two different periods of time.
I’m hoping to write and edit the YA Paranormal novel in four to five months, although I feel it's entirely possible that I could accomplish that during the one month of NaNoWriMo if the writing flows as quickly as the outline did. I had already estimated that it will take me about four to five months to finish rewriting and editing the science fiction novel. I guess visualizing the completion of two brand new shiny novels will help me power through the writing ... It just won’t all happen in one month. :)
It is kind of disappointing to me that some people on here and on other Nathan NaNo posts are looking down their noses at NaNo or comment a lofty "Well I just write everyday NaNo or not and that's what real writers do."
Maybe I am being a tad defensive here and I apologize up front for that. I just want to say there are all kinds of writers and the majority of people who do it DO writer outside of NaNo and just use it for a shaking up of their normal routine every year. There are all sorts of reasons.
Some use it just to socialize with friends as an activity and have no intention of publishing anything...AND THAT IS OK! Who cares if it is publishable or not? Some use NaNo because the people around them will take it a little easier if they pursue their dream in a certain time period or they have other priorities and just want to give it a whirl. Quite frankly I am surprised that some here seem to be saying (correct me if I am wrong) that it isn't worth it for a real writer to do it. YMMV
I never get stuck for words, but the quality can deteriorate. In order to keep the quality level up I've taken the advice of someone in the forums and started snowflaking my second novel. I should be able to hit the ground running Nov. 1st and get the first draft out. I can do 3,000 words in two hours if the story is there.
It also helps me to get out of the house and go somewhere where I can ignore a lot of background activity. That's easier for me to ignore than housework.
I read about how several authors did their thing to get their works finished. Although they have different ways, etc., the one thing they all seemed to have in common was/is a window of time they forced themselves to sit and write or revise. I believe Virginia Wolf said 2-3 hrs. at a time. Mr. Dahl said 2 hrs. and that's it, even if it's flowing, he said stop! One of Wolf's ideas impressed me the most. She said no matter what, you must sit in front of your typewriter/computer every single day-religiously BECAUSE you never know when the writing gods will bless you with their touch...WOW OH WOW! That helped me recently...so many times I just wanted to run, run, run! But I sat, sat, sat. And some days it was amazing and other days not so... As far as trying to keep it going, I read, research, and revise when I'm not feeling that new chapter or paragraph. I always found revising some part of my story to be the best springboard for new ideas, etc.!!
To play off your drill sergeant, boot camp love, I find the source of the quelling and stomp it into the ground! Then I do some stretching exercises, make sure I haven't hurt myself, hit the kitchen, kiss the girlfriend, and then get back to digging. Maybe there really is something wrong with me, as every one says, but I like it.
I team up with my buddies. We try and have "blow out weekends." To catch up, as the week can be challenging for word count. Gives us a great chance to see each other and spend time doing what we love. Gourmet coffee and lots of chocolate work great too:)
I use something similar to a word cloud in the form of cork note boards and index cards. The elements are there pinned to the board and I have cards that represent the arcs of pacing. Moving the formal plot as characters are brought on stage and engaging in the business of the story can get tedious and slow only because I am avoiding plot holes and logic drop outs. If I do the technical motions of locomotion the rest (improvisation and flavor texturals) seems like gravy improvisation and a fun dreaming trance like experience similar to getting inebriated. The skeletal outlines protect me from driving off the road while drunk and each characters restraints limit exactly how long they will allow me to drive drunk before getting control or jumping out of the car. I guess I'm a real believer in outlines I just use them in a weird way. Leave the word cloud and the story collapse from too many magic bunnies leaping out of the word sorcerers black top hat. Most off and most importantly I structure my day to begin writing while half asleep right out of bed pacing my coffee intake naturally by jolting myself when its time to type furiously through a tight action scene or slowly prod my characters on stage very thoughtfully sentence by sentence to begin a new rise in the pace arc.
Since I'm always writing toward a specific climax scene (at least until I get there), here's how I get unstuck: I ask myself what needs to happen next to get my characters to that climax. Often, the answer is, I first have to get them to Scene X.
If I'm still stuck, I ask, how do I get them to Scene X? I might then say, well, in order to get to Scene X, Event A has to happen.
If I need to, I then ask, okay, so how do I get to Event A? I continue on in this way until I've focused myself down to what I need to write next.
It also helps that for me, the word count itself is a huge motivator. I race the clock, and try to write more words in an hour than I did yesterday. The quicker I type, the more momentum I build, and the less time I have to stop and think. It enables me to go with the flow, and let what happens next grow more organically instead of having to stop and figure it out on a line by line basis.
* Pre-plan. I find it easier to make the word goals when they aren't wasted words. I've got the arc in advance, and know the twists, so November becomes more like a series of related writing exercises than a month-long improvisation.
* Pick regular writing times and move mountains to stick to them. I like first thing in the morning, and lunch hour. Any writing I manage in the evenings or weekends is pure bonus.
* Use a typewriter. No, really. Or at least turn off Twitter, Facebook, email, the web, the forums, YouTube, and all other forms of online distraction.
* Never, ever, ever, ever delete. Nothing. Turn off the spell and grammar checks, too. Progress is moving forward, revision is for December. Banish the backspace key. Don't look back, just keep writing, writing, writing.
Well, I tend to write fast (whether I'm doing nano or not) because I do a huge amount of prep work beforehand. So, I know my characters as well as my best friend, and i do journalling from their perspective to get their voices. I also know where the story is going, so I am able to make good progress in a short amount of time.
Of course, it takes me a month or so of this prep work to get me to the point where I can crank out that first draft. But it's worth it because that draft can actually be revised into something good.
I haven't done a NaNoWriMo yet, but I've had stints when I couldn't stop writing. You've just got to have a really good idea that you know how to write down, I guess.
For me, I think it's the opposite. I don't want to stop writing once I get in that manic writing groove. :) I know I'm firmly moving in the groove when I turn down weekend plans with friends so I can spend time with my imaginary friends. ;)
I think it's harder just to put your butt in the chair and force yourself to start.
Last year I went into NaNo never having attempted to write a book before.
It was an amazing, insane and very productive time. I found working to a deadline really works for me, and have set myself challenge deadlines with eveythinng I write ever since.
I was unprepared and had no idea of what I would write, the book and the characters took over and I looked back at it and wondered "Where the hell did that come from?" The only preparation I am doing this year is clearing the decks on Articles and blogs I am committed to. I have written my ezine articles a month ahead. So come November 1st I will be head down, bum up and writing. I also edit as I go ... not a strict line edit, but enough that I don't cringe too much when I begin the next days marathon.
My very best wishes to all the folks entering this year. Have fun with it ... I truly believe that it is a beneficial excercise. Soooz
We did a half-marathon last month and my problem with putting words on the page was that they kept leading me to dead ends. So, boring upon copious boring page had to be deleted after a week. So I think the key isn't always the writing - it's the planning/outlining. Which is not my strong suit. (so, no WriMo for me)
One thing that does work is writing dialogue. Yeah, some of it will get cut, but there's some great chemistry I came up with by writing conversations that helped me get out of my jog around the cul-de-sac, never finding the end! erica
I saw someone before say "think in pictures not in words," and I really relate to that. I do a lot of staring and thinking and visualizing and picturing. My writing usually starts with an image. Then, I can take off.
I turn off all my electronics (besides the computer), chug a gallon of hot chocolate or iced tea (can't stand coffee and I live in the south), and keep my butt OFF the internet.
So the trick, for me at least, is sheer force of will and lack of distractions. Although there is a program I purchased that's also available online called 'write or die' that's very effective in keeping up word count. How does it work? In short, if I don't type, I lose words and start hearing really loud noises and my screen turns red and an apocalypse ensues on my laptop (damaging to my computer/manuscript? no. stress inducing and motivational? absolutely yes).
As some of the other posters here have said, I try to always leave off in the middle of a scene or a paragraph. It's a lot easier to pick up the flow the next day when I do that.
Also, I have a set time when I try to write every day. Luckily, I work part-time, so I'm usually done with my "chores" by 2 in the afternoon. Between 2 and 5 is my writing time.
I'm not much of a caffeine person, but I have been known to resort to a glass of red wine on occasion...
I am engaging in NaNoFiMo instead (an attempt to Finish my novel in November!). For me, when I am having a moment where I dread trying to write something for the day, it helps to give myself small goals. I get a cup of tea (and perhaps an Oreo or two), sit down and tell myself I can stop after 300 words, even if they suck. Chances are, after 300 words I find I have a whole lot more to write.
I was significantly stuck last year at one point so I put the leash on the dog, left my iPod at home, and went for a walk. I talked through my ideas out loud, then came home and started writing again.
A mental break plus the promise of my own shiny bound draft at the end keep me going. Along with apples, coffee, Chex Mix, and frozen dinners.
I have never done NaNo before but plan to approach it as I do any project. Believe in my story. Believe it needs to be told. That belief makes it happen, makes me excited to get it out of my head. Will I make the word count? I don't know. I can write a chapter a day, time allowing. Unfortunately there are only 24 hours in a day and more that I have to do. I plan to give it my best shot!
For me, the secret of powering through is to be part of a group of other writers doing NaNoWriMo so my competitive spirit kicks in. There's one on Facebook (which now has group chats, and shared documents for sharing useful links and resources) called NaNoWriMo Warriors at: http://www.facebook.com/home.php?sk=group_111157412281395&ap=1
I also find it helpful not to force myself to write chronologically. If I'm stuck, I jump forward to a scene I want to write, or write a random scene that may or may not end up in the book but helps me think round the obstacle I've encountered.
I find that NaNo gives me the chance to get a first draft down. The rest of the year I spend editing and revising. I like it. I try to plan it all out, but also allow a lot of brainstorming to kick in. The real planning comes in the rewrite. This is my fifth NaNo and they get better each year. I'm blogging about my experience at www.puborperish.blogspot.com if you'd like to read more about it.
Good evening everyone, I don't know about you but I get a lot of inspiration, solace and sometimes feel great empathy when I read writers' quotes. I think the following fits in with the posting today. It's from Gene Fowler...
“Writing is easy. All you do is stare at a blank sheet of paper until drops of blood form on your forehead.”
I go old school when I'm writing a novel, and write out a physical outline of my chapters, so I know where I'm going and how I'm going to get there. lol I know, I'm such a nerd, but when it works, it works!
That said, I use my outlines when I hit a wall. I can see where I'm going, and generally, it pushes me forward. I want to reach the end, so I use the notes on my outline to jog my creative juices.
Ooh, and coffee really, really helps! You'd be amazed at how well you can write when you're all jittery!
If I'm really stuck, I start a page or two back and retype what I've already written. For some reason this tricks my brain into continuing onward, as though I were coasting downhill to get up some speed before the uphill push.
I think NaNo is a great exercise. Too often as writers we get stuck on one scene trying to make it perfect instead of focusing on the whole thing, and remembering that the one scene is just a small part of your novel. NaNo makes sure you remember that your novel is the size it is and you CAN always go back to a scene you hated and alter it later ^^
Anonymous said, on 10/27/2010 7:31:00 PM
For me, the worst is always the middle when I'm sweating bullets to get in my daily word count before the space invaders storm the kitchen demanding food.
If I have a pretty good idea of how I want it to end, I'll write the end first and try to create a map back to the middle.
If I really have no idea where I'm going, I'll type an entire paragraph of obscenities, giggle like an 8th grader, then delete it and get back to work. I find it helps relieve some NaNoPressure.
This is NaNo year 9 for me and I'm ALL about method-writing when I get The Block. It almost always happens midway through week 2 of NaNo.
The first 5 or 6 years, I'd go out and get myself into some trouble (while pretending to be my main character) before coming home to write about it. It could be minor trouble (inciting confrontation on public transportation) or something more involved and stranger-danger-y (like picking someone up at a bar or creeping in dark alleyways).
I think, in general, spending a little time in your character's head (and sometimes out and about as the character) and writing from his or her stream of consciousness is good in that it can get you closer to his/her wants and needs on a day-to-day level. It's not always writing that you keep after November ends, but it's food for the rest of the book.
Others have mentioned this, but now I combine that tactic with Write or Die. It's kind of amazing what the brain (or imagined-brain) can push out under threat of "Mmmbop" or crying babies on full blast.
If all that fails (or if the idea of stranger danger while pretending to be someone else makes you a little uneasy), I sometimes skip ahead to a scene I've been dreaming about or planning. Something later in the book that I'm psyched to write.
Pandora and granola bars. :P Music can get me through almost anything, it keeps me inspired and motivated. And granola bars help keep me awake and energized. ;)
Steppe--Love your use as the blob fish for an avatar. I relate to that blob fish somehow. Also, he looks kinda like Ziggy.
treeoflife said, on 10/27/2010 9:05:00 PM
How to plow through? When you're in the zone, just keep going. You need to pad your word count when you're on, so that you're OK to slip a bit when you're off.
Anonymous said, on 10/27/2010 9:14:00 PM
Just don't forget to take breaks and exercise to keep the blood flowing & limbs moving. Back pain, eye strain and carpal tunnel are no fun--if not now, years later.
Anonymous said, on 10/27/2010 9:28:00 PM
You almost got me to do it.
I want to do it.
I tried to register on the NaNoWriMo site, but they won't send password etc.
Maybe next year.
As far as powering through, it is like I am inside another world and the words come naturally.
One Sunday morning, I wrote 9,000 in about 4 hours.
word ver: johachel (interesting)
Anonymous said, on 10/27/2010 9:56:00 PM
Now I feel stupid.
Got registered with NaNo, but that place is scary when a person hasn't a clue what to do.
I think next year because it may take me a year to learn the ropes.
I trust long hand practice to get through some of the muck of writing. If I write long enough something profound comes through, then I get back into "production". I'm excited, this is my first NaNoWriMo in 4 years.
The first year was hard. But once I had more experience writing longer works, 1667 words/day felt like a manageable pace . . . for a month.
I power through - when my brain starts whimpering - by creating a spreadsheet showing the cumulative word count total for each day, which drives home the cost of a day off.
And I use one night during NaNoWriMo to create a simple outline. When I'm exhausted, I use the outline like a writing assignment. "Tonight I need to write 1000 words about X. Tomorrow I will write 2000 words about Y."
This year I'm skipping NaNoWriMo to spend a month intensively editing draft novels and short stories.
During my first nanowrimo in 09, I learned that I could do it. A good friend typing away by my side helped tremendously. Writeordie was awesome as well. Now I'm rushing to finish the "final" revision (when to stop...) on that one to start the next. Nanowrimo allows me to spend one whole month devoted to a novel, there's always December for the rest of my life!
Although I have signed up for NaNoWriMo I don't think I would be able to participate. For one - my in-laws are coming in and two I am too de-motivated. I have tried to write on schedule before and whenever I am unable to write more, I go for caffeine and fresh air. I like to take a walk in the open and reconsider the scene. Once I find a grip I get back to my winword. Good luck to others though! Cheers!
When I did this a few years ago, I spent the day writing down things I saw at work or in the store and had a scene in my head before I sat down, which usually worked. On those days that it didn't work, I'd think, "What would a reader least expect?" and I wrote that. No outlining, only the daily scenes. I had a critiquer read it, said it was good, but needed conflict...so next time, instead of throwing in only a surprise, maybe it should be a surprise conflict.
This is my first NaNo, so we have yet to see if I have the discipline and stick-to-it-tiveness to get to the end. On the other hand, I wrote the first draft of my last novel in about 6 weeks, and it contained way over 50K (after revising, it's down to 73K from 110K). So, I'm thinking I might be able to do it. Now, if only I can wait until Monday!
Anonymous said, on 10/28/2010 6:59:00 AM
Each scene has to make a promise that is fulfilled in another scene, which leads me write the next scene. When I get stuck in nanowrimo, it's because I wrote a scene that doesn't make a promise that needs to be fulfilled later. For example, if a character wants to buy a car, but the sales person tells them too high a price, then the character must do something: shop somewhere else, come up with a scheme to get money, etc. These are new scenes that I will need to write, which keep the words flowing.
