On Writing and Being a Writer

All too often I hear the refrain "if you're not writing you're not a true writer". As if word production in itself is some magical requirement that awards the participant the mantle of a writer.

It's not about word production, or how many stories you sold or how much money you make or how high your platform is. It's about what's true in your heart. And that not only goes for writing but any endeavor you begin. I'm just putting this in the context of writing because, well, I'm a writer. It's what I know best.

When I was starting out I was in the same place most newbie writers are when they begin. I doubted I was a writer (though I wanted to be one) because I wasn't writing every day -- although I was writing sporadically. It is only with the passage of time and some experience under my belt that I can look back on those days and realize, Yes, Virginia, I was a writer.

Wow. Kinda cool. And I'm still one today. Who'd a thunk it?

You see, if I don't write another word for the rest of my life I will still be a writer. Nothing can change that. Ever. And that's the power of writing, of believing in yourself, of making the necessary sacrifices to get better and better by almost immeasurable increments (and sometimes measurable) until you reach a point where people not only want to read your work they want to PAY you for it.

Wow. Kinda cool. Who'd a thunk it?

When new writers begin there's a lot of starting and stopping. A lot of half-finished chapters and half-baked ideas that swirl around in your head like mashed bananas in a Cuisinart. But if you stick with it, if it's something you really want, then with time comes a professional measure of maturity. There are still half-finished chapters and half-baked ideas and a lot of starting and stopping....but you view it in the context of a larger framework. To wit: It's part of the process of story creation. You think Hemingway didn't write an occasional sentence that made his stomach turn? Joyce? Shakespeare? Get real. Of course they did. We all do. That's part of the Mephistophelian deal you enter into when you take on this profession. You're going to appall yourself at times with what you put on the page. The way you combat that is by having the cold-blooded passion to recognize the mistake, correct it, and move on. In other words, view it in the larger context of story creation.

I believe writing is first and foremost an art form. There are very good, technically brilliant, writers out there. But it is the artist who will often be remembered. I'm not arguing this is right or proper and I'm not arguing technicality doesn't have its place in the story. Joyce broke all the rules with Ulysses, but it's still a technically brilliant novel. No, I'm arguing that's just how it is. Art often trumps technical perfection. That's the creative dynamic in operation. That's the human quality.

And writing, just like everything else, is all about being human. Period.

Wow. Kinda cool.

Who'd a thunk it?

Lighthouse

I came across this quote speaking to the seeming futility of writing. I think it captures a philosophical truth about perseverance and why you should never quit: Mainly, because it's not about you. It's about the words themselves.

Often, it's easier to find cause and effect in a quote than reality. I understand that. And I'm not saying this quote ameliorates some of the doubts that have cropped up recently with my own writing. But it does provide an interesting context in my life right now and so that's why I'm acknowledging it.

Anyhoo, here it is:

"Lighthouses don't go running all over an island looking for a boat to save; they just stand there shining." --Anne Lamott

Facebook

Hi, I lost my Facebook profile and have to build a new one. Here's my profile. If we were friends before let's be friends again, and if we weren't friends, let's be friends now. (I'm in an expansive mood today.) Thanks!


http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1406857235

The Glass Key

Perseverance is key, but sometimes I wonder if it's made of glass. But it grinds you down after a while so it's hard to stay optimistic in the face of that. It's like the WWI pilots who knew they were going to die but went ahead and kept flying anyway because there was nothing else to do.

Submitting and resubmitting and submitting again often feels like that to me: pointless. But there's nothing else you can really do; that's how the game is played.

I'll have to think about this some more.

Once More Into the Breach....

I did about a thousand words on the new Haxan story this morning. I'd like to wrap that puppy up next week. Oh, and it's time for me to send out the next batch of query letters, too, so I've got that hanging over my head as well. I'm getting a lot of personal feedback on those and the trend is the same: economy sucks, no one is buying. It seems the agents themselves are unsure as to what the future is going to be like in the publishing world.

Like I said, I've heard this from three or four agents already. I have no reason to think they're lying to me. Three or four others have told me they're intrigued by my novel idea, but too busy to take it on. The remainder are of the "Dear Author" category. But this is the most personal response I've ever gotten from a query letter so I believe this common thread I'm seeing in responses is one I should factor in.

So the sucksville economy is now impacting the publishing world to some degree. Great. Like writing isn't difficult enough.

