Yes, you heard me right. Stop reading this blog right now and turn off the internet. You need to be writing.
Some of you are spending far too much time sitting on the computer, reading blogs, following people on Twitter and trying to "learn the craft." Darn it, the only way you are going to get better is to get writing. You have to finally get off your butt and use that knowledge that you have "been acquiring" from reading all of those blogs and get to work.
Why am I saying this? I sat down this last weekend and started surfing the net and visiting a few of my colleagues blogs in the business. I went back and tracked a few of the things they have written in the last few weeks. I hate to break it to you, but everyone has been saying the same thing. Query letter information has been the exact same thing on everyone's blogs. Information about how many submissions they requested and why has been the same thing.
Writing is just like any other sport or hobby out there. You can spend a ton of time learning the technique and working on drills, but at some point, you have to take it out for a test drive.
As you know, my kids swim for a USA Swim team. We have over 60 kids that swim on the team and yet, when competitions come around, there are really only a core of 20 that compete. Why? I don't know. These kids spend hours (and yes the parents do to) practicing weekly. Yet all of this practice is going to waste until they get into the pool. Now, please, don't get me wrong about this. I am not saying swimming is bad. But if you are on a competitive team with the mission statement being to promote competitive swimming, why aren't you competing?
Now some of you, I am sure are just scared of failure. Please don't make me recycle those other blogs that I, and other agents have written, saying that we all go through this. Please don't make me tell you how many times J.K. Rowling and the like were rejected. Yes, there will be failure, but there may also be success.
So, turn off the internet. Turn off the Twitter. Turn off the Facebook and MySpace and start writing. No more excuses.
And if you think you will miss something - don't worry. We have everything here on the archives.
Scott
Ouch and thank you. Switching off WiFi signal now....
ReplyDeleteWell said. But I'm nervous about leaving a comment because then that would convict me as guilty for reading this blog post. I shouldn't be here. I should be writing. Oh man, now I've gone and done it. (Hangs his head, shuffles feet) Ok, I'll go write now...
ReplyDeleteThanks for this. Seriously, a novel idea. I've had to, at times, commit to a certain time to shut the internet down and get to the scribbling. There's just so much great stuff out there...like you and your blog.
Off to the keyboard now. Oh wait, I am on the keyboard...
Well said. I think some of this is yet another attempt to deal with the inescapable reality that millions wish to be published, and there are only a few open spots available. It's difficult to get away from the idea that one is being rejected because one is "not good enough," and if the writer can just learn enough to be certified "good enough," publication will follow.
ReplyDeleteNot so. We can easily find writers whose work is worse, and god knows, better, who are being published regardless. Great plot, popular genre, already known because of an earlier book that caught on, and on & on.
I'm guessing so much of this is the everywhere-promoted idea that one needs to know more, more, more, and the internet provides an endless number of (nearly similar advice websites & blogs.
The neverending search is a lot less frightening than writing a book that will never find an empty slot.Way too many contenders already.
Good comment, as usual.
I've been very leery of the writer's conferences as well, apart from being a dandy & fun social event, the content of the seminars is also readily avaialble at the local bookstores, and agents do read coherent queries.
The idea that a writer must spend thousands to attend a conference in order to have any chance at all, and make contact with an agent, is not true at ball in my experience. Seems like one more very expensive & fun way to avoid actually writing.
Anon,
ReplyDeleteI wanted to comment on one of your statements:
I've been very leery of the writer's conferences as well, apart from being a dandy & fun social event, the content of the seminars is also readily avaialble at the local bookstores, and agents do read coherent queries.
The idea that a writer must spend thousands to attend a conference in order to have any chance at all, and make contact with an agent, is not true at ball in my experience. Seems like one more very expensive & fun way to avoid actually writing.
I honestly have to disagree with this one. First of all, the things you might find in a bookstore, are certainly useful, but the purpose of most conferences is the networking that takes place. It is amazing how many times writers get those breaks simply by sitting at a table with an editor or agent. Several of my clients have come from discussions with writers over dinner. One writer in particular has made a career of her writing after sitting at the table with Sue Grimshaw of Borders. This conversation led to a multi-book deal.
Yes, there are conferences that are all fun, but there are really many more that is about the work. It is what you bring to the conference.
Scott
Point taken...and I humbly crawl back to my writing cave...but I'll be back....
ReplyDeleteTO comment about the comment on the conferences. Some of us simply do not have the money to attend a conference and it is like spending money to get a published book (vanity publisher)if we even get a chance with an agent and the rarest possibility of a deal.
ReplyDeleteIs it the age-old adage you have to spend money to make money. How true is that in the literary agent world? You do get paid to be at the conference, right?
Let's just bring out the truth in everything agent related. They are in it to make money and we are all hoping to be the one that does that for us as well as them.
Other things come up though to where we, the writers, don't know what to do anymore. There are so many hypocritical agents.
Don't right to the trends, but that is all we are accepting right now.
Go with your heart--and you do, you pour out your heart and soul into this story of everyone's most amazing of romances, "Well we can't use it."
I want something normal without all the psychotic episodes or the dreams that come true just to turn the plot in the right direction or the next Stephenie Meyer on vampires. We send normal and its too normal.
What exactly is it that agents want? Do they even know anymore?