While is hard to have perfect prose during nanowrimo, it is possible to make sure scenes fulfill the requirement of making promises.
By being competitive as hell and not wanting to admit publicly that I failed at something.
I find it very freeing to be able to free write without worrying about editing (though I appease the internal editor by correcting my spelling paragraph by paragraph). Mostly though, you just keep going. Maybe take a 5-minute break--walk around the room, get some water, stretch your muscles--then get right back to writing.
I think you power through by attempting the ultimate trick- tunnel vision. That's right, by pretending there isn't a layer of slime on the shower walls and the dishes are stacked in the tub. You just pretend it doesn't exist. You sustain yourselves from the dredges of the fridge and tell the baby to change her own diaper. Easy.
I think you power through by attempting the ultimate trick- tunnel vision. That's right, by pretending there isn't a layer of slime on the shower walls and the dishes are stacked in the tub. You just pretend it doesn't exist. You sustain yourselves from the dredges of the fridge and tell the baby to change her own diaper. Easy.
I've done 2 WriMos (won both). The trick for me is to front-load. I always hit a spot just after midway that it gets MUCH harder, so if I do 2000+ words a day the first 30K or so, then I have the leisure to slow a little. I also let myself write just a sentence to hold the place for any section that isn't coming. A novel isn't 50K ANYWAY, so why not fill in the holes later, rather than finishing with a book not near the end?
NanoWriMo can be a good challenge to those brain cells. You may start out with nothing, but once those juices start flowing, there's no telling where they might take you! I did it last year. Started with a basic idea that had been nibbling at me for several months, and it actually turned into a very viable novel. After many revisions and edits, I am now sending out queries on it. I'm sure that won't happen every year, but I thinkn Nano is a good exercise for writers in a position to do it. Just have to be willing to let everything else slide for that one month.
Wish I could do it this year but my son's getting married on the Nov. 12th. Too many other demands on my time. Good luck to all you bravehearts out there tho'. Have fun with this.
oldsoul said, on 10/28/2010 9:06:00 AM
Well, when the severe RSI set in, I just went to the nearest old-peoples shop and bought some arthritis gloves, which immobilised everything other than my finger tips, and carried on :)
Not sure I will participate this year. I have query jitters. But I sometimes wish I had a problem coming up with words. My problem is that I put too many words down and come up with too many ideas. And then comes the problem of which idea to go with. What would my characters most likely do?
I could never do it, but I have a lot of respect for those who do!
Anonymous said, on 10/28/2010 10:57:00 AM
This is my first Nano. I write daily but tend to abandon project. My main goal is to kill my inner critic or at least gag her long enough to write 50k. I don’t have any writer friends so I’m hoping Nano will provide some support and a feeling of community. If anyone wants a writing buddy my Nano user name is LuMadrid. Good luck to everyone!
I don't outline much, don't take notes. I write scene by scene, with the pertinent question being, "does this scene move the story forward?". The next scene is always in my head, sometimes two or three next scenes compete and I must decide which one comes first. But Powering Through just rides on the coat tails of the scene I'm writing.
This is my first year doing NaNo. I'm stuck with the book I'm working on (second in a series), so I decided to write my first Nanovel in a completely different genre to perk up my creativity.
For powering through when I hit a block, I plan to use the same technique that got me through my first novel. When I run out of steam with one character, I find a way to end that chapter, then start the next chapter from a different character's POV. New ideas start to flow and the fingers fly again.
Three Words: Write or Die (http://writeordie.drwicked.com) It's a lovely little program you can use online for free or download for $10. You set the word count you want to do, and the time period you want to do it in, and then it makes you slave away by threatening you with ungodly noises if you stop or slow down. Because I am a bad typist (in terms of errors, not speed), this keeps me from worrying excessively about correcting the errors with little red wiggly lines until my thoughts are out. I also like using the Dana by Alphasmart because it has no bells or whistles or internet link.
SarahBoo said, on 10/30/2010 9:58:00 AM
When I hit a wall in the wordcount, I venture out of my room, find someone who hasn't heard too much about NaNoWriMo before, and explain it to them (along with the words I have and the words I still need that day). Normally their exclamations of horror and disbelief pat my ego enough that I want to go back to the laptop and pull even crazier wordcount stunts.
One of the corollaries of the "if only" game is that there are some writers out there who could not possibly have reason to worry about anything as they have achieved a level of success that is unsurpassed, and who represent the pinnacle of the writerly world.
Examples include King, Stephen; Rowling, J.K.; Meyer, Stephenie.
There's a temptation to think that once an author has "made it" and made it bigger than anyone else, this author will have achieved boundless happiness and contentment and couldn't have a thing to complain about.
In the comments of my recent "When Dreams Become Expectations" post, as Ermo pointed out, people tended to think of true satisfaction always being perennially elusive, unless you're a Rowling and King. Then, it seems, people believe that would be completely satisfying.
I don't know these mega-authors personally, but signs point to this not being the case. In the recent Oprah interview, Rowling said, "You ask about the pressure... At that point, I kept saying to people, ‘Yeah I’m coping…’ but the truth was there were times when I was barely hanging on by a thread."
Not the sound of someone who feels like they have it made in the shade. I personally doubt Rowling would trade in her success and the sheer level of love for her books for anything, but I also don't think there's anyone who ever feels total and perfect contentment and satisfaction with their station. We keep striving no matter how high we've climbed, even those who have climbed the highest. Pressure can cut into satisfaction, and the spotlight can be uncomfortable.
It all reminds me of the speed of light (or at least my own understanding of the speed of light, which is likely wildly flawed). The way the physics of light works is that no matter how fast you personally are traveling, from your perspective a beam of light will still look like it's traveling at the speed of light. You can't travel alongside a beam of light. There's no catching up.
And I think there's actually something great about that. There will always be something to chase, always something to strive for, always another horizon to pursue. Who wants to be perfectly contented? Where's the excitement in that? There will always be something great to chase around the bend.
"Someday, when I'm famous . . ." is the name of my blog. Of course I meant it as a joke, but it's fun to pretend what could happen if I were ever to become a famous author. Usually it runs along the lines of, "Someday, when I'm famous, I'll live in a house with more than one bathroom." Yeah - I dream big.
But yikes! I would *not* want to be Stephen King, J.K. Rowling, or Stephenie Meyer. Success isn't all good. Just give me an agent, a publisher, a decent following, and time to write each day. I'd prefer NOT to have the negative fame.
wise and over 50 said, on 10/21/2010 2:36:00 PM
Spoken like a true aspirant still on the nether side of 50 and still climbing the hill of life.
Very true. It's also worth remembering that poor Stephanie Meyer is absolutely hated by a lot of people and there is some really nasty stuff levelled at her. I'm sure her riches more than make up for this but still, that's not nice. All three of those authors have some strong critics out there, and I bet even after all that success - and even bearing in mind you're never going to please everybody - knowing some people hate your stuff that much can't be pleasant.
Oh Nathan, I heart you. And yes, when people love those books it makes things a lot less bizarre and a lot more interesting at the same time. I guess whether or not the emperor is wearing new clothes is in the eye of the beholder. Some readers see the beautiful garments, and some people are shocked at how flaccid and doughy he looks in his birthday suit. I'm going to give the emperor's other books a try. I heard he wore garments to be admired there too.
Cathi said, on 10/21/2010 3:00:00 PM
You actually can catch up to the speed of light, you just cannot surpass it.
I think this blog demonstrates that Nathan already is a cult leader. I completely agree and follow the 'it's the journey, not the destination' line of thinking. I've felt happy and fortunate while pursuing various dreams over the years. Each time I attain a dream goal, I choose another because if I'm not stretching myself and growing, I feel stagnant. Great post!
Interesting. I used to interview high achievers in all kinds of fields - sporting, artistic, business, creative. And one quality the very top people shared was that they never rested on their laurels.
No matter how much success these writers achieve, they're always going to carry some insecurity, some deficit. King complains that no one ever asks him about "the language," and in many circles he'll never be given the respect he deserves. Same for Rowling. Some look at her success and say "so what, she's just a kids' author." No one's ever going to be loved, admired, and respected in every circle (except Nathan of course).
"Making it" really is an illusion. You have to define it for yourself and be prepared to redefine it constantly. Today "making it" is making my 2000 words. Next month "making it" is finishing a novel in 4 weeks.
The one immutable law of the universe is change, and that means changing what each of us means by "making it" word by word, day by day, book by book.
I'm not really an Oprah fan, but that interview with Rowling was pretty great. In addition to her talking about the pressure she felt, I really loved it when she said something to the effect of: "I didn't have a lot of confidence in myself, but the one thing I knew I could do was tell a story." That's a writer.
I think she means pressure as in, "The next HP book better be awesome or the mobs will kill me." I don't think she means pressure as in, "Will I sell another book? Will I be able to pay the rent?"
I'm sure she has aspirations in life. I think we all have those until we die, but as far as the book publishing industry goes, I'd say she's definitely made it.
When you think of all the people who try for years and still don't sell a book, or sell a book but it goes by largely unnoticed, it's hard to think of these caliber of writers, like Rowling and King, as not having "made it". At least professionally, they have.
Maybe their personal lives are a mess or maybe they have a host of other problems, but if you're strictly talking publishing, I think it's safe to say they're good.
This reminds me of the "30 Rock" episode. Liz Lemon considers quitting her job when she meets a bunch of women in her building who spend days taking yoga and getting pedicures. After a few days of bliss, LIz discovers the women beat one another up to feel alive again.
We must always strive to feel alive. Coasting is stagnating.
Great post, Nathan, and one that has universal application regardless of one's vocation. The verb "striving," can be dangerous, because it is very close to "chasing," as though we're a hampster trying to get to the end of our wheel. Contentment, on the other hand, gets a bad rap... as though it means complacent or apathetic. But I believe contentment can take on a broader, richer meaning, because the ultimate contentment--at the end of a day's work or the completion of a book or other project--is inherently coupled with a desire to reach that state again.
I've known many people who've "made it" in various industries (mostly show biz though), and I've got to say that several who made it to the top of their field continued to carry with them those same neurotic securities that drove them to achieve that success in the first place. THE most successful are sometimes THE most messed up.
I learned a long time ago no matter how great (or how badly) I'm doing there's ALWAYS someone who's doing better and ALWAYS someone who's doing worse. Wishing I could be in his/her shoes (the better, not the worse) is a waste of my time when I could be working on being the best I can be. When I achieve MY best and feel good about myself...I've found my personal success.
I learned a long time ago no matter how great (or how badly) I'm doing there's ALWAYS someone who's doing better and ALWAYS someone who's doing worse. Wishing I could be in his/her shoes (the better, not the worse) is a waste of my time when I could be working on being the best I can be. When I achieve MY best and feel good about myself...I've found my personal success.
J. T. Shea said, on 10/21/2010 3:49:00 PM
Love the photo! 'Just a walk in the park, you said. You forgot to mention it's a NATIONAL park, and this part is tilted at nearly ninety degrees!'
But seriously, Nathan, you're right. It's not enough that I achieve a level of success that is unsurpassed, boundless happiness and contentment, and true satisfaction. EVERYONE ELSE MUST FAIL!
Just as well we can't travel as fast as light. Think of the jetlag THAT would produce.
What do people do when they've made it? They start making another one.
Kathleen said, on 10/21/2010 3:51:00 PM
I am willing to role the dice on making it and not being content. It beats not making it and not being content.
Even those who have made it to the top have to worry about falling (or being pushed). There's enormous pressure to duplicate past success, and when your past success was phenomenal, any shortcomings in your later efforts will just be magnified.
It's best to learn to be content with what you have while still striving for something greater; that way, you (hopefully) grow but aren't disappointed with what you have been able to achieve.
J. T. Shea said, on 10/21/2010 4:01:00 PM
Kathleen is right. Money may not buy you happiness, but it can get you a better class of misery.
Interesting Blog post. I agree with the basic sentiment, that you should strive to be happy wherever you are in your writing career. And there are so many ways to be happy as a writer today. For many, being an indie or self-published author can be glorious because, even though no real money might be made, it’s possible to belong to the wonderful online world of writers. And, in the case of Paul Harding, his indie-published novel TINKERS won the Pulitzer Prize (Pulitzer Prize!) in Fiction, and that’s a glorious thing. Really, in today’s electronic world, all things are possible in the world of writing.
On the other hand, I feel for writers and everyone else who’s out of work, homeless, seriously ill, or at a point in their lives in which they are unable to work toward making their dreams come true because hardships have made that too difficult to even consider. Physical health and having enough money to get by definitely allow people to achieve a degree of contentment that keeps real despair at bay.
I also think there are people for whom the simple joys of daily life are enough and, given good physical health and a dependable income, probably achieve contentment much more easily than writers or other artists do. Artists tend to suffer through a great deal of existential despair.
We all just need to find our wormholes (i.e., devices that allow us to travel faster than light ;)
Jen P said, on 10/21/2010 4:20:00 PM
As Hilary Mantel said of winning the Man Booker, "it has to be seen as an event in your career rather than an event in your writing, your writing life goes on."
I think of happiness as the waves on the ocean. They change direction, height, frequency and is unreliable. But contentment is deeper, underlying, like the steady swell of transatlantic currents which isn't much affected by weather.
Whilst I agree that the temptation of thinking someone else has made it may corrode your own self esteem and cause you to think of "true satisfaction always being perennially elusive", I am not sure how much of a link there is with achievement. There is a lot to be said for being happy with being and not with doing. Happiness comes from what and who we are, not from what we do. Yes, we may feel elation or pride or contentedness through achievement, but as you say, because (virtually) every achievement can be surpassed your goalposts are constantly moving and everyone's expectations and measures of achievement are different. Being happy for me, is an appreciation of life as it is, in the moment. I look forward to things, and I look back on much, including achievements, with anticipation or recollection of happiness, but a state of contentment cannot be pursued through achievement, in my opinion.
"Who wants to be perfectly contented?" I think everyone does. People who are intrinsically unhappy don't want to be. Being content in oneself, doesn't have to mean you are complacent or lazy. There can be plenty of excitement in looking ahead to new challenges and chasing new dreams, but my core level of contentment will not be affected by their achievement.
I went to Bouchercon last week in San Francisco. It was fabulous, and HUGE. 1,400 people there, including over 350 published authors in mystery/suspense/thriller/noir. Those published authors were working hard, doing panels and presentations and encouraging apprentice writers. I think even the greats--David Baldacci, Lee Child, Laurie King, Denise Mina and so many others-- were buoyed by digging in and being part of the writing tribe, the one that is always striving for great writing.
Great blog post. I was just considering this recently. Spooky too about Rowling because I was thinking -- "What *does* she do next??"
A few weeks back I signed my first contract with a very small (but real) publishing house. My mind's first reaction was "there must be something wrong here" my second was "yeah but I'm going to have to work that much harder to make the book a success" and I stopped myself before my third negative thought. I realized precisely what you wrote: there will always be something else. So I took the time to just sit back and ENJOY what was happening.
Key to happiness isn't getting what you want, it's wanting what you have.
There was some study which I'm too lazy to look up to cite properly, but I believe it was in the field of the "study of happiness" which looked at how happy people said they were a year after something horrible, like losing their legs. Turns out: about as happy as they were before losing their legs. Same with a "happy" event, such as winning the lottery. People tend to return to their baseline levels of happiness.
When J.K. Rowling was working on the last book of her series, I remember wondering how anyone could possibly survive that pressure! I so admire her for writing with the whole weight of the world's eyes on her. I can't think of any other author who has had to deal with that kind of public pressure. Personally, I would have cracked. I suck at pressure.
