Beth Revis's Blog, page 17
August 26, 2013
Upcoming Events: September!
I've been taking the summer a bit off--between finishing up a new book (have you noticed the addition to this website yet?), relaxing with family, working on a reddit forum for authors, and finishing some other projects...well, I was supposed to be taking the summer a bit off :)
Anyway, back into the saddle! This fall I've got some events coming up that I hope I'll be able to see you at!
DRAGON*CON
I adore this con, and am so happy to be back again this year! I've got a busy schedule, and I hope to see you there:
Title: Princess, Fairies, and Pirates
Time: Fri 10:00 am Location: A708 - Marriott (Length: 1)
Description: A discussion of favorite Disney characters: Snow White to Merida, Prince Charming to Captain Jack Sparrow.
Title: Secondary Characters in The Hunger Games
Time: Fri 02:30 pm Location: Hanover C - E - Hyatt (Length: 1)
Description: From other tributes to Capitol dwellers, even the minor characters are well-drawn enough to inspire strong feelings.
Title: YA Short Fiction
Time: Fri 05:30 pm Location: A707 - Marriott (Length: 1)
Description: Authors discuss how they craft bite-size tales that can fill the gaps between novels or offer new character insights.
Title: iSpin-off from iCarly
Time: Fri 07:00 pm Location: A708 - Marriott (Length: 1)
Description: Don't be sad about iCarly coming to an end. Celebrate the new spin-offs and movies with other fans.
Title: Autograph Sessions
Time: Sat 01:00 pm Location: International Hall South - Marriott (Length: 1)
Title: From Page to Screen
Time: Sun 01:00 pm Location: A707 - Marriott (Length: 1)
Description: A discussion of how favorite YA books translate to the screen in recent and upcoming adaptations.
For More Information on Dragon*Con, click here.
Carolina Mountains Literary Festival
This is another one I'm very excited to be a part of again! Carolina Mountains Lit Fest in Burnsville is wonderfully organized, and this year I have the honor of presenting alongside Myra McEntire in a presentation on structure in workshop open and free to the public.
Friday morning, September 13
10-10:45 Town Center Legacy Room BETH REVIS & MYRA MCENTIRE Story Structure and Plot Devices (Part One) Discussion of various ways to plot and structure novels. Examples come from their own experiences and from other authors such as Blake Snyder, Christopher Vogler, John Truby, and others.
Friday afternoon, September 13
2-2:45 Town Center Legacy Room BETH REVIS & MYRA MCENTIRE Story Structure and Plot Devices (Part Two) Discussion of various ways to plot and structure novels. Examples come from their own experiences and from other authors such as Blake Snyder, Christopher Vogler, John Truby, and others.
For more Information on the CMLF, click here. Books will be available for purchase from Malaprops, and we'd both be happy to sign!
Online Events
Every Monday, we have "Ask Me Anything" events, and every Thursday we have focused discussions and critiques on the YA Writers Reddit Forum. We have upcoming a trauma nurse talking about wounds in fiction, author talk about book trailers and street teams, etc.--so join the fun!
The YA Scavenger Hunt is gearing up--if you're an author, make sure you sign up soon to participate!
...and you should keep your eyes out for a certain announcement coming from me really soon...
August 16, 2013
For the Observant...
You might notice a little something different about this website. A little something extra. Maybe a hint of something to come...
bzzzzzz....
bzzzzzz....
July 30, 2013
Events, Chats, and More!
Sorry I've been so scarce lately. I've been deep in edits, which is a fancy way of saying that I don't remember the last time I brushed my hair, and all I do is stare at the wall chart and try to pull together the strings of this book before it kills me.
A before picture. It's now half-way filled in.
So anyway, that's my life! Poor personal hygiene choices and staring at walls. However! I do plan to take at least one shower this week, and that shower is being taken in honor of APRILYNNE PIKE and the awesome event I'm doing with her and CARRIE RYAN in CHARLOTTE this FRIDAY.
I hope you join me. I'll (probably) even brush my hair for this shindig.
THIS FRIDAY
Birkdale Barnes & Noble
Book talk and signing with
Aprilynne Pike and Carrie Ryan
FULL DETAILS HERE
Although I'll be in the writing cave for a bit longer--through August, probably--I do have some more fall events coming up that I've not mentioned before. I'll be announcing those soonish.
