Friday, March 2, 2012

FTT -- Maggie: Staying True To YOU

First off, I'd like to say that this blog post is for those of you who -- like me -- are writing with a future goal of publication. Whatever your motives: money, fame, touching people's lives, you know that at some point you're going to have to go through the process of querying and trying to sell a novel.

All stories begin as inspiration. A random idea, a momentary thought, caught on paper and developed into a fantastical world full of characters, feelings and happenings. If you've chased that idea to the point where you have a novel in your hands, it probably means that you love it. You're excited about it. It's your baby.

These two things -- pursuing publication and writing something you're excited about -- have their very own sets of emotions. The publication side tends to be more stressful, more focused on "what's selling" and on the "do"s and "don't"s of the publishing world. On the other hand, the excited-about-this-story side, though potentially just as much of a pain when it comes to structure, world building, editing, etc., is much more fun. We love it. It's special. It's irreplaceable. It's why we do what we do, right?

When these things meet, there is a tendency for one to completely suck the life out of the other. If you get too focused on the publishing, you may lose that love for your story, that excitement and that thrill that's so vital to creating something unique and original. Similarly, if you focus too much on how awesome your story is, you may not see things that need to be corrected if you ever want to reach publication or, ultimately, success.

Finding a balance is harder than it sounds, but it's achievable. This is the road I'm on now. I aspire to be published one day. I plan to query, land myself an agent, and, eventually, a killer book deal. (Like the optimism?) But my downfall is focusing too much on this goal. Much as I love my stories, as soon as it comes to sharing them with the world, or fixing them to query-able state, I start to panic. I lose faith in what I loved and spend too much time thinking about whether or not it will sell.

In the end, I think it's so important that you begin your journey toward publication with a healthy dose of each. Make sure you don't lose that passion! Stay true to the novel that kept you awake at night. That novel that sent a chill down your spine. That novel you screamed at because it wouldn't take the shape you wanted, and then doted over when it finally did. That novel that started in your head, and can only emerge through your fingers.

Sure, there will always be a risk of rejection. You may fail the first time. Or the first few times. But that's not a reason to give up. And this is what I need to keep reminding myself.

So. That being said, what are your thoughts? How do you keep the balance between your goals and your love of your story? Do you disagree with anything I've said? I'd love to know!

Happy First Friday of the Month, everyone! Until next time.

8 comments:

  1. This is something I struggle with quite a bit. -_-

    I LOVE the writing itself, and even in the revision there's a lovely satisfaction...

    And then I think about publication, and querying, and contracts, and all the stuff I'm not quite ready to start yet. And it tends to inspire a little panic. :[

    Right now... I'm focusing on the writing itself. I want to get to the point where I CAN start querying, etc. And in the meantime, I'll read a few blog posts and start the mental preperation. XD

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    1. I completely understand! Good for you for focusing on the writing itself! That's where I am, too. *mentally prepares with you*

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  2. *applause* Well said! It's an honor watching you move forward on your writerly journey. :)

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  3. Thank you for this, seriously. I've been fighting with this as someone who, I know has my best interests at heart, but is calling me stubborn because I want to stay true to my story. There's a line between listening to critiques and making your story better, and sacrificing your principles just to get further in your career.

    You take what resonates, and you discard the rest. But you always stay true to yourself.

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    1. You're so welcome! Keep fighting and being stubborn. I totally agree-- it's a fine line, too! Thanks for reading.

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  4. Very well said, Maggie! I think, too, that it's important to keep in mind that when you do reach that point when you feel your work is ready to query, don't sweat the rejections. Yeah, it can bum you out when someone thinks your baby's ugly, but for whatever reason that agent passed, you've just dodged a major bullet. Why? Because he or she obviously wasn't right for your book. You deserve better than that. Not everyone is going to get you or your work. When you're published, not every reader will get you or your work. It's the same thing. So focus on that story you're in love with. An agent, someone you haven't even met yet, is gonna fall in love with it, too. :)

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    1. Thank you! You're so right. Thanks for reading!

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