What Really Changed in Publishing

Writing advice abounds online, in books, and magazines. An entire industry has been built around the craft and art of writing (and another industry around how to market that writing) so why do we on Novel Matters keep talking about this stuff?

You can Goggle "how to write a novel" and choose from hundreds of thousands of sites with advice, tips, and know how. Why, oh why, do we keep showing up every week to toss our pebbles into the writing ocean?

Maybe because we're delusional. I'm willing to at least consider the idea. Delusional people often make great artists. So, maybe it's that.

I think when we started this blog back in 2007/08 our reasons were different from today's. It was exciting back then, we were all published and writing for publication. We had daily conversations with industry people, agents, editors, publishers. The future was uncertain, but it looked bright in terms of our writing lives.

Things changed.

There are six of us writing Novel Matters and I don't speak for the other five.

I'm going to talk about what changed for me.

One the surface, it appears what changed was something pretty bad. I haven't published a novel since 2009. That's bad. Publishing novels was the whole point of getting into this gig, right?

That's what I believed when I stepped into the arena. I was here to write and be published.

Things changed.

I've written four (and a half) novels since Talking to the Dead. Good ones, too, though you'll have to take my word for it because none of them are published. Am I bitter? Not even a little. Tempted a few times, sure, but I managed not to fall into that pit. Because things changed.

I changed.

I'm not juggling fluffy puppies in the air, here. I'm not blowing sunshine and trying to tell you I've turned into a writer uninterested in my work being published. That's not the part of me that changed. What changed was when I started the writing journey I was convinced I knew what I was doing. Years later, I've arrived at the place that awaits everyone who journeys this far in pursuit of art. I arrived at myself.

Once, I thought because I read Ibsen, and Chekov, Dostoyevsky, and Hardy, because I read Alice Munro before reading Alice Munro was cool, because I took seriously the three hundred years of literature that came before our time, I had what it took to be a writer, maybe even a good one someday.

 Failing to publish for five years, brought me to the place of being completely honest about who I was as a person. Not as a writer. A person. To shed the layers and arrive at a place where I was forced to be completely honest about the stories I am uniquely qualified to write.

It was difficult for me to admit.

I'm not Alice Monro. I'm not Marilynne Robinson. Or any number of writers whose work has changed me. That was hard to face, but it wasn't the really difficult bit. The hardest part was accepting the fact that the truest stories I write--Bonnie Novels--terrified me. Because I realized the novel I started (and am currently working on) is the very best and most true thing I have in me.

And it's kind of dorky.

It's not high literature. It aspires to little more than entertainment. Its main theme is simple, the premise can be easily stated in thirty-five words or less. And I'm having the time of my life.

I changed.

Maybe that's the reason the six of us show up here three times a week and talk about writing. Because things are changing and we need to talk about them.

We're changing and we need to talk about that, too.

Spring Cleaning Tips

I would like to wish everyone a 'Happy Spring.' At this time last year, I posted about spring cleaning in the broader sense of the word as it pertained to writers, but today I'd like to focus specifically on refreshing our thoughts, attitudes and self-talk.

It's amazing how during a long, dark winter you can turn a blind eye to the staleness, grime and clutter that accumulates. Throw open those windows and let some fresh air in!

• I write exclusively (insert fiction, non-fiction, romance, historicals, contemporaries, etc.) When we make this statement and put a period at the end, we limit the scope of our writing. We're saying that there is no room for God to do something new and fresh in us and we miss out on the possibilities. I'm not referring to genre-hopping. We need to build a brand and that takes time, but we can't be arrogant enough to assume that we know the mind of God. Leave yourself open to variety and to God's direction. This means that if we see ourselves as book writers, we should not close the door on short stories, personal experience pieces, magazine articles, or other forms of spreading God's story.
  
• I can't really call myself a writer until I've sold something. This negative self-talk can be safe to hide behind. If we never state that we are writers no one will expect us to produce anything and we can avoid those awkward questions about when we are going to finish that book. And if we don't think of ourselves as professionals we can become complacent and not apply ourselves as we should, which is terribly convenient when we don't want to put in the long hours it might take to complete something of value.
  
• I should only write what I know Writing what we know is a great place to start, but don't get stuck there. Ray Bradbury, while a lover of science fiction, had not gone into space himself when he wrote The Martian Chronicles (except in his imagination). At the very least, writing something completely different can be a great writing exercise that gets the creative juices flowing.
  
• I don't really value (insert fiction, non-fiction, romance, historicals, contemporaries, etc.) This is arrogance, pure and simple. I'll admit I've been a book snob. I'm not referring to discernment about the quality of a book - I have devalued certain genres. Who am I to make that judgment? Just because it's not my favorite type of book doesn't make it less valuable. Wouldn't it be the funniest of jokes if God laid that kernel of a story in my imagination? He does have a sense of humor, you know.
  
• I don't need anyone else to critique my writing This lone wolf mentality can only hurt your writing. If you aren't ready to accept constructive criticism, forget about submitting it to an editor. You're not ready. And I'm not talking about your mom - she loves you - I mean a small group of like-minded writers who will be gently honest and affirming at the same time. It takes time to find a group like this, but it's worth it.
  
• I don't have time to write on a regular schedule I'm not buyin' it. You may not have a large block of time right now, but sit down and make a list of unclaimed moments that you have at your disposal. I'll bet the time adds up. When you're waiting at the doctor's office, riding the bus, early weekend mornings before your family is up or late at night when the house is quiet. It's not how much time, but your commitment to carving it out.
  
• I can't justify investing in (books, conferences, retreats) Check out second-hand bookstores, 'Friends of the Library' sales, Amazon (cheap used books), half.com and conference scholarships. Following writing blogs is free. Make your own writing retreat: take your notebook/notecards/laptop to a library's quiet room or take your lunch to a local park. Even better, partner with someone to add the dimension of feedback. If you are seriously following God's call to write, at some point you will need to attend a major writing conference such as Mount Hermon's Christian Writers Conference.

What attitudes or self-talk are holding you back? We'd love to hear!