And, meanwhile, when I need a break from editing, I've been hanging out on Twitter and Reddit. If you're on Twitter, please distract me so I can pretend to be working but really be looking at animated pictures of kittens. If you're an author, too (published or not), feel free to come to Reddit to discuss books. I'm kind of sporadic on both fronts at the moment, but hopefully that time-turner I ordered will get here soon. Shipping from Hogwarts is slow, yo.
Anyway, hope y'all are having an awesome summer filled with watermelon, fun, and no edits! :)
A before picture. It's now half-way filled in.
So anyway, that's my life! Poor personal hygiene choices and staring at walls. However! I do plan to take at least one shower this week, and that shower is being taken in honor of APRILYNNE PIKE and the awesome event I'm doing with her and CARRIE RYAN in CHARLOTTE this FRIDAY.
I hope you join me. I'll (probably) even brush my hair for this shindig.
THIS FRIDAY
Birkdale Barnes & Noble
Book talk and signing with
Aprilynne Pike and Carrie Ryan
FULL DETAILS HERE
Although I'll be in the writing cave for a bit longer--through August, probably--I do have some more fall events coming up that I've not mentioned before. I'll be announcing those soonish.
And, meanwhile, when I need a break from editing, I've been hanging out on Twitter and Reddit. If you're on Twitter, please distract me so I can pretend to be working but really be looking at animated pictures of kittens. If you're an author, too (published or not), feel free to come to Reddit to discuss books. I'm kind of sporadic on both fronts at the moment, but hopefully that time-turner I ordered will get here soon. Shipping from Hogwarts is slow, yo.
Anyway, hope y'all are having an awesome summer filled with watermelon, fun, and no edits! :)
July 18, 2013
The Sound of Silence...or, better yet, Lots of Noise!
One of the most frequently asked questions I get as a writer is, what kind of music do I listen to as I write? I've always found this question to be difficult because I actually listen to music in an effort to, um, not listen. My goal is to have sound that fades into the background. If I'm actually listening to the music, then something's wrong and I'm not working as well as I need to be.
Because of that, I tend to listen to one song on repeat over and over and over again. I don't think people believe me on this, but it's true:
I typically get about 3-5 songs, and just listen to them over and over and over and over again. It drives everyone around me crazy, so I've invested in good headphones. Because, seriously. If you do the math (and I hope I've done it right; I don't math well), then I listened to "Everything is Ending," the top song in my playlist, for nearly 54 straight hours. That's equivalent to listening to one song for more than two days straight with no break at all.
I've not changed up this method in years. The above five songs got me through writing 4 and a half books (with a few others--all with around 400 plays--sprinkled in for good mix).
My goal is to forget about the music. So I get a good song that sits in my subconscious and doesn't cause trouble. But recently I've found a few other things that make the sound perfect while writing.
Perfect Thing 1: Rainy Cafe
This website provides free, constant, streaming ambient noise. And not just any ambient noise. It makes the sound of a busy coffee shop--chairs scooting, an undercurrent of indiscernible talk--and mixes it with a rainy, thundery day. It's seriously awesome. It's enough noise to break the silence, but not enough to distract you. Give it a try!
Perfect Thing 2: Noisy Typer
This is an app you have to download--it only works for a Mac, but it's free. And what it does is magic. It makes your keyboard sound like a noisy typewriter. Every time you push a letter, it clacks. When you hit enter, it dings. It sounds exactly like a typewriter, and it's perfectly synced to your writing. I've been using it for a few days straight, and I'm already hooked. Seriously, this is amazing. It's made me want to type, and more, it's made me keep typing--when I hear the silence and no clickety-clack of the typewriter, I know I'm not working.
Give these two things a whirl--they're really great, and they really keep me motivated to write!
Because of that, I tend to listen to one song on repeat over and over and over again. I don't think people believe me on this, but it's true:
I typically get about 3-5 songs, and just listen to them over and over and over and over again. It drives everyone around me crazy, so I've invested in good headphones. Because, seriously. If you do the math (and I hope I've done it right; I don't math well), then I listened to "Everything is Ending," the top song in my playlist, for nearly 54 straight hours. That's equivalent to listening to one song for more than two days straight with no break at all.
I've not changed up this method in years. The above five songs got me through writing 4 and a half books (with a few others--all with around 400 plays--sprinkled in for good mix).
My goal is to forget about the music. So I get a good song that sits in my subconscious and doesn't cause trouble. But recently I've found a few other things that make the sound perfect while writing.
