Maureen McGowan, whom many of you remember from her remarkable tale of agent-offer-at-conference that we shared on Diana’s Diversions back in February, has a blog. Today, on this blog, she is discussing her own early misconceptions about how this whole “pursuit of a writing career” was going to work out. Most aspirants have illusions of some sort. Though I never labored under the self-publishing fantasy (boy, is that the subject of another blog), I had plenty of my own bizarre theories.
Back in the early days, I even had a list somewhere detailing exactly when I expected my first book in each Harlequin category line to be released. I was not one of the people who failed to research the category lines. Oh no, I read all of the paragraph-long descriptions, then matched them up to each of my (unwritten) story ideas. At last count, I think I was going to be writing for Temptation, Blaze, American, Special Edition, Desire, and Superromance. And then, Red Dress Ink. Of course, that was just at Harlequin. And it was going to be all unagented. And within two years. After all, it took a year from the time of acceptance for my book to come out, would probably take me a month or so to write each book, and they’d clearly accept it right away, seeing how good it was.
And this is after STUDYING the market. I wasn’t going to go in blind, you see. I’d pored over all the information on the then-nascent eHarlequin.com (which promised I’d “Learn to Write,” a subject heading which has since made me grimace), and I’d read an older version of Kathryn Falk’s opus on romace writing. I was an EXPERT. I understood all the little rules (i.e., “it takes a year” “category lines have very different personalities”) and knew that if it took me one night to write a 6 page term paper (which had like, no dialogue and was in a smaller font besides) then it would never take me more than 40 days to knock off a whole book. Oh, and if my book was massively different than anything that they’d ever published before, they’d like it even MORE, because finally someone had given them something fresh! Like, say, a romance without a happy ending! That would blow their socks off at Silhouette!
Um, right. Around this time, two things happened that shattered all of my illusions. The first thing was, I met a real romance novelist while doing an article for my newspaper. And, despite all her claims to the contrary, she’s actually a phenomenally nice person who didn’t laugh me out of the Mexican restaurant (though, in retrospect, I think I did a pretty good job hiding my sheer stupidity from her). I also tried to write a book, and it was much harder than I’d thought. Julie said I should join RWA, but since I was broke, I promised my now-sober-and-disillusioned self that I wouldn’t spend a penny on this pipe dream until I completed step one: actually writing a whole book.
The day I finished that piece of crap (which at the time I thought was marvelous — come on, sex scene on a pool table? What’s not to love?) was one of the proudest days of my life. I instantly signed up for RWA and basically dived into the deep end of the pool. I wanted to figure out what else I’d gotten wrong and how to go about getting it right. My friends in TARA will bear witness at my eagerness (read: officiousness) and dedication (read: obsession). When I, like Maureen, did not sell at the two year mark (my 25th birthday) I cried bitter tears. Sailor Boy, who has somehow propelled me up this gorgeous New Zealand South Island Mountain in order to watch a phenomenal sunset over the Tasman Sea, was unable to console me, despite the spaghetti and tuna he’d prepared for my birthday dinner (he’d even packed candles).
Now, sometimes when we witness the newb fantasies, a writing friend says to me, “Diana, were we ever this clueless?” I usually say no, but now I’m not so sure. That list of mine is out there somewhere. Now, don’t get me wrong. The publishing business is a complex and often opaque industry, so I full sympathize with newcomers who can’t quite suss it out. I couldn’t, and I thought of myself as a pretty bright cookie who was doing her research. Luckily, I fell in with a great crowd: a writing group who welcomed the little upstart with open arms (I Heart TARA) and a mentor that never ever ever ever laughed at my ignorance. I’m, um, not that good. I’m trying to be. Part of the reason I write about craft and industry stuff so much on the blog is that I want people to have more to read on this matter to counteract all the misinformation out there (by, say scam agents and vanity publishing outfits). But, anyone who sees me rant knows that I’m not perfect where that goes.