In terms of never being content, what you say is very wise, and I believe a Great Truth, Nathan. In fact, there's a whole religion based on the reality that desire never ends - Buddhism. Personally, though, I don't agree with the Buddhist conclusion that desire is therefore the root of suffering, and one should detach from desire, and the world, to rise above it(although I greatly admire Buddhism and agree with many of the teachings, just not that one). I think it is in the striving and the journey where the real gold lies.
I believe there is a reason humans were created to constantly yearn and strive, and never quite arrive for more than a few moments.
It's our fate - tragic, comic, always noble, and perhaps divine - that there is always another mountain.
(Not that resting isn't important too. Rest is good. Resting between steps.)
But, anyway, don't take my word for it. As proof, I submit to you this very wise song. I remember I deleted it the last post, and I'll post it here again because it fits just as well. Sung by Ms. Miley Cirus, written by Jesse Alexander and Jon Mabe:
"There's always gonna be another mountain I'm always gonna wanna make it move Always gonna be a uphill battle Sometimes I'm gonna have to lose
Ain't about how fast I get there Ain't about what's waiting on the other side It's the climb"
Nathan - Wonderful blog. First time I've had to comment. As I read your words I thought of my favorite passage from John Nichols in "On The Mesa."
He wrote, "We are touched my magic wands. For just a fraction of our day life is perfect, and we are absolutely happy and in harmony with the earth. The feeling passes much too quickly. But the memory-and the anticipation of other miracles-sustains us in the battle indefinitely."
I saw that interview with Oprah and J.K. It was very interesting and confirmed my opinion that it's all about perception and beliefs. J.K. said that she found it difficult to believe in herself, but she always believed in her writing ability and the future success of the first Harry Potter book. I feel her relationships would be more challenging for her than her work, despite the pressure, as her confidence doesn't lie in this area. Oprah, on the other hand, came across as a force of nature. When I checked her past accomplishments, what she'd achieved by the age of twenty one was incredible.
This is universally true. It’s the basis of economics—there are unlimited wants and limited means. Thank God! How boring would it be to have nothing to look forward to, nothing to make you try harder?
Forgot to mention that I loved your mentioning speed of light theories! My favorite part of doing research for my sci fi novel was reading physicists’ theories about the possibility of time travel as related to speed of light. As the velocity of an object approaches speed of light, time slows down. Turns out that scientists have noted that even astronauts traveling in the space shuttle – which moves incredibly fast, but nowhere near the speed of light – moved forward in time by a few nanoseconds. Time distortion occurred for those astronauts – only by about 0.001 percent, but enough to prove Einstein’s theories correct. Also, scientists were surprised to discover that inside the Bose Einstein condensate, light slows down and stops, and now some physicists are thinking that this discovery could possibly lead to the development of a time travel machine. Pretty weird and fascinating stuff. Hope I didn’t wander too much off-topic. It is very cool that you included a mention of speed of light in your Blog post today.
Talk about reaching for a huge goal – physicists who are actually developing and testing theories related to possible time travel are fascinating to read. They are incredible dreamers, and their books are filled with inspiration.
Oh, I also like your underlying point (I think) about envying a hyper-successful author. They've acheived something, but it is transitory, and has to do with their journey, not ours.
It's not like they've achieved the end-all and be-all of existence. They are still struggling like the rest of us. So jealous - although very hard to escape...is probably abit misplaced. Much better to concentrate on our own journeys.
Thank you for this thoughtful post. I think all of us who write secretly hope (I know we do) that we will end up like King or Rowling. At this point in my life, I'm so far from contentment, it isn't even funny. But I keep striving and like you said, it's the striving that keeps us going.
People don't realize how difficult success can be - sometimes even more stressful than failure. After all, we can always blame that on someone else.
Success brings expectations, and that is often the hardest thing to deal with. That being said, people who are successful at being successful - I want to be one of them. :)
Striving is the drama of life, but often what we treasure most are the things we already have.
Sebastian Junger put it this way:
If you haven’t crossed over, you think the people that are well known have got something you want. And then when you get over there, you realize the things that give you pleasure are still all back there on the other side.
Gail Shepherd said, on 10/21/2010 7:55:00 PM
I've just finished reading about some of Rowling's plagiarism suits, and I'd think that having to constantly fend off grasping/greedy/delusional lawsuits would take at least a bit of the shine off world fame and fortune. Everybody has their crosses to bear.
I think the next novel idea is always just around the bend, waiting for an Author to chase it down.
I imagine once the high of accomplishment - after each successful completion - lasts only so long before a new project is needed to fill the void.
I hope someday I get to test that theory . .
..........dhole
Anonymous said, on 10/21/2010 8:16:00 PM
Love your blog--great post
This kind of reminds me of one of my favorite quotes:
"We act as though comfort and luxury were the chief requirements of life, when all that we need to make us really happy is something to be enthusiastic about." --Charles Kingsley Melissa D
Let me share a secret with you. After you've lived an exciting life, been around the world two or three times, and are satisfied that you don't really have anything left to prove, it wouldn't take a lot to become truly contented...and there's a lot to be said for contented. Getting just one piece published would just put the icing on the cake. Ambition's for the young. Great post.
We create our own happiness. Contentment and happiness can be attained whether the world inhales our every word or spits it out with distaste. Thanks for the reminder.
Thank you for the good post again Nathan. Hearing about Rowling feeling that way is amazing. There will always be more for us to do, no matter how far we make it. I think it is true for most people.
In meeting a lot of authors, I've noticed that none of them have a lack of things to do. We have so many stories in our head, it would be impossible to write them all. There is no end to our imagination. If all of the world is a dream, then our dreams may be a world; what are books, but dreams?
Thank you for another wonderful read.
Draven Ames
Lee Ann Sontheimer Murphy said, on 10/22/2010 3:32:00 AM
Excellent post. In my journalist work I have met several celebrities and what always struck me, no matter what their field of fame, is that they are just people too. They have their everyday worries and cares - theirs may be different that ours but they have them just the same.
Thinking that those who have reached a higher pinnacle of success than the common folk are happier is giving into that old "grass is alwsays greener on the other side of the fence" philosophy or falling for the notion that money can buy happiness when, of course, it cannot.
Is it wrong that I feel like I've "made it" by being referenced in Nathan's blog?
In another life, I covered sports. One thing I noticed about all successful athletes is that there was no greater pressure than the pressure they put on themselves. It worked for and against them, helping them achieve their goals but leaving them unsatisfied that they weren't the greatest ever (or some other nonsense). Still, like many have said, what's life without goals?
Great words of inspiration, Nathan! It gives meaning to the unsettled feeling that we get. It means we still have so much more to do on this Earth. The race is not over - keep on running!!
I like what jewel fern said about striking a balance. you don't want a life without goals, without something to strive for. But a life in which you are always striving and never accomplishing is equally empty.
I think the pressure of living up to an expectation of maintaining a level of greatness that one has achieved pretty early in one's career must be very daunting.
Writers like Stephen King and Jay Lake impress me because they keep writing no matter what life throws at them. King is going blind and Lake is battling cancer.
They refuse to be content with what they've done, but keep thinking about, working on, what could be next.
King says in his memoir/essay On Writing that he writes 2000 words per day, 6-7 days per week. He may have "made it" but his daily approach is "chop wood, carry water." Writing is what he does. "Being a writer" is not what he does. IMO.
I think it kind of comes under the category of, "I'll be happy when..."
I thought like that for a long time in many areas of my life. I'll be happy when I have a cool girlfriend. I'll be happy when I make xxxx amount of money. I'll be happy when I have big muscles and a six pack of abs.
The only problem with that kind of thinking, is that you miss out on the great things that life has to offer each and every day. It's a no-win, self-defeating mentality.
I applied it to writing, too. I'll only be happy when I'm published by a traditional publisher. I'll only be happy when I get critical acclaim as a writer. I'll only be happy if I can peck out 1,000 words per day.
The funny thing is, writing wise, when I removed all of those restrictions and expectations, writing became fun again. I actually wanted to do it and didn't feel disappointed or overwhlemed.
There is an ancient scripture that says "...but I have learned in whatever state I am, to be content."
This blog was an important reminder to me.
While being constantly drawn toward the Porch Light of "getting published" like a bug on a Summer's night, I must also avoid the "zapper" of unrealistic expectations that would leave me lying dead and underfoot on the porch as others fly by me on their way upward.
I must find balance between my inward and outward journeys in order to maintain my sanity! (and a stable day job.....) I must find my sweet spot where writing is for the joy of it, and not for it to feed me!
thanks, Nathan. And I enjoyed the guest posts last week. Saved some of them, too!
Reality verses Illusion. The Wave verses The Point.
That's why the art and business of writing can never be separated. Even the unpublished writer has to be clever enough to pay the rent and buy groceries. I never met a rock star movie star or writer that wasn't struggling through that particular day I met them; whether fretting over the creative process or protecting their ability to engage in it by securing their economic priorities.
I pursue the Great American Novel. I may never actually catch up to it similar to the beam of light allegory but the chase is a good and engaging kick that keeps me focused on thinking feeling growing and learning ever more precise ways of stating and achieving life portraits in words and thought-scapes.
"Some of us pursue perfection and virtue and if we're lucky, we catch up to it. But happiness can't be pursued. It either comes to your or it don't. You can always say, if only this and if only that, but if only is a state of mind that we get into when we feel deprived."
Cool. My new icon showed up. That's a Blobfish. Not a Starfish or a Tuna.
pamala owldreamer said, on 10/22/2010 1:18:00 PM
I hope to write a great book someday. What aspiring writer does not? I wrote my first novel five years ago.I'm still learning the mechanics and rules of writing. of course I think my novels are interesting. Good?maybe. Great?possibly. I'm too close to tell.maybe if you have to ask,you aren't. I love to write and weave a story and I guess when all is said and done,that is what counts the most. However,I would be a liar if I said I didn't want to be as good or even better than Roberts,King,Poe,Rowling.Bottom line is A writer is judged by how many books they sell.They don't have to be a literary genius to write a bestseller or a technically perfect writer.But,they have to tell a damn good story. I will keep butt in chair,keep learning, and maybe someday Nathan will be commenting on my bestseller.
I personally think it would be a little terrifying to be so successful - EVERYONE will notice if you mess up or write something sub-standard. As for being perfectly happy having 'made it,' I think writing is a bit like falling in love. It's tempting to think that the perfect person is going to 'fix' everything and make us happy. But it never works that way. If you can't be happy as an obscure, unpublished writer chances are that fame and success aren't going to change anything.
I recently read that we need to remember that our leaders, idols and great writers are just people. When we make them more than that we are taking away the possibility that we could ever achieve their success.
Yup, you're right about the speed of light (I'm a physicist). As long as you are in an inertial (nonaccelerating) reference frame, you will always measure the same speed of light as anyone else in an inertial reference frame. Nice analogy!
Having written five books, I have naturally developed a vast catalog of practices that work for me. Perhaps sharing a few I can help shorten someone’s path to publication. Someday I even hope to have one of mine published.
Number one: organize your material. I keep mine in plastic garbage bags. Then my research, drafts, and yes, even manuscript are set to file (curbside) when the project is done. Almost as critical is the skill of outlining. I call it outlaying. In the early stages of a book, I’ll spend many hours outlaying in the sun. Sometimes I combine this with another proven technique, mind-napping.
With fiction, pre-develop your characters. I write the names of mine on the back of my hand. That way I think of them wherever I go. Sometimes I draw little eyes on my hand and ink lips around my thumb and forefinger. Then I ask them questions and get them to speak: “s’alright?” “S’alright!”
Free your characters. Encourage them to have lives of their own. Meet them at parties, then follow them, pen in hand, on adventures you could have never dreamed of. The hero of my last novel left me, wrote his own book. A bestseller. Oprah called him. Not me. Him. I answered the phone: “Hi, Oprah! Sorry, Dirk Blowhard is indisposed. I just drowned him in the tub.”
Choose subject matter carefully. My first book idea, about the Wright Brothers’ earliest plane, didn’t fly.
Then I wrote about sexual bondage. The editor liked my submission, but couldn’t get the chain stores to stock me.
Know your subject and market. I wrote a book about car engines and then couldn’t find a distributor.
Be controversial, but not overly. While living in England, I wrote an expose on the House of Windsor. Three agents in black suits appeared at my door. They weren't literary agents. They told me I wouldn't be getting any royalties.
Stick with it. My first novel, ‘SNOWMAN IN SPRING’ ended up in a slush pile.
I wrote a guidebook, “How to get Married”. The editor rejected my proposal. I must have misinterpreted her advances, (which, it turns out, were for another writer). It was all starting to have a familiar ring.
Sure enough, when I proposed a book on antique firearms, she shot me down.
In the publishing biz, rejection happens. Take it in stride. It’s not personal, though it can feel pretty personal, right? I sent an article to a horticultural magazine, on farmstead flowers and fowl. The editor called it poppycock. Said the section on composting was pure crap.
For a barbering journal I penned, “The Race Against Hair Loss.” The editor called it balderdash. Even the part about selecting a toupee. Said the whole thing was a ‘bad piece’.
To get serious, establishing a routine that works is really the most important aspect of writing. People often ask me what specific techniques I use. Actually I would like them to.
I stand on my head for twenty minutes before writing. Blood rushing to my head sets off a neuron frenzy, prompting right brain left brain intercourse and an overall spiking of metabolic function. Then prone I utter a secret Jedi incantation that ends with "best seller come to da, Dah!" From there I go straight to the kitchen, cram a quick snack, rich in iron—raisin bran, maybe a donut. Then I might get lured by the tube for a few minutes, some old sitcoms… But soon, neural activity positively peaking (or more often starting into a post-sugar-high nose dive) I leap to my keyboard, and write!
Words flow from thoughts pent up in my mind as ideas crystallize, as in perfect mid air simpatico my fingers fly. Then, after a bit, usually I remember to turn on the computer.
A few tips worth sticky-noting to your forehead:
Index cards can be useful for outlining your plot. If your plot is in a cemetery that is windy, use rocks to weigh the cards down.
If you are subject to excessive distrac
42 Comments on Writing Practice: What Works for Me, last added: 10/18/2010
So, Ghandi was a spiritual leader that didn't eat much, so his health was poor, and also had bad breath. He walked everywhere without shoes, which made him a....
L.Ron Hubbard "mind-napped" and that led to Scientology, so you're on your way....Lol
Absolutely Great Post! Informative too... I now know Poppycock isn't flower-porn.
I would love to read some of your manuscripts. Hard to believe with a sense of humor like yours they haven't gone over yet. Maybe Howard Jacobson's success with "The Finkler Question" will open more comedic doors?
DougM
JoAnn said, on 10/15/2010 11:00:00 AM
At first I thought this was going to be a plethora of golden insights...well it was much much more. Thanks for posting.
These are some great tips! :) Thanks for sharing your insight and experiences on writing, though to be honest I wouldn't organize material with trash bags. xD For me, to be able to stay confident about my work and think that my writing even has a chance, I have to treat it all lovingly and with care. Erm. That means organizing my work in a stack of various folders with stickers and swirly words of encouragement on them, LOL.
ROFL. This is so funny. Love your dry wit, Quill. I felt like I was reading/watching stand-up comedy - I don't know if I've ever read humor written that way before. It's impressive.
You're being funny on the forums, too, Quill. Really enjoying your postings. Except the one where you annihilated me with a woman with long hair in stick figures. That was just wrong. :)
There was a gem in there though, about characters. Turning them into people in your mind and developing them so completely can only benefit your story.
Anonymous said, on 10/15/2010 1:42:00 PM
Quill here (my Google acct isn't working! I type in the funny word and it keeps telling me it's wrong)
Thanks so much, everyone. I wrote the piece a few years back for a writer's gathering and delivered it there live.
What a hoot to be picked for one of Nathan's guest blog spots. I am really enjoying being part of his forum and blog community.