Perfect Thing 1: Rainy Cafe
This website provides free, constant, streaming ambient noise. And not just any ambient noise. It makes the sound of a busy coffee shop--chairs scooting, an undercurrent of indiscernible talk--and mixes it with a rainy, thundery day. It's seriously awesome. It's enough noise to break the silence, but not enough to distract you. Give it a try!
Perfect Thing 2: Noisy Typer
This is an app you have to download--it only works for a Mac, but it's free. And what it does is magic. It makes your keyboard sound like a noisy typewriter. Every time you push a letter, it clacks. When you hit enter, it dings. It sounds exactly like a typewriter, and it's perfectly synced to your writing. I've been using it for a few days straight, and I'm already hooked. Seriously, this is amazing. It's made me want to type, and more, it's made me keep typing--when I hear the silence and no clickety-clack of the typewriter, I know I'm not working.
Give these two things a whirl--they're really great, and they really keep me motivated to write!
July 17, 2013
High Concept
Sorry for the recent spottiness of posting, y'all! Summer's been a time of extremes for me this year--extreme play mixed with extreme work--so I expect the break will continue for at least a little while longer. Meanwhile, I've been doing a lot of posting in other mediums--including the YA Writers subreddit I've mentioned several times here. The community is growing pretty constantly, and so I thought I'd pillage one of the posts I did there for here, so my regular readers can get a glimpse of what we're talking about.
Recently, we had a discussion on what "high concept" is. To see the full discussion, just click here. But my definition of what "high concept" is, and why it's important, is below. Hope it helps!
--------
What is High Concept?
First, what high concept is not: it’s not “high.” This is the thing that throws people off the most. Most people think that “high concept” means something that’s very literary, artistic, and not commercial—and the exact opposite is true.
High concept is something that has immediate commercial appeal.
Typically, the way this is explained is that:
You can sum up a high concept idea in a sentence or two
It has obvious appeal to the masses—it’s a concept that most people can get with just a sentence
It’s a story that you can immediately see what it would be like just from a short description
High concept is hugely important because it’s easy to sell. If you’re querying, a high concept pitch is arguably one of the best things you can have to make your query stand out. If you’re published, a high concept pitch is the hook you use to advertise your book, the way you describe it to hand-sell it, the sentence you use on your swag. If you want to commercially sell your work, having a high concept pitch is one of the best things you can use.
Examples of high concept:
A boarding school with wizards
An arena where children and teens have to fight to the death
A vampire that falls in love with a mortal
Obvious, yeah? High concept sells. If you can sum up your book in one simple phrase or sentence, one that has appeal to a lot of people, then you’re gold. People tend to like the familiar, and they like the concepts they can easily grasp, the stories they know will appeal to them.
The examples above are obvious, but here’s some that aren’t as obvious:
A murder mystery in space (My own novel, Across the Universe)
A teen who can time travel, stuck in the wrong time (Julie Cross’s Tempest)
A world where everyone gets a letter 24 hours before they die (Shaun Hutchinson’s The Deathday Letter)
When summing up high concept, you’re looking to *give the familiar, then give the twist. “A vampire”—a familiar concept many people know and like. “Falls in love with a mortal”—a twist to the story. The typical reader can take the familiar they already know, see the twist that will flesh it into a whole story, and that makes them want to read it.
Recently, we had a discussion on what "high concept" is. To see the full discussion, just click here. But my definition of what "high concept" is, and why it's important, is below. Hope it helps!
--------
What is High Concept?
First, what high concept is not: it’s not “high.” This is the thing that throws people off the most. Most people think that “high concept” means something that’s very literary, artistic, and not commercial—and the exact opposite is true.
High concept is something that has immediate commercial appeal.
Typically, the way this is explained is that:
You can sum up a high concept idea in a sentence or two
It has obvious appeal to the masses—it’s a concept that most people can get with just a sentence
It’s a story that you can immediately see what it would be like just from a short description
High concept is hugely important because it’s easy to sell. If you’re querying, a high concept pitch is arguably one of the best things you can have to make your query stand out. If you’re published, a high concept pitch is the hook you use to advertise your book, the way you describe it to hand-sell it, the sentence you use on your swag. If you want to commercially sell your work, having a high concept pitch is one of the best things you can use.
