by James Scott Bell
@jamesscottbell
Got an email the other day from a young writer, thanking me for my craft books, which she says helped her finish a 100k MS that was pubbed by a small publisher. She goes on:
But now the spark has left my writing, and I don’t know what to do. My book barely sold any copies. Everything since then feels like a slog. My writing’s gotten worse, not better. I tried to be more “literary” in an attempt to be better, and turned out convoluted garbage instead of good stories. I don’t know what to do. I don’t believe in quitting, but I haven’t finished a novel-length manuscript since my book failed. That’s abnormal for me—I’d usually have another done by now. I have ideas, but there’s no joy left. No spark.
I’ve been half-heartedly querying a manuscript but I don’t even know if I want to roll with trad publishing. It seems more and more like a rigged system that churns out pandering, poorly-written garbage instead of actual stories. I’ve been trying to self-publish, but that’s failing, too.
I’m at my wit’s end, and I don’t know what to do. I just want to get the joy back into my writing. I’m only 25, and I already feel like a washed-up failure. What do I do?
Any of us who’ve written professionally for any length of time know this feeling. So the first thing I’ll say is, You’re not alone. Indeed, I have many multi-published, bestselling friends who have all been there at one time or another. I sent a group email to this wise company and got some great responses, some of which I’ve cobbled together (those are the passages in quotes).
Several of the writers offered a subtle warning about lashing out a rigged system that churns out pandering, poorly-written garbage. Publishing is a business, and some of that “garbage” is enjoyable for the one who really matters in this transaction, the reader. “Writing is what we do for OTHER PEOPLE—to inform, entertain, inspire, educate, chastise, or provoke. The end product should be completely other-centered, and what we produce has to be something other people want and need. Sure, it can be well-done and artistic, but not at the cost of communicating something valuable.”
You don’t want to develop a victim mentality. And while it’s good to have some moxie when you’re young, sprinkle a little humility into the mix, too. Recognize you still have learning and growing to do. Run that attitude right alongside your confidence.
Also, several pointed out that writing is not always a joy. For them (and me) it’s also a job. It puts bread on the table, so “writers do the work whether there’s a ‘spark’ or not. In my decades of writing that ‘spark’ hasn’t happened many times. Maybe once a book. Maybe. My writing epitaph could read She did the best she could.”
“A truck driver doesn’t get up in the morning and say to himself, Ah, I don’t feel like driving today’.”
Even when the words aren’t flowing, remember, “Writing is never wasted – even when it feels spark-less or pointless or decidedly not joyful. We’re learning and progressing all the time, even when the rejection form letter comes, even when the bad reviews pile up or the sales numbers stall out or our muse flies away. We’re showing up and getting stronger in our craft with every single sentence.”
And there is also a joy that comes only after the hard work pays off. “The ONLY book I’ve written where I felt any spark in the writing was my first one when I didn’t have a clue what I was doing. I was just writing with joyous abandon, amazed at what was coming out. After learning that what was coming out was NOT so amazing after all, I started REALLY being a writer, aka studying the craft, rewriting and re-re-rewriting. From that point forward, the joy has come only after I’ve had a buffer of a few weeks or months between being in the thick of a rewrite and then reading fresh what I wrote. Only then do I occasionally think, “Wow! I wrote that? Not half bad!”
Some practical advice:
- “Find encouraging people. People to cheer you on. Join writing groups. Sometimes talking about writing is a motivation booster. Find a writing buddy to be accountable to every day. Do writing spurts where you set the timer (15-25 minutes) and write without pausing.”
- Do Morning Pages.
- Don’t write for the money or the fame. That’s a by-product of writing good book after good book.
- Set yourself a weekly word quota this way: figure out how many words you can comfortably write in a day, 250 minimum (“A Ficus tree can do 250 words a day. Don’t be shown up by a Ficus tree.” – JSB). Whatever you’re comfortably doing, up that by 10%. You need to stretch. Then turn that into a weekly goal. If you miss a day, you can make it up on the other days. If you miss your weekly mark, forget about it and start fresh the next week. Steady production is, in my opinion, the key to the whole business.
- To get in flow with your story, concentrate on going deeper with your characters. Write some free form pages on their background, their emotions. Have them write you a letter. Listen to them. Very soon, you’ll be jazzed again.
- As for Trad v. Indie, don’t be seduced by the speed of indie publishing. Put your book through the same grinder as you would when trying to land a contract. Better to have one good book come out in a year than five lousy efforts in six months. The former begins to build a readership; the latter sinks that boat.