First, thanks to Nathan for allowing us to take a peak inside the mind of Quill.
Second, thanks to Quill for allowing us to take a peak inside... well, you know. Inspiring, informational, uplifting insight! Awesome.
I knew when you helped shatter some of my query work on the forums that you were a man after my own heart.
Humor... when done right... is the best lubrication for any form of art.
I would like to formally nominate Nathan for Secretary of State and Quill for President.
Anyone want to second that?
I guess we'll throw in the Query Shark for Secretary of Defense.
RLS said, on 10/15/2010 5:44:00 PM
i liked the line about iron rich food-- maybe a doughnut-- funny stuff
wilderness said, on 10/15/2010 5:59:00 PM
I'll follow up your witty word plays with a masterful retort:
LOLOLOLOLOLOLLLL! U TOO FUNNY.
Okay, so maybe I need to work on it. Thanks for the amusement Quill!
Anonymous said, on 10/15/2010 5:59:00 PM
Reading helps me out a lot. I find it easier to write if I also spend time reading, which I usually do at lunch and before I go to bed.
Brendan J. Paredes said, on 10/15/2010 6:33:00 PM
One word: Booze. I know, I know, it's been done. But it works for me, especially when coupled with my other favorite writing tool: Dodging actual work.
Now, granted, the people you work for might have a proble with this, but you just need to get right up in their faces and start talking about ART... the guy in accounting who sleeps at his desk instead of working on payroll, which is why you need to drink and write during work hours instead of whatever they THINK you are supposed to be doing!
You just need to remind them that since you are busy, making art, and a little too looped to really complain about Art being late with your check, you are really one of their more productive employees. Best of all, you aren't complaining about Art, who they can't afford to retire, since they spent the pension fund on a new Corporate Jet, or fire, since his severave check with all his seniority might break the company!
After that, they'll just leave you alone to pursue your writing thinking, "Wow, what a great employee... never complains... always busy... sure he weaves a little by lunch time and you can't understand a word he says, but he's not hanging around the coffee machine griping about his check being late..."
...now, if you will excuse me, I have some writing to do... where did I put that bottle...
ROTFL!!! If the Rangers' game weren't on right now, I would have even belly-laughed! Thank you for reminding us of the joy and deep-rooted humorous reasons that we right.
Omigoodness! I laughed so hard I had tears running down my cheeks while I was trying to read it outloud to the hubs! Thanks or the laugh!
J. T. Shea said, on 10/15/2010 7:12:00 PM
A pun my soul, Quill! I hereby resign as (self-appointed) Jester at the Court of King Nathan. Although you stole my patented writing technique.
Was the editor who liked your sexual bondage submission the same one who rejected your marriage proposal? Maybe you should have tried domination. Take her to a tack shop and play ‘horsey’ around the house with her.
Snacks rich in iron? That’s probably where the car distributor went.
ha ha! I needed a laugh today, thanks. Mostly my writing practice is preceded by watching Jersey Shore, for research about guido's because I never knew they existed and I might need to write about them one day. Also 19 kids and counting because I simply have never met anyone so weird as these people on TV and weirdness seems to inspire me. Sometimes I take all my characters and try to make them into a Sims family and then let them wander around doing whatever they want and see if it helps me figure out something new for them to do or be if I'm stumped. That never really works though. But I have a great city full of guido's and families with 19 kids.
Anonymous said, on 10/16/2010 2:49:00 AM
Is this Nathan's journey ?
There seem to be a lot of books for an agent who didn't want to become a writer.
I suppose it doesn't really matter, but if I were a client, a post like this would have me worried. As a writer, I'm simply disturbed.
They're English dialect usage for those on the tip of the tongue words that won't float up from the back of the mind. One or two of them might even be in a dictionary.
"Uh, the car won't start. The...the...what do you call it, you know, the doohickey that charges the battery--"
hahaah! I loved this! I read so many articles about authors using intense writing practices to pen their material. But the truth is what works, works. One day that'll be writing while standing on your head if that's what you got to do. Thanks for the laugh!
*LAUGHING* - I am so glad I kept reading, because honestly, I first thought "not more advice from a writer--I've heard enough already so I'll move on," -and that includes my own advice-- *laugh*. . .but I glanced down and thought, wait a minute!
there you are, just staring at your computer or eating your carnival corndog or spacing out in the middle of a conversation when it hits you. A SHINY NEW IDEA. it’s beautiful and original and nothing like the rest of them and for a perfect moment you can already see your future together. you know you have to have it before someone else does and your next move is going to be critical. luckily, enough people commented on your blog today that you’re feeling confident. extra-attractive. you decide to make it yours.
SQUEEEEEEEEEEE
everything is surreal. you can’t stop thinking about it no matter how hard you try and let’s be honest – you don’t really want to. you’re convinced that this time everything is going to be different. this is The One. the one that’s going to make agents cry over you, editors throw money at you, bestseller lists around the world make room for you at the top. maybe you have a title already? maybe you’ve even written a really excellent first paragraph? you don’t care. none of that matters. the only thing that really matters is Oprah is going off the air. she has no idea how much you were looking forward to that interview.
ANTICIPATION
things are still pretty good. you’ve told Facebook and Twitter and the only five friends you know in the real world that you’re writing a new book and people seem moderately interested which is already better than last time. you haven’t really started writing yet, but you will. in fact, you’ve already got the first chapter written! and the more you read it, the more you’re convinced you’ve never written anything quite as incredible. you can’t wait to dive into the story! SERIOUSLY. you can just feeeeeel how amazing this is going to be. maybe you should buy a new outfit to celebrate.
PROCRASTINATION
well! you've written a few chapters! but GOSH you are just so BUSY these days and the kids are so CRAZY and work is just HECTIC and you've discovered all these really awesome websites recently and it's now become a "thing" of yours to refresh your email and update your Twitter and "Like" at least five things on Facebook before you open up that Word Document. but it's not like you're avoiding it or anything! it's just -- you're having a bit of a rough patch! but you'll work through it! you'll figure out this plot twist! well, first you'll figure out a plot but then! then things will work out! you just need to find a way to communicate your needs! relationships are ALL ABOUT DIALOGUE!
EXPLETIVE
WELL MAYBE IF YOU WEREN’T SO DAMN NEEDY I WOULD PAY MORE ATTENTION TO YOU! DID YOU EVER THINK OF THAT? DID YOU EVER THINK THAT MAYBE I HAVE TO PAY THE BILLS AROUND HERE AND MAYBE I CAN’T SPEND EVERY FREE MOMENT OF MY LIFE STROKING YOUR FREAKING EGO AND MAYBE YOU SHOULD JUST WRITE YOURSELF ALREADY I’M SO SICK AND TIRED OF THIS CRAP I DON’T EVEN KNOW WHO YOU ARE ANYMORE WITH YOUR UGLY ADVERBS AND THOSE STUPID DANGLING PARTICIPLES YOU THINK MAKE YOU SOUND LIKE SHAKESPEARE GOD YOU'VE CHANGED INTO SOMETHING I CAN'T EVEN RECOGNIZE MAYBE WE SHOULD REALLY STOP FOOLING OURSELVES ABOUT THIS WHEN CLEARLY I'M THE ONLY ONE TRYING TO MAKE THIS WORK I HATE YOU SOOOO MUCHHHHHHHHH
INFIDELITY
you didn't even see it coming! I MEAN GOSH THINGS WERE GOING SO WELL! but there it was. sitting on the outskirts of your imagination the whole time, teasing you with promises of what could be. ANOTHER SHINY IDEA! it was wearing a flippy skirt and red lipstick and it sounded so intelligent you couldn't help but fall for its false proclamations. but you were too dazzled to realize that this new SNI was only a distraction. it was fleeting. unfulfilling. a concept with no tangible form. a cheap thrill with no literary value. you feel cheated. you feel dirty. YOU'RE SO ASHAMED.
GROVELING
you messed up. you never meant t
62 Comments on The Nine Stages of Dating a Novel, last added: 10/14/2010
If I could, I would buy a hundred little Taherehs and box them up and stick shiny ribbons on them and give them to everyone I know for Christmas. Because everyone needs a Tahereh.
Anonymous said, on 10/11/2010 11:35:00 AM
Just listen to Miranda's "Kissin' U" I think that settles all inquiries. To Valerie Flame I mean K nice try. Good guide though and you Nathan? You should work for Stargate. J/K
That "Procrastination-Expletive" section sound like me alright! Now about my writing...Writing does feel like a relationship. I'm learning that it certainly takes as much commitment. Eeesh. Who knew?
Argh, young AND talented, how disgusting (kidding). Superb way to look at the relationship between a writer and the work, T! I'm just coming out of the procrastination stage of my WIP...
Don't - don't talk about us like that :'( We're not going to go through most of these stages because right now, we're so in love WE'RE GETTING MARRIED.
Ugh, who am I kidding? I went through the exact same phases with my debut. But, no, no, no. We'll get through this. We'll get through this. Mmmmhhmmm..Mmmmmhhmmm....
I [heart] my WIP! Yes, baby, I'm talking about you 'cause you're sooooo awesome..
*thinking* : Gosh I sound so stupid.
Rachel said, on 10/11/2010 1:31:00 PM
So true. I'm currently experiencing Procrastination, Expletive, Infidelity, and Groveling. I have yet to reach Love. I don't even know what Love feels like. *Sigh*
At least I know what I'm going though is normal and doesn't mean I shouldn't be bothering!
Hilarious. :D Although my manuscripts fuly understant that thou I may be commited to them at the moment I still toy with other ideas. Not something I would recomend in human relatioships though.
Hil-ar-ious! Amazing energy and cleverness. I don't know why I think I'm a writer after reading this. I don't write, I just indulge my fantasies. You've captured the writer's life. It's all about the up and down relationship; like the post of two days pointed out in regard to the author/agent fling. And you're only 22? Serious depression looming.
Why does this sound sooo familiar?? oh its about me!!! lol!!thank you to the author for putting her thoughts together and not going on the the next "shiny idea".
I've been cheating on my novel with my blog. You see my blog is just so easy. We get along so well. I post pictures, they take up a lot of space, I talk about food. People give me feedback. My blog is a good date. It listens. My blog gives back!
Right now, I'm cheating on my novel with this blog.
Hysterical! Don't know whether to laugh or cry. I do know I'm printing it out and posting above my writing desk. That infidelity of mine has got to go! It applies just as well to nonfiction, and really to any great idea that we entertain but cheat on. Thanks!
Great post. So true. It reminded me of Winston Churchill's description of writing a book:
“Writing a book is an adventure. To begin with, it is a toy and an amusement; then it becomes a mistress, and then it becomes a master, and then a tyrant. The last phase is that just as you are about to be reconciled to your servitude, you kill the monster, and fling him out to the public.”
I think I'm in a polyamorous relationship with my projects... And I'm in the procrastination phase with all of them, very very prolonged. Oh God, now I feel so dirty!
Umm, this post pretty much made my day. Freaking hilarious and brilliant!
I'm at the Procrastination [Station] stage right now. xD Maybe I can skip the Infidelity part? Haha.
~TRA
http://xtheredangelx.blogspot.com
J. L. McInnis said, on 10/12/2010 12:47:00 PM
HAHAHA!! Awesome! I've totally gone through all those stages (well, okay, i'm working on the love stage where the darn thing is actually completed but...who said that was the whole point anyway?)
The expletive stage...hmmm, yes, very, very familiar with that one...and doing the procrastination stage even as I type this comment, lol.
I tell my b/f all the time that I'm not the only writer that gets really excited about a new idea. Starts it, then part way through gets "sidetracked" and starts another, only to go crawling back to my original WIP.
When I read this to him, he laughed and shook his head. I still don't think he's completely convinced.
In 2008, with my first finished manuscript in hand, I was ready to query. To find that special someone who would take my story to the top. You know, to find THE ONE.
My sister-in-law (also a writer) devised a contest: first person to reach 100 rejections wins. We crafted our queries, did our research, and by the end of four months I won the race. I’d received 100 rejections. But I also won an agent. Everything’s downhill from there, right?
The agent submitted my book and after three months, we had 2 positive rejections (you know, the kind where they’re all, “I like it, but how would I sell it?”) and about 7 no-responses. Not the reaction we had expected.
Meanwhile, I wasn’t going to be one of those writers who put all of her flowers in one bouquet. I decided to write another book, so that when we had exhausted all possible avenues for book #1, I’d have something ready to go. My 13-year old niece read Book #2 in 24 hours; that had to be a good sign, right? (side note: warranted use of semi-colon, check.)
With your first book, you’re guaranteed the agent loves it, because he/she offered representation on it. But with your second, you never know. I gave my agent book #2 in January 2010. Three and a half months later, he was “still reading.”
Just like a clueless girlfriend, I made excuses for him. So what if my niece had taken 24 hours to read it? She’s really fast. So what if this second book was 20,000 words shorter than my first? I probably used bigger words. The story makes the reader want to savor it, not finish it. He probably doesn’t want it to end. (Agreed, that was the stupidest excuse.)
Determined to be proactive, I sent him a list of editors who had mentioned on blogs that they were looking for my type of book.
He responded with a resounding, “Um, let’s talk on the phone.”
That did not sound good. I’m sure you all know how frakkin’ hard it is to get an agent in the first place. My family and friends knew. Their advice before the dreaded phone call was, “Say what you have to say to keep him.”
But here’s what only a phone call could show: the passion was gone. He liked book #2 okay, but he didn’t love it. It was polished, but it wouldn’t make a splash. It didn’t need that much work as far as revisions went, but he probably couldn’t get to it for a few months. Maybe after the holidays. (That would’ve been 9 months later).
So, he wasn’t going to dump me. I could’ve kept him. But one thing was perfectly clear: there was no way he would be able to muster the passion necessary to make a sale, especially a debut sale, especially in today’s tight market. It wasn’t his fault. This business is subjective.
I knew we couldn’t go on like that. But was I really ready to dive into the query pool again? Could I face a hundred new rejections? Would I really be stupid enough to leave an agent? LEAVE an agent?
But the passion was gone. There was no way around it. He just wasn’t that into me anymore. As our phone conversation started wrapping up, I blurted out that this wasn’t going to work. He didn’t put up a fight, and we parted ways amicably.
I started querying the next day. (Yeah, I had a query written. I’m sort of a cup-half-empty type person.) Within a month, I had nine offers from wonderful agents who were passionate about book #2. And three weeks ago, I sold my debut trilogy to Balzer and Bray, Harper Collins in a pre-empt, after 48 hours on submission. All of this happened five months before my first agent would’ve even submitted it.
I don’t blame agent #1 for not loving my book, just as I don’t blame my high school boyfriend, who fell in love with someone else right before the Christmas Dance. (I totally blame the other girl, though, but I digress).
Point is, even though it hurts, you can’t help
79 Comments on When You Discover Your Agent's Not That Into You, last added: 10/11/2010
Thank you for this post. It's refreshing to know I'm not the only one who made excuses for an agent, passed along names of editors, played the waiting game, etc. I recently split with mine and am now armed with the knowledge that this is a relationship and should be treated as such.
How very brave of you to leave an agent who wasn't right for you.
I'm glad it was the right decision and it all worked out so well.
Anonymous said, on 10/9/2010 10:20:00 AM
This is a fantastic post. I enjoy learning about writers processes.
Particularly, I'd like to know how many years of writing novels it took (or how many novels) before knowing you had the "one" that would even compell you to seek an agent.
Is it ever too late? Is it ever too late to have hope when you are older, anchored by a disliked job, and only starting and sifting through writing pieces/ideas?
Anon @10:20- I don't think it's ever too late. The book I sold was nowhere near my first book. That fist book is shoved in a drawer somewhere.
I didn't have very many more novels before I found "The One" (Which itself is sort of a crap shoot), mostly because I found it so difficult just to finish a darn book!