Examples of high concept:
A boarding school with wizards
An arena where children and teens have to fight to the death
A vampire that falls in love with a mortal
Obvious, yeah? High concept sells. If you can sum up your book in one simple phrase or sentence, one that has appeal to a lot of people, then you’re gold. People tend to like the familiar, and they like the concepts they can easily grasp, the stories they know will appeal to them.
The examples above are obvious, but here’s some that aren’t as obvious:
A murder mystery in space (My own novel, Across the Universe)
A teen who can time travel, stuck in the wrong time (Julie Cross’s Tempest)
A world where everyone gets a letter 24 hours before they die (Shaun Hutchinson’s The Deathday Letter)
When summing up high concept, you’re looking to *give the familiar, then give the twist. “A vampire”—a familiar concept many people know and like. “Falls in love with a mortal”—a twist to the story. The typical reader can take the familiar they already know, see the twist that will flesh it into a whole story, and that makes them want to read it.
July 2, 2013
July Updates, Links, and More
Hey all!
Man, summer's great for being lazy, no? I feel like I've been too lazy, though, and not doing a good enough job of keeping everyone informed of everything.
One reason is because of Reddit. I mentioned before that I'm now a mod of the YA Writers subreddit but I wanted to re-issue the invitation for everyone to join in. We're now more than 400 members strong, and a healthy mix of people at various stages of their careers. If you ever want to discuss, question, or rave about writing for a YA audience, stop by! As a point of interest, July 3rd we're discussing "high concept," and we'll be doing pitch critiques, critique partner match-ups, and more in the future.
Next, I have some winners to announce! For the Defy the Dark prize pack, the winner is: Amanda R! Winners for the All the Nomz cookbook have also been selected. They are Alicia K., Maura T., and Amber P. All the winners have been contacted--thanks to everyone who played along!
Also, have you been to Kickstarter later? You know, that place where people help other people make awesome stuff? Well, Rachel Caine, author of the brilliant Morganville Vampire books, is currently hosting a Kickstarter to get her books turned into a movie! You can support the project here--and you'll see a video featuring me, talking about upcoming projects and more! They're halfway there, with only a week to go.
Man, summer's great for being lazy, no? I feel like I've been too lazy, though, and not doing a good enough job of keeping everyone informed of everything.
One reason is because of Reddit. I mentioned before that I'm now a mod of the YA Writers subreddit but I wanted to re-issue the invitation for everyone to join in. We're now more than 400 members strong, and a healthy mix of people at various stages of their careers. If you ever want to discuss, question, or rave about writing for a YA audience, stop by! As a point of interest, July 3rd we're discussing "high concept," and we'll be doing pitch critiques, critique partner match-ups, and more in the future.
Next, I have some winners to announce! For the Defy the Dark prize pack, the winner is: Amanda R! Winners for the All the Nomz cookbook have also been selected. They are Alicia K., Maura T., and Amber P. All the winners have been contacted--thanks to everyone who played along!
Also, have you been to Kickstarter later? You know, that place where people help other people make awesome stuff? Well, Rachel Caine, author of the brilliant Morganville Vampire books, is currently hosting a Kickstarter to get her books turned into a movie! You can support the project here--and you'll see a video featuring me, talking about upcoming projects and more! They're halfway there, with only a week to go.
June 27, 2013
All the Nomz: Great Recipes + A Great Charity
I was recently invited to join in a super fun project, and I'm happy to say that it's now available for everyone! All the Nomz! is a recipe book by and for geeks. Basically, geeks from all walks of life--authors, actors, artists, gamers, and more--submitted recipes for this very special cookbook. I'm honored to have a recipe alongside Tara Platt, Sandeep Parikh, Nathan Sawaya, and so many others. I'm seriously pinching myself that I was able to sub a recipe!
The recipes in this cookbook cover everything from snacks to main courses, and they show a wide variety of skills, ingredients, and more. My recipe is what I call "healthy writer's fuel"--when I eat it, I feel like I can write all day! And lest you think it's too healthy, my "writer's fuel" is the perfect vehicle for both cheese and bacon, so feel free to take out the healthy adjective whenever you like.
And the awesome part of All the Nomz! is that every penny from every purchase of the book goes directly to an amazing charity, Child's Play. A charity since 2003, Child's Play is "a game industry charity dedicated to improving the lives of children with toys and games in our network of over 70 hospitals worldwide" (source). There are children all around the world who have to face situations no child should face, and Child's Play brings a little joy and sunlight back to those children in the form of games, entertainment, and fun.
