Before a writer gains that first publication there are often subtle, and not so subtle, discouragements from people who might or might not have the writer's best interests at heart. For each 'fragile flame' (thanks Jewel) these faint puffs of hot air might be just enough to extinguish or delay the work of a writer with a sensitive disposition - a disposition that sometimes translates to their writing in the most beautiful ways. But whether a hardy or sensitive soul, or of any other dominant disposition, is not the point. My belief is that the strength of literature exists in its capacity to employ multiple voices in as many ways as voices can be used. It can take the form of stories that are told and written down, those that are carefully crafted in the tradition of the great canons of literature, poetic prose, the romp, chick lit romance, action thriller, horror, speculative, sci-fi, crime, detective story, gritty realism, the profane or the profound. Discouragement often comes in the form of scepticism as to whether the work is likely to attract a reading public, and therefore worth considering for publication. Worse still, this doubt might extend to whether it is worthy of publication, particularly as the ease of publication increases by the simple clicking of a 'Publish' button. As ideas change about the exclusivity that surrounds the act of publication, debates about worthiness have come increasingly to the forefront. All is distraction to the writing itself, and this is where a person needs to be very clear about why s/he is engaging in the activity.The interests of the writer might intersect with those of the commercial book industry, or the literary fiction industry, but in most cases they are not one and the same.
First things first. Before even allowing concerns about publication to come into it, there needs to be the absolute freedom to play with the work and to enjoy the process. To get excited about it. To fall in love with the writing all over again. Because, let's face it, most of us are not engaging in this enterprise with any delusions of making our fortunes. There are faster and more effective ways of doing that. A job. A promotion. An education. An entrepreneurial spirit. Writers might engage in these things, but they are not the writing.
So what have I found is needed to keep going? (And who am I? Just another of those voices expressing a viewpoint in the tradition of free speech. Use it or lose it. Use it, or lose the confidence to use it.)
- Clarity of purpose
- Freedom to fail... or to succeed
- A deaf ear to discouragement or white-anting
- An open ear to encouragement and constructive feedback
- Flexibility, willingness to change, learn, grow
- Don't worry about wasting time - time is not wasted
- Play
- Break the rules if it feels like that is what your work requires (sometimes it is better not to even know the rules. What rules? You'll learn them soon enough. Someone will let you know.)
- Enjoy the process - have fun
- Develop a consistent work habit
- Believe in your own process
- Keep going, but it doesn't have to be linear. Any scene will do.
- And be determined. Be very determined!
Oh yes, and when the manuscript is finished, some appreciative readers would be nice. Certainly.
Very well said, Iris. Thank-you.
ReplyDeleteThanks Glen. Hope it's useful. A way of clarifying things for myself as much as for others. I give myself these little pep talks from time to time.
DeleteI've said a lot of what you've written above to myself too, at various times. But you've put it particularly elegantly. Keep it up.
DeleteThe publishing conundrum can be a really challenging one. The internet (and hence, internet publishing) is inherently democratic and anti-elitist. But that may not facilitate the development and distribution of the worthiest art (I hasten to repeat that I've said MAY NOT, not DOES NOT.) Distribution figures aren't necessarily indicative of artistic merit either - sometimes the most important work is initially reviled because the truth it speaks is alien and confronting, or just shocking in its newness. There is, as yet, no truly effective method of 'gatekeeping' online publication, in the manner that book editors and publishers still do but may not do for much longer. It was once easy to justify this selectivity on economic grounds i.e. only the best stuff was selected because only the best stuff had the best chance of paying back the capital expenditure of printing presses, paper, staff etc. The choice between reading a story published on Review of Australian Stories and one published on Smashwords is only a matter of taste and one's preconceptions of probable quality. It's not based on price and availability, like it is (was?) in the book trade. This distinction might be enough for fussy eater like you and I, but it may not be enough for the long-term health of literature and publishing as a whole. Time will tell.
Then there's the hoary chestnut of regarding publication as an indication of quality, and, by association, a lack of publication indicating a lack of quality. It would be nice to be immune from this, but for better or worse a lot of writers still want their work out there in the world, being read by other people, and being commented on favourably by their literary peers. Writing good literature regardless of whether or not it enters the public space ought to be enough, except when you consider the element of human connection that is inherent in storytelling and in all forms of written communication. Perhaps I can only say, by way of consolation, that writers aren't generally the kind of people to shy away from vexed questions. I'm sure none of us would bother with writing if we were.
So glad to see such a detailed and thoughtful response to the post, Glen.I think we're all trying to work out how things will go in this rapidly changing environment, but I guess from the perpective of self-respect the important thing is to get the work to the best standard we can before putting it out there - having said that, something I need to balance with this blog to keep it active, but then a blog might be seen as a kind of genre. I also believe there will always be a place for publishers. They are generally pretty amazing people, dedicated to an industry that has always been uncertain, to books and reading. I can say, from my limited experience, that the thing I found most satisfying in the publishing experience was the continuation of the artistic process through the relationship with a talented and sensitive editor at FP. Even so, before getting to that I needed enough freedom to explore what sometimes turned out to be blind alleys, the freedom to experiment. And I agree, communicating, human connection are vital, so ultimately the goal is publication, and for many of us, hopefully with the publisher's tick of approval. Incidentally, I find the communication and human connection the great thing with the BLPG. There is a lot of potential there as the group matures and as we learn the art of friendly readership and fearless writer-ship. Let's just make sure our ships are seaworthy before we set them free.
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