Wow! I never thought about what happens AFTER one gets an agent and writes the second book. Your story inspires me, especially being a former broadcast journalist myself. Way to find the right home for your book and CONGRATS on the publishing contract!!
Thank you, I needed this encouragement so much. I just parted ways with my agent and am on the hunt again. Admitting things aren't working out between you and an agent is not an easy thing to do.
No way! I JUST finished up this conversation with a friend - except he and I were talking about romantic relationships (ala "If You're Gone" by Matchbox 20). I never thought about how that could apply to the agent/writer relationship, but it totally does! Gotta let 'em go when they're just not feeling it. You'll both be better off. And I'm so happy for you, Brodi, that it all worked out so well for you. :)
Brodi - congratulations on your sale! That's wonderful. :)
I'm glad you parted ways with your first agent. He was sending you signals that he didn't want to work with you (I think once your first book didn't sell), and I think it's impressive that you had enough confidence in yourself to move quickly. Good for you!
Good luck with your debut!
Anonymous said, on 10/9/2010 11:05:00 AM
I don't understand. Is this a relationship story, or a business story? An agent's job, as I've come to understand, is to help sell the book and get the best possible deal out of it. It sounds to me that he didn't want to do his job.
Thanks for sharing your story. It sounds really easy, painless, but I'm willing to bet it was a little harder than that in real life. Good job staring the problem down and getting on with your life. Congrats on your book deal!
Thank you for this post. This sounds crazy, but it's actually encouraging to know that you had to go through 100 rejections and two agents before you could get a book published. But you preservered and you made it!!
Congratulations, you are an inspiration to us all and I can't wait to read your book.
BTW, do you have a blog by which we could follow your experiences and thoughts as you progress through this crazy process?
What a refreshing and inspiring post! I really enjoyed reading it and did wonder what would happen if the agent didn't like the following books. I am no where near 100 so I better get sending!
Kelly- you're right- it most definitely wasn't easy or painless. Quite the opposite, especially when you have no idea how it's going to possibly be okay that you're agentless again.
But if I expanded on just how painful it was, this would be a very long post.
Layla- I do have a blog, where I post regularly: www.brodiashton.blogspot.com
Anonymous said, on 10/9/2010 11:48:00 AM
This SPOKE to me. Except for the fact that I'm still clinging to my agent (like a desperate writer hanging from a crumbling cliff) and I don't have your happy ending (new agent, offer of publication), I could have written this post. My agent loved my "first" book (I have several manuscripts gathering virtual dust, too), but after she couldn't sell it, took forever "still reading" my second one. Then she unenthusiastically wondered if I might completely rewrite it? I said no, but I've got a great idea for another one! To which she replied, "send me chapters and an outline in case I'm not interested." The love is gone! :o(
Maya said, on 10/9/2010 11:50:00 AM
Hi Brodi,
Congrats on your sale. It sounds like a crazy ride, but you made the right decision to believe in your book. While I'm not where you are yet, I will certainly keep your story in mind -- that passion from your agent is a must.
Congrats Brodi! That had a much better ending than I anticipated. I'm thrilled things worked out so great for you! Sometimes the hard decision is the right one. Good for you for following your gut.
Brodi, breaking up with your agent took a lot of guts and I'm impressed. I'm so glad you found "the one," and that you're still friendly with your ex. Congratulations on the sale!
I just wanted to say thanks for that post! I always think that finding an agent is a lot like dating, but I had never thought about 'breaking up with an agent.'
I also loved the 100 rejections part! That was so encouraging to read, because it's easy to think that if you get that many no's you will never get a yes, but you did!
Great post and good luck with your book that just got picked up!
J. T. Shea said, on 10/9/2010 12:28:00 PM
Anonymous 11.05 AM, it's both, a relationship story AND a business story. They are inseparable in all businesses. The romance metaphor is much used by publishing commenters, and it seems appropriate. If I were an agent I would be more upfront in such situations, but I'm not an agent.
Audrianna said, on 10/9/2010 12:31:00 PM
If your book is anything like this post (and I'd be willing to bet that it is...), I am SO pre-ordering! LOL You have a very refreshing and youthful voice that automatically drew my attention. Congrats on the sale!
Sorry, had some technical difficulties What I had said was that I could have written this blog. I had a very similar experience. I got an agent, who submitted my book to about twelve publishers. All of them turned us down, though most of them were "good" rejections, saying that it had more to do with the market than the book. One even said she'd like to see more work. My agent asked for book 2, which I'd been working on. I sent it to her when I finished it. And waited. After a few months, I e-mailed her and she told me to hang in there, she hadn't finished reading yet. I waited a few more months, e-mailed again and she said, "well, I'm having a hard time finishing it" Yikes! I e-mailed back and suggested that maybe I should look for someone else to represent the book. And she said "Yes, that's a good idea" Yikes again. It's heartening to know that your story has a happy ending. I'm still looking for Mr/Ms right who will love my work and be near as passionate about it as I am.
Anonymous said, on 10/9/2010 12:33:00 PM
Wow... and here I am feeling like all my confidence is drained after 18 rejections. I haven't queried since the last one, about two months ago. I'm thinking I should suck it up and get back on the horse... because I happen to think my book rocks, and this story makes think someone out there might eventually feel the same!
I think saying the writing business is subjective is just saying there's a lot of "intuition" or gut decisions involved in making things work. I'm glad you were brave enough to follow yours. :D
Anonymous said, on 10/9/2010 1:06:00 PM
Brodi - wow, I read some of your blog and how interesting. I wish I could "chat" with you. I'm struggling with even beginning. I have no background in writing at all, just a hope that some effort + faith + persistence will lead the way. My trouble is that I have never fully completed anything. And I have no idea what my true voice is. I find outlines impossible. But when the words strike, I can write pages (or even 30,000+ words) and then it dies. Nothing. I'm trying to find key "organization" tips and ways to bring out my ideas so I don't spend my time in from the blank screen staring at a speck on the wall. You are very inspiring.
Congratulations, Brodi - your post alone had enough edge of the seat action to keep me reading; your book must be ace! What a decision to have to make - but make it you did. A very empowering post. Thanks.
Great post. Looking back, are you glad you never sold the other book because you feel like this will be a stronger debut? Do you still hope to eventually publish it?
Wow, way to persevere, and, a success story to top it off! But, you hit the nail on the head - the subjective nature of the art implies that not everybody is going to be jazzed by a work.
You just can't feel bad about it. I walked into an agent with a novel with four publishing offers but she just wasn't in love.
What can you do? Move on.
Congrats on your sale. :)
Bartle 001 said, on 10/9/2010 4:01:00 PM
I find myself furious about this, and it's got nothing to do with me!
As he had already entered into contract to represent you, he should have told you in a timely fashion if he wasn't interested in your latest work. He had an obligation to give you his best efforts, and he didn't even try.
Brodi, you sought passion in your agent, and you demonstrated courage in stepping out to find it. Your story is well-told, and I've placed a link to it in my free resources. Thanks.
Anonymous said, on 10/9/2010 4:57:00 PM
Anonymous at 10:20 am: I sold the fourth novel I wrote; the average seems to be to sell the third or fourth novel that one writes. However, some people write many more than that before making a first sale. As for is it ever too late: that depends on whether you're still enjoying the writing. There's never a time when the publishers send goons to come and take your computer away from you :).
Brodi, Congrats on the sale, and on getting a new agent.
Your first guy may not've been that into you, but he doesn't sound like that great an agent. My last book got rejected by everyone, but my agent certainly got responses from everyone. If they didn't respond on their own, she nagged 'em till they did. That's what agents are for, on account us writers are too shy to follow editors down the street and tackle them.
Form rejections and no-responses, hell, we can get those on our own :).
Karen Schwabach said, on 10/9/2010 5:02:00 PM
Anonymous at 1:06 pm-- google the Ingermanson Snowflake. I think you may find it helpful.
Thank you for this awesome post, Brodi. It's such a great description of reality: even when things go wrong, it often opens up the opportunity for something new to go right. Best of luck with your series and congrats on the sale!!
Br-r-r-rilliant post! Thank you, Brodi! Still chuckling. And thanks for the great insights on agents. I'm glad you've met your soul agent now. Inspired by your post, could a new reality TV show spring forth with shades of The Bachelor and overtones of The Rejectionist?
How brave of you to follow your gut instinct and part ways when you'd worked so hard to get there. And you're right . . . if they don't love it . . . Very happy it worked out for you. Congrats on the sale!
Wendy- I think that's a great idea. Now, who do we know in Hollywood? And will it involve mud-wrestling? (Don't all the good reality shows involve mud-wrestling?)
Thank you for sharing your journey. That took some guts to leave your first agent. Your post sheds light not only about the importance of passion for a project (for the agent and writer) but also the subjectivity of the business. I won't take those rejections to heart.
I appreciate this post so much, although it made me a little sick to my stomach, because I think I'm in the same situation - an agent who really doesn't want to read the "revised version." At least I'm going to be a little better prepared for bad news, and hopeful for some good news someday.
Awesome post - thanks for the inspiration and the chuckle.
And CONGRATS!!
Anonymous said, on 10/9/2010 6:50:00 PM
You so inspired me. Thanks. (And I thought I had it bad with 22 rejections , three partials, and a full...)
But HOW do you survive 100????
Anonymous said, on 10/9/2010 6:53:00 PM
EVERY time I put my WIP in front of my critique group, I die a thousand deaths. I question myself over and over. And then, I love them so much, because everything they point out makes me a better re-writer.
Kathleen said, on 10/9/2010 6:54:00 PM
I continue to envision landing an agent as the culmination of the process, equating it with the long-awaited prize. In fact, it is the first step of many towards publishing my first book. Your blog was both insightful and thought-provoking. Thank you so much for sharing. And congrats on your success!
Anon @6:49- I love to use my colossal failures to inspire people! Seriously.
Three partials and a full sounds- like you're doing just fine. :) Maybe you won't have to hit 100.
Kathleen- I used to think of getting an agent as having the ball on 1st and goal on the football field. Now I think that getting an agent just means your ON the football field, and the game hasn't even started.
Such a great post! I love the perspective on not putting all your flowers in one bouquet. You're a funny girl Brodi Ashton. I'm so thrilled for you and your new book!
Cathi said, on 10/9/2010 7:43:00 PM
I love this post - thanks for sharing!
suja said, on 10/9/2010 7:56:00 PM
Brodi, Loved your post. It's truly encouraging. And you kept your sense of humor throughout. I have to admire your guts and confidence to stand by your work. Any time I get discouraged, I'm going to come back to this post. I'm also not going to take those rejection letters personally. Thanks.
As I sit here and look at my list of agents to query to, I wonder how it is possible to have enough agents to query to get over 100 rejections. I suppose it has something to do with genre. I'm having a heck of a time finding fantasy agents. I'm only on two rejections so far...waiting for the third and fourth...
And if it's any consolation, I know the feeling of passion's loss.
My first agent took me on because he liked a short story I'd written and published in a high school collection. He encouraged me to write my first novel, suggesting I was the sort of young, and hopefully raw talent that could go far in writing.
He sent that first novel, a Young Adult novel written by a then-Young Adult,to Thomas Crowell and Knopf. And when they rejected it, he kept encouraging me and sending it. And encouraged me to write another.
So, I wrote another, in a few years. Similar experience. "Don't give up!" was basically his message.
I wrote maybe four novels with his encouragement. Then he went and died on me, in 1987.
I kept writing. His widow took over his agency, and for a couple years kept up his encouragement until, as she said, she needed to pare the agency down, essentially to writers who were already bringing in money.
I completely understood. Then, there I was, another manuscript written, which she had loved, in search of an agent. A friend, a publisher who actually loved my manuscript but couldn't get anyone to publish it, including her own company, recommended a couple agents she'd worked with.
The second one, who wasn't that busy at the time, read it and took me on.
About 10 years, four manuscripts, and a stint living overseas later, I realized someone had to say what we both knew to be true: as you said, she just wasn't that into me. We parted ways just as I found a new publisher extremely positive and interested in that by then 10-year-old manuscript, so interested he recommended some revisions which made sense to me and I manged to accomplish.
Then, the once small and barely locally known publisher got a writer who put him on the map. I sent another manuscript, and he sent the first one, and the next, back.
I no longer try to write a novel a year. And I hate writing queries, because I was spoiled at such a young age by such a great encouraging agent.
It is tough dumping someone--anyone, but especially someone who you feel sort of accepted your initial overture and you feel you can't really get much farther without.
But you either sell your work, or you don't. And you either work and hope or try for a sale, or you decide it's too draining, economically or emotionally.
But by then, I'm guessing, you'll still write another manuscript, like me, eventually.
And let me tell your friend, in my 30+ years of experiences like this, 100 rejections is just a good start...:)
And if it's any consolation, I know the feeling of passion's loss.
My first agent took me on because he liked a short story I'd written and published in a high school collection. He encouraged me to write my first novel, suggesting I was the sort of young, and hopefully raw talent that could go far in writing.
He sent that first novel, a Young Adult novel written by a then-Young Adult,to Thomas Crowell and Knopf. And when they rejected it, he kept encouraging me and sending it. And encouraged me to write another.
So, I wrote another, in a few years. Similar experience. "Don't give up!" was basically his message.
I wrote maybe four novels with his encouragement. Then he went and died on me, in 1987.
I kept writing. His widow took over his agency, and for a couple years kept up his encouragement until, as she said, she needed to pare the agency down, essentially to writers who were already bringing in money.
I completely understood. Then, there I was, another manuscript written, which she had loved, in search of an agent. A friend, a publisher who actually loved my manuscript but couldn't get anyone to publish it, including her own company, recommended a couple agents she'd worked with.
The second one, who wasn't that busy at the time, read it and took me on.
About 10 years, four manuscripts, and a stint living overseas later, I realized someone had to say what we both knew to be true: as you said, she just wasn't that into me. We parted ways just as I found a new publisher extremely positive and interested in that by then 10-year-old manuscript, so interested he recommended some revisions which made sense to me and I manged to accomplish.
Then, the once small and barely locally known publisher got a writer who put him on the map. I sent another manuscript, and he sent the first one, and the next, back.
I no longer try to write a novel a year. And I hate writing queries, because I was spoiled at such a young age by such a great encouraging agent.
It is tough dumping someone--anyone, but especially someone who you feel sort of accepted your initial overture and you feel you can't really get much farther without.
But you--or they--either sell your work, or don't. And you either work and hope or try for a sale, or you decide it's too draining, economically or emotionally.
But by then, I'm guessing, you'll still write another manuscript, like me, eventually.
And let me tell your friend, 100 rejections is just a good start...:)
But I'm glad you found the right one and "clicked" with a publisher...and hope the same for us all.
Interesting that this parallels certain things in the day-to-day activities that is life (like getting a new job that eventually becomes not a good fit)
It's good to hear that you were able to handle the breakup with as much tact and courtesy as possible.
I agree with a comment by The Lemonade Stand. (That was a surreal sentence.) It does seem like it would be difficult to even find one hundred agents to submit to in some genres.
What an awesome post! I was up to 133 rejections and I just signed with an agent this past week. She loved my book and seems very passionate which I am very happy about. She's already asked for my second book but if she doesn't love that one, I won't take it personally.
You're awesome Brodi - and congrats again on the book deal and now for guesting on Nathan's blog. You're are so brave and impulsive to part ways with the first agent - I don't know that I would have done it, but you're right - they should feel passionate about your work.
Thanks again for all the nice comments! I admit to being a little scared about being so exposed...
Anica and The Lemonade Stand (That totally sounds like a band name)- I think it's a genre thing. Currently, agentquery.com (which is the site I used when querying) lists 316 agents who handle YA. I know YA is more encompassing than other genres, but it wasn't hard for me to find 100.