I've long been a fan of Child's Play, and I'm so happy that I was able to make a small contribution to the organization in the form of a recipe. If you're with me and want to help out, you can buy All the Nomz! You'll get:
an awesome cookbook that's nearly 80 pages long that features such amazing recipes as writer's fuel, R2-D2 cupcakes, and One Bread to Rule them All
the satisfaction that you helped bring a smile to a sick child's face, since 100% of funds raised go straight to Child's Play
a virtual high-five from me
To find out more, just go here. The recommended donation is just $5. And to sweeten the deal and help spread the word, I'm going to give away THREE copies of All the Nomz! Just spread the word about this charity-driven recipe book, fill out the Rafflecopter below, and you're entered to win! (Open internationally.)
a Rafflecopter giveaway
June 24, 2013
Defy the Dark & Win Prizes!
Yesterday I talked all about the awesome debut authors found through the contest Saundra held for Defy the Dark. They are, simply, brilliant--as are all the stories in the anthology! There are 17 other short stories in the antho, each one better than the next.
And to help make sure everyone check the antho out, we're having a contest!
Prizes! One lucky winner will get a hardcover copy of DEFY THE DARK and also my most recent title, SHADES OF EARTH, plus some awesome DEFY THE DARK swag (glow-in-the-dark bracelets! shiny bookmarks!) courtesy of Saundra Mitchell!
How to Enter: Enter using the Rafflecopter below. You have two ways to enter: tweet about the contest and/or let me know which story you're most excited to read. (Personally, I'd prefer that you let me know through a blog comment so that the authors can see the excitement, but because Google seems to be doing screwy things to the commenting system, you can also just leave your answer inside the Rafflecopter.)
a Rafflecopter giveaway
Want another chance to win Defy the Dark? Come to my Charlotte signing, August 2nd, at the Huntersville Barnes and Noble, to see me, Carrie Ryan, and Aprilynne Pike. I'll be giving away one copy there--and all three of us will sign it for you! More details here.
And to help make sure everyone check the antho out, we're having a contest!
Prizes! One lucky winner will get a hardcover copy of DEFY THE DARK and also my most recent title, SHADES OF EARTH, plus some awesome DEFY THE DARK swag (glow-in-the-dark bracelets! shiny bookmarks!) courtesy of Saundra Mitchell!
How to Enter: Enter using the Rafflecopter below. You have two ways to enter: tweet about the contest and/or let me know which story you're most excited to read. (Personally, I'd prefer that you let me know through a blog comment so that the authors can see the excitement, but because Google seems to be doing screwy things to the commenting system, you can also just leave your answer inside the Rafflecopter.)
a Rafflecopter giveaway
Want another chance to win Defy the Dark? Come to my Charlotte signing, August 2nd, at the Huntersville Barnes and Noble, to see me, Carrie Ryan, and Aprilynne Pike. I'll be giving away one copy there--and all three of us will sign it for you! More details here.
June 23, 2013
Defy the Dark Short Stories
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Today we're celebrating short stories--specifically those found in the Defy the Dark anthology edited by Saundra Mitchell.I've mentioned before how honored I was to be invited to participate in this antho, and how awesome it is to work with Saundra. But one of the things that made this antho even more spectacular was that Saundra did something I've never seen before in an anthology.
She solicited manuscripts from never-before-published author to be included in the anthology.
The contest, understandably, had more than a thousand entries--and nearly three and a half million words and Saundra read them all. And gave feedback. So when we say Saundra is awesome, we mean it.
In the end, there could be only three winners--one to be published in the anthology, and two more to be published online at defythedark.com.
The Sunflower Murders
by Kate Espey
Read the full story in Defy the Dark
This short story is the grand prize winner, the one published in the anthology. And, as fate would have it, it's also the story published directly after my own, which makes me feel all sorts of awesome about it.
I can absolutely see why Kate won the contest and a spot in the antho. "The Sunflower Murders" is beautifully written, a vignette about life and death and the inconsequentiality and vast importance of both. There are lines in the story that just stun me with their deftness. Lines like:
She had unspeakable things done to her that everyone spoke about anyway...
and
Something was ending. Like a story coming to a close and there would be no epilogue, no To Be Continued.
Beautiful, no? Kate perfectly grasped the horror of death and placed it beside the normalcy of it, something that is no easy feat. This amazingly talented highschooler definitely has a bright future ahead of her!