On the positive side, young writer, you have done what many wannabes never do. You completed a novel that was good enough to have a publisher give it a shot. That’s not insignificant. Build on that.
Carpe Typem. Seize the Keyboard.
Over to you, TKZers. Anything you’d like to offer our young writing friend?
Wonderful advice for any age and any level of experience, Jim.
Being a writer isn’t like being an athlete where you peak at age 25 or 30 then go downhill. You can only get better with age. More practice, more experiences to write about, more education.
Try taking a workshop or attend a conference and learn new techniques and skills. Many are available online and free or reasonably priced. There’s always more to learn and that’s exciting.
Try writing something short and different–a nonfiction article, poem, essay, short story. They don’t take as long as a book and give you a sense of accomplishment.
Set a quitting deadline. Tell yourself if you haven’t rediscovered the spark in a year, then you can quit but not before. Time has a way of changing perspective. At that point, you may decide you don’t want to write anymore. More likely, though, you’ll have gotten to a different place and realize the blue period you’re in now was a passing phase.
My mentor Dennis Foley says: “You can’t fail at writing; you can only give up.”
Good stuff, Debbie. Flash fiction is another fun way to get the fires burning again.
As stated in this post, just keep writing. I can’t count how many times I’ve come to the page spent and seemingly without one bit of creative fire burning in me. But if you still make yourself sit down and write, you do make a little progress, even if it feels glacially slow at times.
And having an accountability partner is invaluable, especially if you’re the type of person who is hard on yourself and your writing. On your own, it’s too easy to pack up your toys and go home. You need to have someone help hold you accountable to your writing.
Good word, accountability. I record my word count daily, which is my way. But having a partner is a very good thing.
Great advice, JSB. I went through a period where my writing felt stale so I spoke to a writing coach. Some of the best money I ever spent. They can be hired in ways that work with almost any budget. Her advice was to read a book or two by one of my favorite authors. I did, and soon after found freshness again. Now I do this anytime I need to some renewal. It definitely helps. The other piece of advice she gave me is something you shared which is to just keep writing. Every day. Nothing beats the discipline of just doing it.
Doug, I, too, find that re-reading favorite authors gets me excited again, quickly.
I print out my chapters as I finish them for a different view. We recycle paper here, and my work is being printed on the other side of a long-finished book. I happened to glance at the back of my chapter pages and found I was enjoying what I’d written–almost more than the current wip.
Hilarious, Terry. Shows what a little distance can do.
Or a LOT of distance. That book was published by Five Star in 2012. Which meant I was writing it in 2011.
If I may…
How tall is that recycling stack?
😋
Terrific advice, advice I still need to hear after publishing 30-plus books. It’s not easy. Like some wise person said, if it was, everyone would do it. A rejection from a well-respected acquisitions editor is still etched on my brain: “xx only publishes extraordinary writing, and yours doesn’t rise to that level.” I cried my eyes out and then went to work proving him wrong. It doesn’t get easier. This year my publisher of 12 years decided not to offer me another contract. My agent is shopping projects for me once again. All of us fight that sense we’re not good enough. But writing gives me joy. It’s like breathing. Some of my books are simply to earn a living, but a few are the books of my heart and they make it all worthwhile. They’ll pry my cold, dead hands off the keyboard one day. My obituary will read “she lived her dream of being a full-time fiction writer. My advice: find your joy and hang on to it.
I’m right there with you, Kelly. “Cold, dead hands off the keyboard.” LOL.
Here’s the critical warning phrase: “I tried to be more literary.” Always a mistake, especially on the heels of having logged a success, however disappointing the results. The common denominator of first novels published in the traditional world is that the author has no idea what was the magical quality about that book that made it rise above the others that passed by the editorial board. The author just wrote the book and expressed shock when it was picked up.
Another common denominator among first novels is that they don’t sell very well. Of the myriad reasons why this is the case–everything from poor marketing to the provable reality that no one has ever heard of the author before–we writers are prone to blame ourselves. Imposter syndrome. The folks on the editorial board must have been stoned that day when they selected my book. I must change my writing.
I believe that the primary reasons why sophomore publishing efforts so often fail is the fact that the once natural writer from the first book now starts thinking too much. Creative constipation takes the fun out of writing, and the lack of fun is obvious on the page.
Believe me when I tell you I know whereof I speak on this subject. I offer two hard-learned lessons:
1. Never conflate sales numbers with quality of writing. Some excellent stories never find the audience they deserve, and some mediocre books do astonishingly well. Welcome to the entertainment business.