Jody- I'm back to the Scrabble game. No fair starting out with "anemone" though! Give me a chance, won't ya?
Congratulations on the sale of your book, Brodi! It sounds like you made the right decision to part ways with your previous agent, although I imagine it must have been a very difficult decision at the time.
I just reread your post, and realized that you sold not just one book (which would have been fantastic in and of itself), but a TRILOGY of books. Your post is so inspiring. HUGE CONGRATULATIONS on the sale of your trilogy!
Brodi, thanks for the post. It really was quite inspiring. I suppose I would consider mine YA as well as fantasy. So I'm going to go give that website a go. So far I've just gone through the Writer's Market. I'm just getting started in the querying. So thanks for mentioning that website. (Mentally noting new resource...)
Anonymous said, on 10/10/2010 10:01:00 PM
So what's a pre-empt? Pardon my newbiness.
Anonymous said, on 10/11/2010 11:48:00 AM
My favorite entry, I'm so happy it was chosen.
To all the commenters whose agents couldn't sell their first book, take heart in remembering that last year (09) was the worst in publishing since the Great Depression. Don't give up.
Anon- "pre-empt" means they made a good enough offer to take it off the table for all the other publishers who have the manuscript. (In my little knowledge of the subject)
Other Anon- I totally agree. 09 was a horrific year for potential debut authors.
This post's even prettier against the full-on orange backdrop! And it ain't too shabby with its deluge of great comments. Congrats, Brodi - on writing a post that really speaks to everyone!
I've been getting this question quite a bit lately. I guess it's a bit boggling to the mind to think about the queries agents receive and to contemplate the authors behind them, and the sheer number of people out there working on books.
Are there really 15,000+ people a year querying agents? Are there really that many novels and memoirs and self-help books and alien encounters of the dubious kind? There are really that many people writing books? Really?
There's only one way to answer this question: yes, there are. There really are.
It's so tempting to feel as if your books is in competition with all of those other books on submission, not to mention the ones coming out by already-popular authors, and to be bogged down by the sheer impossible odds of it all. It's temping to want someone else's success story to be yours and to measure whatever success you've achieved against someone who has "made it."
Don't do it. The only person you're in competition with is yourself. You can't control how many people are out there, how many queries agents are getting, how many celebrities are writing books, etc. etc.
All you can control is your own work. Focus on that. The odds are just numbers. Don't let them get you down.
52 Comments on Are There Really That Many People Out There Writing Books?, last added: 10/8/2010
I'd never thought about that question before I started writing myself. But now, when I tell people I'm working on a novel, it's amazing how many people say either (A), that their cousin's friend's uncle's neighbor just got published or (B), that they want to write a book, too.
And the online community of writers is pretty staggering in and of itself. Yes, there are a whooooole lot of us out here.
Honestly, I thought I was in competition with way more than 15,000, since one out of every two Americans feel they should write a book--and only 15,000 in one year did? I actually feel ENCOURAGED by that number.
I haven't seen any indications over the past few years that the publishing markets are prone to wild flights of fancy. Urban fantasy isn't going to go away tomorrow to be replaced by ninja sheep fantasy (although how cool would that be?). Slap a YA together and it will have a better shot than the same tale with a 40-ish character. Science fiction is dying off by leaps and bounds. You can write to the market, and most people do. If you write faster, perhaps you can take advantage of rising trends like steampunk, but I bet steampunk is still trending in a year, maybe longer.
A writer who can crank out a book in less than 12 months will be able to write what's selling and still have a better shot than one who just writes great ninja sheep tales and waits for them to become hot.
I guess my point is that yes, the market changes, but like anything else, it does so slowly and somewhat predictably
This post made my whole day! I just submitted a manuscript yesterday (ah, the agony of waiting!) and all too often, I tell myself I'm going to fail just from the sheer number of other authors out there vying for the same thing.
:D You can get rejected 1000 times but it only takes 1 acceptance to hit the top.
Besides, we're writers, right? We don't deal with numbers. So keep on truckin'.
Liz Hollar said, on 10/7/2010 3:15:00 PM
But how many people are regular readers? What's the writer to obsessive reader ratio? Wonderful post. It's nice to remember that we're writing because we enjoy it.
I was going to use that question as my crutch and limp away without making a comment becasue, you know, 63 comments. How can my comment be noticed among so many. Of course that would have meant that I learned nothing from your post. Well said. Very positive.
My heart goes out to anyone who has worked really hard on a well crafted original tale with solid writing skill that can't get it published. At that point you have to take stock of your own soul and sense of purpose and pat yourself on the back for having the courage to dream the dream and see it through. You truly become a writer when you have pieces of work you have declared as "finished." The rest to phrase it harshly is cult of personality bullshit compared to dreaming the dream all the way to completion. I enjoy N,s board because its a good cross section of people-artists and he also has taken the plunge into dreaming a dream and working it to the finish line. Eventually we all get old and die. Maybe our stories live in our (hopefully) eternal souls like gardens of dreams we had the courage to build and one day own forever.
Anonymous said, on 10/7/2010 3:26:00 PM
I was also surprised that it's only 15,000.
If you chunk it down -- consider the market segmentation (fiction v. non-fiction, all the genres) you will realize that there are very few you compete directly against. How many are actually writing what you write (paranormal romance, cozy mystery, police procedural thriller)?
If you look at specific audiences and genres you really are talking about 10-50 other writers dominating your specific market (in most cases). Study their work and write to their standard (or higher, in some genres that's not hard to do).
15,000? No, not even close. Seriously. It's all in how you look at those numbers. For each one of us -- depending on what we write -- it's far less. In my genre it is only about 20-3 active good writers, so the door is wide open. Readers are searching and snapping up everything they can find. That's why my books are selling so well.
Take a look at your real competition, and I think you'll find it isn't nearly as daunting.
With 300 million people just here in the U.S. your chances of someone buying your book looks pretty good, even if less than half are the type who buy a book now and then.
Coach Bransford, I need you to help me tell myself (whom I'm in competition with) to get my ass moving. It's getting late. I've wasted so many years not doing what I should be doing and instead trying to do that other thing and being stressed out about not doing what I want to be doing. Tell myself to just do it already. Thanks, coach.
Such a true post. I find myself freaking out because I see all of these people pumping out books and querying multiple projects over the course of the year and I'm just trying to get a first draft completed!
I had to really take a step back and realize that my book will be better if I follow my OWN pace and not the pace of others. I have to remind myself of that every so often, though...
I agree with writing the story you're passionate about *when* you're passionate about it. If you don't, if you write based on a trend (even *if* you could predict the market, publishing takes time)your work will be sub-par because your heart wasn't in it. If you're writing just to make a name for yourself or the money (yes, I heart $ just as much as the next median income girl does) then you're in the wrong business, in my opinion anyway. When I write, I live and breathe my story, the characters, and their lives...because that's what *I* love in reading a book. I want to read a book that catches me up in a current so strong that I forget I'm not really there, that it's fiction. You can't do that if you're writing something you feel "Eh..." about. And yes, the numbers can be daunting and getting rep-ed/published sometimes feels this side of no way in hell, but, really, ask yourself, "Why am I writing and who am I writing for?" If I love the story, that's what ultimately matters, if I get published, well, that's a freaking hell of a bonus!
JK Rowling submitted to 12 agents before the 13th took her. I think Stephanie Meyer submitted to 15 before one took her. Twelve people told JK Rowling, "We can't take a chance on this, it's not commercially viable."
The fact is, no one knows for sure what's commercially viable. A funny, charming, intelligent book about boy wizards that one might think would do fabulously as a follow-up to Harry Potter might do only so-so for no reason anyone can easily discern. On the flip side, fourteen years ago someone said "Whoever heard of wizard school? That's not what's selling right now. But... I love this story, maybe it's worth a shot."
I think that if you have a good book, and you have a rather liberal measure of patience, it will find a home no matter what the market currently is.
A lot of people talk about writing a book, but few of those complete the task.
Some of these new writers swelling the query lines are from other professions and are experts in their fields. Time will determine if they can succeed in writing fiction.
I don't let the numbers get me down. I just keep writing.
I definitely freak out about the number of writers out there sometimes. Maybe it's because I'm so involved in the young adult writing blogosphere with my own blog, but I feel like EVERYONE is writing YA right now!
Still, you're right. You can't worry about what you can't control. The best thing is to relax, try your best, and just write!
I'm glad that so many people are spending time writing and building hopeful aspirations. The happiest times of my life were when creating, and I think this is true for others as well. It's great that so many are tapping into their creative and spiritual sides as this is surely where all true inspiration comes from. I think the writing process is good for us: encourages us to think and not merely follow trends and current philosophies without thinking for ourselves, but to add to the culture ourselves. It encourages us to believe in ourselves and our talents and also helps us to understand other people. The whole creative process is a win-win, I think - as long as we don't allow ourselves to be defeated by despair if success doesn't come. It's the journey where the true rewards lie on many levels.
J. T. Shea said, on 10/7/2010 5:47:00 PM
15,000 queries a year sounds overwhelming, and no doubt FEELS overwhelming when you’re on the receiving end, like Nathan. But compared to the US population (300 million) it’s just one in 20,000 people, or about six people in the city of Cork, where I live (and which is in Ireland, but will serve as a statistical example).
The photo? Nathan most famous client, of course. Who was written off by his teachers as an idiot but became one of history’s greatest leaders. Who had a very obvious stammer but became possibly the greatest orator ever. Not to mention one of the twentieth century’s most prolific and successful authors.
Ian, Ninja Sheep Fantasy? Definitely The Next Big Thing! BAAAAHHHH!!!!!
15,000? Per year? Really? It cannot possibly be that low, can it? For some reason I thought one agency was fielding that many queries every year.
Are you people inflating how hard you're working Nathan?
Just kidding. As usual you make a great point. And your sage advice is very factual and makes much sense. But you also manage to tap into a writer's heart and soul as only you can do my man.
Thank you so much for motivating us to do our best over and over again. And I know it's not just smoke. You really do believe what you write here.
I've been following long enough to know that for sure.
There is only one person who cam write my novels, after all, and sometimes it takes a little reminder that the numbers and the chum don't mean spit when it all comes down to the marrow.
The 15,000 number is very unscientific. That's just my very rough estimate for the number of queries I receive each year. It doesn't count all the other people out there who are moving to self-publishing, who don't query me, etc. etc. There are way more writers out there than that. Should have been more specific.
I wasn’t disagreeing with your post. I was in a hurry this afternoon, and was just responding to something that Allison and Ian said because I think their point was also relevant. When a writer’s struggling to keep on going, it isn’t enough to keep in mind that you only have control over your own writing. A writer really needs to keep in mind that, even if they exert tremendous control over their own writing and raise their skill level to an excellent level, it might not matter. The book might still only be eligible for a drawer or self-publishing because it’s not a popular enough topic or style.
As for myself, I’m actually practicing what your Blog recommended today. I’ve been writing and editing like crazy, have pulled myself almost entirely off the Internet for a while, and am determined to concentrate as much as possible on the novel I’m writing. I’m not thinking about the competition or anything else like that. It’s been fun!
And if you don't enjoy the game, you might want to quit playing.
Of course I want to be published, to have my work read. But whether or not that happens, or happens soon, or happens in the way I expect or hope? I won't regret a single revision. Not a word, even. The thought of not writing is what really gives me the creeps.
Anonymous said, on 10/7/2010 9:26:00 PM
"Don't do it. The only person you're in competition with is yourself. You can't control how many people are out there, how many queries agents are getting, how many celebrities are writing books, etc. etc.
All you can control is your own work. Focus on that. The odds are just numbers. Don't let them get you down."
Thank you!!!!
I may have to write a book right up your alley so I can query you one day. Even if I don't, I will send you a nice thank you note when my ship comes in. You certainly make the voyage worth all the fiery hoops that we must jump through.
Thank you, again and again.
Anonymous said, on 10/7/2010 9:55:00 PM
Remember Larry, the Billy Crystal character in THROW MOMMA FROM THE TRAIN? He was a teacher of creative writing. Every day, he told his class, "Writers write." 'nuff sed?
When I read how many tens of thousands of books are published every year, and I see some of the absolute crap hitting the shelves, it seems to put the odds into perspective.
Old Salt
Anonymous said, on 10/7/2010 10:52:00 PM
"There are way more writers out there than that" Man, what's up? Stop freaking people out. Go take your vacation, my man. Relax.
I found this strangely depressing and comforting at the same time. There really are 15,000 people querying out there? Crap. But phew, I don't have to worry about them - I can just focus on writing the best book I can.
I guess I should get back to writing the best book(s) I can, then.
Anonymous said, on 10/7/2010 11:25:00 PM
Only 15,000 per year? Is that an accurate figure for number of queries that an agent receives for an entire year? That sounds so low. From the way agents discuss queries, I always assumed it was much higher than that. In independent film companies, producers receive a higher number of complete scripts per year.
Wise words Nathan. Easy to get caught up in the "competition" thing in the beginning. Now, I don't pay attention. My novel and what I do to make it stand out and well written it what matters to me. It has to pass my own "reader" test and I'm one tough customer.
15000 to ONE AGENCY! say there are 150 agencies in the US (god knows how many there really are) of differing sizes and workloads. Guestimate that 1 in 10 of that 15000 haven't been shopped to another agent.....do the maths....it equals 225000 novels a year plus the initial 15000. 240K, or about 1 american in 1250.
Secondly: how does one know books better than what is being published are getting turned away daily? (Aside from the odd one that slips through the net, which, statistically, there always will be in a rejection pile of 214900, and is successful through self publishing). How do you KNOW there are soooo many good novels remaining unpublished?
And lastly: Can we PLEASE stop using Potter/Meyer's rejection folder as evidence that publishers know nothing. As rebuttal, I give you....(drum Roll)...Kurt Warner!!! Considered the Greatest undrafted player of all time, was stacking shelves prior to winning the Superbowl, valued MVP and breaking the Superbowl passing record in the process, 12 year career and now has more money than god.
So using this fantastically warped logic: - The NFL draft system is broken and should be scrapped - The dozens of scouts working for each of the NFL teams obviously know nothing and should all be sacked - The NFL should be going back to every player who went for a trial between the ages of 10 and 16 and re-evaluating them based on their technical skill, not their effectievness in game situations.
Is that what you're saying? No? Didn't think so.
Supply, Demand, Choice. There are as many hopefuls applicants to the few NFL places as there are authors to the shelves of the bookstore. Sometimes someone slips through the net because a HUMAN BEING has to choose between 1000 people to fill 1 spot. Nathan's point is that the fluid nature of publishing means that that 1 slot today could be 6 tomorrow, improving your chances. So just be glad you aren't looking for a certain number on a jersey.
I Leave you with Stephen King, oracle of all things great - "[To get published] you have to be at the right place, at the right time. As we can't know when the right time is, our job [as writers] is to get to the right place and stay there."
I agree. Mind and experience is as individual as the fingerprint. No matter how many people are writing, no one else can say what I have to say the way I will say it. Say, say, say what you want (per Paul McCartney).
Put that together with talent and skill and I ain't a-sairt.
Of course, 15,000 is a super low number. There have to be way, way more writers out there than that. One of my friends who's an author and writing teacher has more than 25,000 subscribers to his newsletter. Just looking at the follower count on popular writing blogs and Twitterers - and knowing there are thousands of writers out there that aren't even visible on the internet - leads me to believe that there must be a half a million writers at any given time pursuing publishing.
But maybe I'm just biased because of the overwhelming nature of my personal inbox each day.
98% of those writing books are doing so in the erroneous belief that publication is the royal road to riches.
If the public knew the truth about how poorly compensated most authors are, including the ones whose books appear in stores, there would be a lot less people writing them.
But agents and editors hide the truth about the size of most deals and the public hears only about that handful of authors receiving the multimillions.