After Illume
by Emily Skrutskie
Read the full story online
Guys. Guys. It's a short story about space. You know I love that shizz! This sci fi short had me from the opening line (seriously, go read it). It starts with a serious bang--the modules of the Illume have broken apart due to a chunk of ice striking it, and the narrator is stuck inside one, with only the limited air, food, and water she has with her.
The narrator is fine with being alone--she was hired for the job because she could handle solitude in a space station--but she now faces a slow, lonely death in the dark void of space.
Or...not so alone. Because there is Samara. A voice sent from "the other side" to comfort the dying. But there's more to it than that.
Of course there is.
This story is smart. It touches on both the future and history, with a main character who's clever. And there's some whip-smart narration, too:
According to this wacky old psychology that some fart named Maslow came up with, I’m not actually allowed to need a nonessential like coffee more than human companionship, but the bastard’s wrong.
Go. Read it.
Bogwater
by Taure Shimp
Read the full story online
You know how some how-to-write books throw around phrases like "unique voice" and "atmosphere?" Well, this short story has both of those in spades--a totally fresh, unique voice plus a setting that's as vivid as the characters.
You'd think a story about swamp witches and were-gators and bogwater would be, well, gross, but it's not. It's a different story wrapped up in a totally different world and sprinkled liberally with flashes of brilliant lines--like this one:
The other truth is that there are worse things in the swamp besides boys who are
sometimes gators and sometimes not.
And trust me--seriously, trust me on this--you absolutely don't want to miss the ending of this one. It's quite the twist.
___
You can read the two runners-up stories online for free right now, and the grand-prize winner is published in the anthology, available now. But check back tomorrow, because I'll be hosting a contest so that you can win your very own copy of DEFY THE DARK--and more!
June 22, 2013
Failure is not the Enemy
I write this post with the clear understanding that it is much easier for me to say these things on this side of the fence. Ten-years-ago-me would have punched present-me in the face for what I'm about to say.
Failure is not the enemy.
Failure is, in fact, a good thing.
Failure is when you strive for a goal and don't achieve it. For me, my biggest life goal was publication, and then being able to be a full-time writer. For a decade, I failed at this.
While I was in the middle of that decade of failure, well, failure sucked. I was pretty miserable. Sure, I had a happy face on, but there was this niggling knowledge that I had yet to achieve something I wanted. It was a hollow place inside me that was perpetually unfilled, a gaping wound no one but me could see.
I recently read this article on failure, and followed closely be reading an article on reddit in which a writer bemoaned that she had failed to have something published (having just gotten a rejection), and many in the community were quick to say it wasn't a failure, that she won just by having written it, and that she could always self-publish, that no words were wasted, etc., etc., etc.
Which is true.
But it's also not true. Because her goal had been traditional publication, and she failed to reach it in that moment.
The thing is--it's not about having failed or not. There's a clear answer there. She had failed. Just as I had failed for a decade. Recognizing that it was a failure is as clear as recognizing that the sky is blue, that grass is green. There's no point in calling something other than what it is; lying to yourself in this way is a band-aid on a broken arm.
What's not as easy to see is that failure is not a bad thing. It's just a thing.
Like I said, it's easy for me to say this now, with my life dream realized. But it is one of the few things I wish I could go back in time and tell myself.
Failure isn't the enemy. In fact, failure has been as sure a mentor to me as nearly anything else in my life.
Failure taught me:
Failure is inevitable. I will fail. We all will. And having failed, and gotten back up, and failed again, taught me that I can survive failure. This is a downfall in most modern stories: the hero always wins. Because while this story is inspiring, it's also false. In reality, not everyone wins. It's 100% true that no one wills all the time, and we expect that--every hero must fall at least once. But it's also 100% true that some people never win at all, and that's the thing we try so hard to ignore behind the pretty stories. I could spend the rest of my life trying to be a prima ballerina, and it would not happen. I would fail at that for the rest of my life.
Failure teaches us who we are. Because even though I know I would fail forever at being a prima ballerina, I also know that I am not someone who should be a prima ballerina. It's not who I am, it's not what I want. Of course I would fail at it. And that failure may hurt--it would be nice to be a ballerina, yes--but it would also teach me that it isn't the thing I want more than anything else. The thing I want more than anything else is to be a writer; so when I failed (for a decade) at being a writer, it wasn't something that I gave up on. My failure taught me how much I wanted to be a writer. I had tried other things in life--careers, hobbies. I played piano for a decade; I know how to sew and design clothes. But when I messed up Beethoven at the talent show, it stung--I was embarrassed--but it held none of the soul-crushing defeat of a rejection on a manuscript. And while I could play the piano--and I could play it technically well--I never had the passion within me to make it anything more than a hobby. My failures taught me who I am: failing at being a pianist was fine, because it wasn't who I was. Failing at writing was not, because it was.