2. As the writer, you are your brand. The way you tell a story is the reason why people are drawn to the stories you tell. Don’t overthink it. Get out of your own way. Never try to “be more literary” or be more anything else that does not come naturally.
Wise words, Brother Gilstrap. Be the best you, not a mediocre somebody else.
“Creative constipation” Oh, boy, can I ever identify with that. All too true.
Great advice, Jim. That writing spark is elusive, but it can be fanned into life with discipline and hard work.
I suggest the young writer do a careful study of the pluses and minuses of trad vs. indie, make a comparison list, and then decide how to go forward based on that. In the meantime, writing short fiction might get the juices flowing.
Bottom line: Writing is more about what you give than what you get.
“Writing is more about what you give than you get”–so well put, Kay. Words to write by.
I agree. Well said, Kay.
One of the best inspirational writing stories I’ve seen is Stan Lee’s creation of the Fantastic Four. He was ready to quit the comics business, but his wife convinced him to make a bold move and write about a superhero team unlike any other. The Fantastic Four were like a family, a family that often quarreled with one another.
Pulling all the stops and going for that project you have long loved but feared to risk is the answer.
Great example, MC. I believe Stephen King’s manuscript for Carrie was fished out the trash by his wife.
Truly you are not alone, young writer. It’s hard, when you put your heart and soul into your work, to see it come up short. But if you really do put your all into writing, blood, sweat and yes, tears, into your book, then you have nothing to be ashamed of and every reason to feel proud.
The only thing any writer truly has any control over is the act of writing itself. How our books are received, how well they sell, whether or not they result in rave reviews, or indeed, any reviews at all, that’s not up to us. We can influence the reception by improving on our craft and constantly challenging ourselves, but that also goes back to pouring ourselves into our writing, giving the book our all, regardless of whether you are traditionally published or walk the indie path like myself.
Never give up, never surrender, embrace your writing.
Spoken like the great Jason Nesmith himself!
You are stinging because you feel your novel has failed, and that you therefore have failed, too. Many writers have disappointing debuts; a surprising number with publishing contracts and a reasonably solid history are dropped by their publisher and agent after some failures and have to start again. So you’re not alone in your misery. And you’re not washed up unless you choose to be.
Take a little more time to lick your wounds, then pull yourself together. If you want to be a career writer, keep writing, working on what you’ve written, and submitting it for publication. If you prefer to spend your time taking up discus throwing or lace making and writing purely for your own pleasure, do that instead. You are in control of what your future can hold, and you’re the only person you need to please.
This article and its comments may be helpful:
https://lithub.com/how-i-barely-survived-the-abject-failure-of-my-much-hyped-debut-novel/
Many a successful writer has endured what you describe, Janet. Our own John Gilstrap being one of the best.
Oh this is all so so good, Jim!
In addition to the stellar comments here, I’d offer something I’ve only recently discovered:
Help someone newbier than yourself. Nothing like sharing tips you’ve learned to get your own fires burning!
Thanks everyone…this post and these comments are craft keepers!
Paying it forward, Deb. Right you are!
Young writer, you’ve done what few 25-year-olds (or anyone at any age) have done–you’ve written a 100k word book and got it published-to boot! So you have the discipline.
Now you must exercise that discipline and keep writing…unless you CAN quit. In his columns, Chip McGregor said more than once, “If you can quit, then quit.” But I’ll bet you can’t.
So save this post and the comments, and then do what others have suggested. And know that some days you’ll find joy in the writing and some days you’ll find joy in the discipline. Either way, your stories will get told.
👍👍👍
Well said.
Late to the dance as usual.
The late great George V. Higgins was hailed as an overnight sensation when he hit it big with The Friends of Eddie Coyle. Higgins acidly observed that that overnight was seventeen years in the making. He had written fourteen novels, none of which ever got published.
I would hope that this person would get involved with others in the trenches and take an interest in the work others are doing. Kinda share the wealth sort of thing.
I talked with my mentor about this very subject the other day. He spoke about the lack of passion and I opined we write because we must, whether it gets noticed or not.
Yeah, Robert, there are a lot of those “overnight sensation.” Took me 7 years to get published
Excellent advice for any writer, Jim. And exactly what I needed to read today. Life has been so hectic of late, my writing has taken a backseat, and I don’t feel right when I’m not cranking out words. At the very least, I can make time to beat a ficus tree. LOL Thank you!
Kick that ficus in the rear, Sue!