J.T. - I think the 15,000 queries sent to Nathan has been mentioned on this blog previously as daunting, in terms of getting Nathan as your agent.
But I truly think these numbers are very deceptive. You don't just get one shot at publishing your book - you get tons of shots, hundreds if we are talking over years. Maybe awhile ago the door closed after a certain number of attempts, but not any more.
Other people's good books strengthen the industry and keep readers coming back. I continue to insist that we, as authors, need each other.
We do. We need other authors.
As much as I enjoy a fantasy of being the only author in the world who people want to read, I honestly think I'd have alittle trouble meeting the demand.
Other authors are not really our competition. Everyone can publish one way or another, everyone can reach an audience if their work is good.
If by "hiding" you mean keeping our clients' financial matters confidential as a matter of ethics, then yes. Authors are welcome to reveal the size of their advances and royalties if they choose to do so. It's not my place.
Needed to hear that. Too much pessimism in some circles.
J. T. Shea said, on 10/8/2010 4:41:00 PM
I'm open to correction, but Hillsy's calculations seem to suggest 94% of novels (225,000 of 240,000) are only shopped to ONE agency apiece each year(!?)
Jenny, only someone shipwrecked on a desert island would be so ignorant of publishing in this year of 2010. As far as I can see, most writers have low expectations, and some agents and editors (and other writers!) are all too eager to lower those expectations even further.
Success and fortune is normative. When we experience success, no matter how great, we first experience a blip of happiness, then we get used to it and start looking for what's around the bend.
And for writers, as previously chronicled, this leads to the "If-Only Game." If I could only find an agent, then I'll be happy. When you get that agent it becomes: If only I could find a publisher, then I'll be happy. If only I could make the bestseller list, then I'll be happy. If only I could have as many Twitter followers as Neil Gaiman, then I'll be happy. We allow our success to be the new normal and aren't satisfied even when we reach the next milestone because there's always another milestone to be had.
But I think there's another hidden danger for writers that can dampen writerly happiness: using our daydreams to get us through the tough times.
You know how it goes. You face a difficult time while writing, you don't want to do it, you're putting in such incredible hard work, and your mind starts drifting to your book being published and taking off and becoming a bestseller and being the next HARRY POTTER only more popular (don't worry, we're all J.K. Rowlings before publication) and sitting on Oprah's couch and building A FLOATING CASTLE IN THE SKY TRUST US WE'LL BE RICH ENOUGH. And you use those dreams to power through the difficult stretches and redouble your efforts.
And that's perfectly natural! No judging.
But these dreams are sort of like the dark side of the force. Use them too much and you'll turn into a Sith Lord.
When you allow daydreams to fill that gap to get you through the tough times, or even when you're just letting your imagination get the best of you, the dreams can gradually evolve into the reason you were writing in the first place. They were how you got through the tough times, so now they have to come true for it to be worth it. They start to become a crutch--take that crutch away and you fall over because you were leaning on an endlessly elusive dream.
Those dreams can morph into expectations without the writer even noticing it. You start thinking, if this doesn't happen, what were all those hours for? Why am I dealing with this frustration if it's not going to amount to anything? Why am I doing this?
And after those dreams are eroded by reality, suddenly there's a hollow place where those dreams used to reside. It doesn't feel worth it anymore, even if you've achieved modest success that you should be extremely proud of, and would have made you happy if your expectations were in check.
Careful with those dreams. They seem so bright and shiny and harmless and they can help you out through the tough times and it's so fun to let your imagination run wild for a little while, but eventually you'll hollow out and get all wrinkly and pale and lightning will start shooting from your fingertips.
Once you have followed the gentle suggestions in the How to Write a Novel post and done gone and written yourself a novel, (or if you've written a nonfiction book proposal), it is then time to see what the world thinks of it. The first step in this process if you are seeking traditional publication is to find an agent.
Please check out this post about how to find a literary agent, since a query letter is not the only way of going about it. But chances are you will at some point have to sit down and write one of these beastly missives. Here's how you do it. What to Know Before You Start
A query letter is part business letter, part creative writing exercise, part introduction, part death defying leap through a flaming hoop. (Don't worry, you won't catch fire and die during the query process though it may feel precisely like that at times). In essence: it is a letter describing your project.
The first thing to know about writing query letters is that there are as many opinions out on the Internet about query letters as there are, well, opinions on the Internet. You will find lots of dos and don'ts and peeves and strategies and formulas. The important thing to remember about this is that everyone is wrong except for me. (Just kidding. The important thing to remember is that you will need to choose the ideas that work best for you).
As the immortal Douglas Adams said, don't panic! Write the best letter you can, be yourself, don't overthink it too much, don't sweat it if you realize the second after you sent it that you made a typo or accidentally called me Vicky. If an agent is going to get mad or reject you over something trivial like that they're probably not the type of person you'd want to work with anyway.
The second thing to do before you write the query is to research. This is because you need to do your darndest to:
1) Figure out which agents would be the right fit for your work - Three basic things to figure out: a) does the agent represent your genre, b) do they represent something too similar to your project, c) do they seem like they would be a good fit for you. The answers should be a) yes, b) no, c) yes. 2) Figure out the agent's submission procedure
52 Comments on How to Write a Query Letter, last added: 8/21/2010
I must be in the minority, because I absolutely love writing query letters. The hard part (writing the novel) is over and the thrilling part (getting feedback from agents) is coming up, so I find writing the query both relaxing and exciting.
Cassie said, on 8/19/2010 2:27:00 PM
Great post. I have a next-step question. I recently had an agent ask to see my whole novel, and wasn't sure if I should send it as it is (18 chapters in separate Word files) or merge it all into one huge document. Which is better?
I have just one bit of advice to add: write a query for your project before or near the start of writing said project. True, you might throw it out later.
But it does two things for me: it gives me a chance to "sell" the work to my critters before I invest a lot of time. Also, I revamp it constantly during writing and then by the time revisions are over I've got a working draft. That way I don't put off writing the darn thing after revisions are over. (Important for me, as I'm a huge procrastinator.)
Excellent points all 'round, for MPTV lit agents/prod cos, too. Hope everyone finds and takes your detailed advice, but they'll also find a great way to procrastinate on writing and sending the query: your links and resources are extensive ~!
One thought for those of you also writing for the screen, about 'spoiling the ending' in a query or synopsis: if your ending has a twist or relies on a surprise for impact, consider how to convey it in both (a) as lean and understood a way as possible to convey what will happen without describing what happens, and (b) in a visual and emotional way that is NOT exactly like the wording in the script.
It is possible to do both in the tone of your genre, and it avoids the risk that the Reader will later get to the last pages and feel they knew all along what was coming, and counting it as less-than-fresh when it's really a side-affect of being too exact with your ending in your query or synopsis.
So rather than write "...so Cinderella and the Prince lived happily ever after." Consider "As her Evil Stepmother threatens, the Prince grows despondent, and the glass slipper beckons for her little foot, Cinderella's heart pounds as she wonders: Will 'happily' ever be in her own little corner of 'ever after'?"
Good question - I think I'd include sample pages, but if there's an Introduction that makes sense to include I'd go with that. The overview is probably sufficiently covered within the query.
Where were you last year when I was querying blindly and with excessive ignorance Nathan? Your blog it existed? It was this awesome already? I was just too lazy, too uninformed, too excited, to take the time to research this thing properly?
Fail. Thank goodness I never queried you back then. Seriously though, you give the best advice ever. I would also suggest that you look to other successful writers whom you trust. Get to know them through their blogs, and they will help you.
Forums are great but you can't believe everything you read. I actually posted my query in the WriteOnCon forums and it was getting pretty torn up by other writers ... until the same query, with one sentence slightly changed, won the WriteOnCon query contest judged by agent Joanna Stampfel-Volpe. Just be careful who you listen to.
Maya said, on 8/19/2010 3:06:00 PM
"write the query so that it embodies the spirit of your project. If your book is funny, write a funny a query. If your book is written with beautiful lyrical prose, write your query accordingly."
Very important advice!
I think you're on a roll here to break your own record as most helpful agent blog. (Don't tell the other agents I said that)
Thank you for such a wonderfully detailed, informative post. And I love the query angels idea. HaHaHaHa! I also love the picture at the top that shows the "Proper technique". I think many of us have already tried that. :)
Nathan - I've followed your blog off and on for years. You seem to want and/or choose to relate to authors and wannabe authors. I believe your intentions are good and you are sincere - you really seem to wish writers well. However, I will not kiss your butt or sugar coat my experience with literary agents. Suffice it to say, my experience has been less than stellar. I have followed your guidelines, (although I've never subbed to you), and the guidelines of every single agent I've queried - and they have been many. I've done my research, my homework so to speak, and carefully crafted my queries and my submissions. At best, I've received NO response. At worst I've been treated with the utmost rudeness. I am not a demanding person, nor do I feel entitled to representation. I don't think I'm the greatest thing since sliced bread. I'm realistic about my ability as a writer and my potential. You can post about guidelines all you want, but from what I can tell, for an unknown author, it's a catch 22. Publishers aren't interested in unagented submissions. Agents aren't especially interested in unknown authors. Sometimes it's the luck of the draw. Sometimes it's who you know. More than that...it's a mystery.
I'm very sorry you've had frustrating experiences, but I would urge you to look again and again at the post It's Not You, It's the Odds, which could also be rewritten to read, "It's Not Agents, It's the Odds."
The truth is that while of course there are some bad apples, agents are really just doing the best they can with a herculean task. There are thousands upon thousands upon thousands of novels out there, every other wants individualized attention, everyone wants their manuscript to make it through, and it's just not always possible.
Agents are very very very interested in finding projects they can sell, but that doesn't necessarily mean that everyone has the time or inclination to respond to every query they receive. I respond because I feel like it's the right thing to do but I'm not going to lie, it's a monumental task to stay on top of queries. For agents who already have a roster full of clients, queries simply aren't always a priority (and if you were one of those clients that's exactly how you'd want it).
I wish there were a formula for finding publication, but there just isn't. It's a frustrating and uncertain process on the best of days. All you can do as an author is to just keep plugging away.
Query Shark is a great place to see what works and what doesn't. But you're not likely to see your own work critted by Janet any time soon, if at all. For a fast turn at having your query critted, try Evil Editor's blog. There are also over 800 critted queries on his site to learn from. The man does have a wicked sense of humor and pulls no punches, so you also get the benefit of learning to develop thick writer hide.
Nathan, thanks for the personal response. I am published with several e-pubs. Reader and reviewer responses to my books have been good, very good, actually. After banging my head against a wall for two years - i.e. - the mainstream publishing world, I took another route. I won't lie and say 'up your nose with a rubber hose' when it comes to my desire for that big publishing contract...I do care. But as time goes on, I care less. Again, thanks.
"Here's what's happening on an agent's end: First we print out all the queries and stack them up. Then we spread them around the room until they're a few inches deep. Next we lie down, wave our arms and legs, and make query angels."
I know there's lots of conflicting advice about writing the queries, but what do you do when you have conflicting information about agents? I'm refering to basic information to get you started, like what genre that agent reps (I'm looking at you Query Tracker). I love agents who specify what they rep on their websites, and would consider that the most reliable, but not all do.
So which of your sources (QT, AQ, etc) would you say is most reliable? And if it says they rep MG in one place, but not another, would you be safe in assuming they do?
and again...this is why you are universally adored.
No, that's not just the pain meds talking. Why do you ask?
Auntie Em? Is that you? Uncle Owen? Aunt Beru?
*thud*
In other words and in all seriousness- I am really sick right now so I just hope I say this right.
Mr. Bransford- thank you.
Especially for those 10 Commandments. I have referred to them often, especially since I started to suspect this whole querying/agent search thing just isn't for me. I'm not cut out for it. Thanks for helping me realize that early on- I am grateful.
I've realized I'm meant to be a hermit writer- and that's okay. Why? Because I will likely never develop the skin 'tough enough' to make it in 'this business' and that's okay.
I want to be happy more than I want to be published.
That's not 'giving up'. That's not 'lack of persistence' though some may call it that. It's making an informed decision based on what you know of yourself- and that's the best any of us can do.
Life is just too short to do it any other way, you know? I didn't fight through five surgeries to get my sight back to spend it agonizing over queries (or agent blogs. This is the only one I really read anymore and will keep reading.)
I got it back to see sunsets, my kid's smile. To see Disney World, and fireworks again. To read stories and write them.
So that's what I'm going to do, and your blog has been the thing that really helped me the most- of all the information out there online- in this year long journey coming to that conclusion.
So thank you- truly. What you do here really helps a lot of people.
It has really helped me.
~bru
Cathi said, on 8/19/2010 6:07:00 PM
Beautiful post, Grace. Please don't give up.
That said... Today's blog is great, but reading the comments, especially the folks who had bad querying experiences, really beats my confidence into a sticky paste. My desire to get published is high, but my expectations are low it will happen.... Even loaded with all this info the thought of the querying process is terrifying. Still, I'm going to do it and know that if no one asks to read my manuscript it won't be because I wasn't prepared.
Anonymous said, on 8/19/2010 6:15:00 PM
Nathan .
Your humour translates very well from my side of the world .
Sage advice Vicky ... err, I mean NATHAN! Sage advice NATHAN!
Man, Nathan's going to reject me in his sleep tonight, and I haven't even queried him.
Seriously, good stuff Nathan. You didn't reveal anything that hasn't been said but, as usual, you put it in a way that knuckleheads like me can understand. Thanks!
This a thorough post about querying. I just wish I knew if my query is any good. Without feedback about the actual query, I don't really know if I've done it well. Or is it the manuscript?
Nathan, How much does location matter in selecting agents to send your queries to? I realize that this might sound silly in the internet age, but seriously - is there an advantage to choosing agents who are situated somewhere close at hand? Or is is completely irrelevant?
That post answered one question that had been nagging me, a relief, thanks. I wonder how many reputable literary agents there are in the United States?
Don't forget a future post for Forums about the best writing conferences!
The little picture of the person banging his head- exactly what a query letter does to you. But I think it also makes you really think what your book is about and maybe make your story better. Thanks the more help we can get with query letters the better.
As ever I am really struck by how different things are in the States from here in the UK, where you always send out a synopsis and sample with the very first query. It must be so much more daunting not having any of the book itself to include in the query but still having to convey its tone perfectly.
My new seeking representation/querying strategy is akin to dating (which thank the lord I don't have to do anymore): Present my best, most authentic but polished self...and if they don't like it, they're not right for me anyway!
I tend to overwrite. Everything. I remember reading that post about keeping the query between 250-350 words and it was a real eye-opener for me. I've only written practice queries, so I can't affirm this strategy has brought me success, but they were MUCH stronger after I went back and cut words and made them seem impossibly short to capture the full essence of my novel. So thanks!
Also, yes: do your research. It will help you out, guaranteed.
For the record: Mira, that wasn't me on the bridge. Couldn't have been. I don't think.
Julia: I'm not very interested in kissing anyone's butt, either. I, too, really am a huge fan of the color orange.
I share your pain, sister. But I gotta say--2 years? Two whole years you toiled at finding an agent?
I've had two agents very enthused about my writing who still couldn't sell my novels to traditional publishers.
I have self-published, by the end of this year, two novels that went reasonably far in the Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award contest and have received praise, in some cases higher praise than I ever expected.
But I've been at it--agents, non-agents and all--since my first agent took me on in 1977.
So, and I'm sure he's covered it in another post, I think all writers need to figure out who--or why--they're writing for, and why or if they want an agent.
Self-publishing, of which I'm obviously an advocate, is now a much greater and readily accessible outlet for creative writing, partly as a function of economics and partly as a function of the advent and popularity of the Kindle.
But I'm writing admittedly largely for myself, and am happy if anyone decides to read my writing. And happier if they like it.
I am not 'struggling' to be the next Jonathan Franzen...