Failure makes the success worth it. Even if it's something we love, when it comes easy, we don't appreciate it. I am grateful for every second of my life I get to say I'm an author, because for so long I was not. I am grateful for every aspect of the writing life, even the hard bits, because it's a part of the whole.
Failure makes us fearless. This is the thing that I think is perhaps the most important lesson of failure. I don't mean to harp on it, and I feel like I've said it a million times, but that decade before being published--it really shaped who I am. I spent ten years as a failure. I have over a thousand rejections. This isn't a hyperbole; it's not a lie. I have over a thousand rejections to my writing. More than a thousand times, someone told me I had failed to reach my goal.
Now, I've reached my goal. But I still carry around the rejection. Because...well, I know I will fail again. I'm published now, and I will be published for the next three years, as long as everything goes as planned and the contracts hold, etc. But after those three years? I want to be published more--but I have no guarantee. I have no way of knowing that everything else I write will not be rejected. It might be.
But, that's the gift of failure. I've had it before. I know I will have it again. I have already had other book proposals and samples rejected. I've already heard "no" again.
There's something about being tempered in fire, though, that makes the steel stronger.
Failure is not the enemy. Failure shapes us into who and what we are. Failure shows us what we are willing to fight for, and it gives us the backbone to fight for it. We need it to knock us around and be the roadblock so that we know if we should turn around and find a different path, or if it's worth it to make our own path.
If your goal is publication, accept nothing less than that. Know that you will fail, but know also that failure is not the enemy. Because the last thing I want to say is:
Don't settle for failure. Even though failure is not the enemy, it shouldn't be your friend. Set your goal, and settle for no less. Ask yourself what you really want.
I want this single book published. Then do what it takes to make that single book as perfect as possible, and then either send it out to agents for traditional publication, or self-publish it.
I want to have a book I wrote be traditionally published. Write a book. Revise. Edit. Submit to agents. Accept their rejection. If that book doesn't sell, write another book. Repeat. Recognize that even if your book is not accepted--that you failed--the actual goal is to be published, not for that book to be published, therefore you've only failed to meet your goal yet. Writer another book, a better book. Work up until you write something that's worth publication.
I want to have a book I wrote be self published. Write a book. Revise. Edit. Publish. Recognize that even if the book flops in sales, you achieved your goal of self-publication. Write another book, a better book with more marketing. Revise. Edit. Publish.
I want a career as an author. Write a book. Revise. Edit. Learn everything you can about the craft of writing, marketing, publishing (both traditional and self). Focus you attention on the market--not so that you chase trends, but so that you're aware of the state of the market. Join professional organizations. Create the best possible work you can. Write it. Write more of it. Experiment. Edit. Revise. Publish. Repeat.
Failure is not the enemy.
Failure is, in fact, a good thing.
Failure is when you strive for a goal and don't achieve it. For me, my biggest life goal was publication, and then being able to be a full-time writer. For a decade, I failed at this.
While I was in the middle of that decade of failure, well, failure sucked. I was pretty miserable. Sure, I had a happy face on, but there was this niggling knowledge that I had yet to achieve something I wanted. It was a hollow place inside me that was perpetually unfilled, a gaping wound no one but me could see.
I recently read this article on failure, and followed closely be reading an article on reddit in which a writer bemoaned that she had failed to have something published (having just gotten a rejection), and many in the community were quick to say it wasn't a failure, that she won just by having written it, and that she could always self-publish, that no words were wasted, etc., etc., etc.
Which is true.
But it's also not true. Because her goal had been traditional publication, and she failed to reach it in that moment.
The thing is--it's not about having failed or not. There's a clear answer there. She had failed. Just as I had failed for a decade. Recognizing that it was a failure is as clear as recognizing that the sky is blue, that grass is green. There's no point in calling something other than what it is; lying to yourself in this way is a band-aid on a broken arm.
What's not as easy to see is that failure is not a bad thing. It's just a thing.