It’s been a while since I’ve read Plato, and Zeus knows I don’t agree with half of it, but I do try to remind myself often that the path to knowledge starts with admitting how ignorant you are. As soon as I met people who were actually in the industry, I realized how off my interpretation of my research had been. I’ve been observing a lot of what I’ve been calling “willful ignorance.” Folks unwilling to look at the hard truth because it contradicts with whatever they have been insisting to themselves. No matter how much information and advice they receive to the contrary from experienced writers, editors, and agents, they keep looking for the one person or website, or whatnot who will confirm for them what they’ve already insisted is true. I think that’s the part that I was never like. I was an idiot, sure, but I didn’t want to be one.
Special Note: I’m off on a very special activity today. I’ll tell you all about it when I get home.
June 28th, 2006 at 9:49 am
“Was I ever that clueless?” I think that a lot, too - and yes, I probably was. I educated myself very quickly by joining RWA and a local chapter within months of starting my first book. I went to the National convention that year with a book to pitch and dreams as big as the sky. I learned enough to know I had work to do but it never dampened my enthusiasm for the craft. (Shortly after that conference, Romance Divas was born.)
I was so full of myself and the possibilities of my future I took 2000 pens with my name and website printed on them to give away in the goody room that year. Yes, I’m nuts.
I sat in the audience of the GH/RITA awards that first conference and watched big-eyed as other writers lived out my dreams. I leaned over to my chapter president as the GH winners were being announced and whispered, “Next year, that will be me.”
Lo and behold, that next year I was a GH finalist. (Talk about a shocker.)
Another year later and I have a fabulous agent at the agency that was my number one pick from the get go. (Hi Elaine!)
Have I sold yet? No, but I’m confident it will happen. Is my story typical? No, but it’s proof that amazing things do happen to those who persevere.
June 28th, 2006 at 11:01 am
It’s a fine line between offering supportive advice and coming across as being condescending. I think there are some things aspiring writers just have to discover for themselves, and the process takes time. I have a friend who is very excited now about self-publishing his first book. He didn’t spend nearly enough time trying to get an agent, becoming frustrated after just a few passes. He is absolutely convinced that he has done all his research and gotten the best deal out there. Nothing I could say to him would deter his conviction that he’s found the shortcut to bestsellerdom — all I would achieve by telling him the grim reality of distribution, etc. is destroying a friendship.
I always draw parallels between publishing and lawyering, because I’ve spend 20 years in the legal profession. Beginning lawyers — affectionately referred to as “baby lawyers” behind their backs — all seem to make the same mistakes and exhibit the same characteristics. They come out of law school thinking they know everything about being a lawyer, when really all they know about is how to take law school exams. But it’s the whole process of moving from point A to point B which transforms them into competent and even great lawers — it’s a process that takes about 5 years, in the opinion of many of my colleagues.
I think it’s the same with writers. You have to go through the process and pay your dues. And in many ways, ignorance is bliss. How many of us would have ever written that first book if we’d known that its purpose really was to teach us how to write a book, and that most likely we wouldn’t publish until we had completed not only that one but several more. And how much would be taken away from the joy of typing “The End” for the first time if we had never thought of it as a “real” — translate publishable — book in the first place? Writing a book is hard. Not just the skill of it, but the perseverence. Most people who start never finish. It’s blind faith, I think, that gets most us through the first one — blind faith and visions of glory.
The tough thing, IMO, is to be helpful and share our knowledge with newbies without squashing those tender dreams.
Sorry to ramble here — it’s just such a thought-provoking topic.
June 28th, 2006 at 12:07 pm
oh oh oh.
If only I’d known…..
hehehe
the first book I wrote I had the audacity to submit to Harlequin. They requested a full. I was starry eyed and in heaven, convinced I was going to be one of the lucky ones and get my very first book published.
It garnered a form rejection letter.