That said, I miss my first agent especially every day, because of his encouragement and validation of my efforts. And because he read everything I sent him, thoroughly, and still managed to be encouraging until the night he died of cancer. I never sent him a query. He convinced me to try and write my first novel. He read the whole thing, not wanting to see just a sample.
He spoiled me thoroughly. I still resent having to write a query, like some love-sick kid hoping to get a girl to notice him in class. But hey, it's now the norm. Soon, maybe instead of a 250 word query, you'll be expected to send a 140-character "tweet."
If you want an agent--and want to be published by a traditional publisher because of it--you really should read and absorb Nathan's advice. Because he's not just saying stuff. He's in this business, he's been in this business, and--he is a writer "under contract."
One other tip I've received from others: look at who "agents" the writers you like, or you think you write most like.
I was in fact just about to query--and would certainly have after reading this latest blog of Nathan's--an agent who all my research, and the advice of others in the publishing business I've had the fortune of knowing, appeared the most likely successor to my relationship with Ray Puechner.
Unfortunately for me, and for writers everywhere, she just died this past week.
But I guess that's kinda my point, too. When you do get the agent who is right for you, in the words of a friend whose agent is the one who died, they become "like a member of your family."
Querying agents, I believe, is still better than having an agent you love, who dies. I'm sure her clients will do well. But I already know she's missed.
So--use Nathan's advice. Get your queries out. Now.
My favorite part of all his advice on querying, by the way: if you can't find anyone else, "query me."
J. T. Shea said, on 8/20/2010 11:32:00 AM
Bane of Anubis, I believe JACOB WONDERBAR AND THE COSMIC SPACE KAPOW will contain details of how to warp the space-time continuum. Nathan is nothing if not educational.
I love writing query letters. I mean that... I *LOVE* writing query letters.
It feeds into my marketing background and all the creativity that outlet provides. Just figuring out how to blurb the essence of the book cements my understanding of what I have written even further.
I like writing queries so much that I write queries for other people. I sit with their work, roll around the intent to see what it was and then find the voice they're using and put it all together.
Do you know what the best thing about a well written query is? Sometimes the work gets rejected, but there is a lot of comfort in writing a query that provoked interest in it in the first place. Even if the story is a bomb, interest in a query can reinforce a) that you're writing is worthwhile (even if it hasn't successfully carried through a novel yet) and b) that the topic must worthwhile/interesting on some level.
The wonderful thing about a query is that it can provide reaffirmation that you are on the right path even though you are currently in a deluge of "this book doesn't fit our current needs" letters.
Hey, if they liked my query, there's some potential there I can harness as long as I keep trying to wrangle it into submission. ;^)
Just read the linked piece on how to understand a rejection letter and had a flashback -- Back in the days of typewriters and White-Out, I got a form rejection from a publisher that had the beginning of a PS at the end, but which was whited out. Of course, you could still see the impressions in the paper. It read: "P.S. We're s"
I spent the next six months trying to complete the sentence. Was it "We're still laughing" or "We're stupid to be turning you down"?
Anonymous said, on 8/21/2010 1:47:00 PM
I always wonder when agents ask for the first five pages - do you mean double-spaced? Because I don't want to send more than 1000 words extra.
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I was re-reading Bird by Bird yesterday and liked this quote:
One writer I know tells me that he sits down every morning and says to himself nicely, "It's not like you don't have a choice, because you do--you can either type or kill yourself."
That's how I feel about it a lot of times. If I'm not writing, I have to fight the urge to want to kill myself. Not healthy.
A good place to begin your search for help is The National Institute for Mental Health. You can find it here: http://www.nimh.nih.gov/index.shtml
You're not alone. There is no reason that you have to suffer in silence.
Shop for a therapist the way you would a house or a car. Meet with as many as you need to meet with until you find the one that you click with. That you are comfortable with. That is the one who can help you.
Visit the self-help section of the bookstore. There are many tools in the mental health toolbox. Writing is one, but there are many others. Find what works for you and use it.
That's true, you are not alone there are people out there that can help and do care.
I hope you take the opportunity to find the help your looking for ...it's worth finding.
That's kind of you to post this, Nathan.
I wonder if people who are not active in religious communities and who tend to think too much could be at greater risk. (I'm a Unitarian, so I'm not talking about belief in God, but rather about the give-and-take of a committed community.)
We're each part of a bigger circle, and our own actions affect others deeply. If you knew your suicide would put your nieces and nephews at greater risk, wouldn't you think twice, and get for yourself the care you would want THEM to get for themselves?
Well said!
Yes! Help is available and from all sorts of sources.
FWIW, there have been non-anecdotal studies that have shown writers/creative types are no more prone to mental illnesses than the general population. That said, I've certainly had my dark moments, and to some extent have channeled those into my work. I'd also like to add my voice to Nathan's and the others and say yes to therapy if those dark moments encompass your life.
Thank you so much for this, Nathan. As a novelist and suicide attempt survivor, I find this subject near and dear to my heart. Too often I see writers and other artists dismissing their mental health issues, or romanticizing them as some sort of mad genius.
Personally, I can't write when I'm unwell. And I absolutely agree that while writing can be cathartic, it should never take the place of medication, therapy, or whatever other intervention is needed to bring one back to mental equilibrium.
Wow! I didn't know this. I wonder if this is true of artists in general. Creative souls and mental health problems often seem to go hand in hand.
I'll add on to the advice. Therapy is good. But if you are really drowning, see a psychiatrist, as well. Medication can be life-saving. Sometimes you need a little leg up out of the hole.
The book Touched With Fire by Kay Redfield Jamison gets into all of this, talking about how writers, and especially poets are more prone to Bipolar disorders and risk of suicide. It broke my heart to read in it how many of my favorite poets had sought help in their time and not survived their illnesses; made me wonder what if they'd had the advances that we have today.
Treatment today isn't perfect but it can and does save lives. Once people accept that 'mental illness' is a myth and all of these illnesses are based in the brain just like epilepsy and others, then we will have one less foe to fight in this: stigma.
I speak openly on my blog and in interviews about my own struggle with BP1 because I want other writers to know they're not alone. They need to hear the message you're conveying today: that it can and does kill people if left untreated and what a tragedy that is.
Thank you, Mr. Bransford, for shining your light on this today. The more voices that speak out against the stigma, the better off we will all be.
I wish I could give ya a big ol' hug. Tears of gratitude in my eyes, you may have saved a life today.
~bru
Writing is a lonely job for the most part. You live in a fantasy world. It's easy to get trapped in it and want to spend more time there than with real people. Then there are the rejections. You put your heart and soul into a book. It's hard to hear people tear it apart. You have to keep your self value separate from your writing and remember to take rejections with a grain of salt.
I didn't know writers were more likely to kill themselves, but it makes sense to me. Don't a lot of writers also have drinking problems? I used to drink in celebration every time I finished a book. Now I try to do something healthier.
I like the solitude of it.
I've never understood what prompts a person to commit suicide. I've heard of the higher than usual percentages of alcoholics and manic-depressives in creative types as well.
Why any writer would want to put pen to paper while underwater beats me, though I suppose it saves on buying a desk.
In all seriousness, however - neat post. Writing can fix a lot of stuff but it's not there to fix a writer who is also troubled soul.
OH MY GOODNESS. That is disturbing, and something that is not often mentioned at writer's conferences, ;) but should be.
Of course, a lot of people have the wrong MOTIVE for writing about things; vindication, pride, anger, jealousy, hatred.
People who write are perhaps not more prone to suicide, yet troubled minds often find their way to a paper and pen; it's not surprising, then, to say that people who are emotionally prone and do not 'tend' to their minds may end up insane, or, at least evidenced by suicide note norm, that people who commit suicide seem to wax poetic near the end.
Very interesting topic. Thanks!
I think a number of people struggling with mental health go into writing as a call for help, for the same reason they go into mental health professions, where they are also over represented. I once told a friend whose wife was struggling, we accept and treat any kind of disease as long as they are below the eyebrows. As a person that once struggled with a serious depression problem that turned out to be a perfectly treatable auto-immune thyroid issue, if you don't feel like living, if life seems dreadful, if there is no hope, SEE a DOCTOR. Stop trying to lift yourself by the bootstraps. Depression is not normal. I mean you, Jaimie!
Very important post.
Writers tend to be introspective people. Sometimes this means that writing can help a writer work through an issue, and that will be enough. But it also means that it can trap writers inside of their issues, allowing them to dwell and explore and get stuck without any outside feedback to clarify misunderstandings, offer alternate interpretations, or help the writer through. That kind of isolation and insulation aren't going to help a person overcome mental or emotional problems. Sometimes outside help is needed and THAT IS OK.
Whilst I agree with what has been said regarding this subject and think it's amazing that so many people recognise that it is a very serious problem.
Sometimes it just isn't as easy as it sounds...
I use my writing exactly as you said: to organize my thoughts. I've had really bad days, but after I write (sometimes a lot) I feel so much better afterwards. I guess it's like talking to someone, but not having to worry about their opinion on things.
For those needing a guiding hand, Elizabeth Moon has a very good essay on her site about writers and depression and what you can do about it.
I didn't realise Virginia Wolf was so beautiful.
Funny that you should post this subject now, Nathan. Going through a blue period myself. However the one bright spot is my creative life. Winter Roses is stronger than ever, and the cover for it is looking gorgeous. I've heard that artistic types find it more difficult to gain emotional balance. I tend to be either jumping out of my skin with excitement or rather more subdued, myself. Oh well, let us all be make alowances for one another fighting our way through the thorns, snakes and stings of the earthly garden we're trying to tame and keep weed-free so we can grow beauty and goodness.
Writing, like depression, is a self-centered disease that paradoxically gives us empathy with and understanding of everyone in the world.
Very important post, Nathan. A topic not everyone would be willing to wade into. Thank you.
As a mental health professional, can I say a few things about suicidal thoughts?
I hope this isn't inappropriate, I just think that some folks might be drawn to this post, because they may be struggling with these feelings.
So, occasional flashes of suicidal thoughts are normal. But any thoughts of suicide that are persistent or serious are a sign that someone is feeling overwhelmed. They feel the only way to escape the pain they are feeling is to stop feeling altogether.
Although they feel this way, it's not true. Like any other feeling, anger or sadness and other feelings, suicidal feelings are temporary and will pass. And there are other ways to feel better, to get relief from the pain. Suicide is a very sad and permanent solution to a temporary problem. (Even if it doesn't feel as though it's temporary, it is)!
People feeling like this can be lost in it, and reaching out to someone else can help them feel comforted and supported. It can help them look for ways to get relief from the pain. It can help them get past the wave of the feeling without acting on it.
A psychiatrist can give them medications that can give some relief.
And a therapist, a good one, can help get at the causes of the pain altogether and help them break free of it over time.
Writing is a great tool while you are healing, but writing, by definition, is something you do alone. Someone in this much pain needs other people to help out. They deserve to not have to do this alone, it's okay for them to ask for help, there are people who want to help.
And working through this, making it past it and healing, would be great material for a book down the road. :)
When I read your post weeks ago, I didn't interpret your message to say that writing can replace therapy. I can't speak for the others who commented and equated one with the other, but whenever I allude to the therapeutical benefits of writing, I am speaking very loosely without attaching any clinical nuances to it. There is often something freeing and soothing about writing what's deep inside you, and the other stuff you'd mentioned before makes sense too. There are many different levels of angst someone can experience, from the light stuff to the heavier stuff to the seriously heavy stuff, and I hope people would know when they've reached the far end of the spectrum and ask for help.
I also hope that those who had commented here about their struggles will find comfort.
Thanks for another thoughtful post, Nathan.
Sigh.
I never wanted to kill myself, but I just entered therapy for some pretty serious problems. This leads me to think that now is really NOT the best time to be doing NaNoWriMo. I had this idea that it might distract me or something...instead it's probably just adding to the giant pile of crap weighing down on me. However, I do enjoy writing and sometimes while I'm writing, I forget about all that. #conflicted
Some additional discussion can be found in the forum thread from a couple of weeks ago.
I recently lost a friend to, I would call it, self-sacrifice suicide. She blogged, she Tweeted, she selflessly helped other people, and she was partnered with a mentally unstable partner, who was emotionally abusive.
She hurt, therefore, she drank. Other people might swallow their feelings with drugs, food, sex, or other substances, but it all comes down to trying to handle everything ourselves, refusing to ask for help.
People are social creatures, meant to be interdependent. It is not a sign of weakness to ask for help, it is a sign of strength. It is a not a sign of strength to take care of everybody BUT ourselves; it is a sign of weakness and fear.
Please, if you are feeling despair or overwhelmed, ask for help. We are all worthy of being helped and being loved and taken care of.
This comes down to not being able/willing to articulate your feelings of hopelessness, vocally, in words that are NOT on a page, to another person. Sometimes we turn to the page because we feel we don't have any other friends, or we're simply too embarrassed to admit we're not as together as everyone thinks we are. Many cultures have a big stigma against mental illness, whatever the cause.
However, I will say that some of these authors were aware of the mystique associated with the depressed writer, and used that to their advantage. Especially Plath.
It seems that true creativity In music composition, as well as writers, come from those who go through emotional and/or physical trauma. I think we spend so much time in our own heads it's more difficult to teach out for help. Does that make sense?
You're right. Writing is cathartic sometimes, but not it's therapy.
You always seem to hit it spot on, Nathan. And you always seem to grow and improve as a blogger, too. I hope you never underestimate how special you are!!
I never started cutting myself until I became published.
It's write or die for me. The whole life of the writer has saved me from the depths. I've lived quite the life, enough to fill the pages of 10 memoirs. When I was locked up in places the only thing I did was write. Not certain I could do anything else. I work, I get fired for writing, etc. It is not therapy, no. But it allows me to work through and understand some of the horror I've seen. And I've seen a lot.
I am in therapy. I have a diagnosis. Two of them. I really am trying to work through the issues. The writing is a distraction, a vice, a way for me to feel good about something. I don't know.
I've already tried to kill myself once. I did die. They brought me back. I kept writing like a fiend. I got better. I recovered from the illnesses I have. But the trauma is something writers use to write, the writing a tool to explore those traumas.
I'm pretty sure if you were to take writing away from me by some unforseeable force, I may die, not by suicide but certainly in spirit. Never say never, however.
Elizabeth Gilbert did a great talk about how to manage creativity and the history of emotional turmoil of writers. It's brilliant. A definite watch for all writers on this topic of writers and suicide.
http://www.ted.com/talks/elizabeth_gilbert_on_genius.html
Charlotte Perkins Gilman wrote The Yellow Wallpaper, a short story in 1892. I always recall this haunting story, the eerie tone of it, how horrific an idea to be locked away, told I couldn't write, that the writing was causing a mental breakdown. I had a brillant uncle, mental illness, poet, artist. He took meds, but he went on and off for years. Finally he was forced off because of his kidneys and wound up at 3 A.M. at an ATM in the Bronx. Needless to say, he was beaten almost to death and a listed as a John Doe in a New York city hospital for weeks. He sustainted multiple injuries, including head injuries and was never able to write his poetry the way he used to. He died of physical complications a year or so later. I think his spirit died and he gave up.
Keep writing, no matter what. If you are called to write, it is what you do and is so much more than a hobby. It is selfless rather than selfish. Writers absorb the world around them, the pain, the angst, the conflict and they wear it like skin; they carry the burden of tragedy just for the sake, really, of creating for others--as if the writing were a prayer for the world, a salve for healing. That's how I see it anyway. But I've always been a tad bit brooding (was born this way).
eb
I wonder if this has something to do with the loneliness of writing. As a musician, I frequently collaborate with lots of people, especially good friends. But when I write, it's usually alone. I'm an introvert, so that doesn't really bother me, but I can see how people could become very isolated if they spend a lot of time writing. Maybe that's the true value of internet communities and writer's groups--they keep us from feeling alone all the time.