Like I said, it's easy for me to say this now, with my life dream realized. But it is one of the few things I wish I could go back in time and tell myself.
Failure isn't the enemy. In fact, failure has been as sure a mentor to me as nearly anything else in my life.
Failure taught me:
Failure is inevitable. I will fail. We all will. And having failed, and gotten back up, and failed again, taught me that I can survive failure. This is a downfall in most modern stories: the hero always wins. Because while this story is inspiring, it's also false. In reality, not everyone wins. It's 100% true that no one wills all the time, and we expect that--every hero must fall at least once. But it's also 100% true that some people never win at all, and that's the thing we try so hard to ignore behind the pretty stories. I could spend the rest of my life trying to be a prima ballerina, and it would not happen. I would fail at that for the rest of my life.
Failure teaches us who we are. Because even though I know I would fail forever at being a prima ballerina, I also know that I am not someone who should be a prima ballerina. It's not who I am, it's not what I want. Of course I would fail at it. And that failure may hurt--it would be nice to be a ballerina, yes--but it would also teach me that it isn't the thing I want more than anything else. The thing I want more than anything else is to be a writer; so when I failed (for a decade) at being a writer, it wasn't something that I gave up on. My failure taught me how much I wanted to be a writer. I had tried other things in life--careers, hobbies. I played piano for a decade; I know how to sew and design clothes. But when I messed up Beethoven at the talent show, it stung--I was embarrassed--but it held none of the soul-crushing defeat of a rejection on a manuscript. And while I could play the piano--and I could play it technically well--I never had the passion within me to make it anything more than a hobby. My failures taught me who I am: failing at being a pianist was fine, because it wasn't who I was. Failing at writing was not, because it was.
Failure makes the success worth it. Even if it's something we love, when it comes easy, we don't appreciate it. I am grateful for every second of my life I get to say I'm an author, because for so long I was not. I am grateful for every aspect of the writing life, even the hard bits, because it's a part of the whole.
Failure makes us fearless. This is the thing that I think is perhaps the most important lesson of failure. I don't mean to harp on it, and I feel like I've said it a million times, but that decade before being published--it really shaped who I am. I spent ten years as a failure. I have over a thousand rejections. This isn't a hyperbole; it's not a lie. I have over a thousand rejections to my writing. More than a thousand times, someone told me I had failed to reach my goal.
Now, I've reached my goal. But I still carry around the rejection. Because...well, I know I will fail again. I'm published now, and I will be published for the next three years, as long as everything goes as planned and the contracts hold, etc. But after those three years? I want to be published more--but I have no guarantee. I have no way of knowing that everything else I write will not be rejected. It might be.
But, that's the gift of failure. I've had it before. I know I will have it again. I have already had other book proposals and samples rejected. I've already heard "no" again.
There's something about being tempered in fire, though, that makes the steel stronger.
Failure is not the enemy. Failure shapes us into who and what we are. Failure shows us what we are willing to fight for, and it gives us the backbone to fight for it. We need it to knock us around and be the roadblock so that we know if we should turn around and find a different path, or if it's worth it to make our own path.
If your goal is publication, accept nothing less than that. Know that you will fail, but know also that failure is not the enemy. Because the last thing I want to say is:
Don't settle for failure. Even though failure is not the enemy, it shouldn't be your friend. Set your goal, and settle for no less. Ask yourself what you really want.
I want this single book published. Then do what it takes to make that single book as perfect as possible, and then either send it out to agents for traditional publication, or self-publish it.
I want to have a book I wrote be traditionally published. Write a book. Revise. Edit. Submit to agents. Accept their rejection. If that book doesn't sell, write another book. Repeat. Recognize that even if your book is not accepted--that you failed--the actual goal is to be published, not for that book to be published, therefore you've only failed to meet your goal yet. Writer another book, a better book. Work up until you write something that's worth publication.
I want to have a book I wrote be self published. Write a book. Revise. Edit. Publish. Recognize that even if the book flops in sales, you achieved your goal of self-publication. Write another book, a better book with more marketing. Revise. Edit. Publish.
I want a career as an author. Write a book. Revise. Edit. Learn everything you can about the craft of writing, marketing, publishing (both traditional and self). Focus you attention on the market--not so that you chase trends, but so that you're aware of the state of the market. Join professional organizations. Create the best possible work you can. Write it. Write more of it. Experiment. Edit. Revise. Publish. Repeat.