The only thing I did in the beginning that I think was smart was finish a book and write another. Then finish a book and write another. Instead of waiting for glory to show up at my doorstep, I kept working. And with each book, I learned more. Got involved with RWA and critique groups. And with every step and every year and every milestone, I realize how little I knew back then.
Even now as I’m entering a new phase in my career I’m realizing how little I still know, how much I still have to learn.
I’m sure 5 years from now I’ll look back on today and shake my head and say if only I’d known…
We never know it all. And those that think they do….dayum. *g*
June 28th, 2006 at 12:28 pm
“I was an idiot, sure, but I didn’t want to be one.”
Words to live by.
June 28th, 2006 at 12:44 pm
It’s probably really important to go through the trial and error and disappointment (mostly because all that stuff doesn’t stop when you sign that dotted line). I’ve been at this about 7 or 8 years, and I, too, had HQ request my first book in full that first year. Twice. (But that’s another story.) Several more years into it and I struggled with a lot of things. A few more years into it, and I sold VENUS ENVY. And then I looked back and thought, “Thank God I didn’t sell earlier, because I was in no way prepared for this.”
But I don’t think you can tell a new writer that things will happen at the right time. Or that they will not necessarily happen the way they plan out. (Loved your story, Diana, by the way!) It’s all a learning process, and I’m glad I went through it, and I try really hard to remember that when I’m around someone completely new at this game…I was there once, too.
Shannon
June 28th, 2006 at 1:17 pm
Oh yeah…I was clueless. Like JEL talks about in her article. Had no idea what was “right” or “wrong” and just wrote. Wrote an 863 page book that was alllll over the place in terms of plot and action, but I finished it. And the funny thing was (and now ironic) my hubby bought me this “How to Write” online course offered by Penguin Putnam. One of the benefits upon course completion was having like 100 pages of your manuscript read and reviewed by a PP editor. I got a very nice “thank you for submitting your manuscript” letter from them with no further comments, only a rejection. Fast forward five years and my book deal is with Penguin Putnam. Guess that online course really taught me a lot, eh? LOL!!
One thing I’ve certainly learned in my (almost…6 more months) 40 years is that there are just a lot of things you have to learn by doing, messing up, trying again, absorbing, doing again, trial and error…
Marley = )
June 28th, 2006 at 1:22 pm
Diana! You are a queen among queens for drawing attention to my blog post.
I think Phyllis is right that it’s hard to walk the line between being helpful and being condescending. That’s really what worries me… Not that I’m being too honest, just that I’m being condescending…
I’m sure in another 4 years, I’ll look back at what I know now and shake my head at my current self, too…
June 28th, 2006 at 4:09 pm
All I can say is thank God for TARA, RWA and the wonderful authors that will share what they have learned.
I had all these ideas that I’d finish my book it would be pick up (of course it would) and out on the shelf in a years time.
How crazy was I??? Very Crazy.
But, I’ve listened, watched, and read from who I believe are some of the very best. And I have learned.
Thank you for that. I now know that it will take time and the rejections will come. They will still hurt, but I will live and I will continue to write. Why? Because I belong to a great group who when I say “I’m not a writer” they’ll tell me with understanding and love “Yes, you are.” Then they’ll tell me to get back in the chair with the tone of an older sister who really does know better.
June 28th, 2006 at 10:19 pm
Gosh, what a great and difficult topic! I have the best delusions and daydreams about my -ahem- career-to-be in writing, and I cling to them because they make me happy. At least I can say that I’ve given myself 10 years to reach that goal
I have so much more to say on this topic but I can’t seem to put it into coherent words (I’ve tried all day). So I’ll have to ponder and post my own blog entry on the topic.
But I do have to thank all of you who do try to help out those of us who are new and thirsty for information. I can understand how easy it would be to get jaded in your position: the same questions, the same misconceptions, yadda yadda. And I applaud all of you for your patience. You guys are true mentors.