And you only have to go into a grocery store to see how suckery the economy is. Price of food and price of gas is hammer-fucking everyone up the ass. I've also noticed there is less traffic even at peak times on the roads. A lot of people simply can't afford to drive. And don't even get me started on postage rates.

Everything personal-wise with me is fine. I'm just tired. Mostly tired. I was going to a baseball game tonight but I think I'm going to stay home and catch up on some sleep or maybe read a little and relax. Over the last two weeks I've been feeling worn down. I have to try and reverse that trend; maybe that will help me with my sleeping patterns. We'll see.

"Dear Author...."

When you get a letter that starts off "Dear Author" you know there's no sense reading the rest.

Just wad that fucker up and start all over again....

Writing Weekend

I came to New Iberia to see my Great Uncle. But while I'm here I'll use the extra time I have to work on my new story, "High Moon". I don't know how much I'll get done, but I am looking forward to making some progress on it over the next couple of days.

Earlier to day I heard back from an agent who wanted to see a partial of my novel. She said it didn't grab her they way she expected so she decided to pass. I'm not disappointed. If anything I'm relieved my query letter grabbed her attention enough to request a partial. If I could get her interested in it I can get another...and maybe they will want to represent me.

Eh, you have to try and keep an optimistic attitude in this business. Otherwise, the reality of what you're going up against looms over you like a thunderhead.

Partial Request

Today an agent asked to see a partial of my novel. That's good. I don't mind being in the position of letting my writing speak for itself. I can live with that: Stand or fall on my writing alone. Even if nothing comes from this request, it tells me my query letter is a good one: she was intrigued. That's progress right there.

After I take care of this office work I might go out on the deck and see where this new short story is taking me. I'm kind of in a stuck place with it at the moment but I'm not worried. I'll see where the story wants to push through eventually and as long as it's a logical direction I'll help it along. I see a glimmer...not more than that, but it might be enough.

So far I've enjoyed writing these Haxan stories. I really don't care if any of them get published because I'm having so much fun writing them. I think they will find a home, sooner or later, but just feeling this way about writing is something I haven't experienced in a long, long time.

So I'm going to keep writing them and see where they take me. As long as I enjoy writing them I don't see myself stopping.

Monday...who invented it?

I got some work done this weekend despite myself. I wrote a couple of pages on the new story, "High Moon" and finished the final edit/polish of "Geppetto's Orphans".

Once I get going today (i.e. finish this coffee) I'll sit out on the deck and work on the new story. Oh, and there's lunch in there somewhere, too.

Of Mice and Rats

Best laid plans. Yeah. It's like that more often than not.

I came out on the deck and discovered the wind had blown my table umbrella to bits. A trip to Lowes and I have a brand new umbrella which provides better shade and I hope is sturdier.

Maybe I'll get some writing done after all. But I think I have to surf the 'Net first to see if I'm missing anything....

Oh, the places you'll go!

No place but the deck, actually. This weekend is set aside for nuttin' but writing. Oh, and I have to do the final polish/edit for "Geppetto's Orphans" which I'm thinking of renaming "The Emergence" but other than that I'll work on the new story. Me write gooder. That's the program.

Unless something comes up. Which can always happen in my rough and tumble life of never-ending slap-happy excitement. Not.

I did three pages on Thursday. That was a good start on the new story. I was telling my writing buddy if I wrote ten of these Haxan stories I might be able to pastiche them into a novel. Each one is running about 7.3K (give or take) so ten stories would be 73,000 words. Easy. And if I could sell one or two individual stories to magazines that would be better.

We'll see.

Oh, I got a personal rejection letter type thingy from Stan Schmidt at Analog. Kinda nice. I don't mind getting these so much. It's the badly-Xeroxed copies of "Get the hell outta here, ya bastid!" that sting. Although, to be honest, I haven't gotten one of those from a magazine in a long, long time. I actually feel pretty good about this. Maybe I shouldn't, but I do. It's not the writing that holds me back anymore. That's not what prompts any rejection I get from magazines or publishers, I'm pretty certain of that.

Kinda certain. Pretty sure. Half-ass suspect.

Because, well, you know: Me write gooder.

And all that jazz....

Raising the Titanic One Word At a Time

In an effort to raise my profile I've started this new writing blog. I already have one at Live Journal, but it's come to my attention some writers who do LJ don't do Blogspot and vice versa.

So strap in, bunky, and hold on tight. It's gonna be a hell of a ride.