The Writer Behind the Words (3 page)

There will come a time when the business of writing won’t seem worth it. The pay stinks, the critics are brutal, the readers aren’t there, your last book was ignored, or the writing is difficult. You’ll want to quit. It’s normal. But if your spirit is your guide, you’ll discover you can’t quit and you’ll keep on or start writing again.

Somebody is not going to like your work and will feel the need to tell you about it. It may come to you in the form of a scathing letter, a degrading review or an anonymous hit on the Internet. It may be public criticism to which you cannot reply (and please don’t reply, you’ll only look defensive or desperate), or it may be private (which will lead you to fantasize about torching the critic’s house). It’s part of human nature. We all want to be liked. We want our work to be “loved.” That won’t always happen. Fortunately, you’re not alone. Every writer faces this.

There are no formulas to follow. A good book may not sell. A perfectly written proposal may get rejected. You may follow all the “rules” and see a rule breaker race past you. You may get published then never find a publisher again for years. Focus on writing. Focusing on anything else will make you crazy.

I
believe in being a cynical optimist or rather an optimistic cynic because it’s easier to live that way. Writers who are pervasive pessimists are unhappy no matter what good fortune comes to them, and writers who are naively optimistic are easily crushed and disappear after a couple years. Neither lasts long in publishing. Pessimists are stopped because they build up many reasons to fail and then usually do. Optimists don’t make it because they expect everything to work out and never prepare for (or even consider) the possibility of disappointments. When setbacks come, they think that it’s their fault or it blindsides them and they sink in despair.

If you are to survive, you will need to believe in success and abundance, that your career is within reach and that you can make a living as a writer. But you will also need to realize that it may be a struggle at first.

The writing life has many contradictions. If you get nothing else from this book, please remember what Admiral Stockdale said in Jim Collins’ bestselling business book
Good to Great
:

Admiral Stockdale should know. He survived a POW camp and saw “the optimists” die of broken hearts. Optimists in the writing world usually make career plans saying “By this age I will be here” (What happens if you’re not?) Or they determine that “I will make this much money by this time” (what if your career has a slow start?) “If I don’t win or final in this contest, then I’ll quit” (Why not quit now?) Some optimists employ the annoying practice of “positive thinking,” believing that their thoughts will alter their destiny. While I do believe that our minds are our most powerful tool, I find no harm in facing reality.

If you’re worried that your manuscript may get lost in the mail, print out a second copy just in case. If you’re afraid that your writing is not good enough, then take the time to learn how to make it better. Our thoughts, both good and bad, are a gauge of our present reality. If you can’t write well, “positive thinking” won’t change that. However, you can think positively as you write (the difference is passivity versus action). Don’t ignore your feelings by trying to “think positive.” When I drive somewhere I hope to get there in one piece without incident; however, I still put on my seatbelt.

N
ow that you understand the paradox, you can go to the next step. Here are seven traits of successful authors that can help you on your road to resilience.

It takes a quiet arrogance to be a creative person, to create something that no one really needs and then demand compensation. As a writer your courage will be tested. You will need courage to hold your head high when a book has low sales, fails to find a publisher or is publicly dismissed or criticized. You will need courage to face the outside when: people laugh at your efforts or dismiss them, readers pan an article, or a poem is called “too pretentious.” Making decisions also takes courage. You may have to decide whether to stay with an agent or leave, or to end a collaboration that has turned sour although it is financially fruitful.

At times, fear will limit your options; you must have the courage to expand those options. You can’t deny the presence of fear, doubt, or anxiety because they never leave. They will be there as you type your manuscript, as you place it in an envelope and as you write your query. All writers feel it; don’t let it paralyze you. Have the courage to write through it.

Ways to Improve Your Courage

• Try a foreign dish.
  
 

• Fail fast! Many people are terrified of getting a rejection. So get one and get it over with.
  
 

• Write your book, poem or article badly. It takes courage to face that you’re imperfect.
  
 

• Read your work aloud.
  
 

• Write in a style you consider difficult and then treat yourself for trying.
  
 

Competence can be a killer of excellence. Many writing careers get buried because the writer becomes complacent. They have reached the goal of publication and no longer strive to be the best at what they do. They fall into familiar plot twists, language,

characters or subjects. It’s safe (they get paid and have a readership), but this tendency puts most writers in a rut. Successful writers are always willing to learn. They aren’t stuck in their ways and can reinvent themselves when the time is right. Perfect examples are Dean Koontz, who went from writing four small books a year to writing big mainstream novels; Jennifer Crusie, who jumped out of category romances into women’s fiction; and Sandra Brown, who also left category romance to write suspense novels. No matter how long you have been writing, you don’t know everything. You will need to keep your mind open.

Ways to Improve Your Teachability

• Read a book about the writing craft or motivational books.
  
 

• Try something new. If you write articles, try poetry; if you write books, try short stories.
  
 

• Learn the skills to become a good listener.
  
 

• Read something out of your area of expertise.
  
 

• Seek advice from a trusted writing buddy.
  
 

In spite of setbacks and obstacles, successful writers continue to write. They don’t quit. They fall down, but get up again no matter how hard the blow. Many of us feel helpless and out of control when something unexpected happens. We then spend time blaming people or circumstance. Most people get stuck at this stage and wallow in “what could have been.”

Successful writers, on the other hand, move past this stage and come up with a new strategy. Persistence is the trait of all great artists. You’ll need to develop yours.

Ways To Improve Your Persistence

• Make your plans public. If you’re going to write an article, have a friend keep tabs on you. Make yourself accountable.
  
 

• Measure your commitment to your goal. How much does it mean to you? What will happen if you don’t reach it?
  
 

• Write down your mission statement. Keep it somewhere so you can see it.
  
 

• Listen to music you love, especially warrior music (themes from movies where a character overcame obstacles or anything that inspires you, whether it be a rowdy country song, rock, or a gospel tune).
  
 

• Come up with alternative plans to reach the same goal.
  
 

• Call someone for a pep talk or a strategy session.
  
 

• Create a chant. “I’m a lean, mean writing machine.” “When I write, the world is at my mercy.”
  
 

We are all called to serve in one way or another. Successful writers know their purpose is to serve the world through writing. I encourage you to come up with your life mission statement. Do you want to entertain children? Instruct, heal, or encourage people? Your words will be a gift to the world, know what you want them to do.

Ways to Improve Your Vision

• Dream big dreams! The kind that make your heart race. The kind that you’re a little afraid might come true. (Don’t forget to write them down.)
  
 

• Identify your audience. You can’t properly serve people you don’t understand. Have someone in mind when you’re writing, even if it’s you.
  
 

• Envision what kind of book has your name on it. What does it look like? Is it hardcover or paperback? Sketch out an idea.
  
 

• Create a brilliant review for your book.
  
 

• Create letters to the editor that applaud your article.
  
 

• Create a list of magazines –in which you would like to see your byline.
  
 

• Write a tale, or imagine how your work will affect people.
  
 

• Do you see an entirely different storytelling style? A hybrid genre
  
 

• Go to a bookstore and imagine seeing your books there on the shelves.
  
 

• Envision your life in five years, then ten. Write down what you’re doing, where you’re living, and how you go about your day-to-day activities.
  
 

Many of the top writers don’t gossip about the industry or other writers. They don’t grumble online or gripe about their woes to anyone who will listen. They don’t go to conferences to have a whinefest (writers are great whiners). I won’t say they are model citizens, but they are generous with their time and knowledge (yes, I know there are exceptions, but you don’t want to be one of those, I hope). These writers are humble about their gifts, don’t talk about their competition in unflattering terms and are respected in the field.

Ways to Improve Your Grace

• Offer advice to someone who is struggling.
  
 

• Give praise.
  
 

• Find out the names of people you work with, the name of the editor’s assistant, your postal carrier. Acknowledge them from time to time.
  
 

• Send gifts for no reason.
  
 

• Limit the time you spend online in chat rooms, blogs, message boards or loops. It’s very easy to slip into gossip.
  
 

Great writers don’t try to impress their readers with large vocabularies or grand ideas. They write to be understood, to instruct or entertain — nothing more. Don’t play it safe, say what you mean; let your words shine.

Ways to Improve Your Clarity

• Use both short and long sentences.
  
 

• Read books on craft (e.g.,
  The Elements of Style
  by Strunk and White)
  
 

• Identify your audience. Keep them in mind as you write. Writing for teenagers is different from writing for middle-aged housewives or immigrant students.
  
 

• Measure the readability of your prose. You can find tools for this in Microsoft Word and other resources. Remember most successful writers write at the 6
  ^th
  grade level or below.