Gabriel Boutros's Blog - Posts Tagged "writing"
A Little More on the Struggles of a Writer
“Writing is not necessarily something to be ashamed of, but do it in private and wash your hands afterwards.” The great science fiction writer, Robert Heinlein (“Stranger in a Strange Land,” among others), said that about the art, or act, of writing. Writing is definitely something we all do in private. Few authors that I’ve ever come across, whether world-famous novelists or struggling amateurs, do much writing while they sit in the living room with their families conversing or watching TV around them.
No, writing is what we do when we are alone: when the kids are off at school, or early in the morning before we go to work, or, in my case, late at night when everybody else has gone to sleep. It is, as far as art forms go, certainly a furtively performed one. And, at least for me, it is something that takes forever to get done, through many frustrations and setbacks, with lots of tears and anguished screams. So, while it is “not necessarily something to be ashamed of,” it certainly is something I hate being asked about.
So, while you pour your heart into this work of art, how do you go about letting friends and family know that you actually have some ability to write? As the months and then years go by with no sign of the great novel you’re working on, do they take you seriously, or are they convinced that you’re a hard-working, but untalented, hack? Do they smile sympathetically, with only the slightest hint of condescension, as they ask you, “So, how’s the writing coming along?”
If I had any musical ability, I wouldn’t have to be asked twice to play something at a gathering of friends or family. If I could paint at all, my walls would be covered with my work which I could show off to whoever entered my house. Same thing if I was a sculptor. But I’m not any of these. So what am I to do: start reading out chapters of my books during dinner parties?
This is the sad fate of all "undiscovered" writers. Until and unless some faceless publisher picks your book out of a pile of hundreds of others, like it was winning lottery ticket, nobody really considers you “a writer.” For so many people you are either a “published writer” or you’re not a writer at all. You’re just a guy who doodles, or scribbles the occasional paragraph to pass the time. They could never take seriously the countless writers who have as much talent as anyone on a bestseller list, yet get lost in the pile of unsolicited transcripts, never to be heard from.
Is this situation changing at all? Of course, there is the internet, with the many sites (such as Author’s Den) where we can post our stories, and where people can read and enjoy them. But then, nobody is paying us for these works. And can we, as writers, honestly say that using these free sites is as satisfying as having somebody buy and publish one of our stories?
And, yes, new technology is changing the face of publishing. Print on demand allows anybody to see their books in print, very fast and at ridiculously low cost. Maybe, like me, you list your book on Amazon or other sites, and you set up a website, link to various search engines, get a Facebook page up, etc. But, unless you really are as lucky as a lottery winner, you’ll never sell a huge number of books like this. And, in the back of the minds of so many readers, and writers, there will always be the thought that, no matter how good your book was, no “real” publisher thought it was good enough to sell.
And how does the writer convince the reader, as well as himself, that this thought, just like all those publishers, is wrong?
No, writing is what we do when we are alone: when the kids are off at school, or early in the morning before we go to work, or, in my case, late at night when everybody else has gone to sleep. It is, as far as art forms go, certainly a furtively performed one. And, at least for me, it is something that takes forever to get done, through many frustrations and setbacks, with lots of tears and anguished screams. So, while it is “not necessarily something to be ashamed of,” it certainly is something I hate being asked about.
So, while you pour your heart into this work of art, how do you go about letting friends and family know that you actually have some ability to write? As the months and then years go by with no sign of the great novel you’re working on, do they take you seriously, or are they convinced that you’re a hard-working, but untalented, hack? Do they smile sympathetically, with only the slightest hint of condescension, as they ask you, “So, how’s the writing coming along?”
If I had any musical ability, I wouldn’t have to be asked twice to play something at a gathering of friends or family. If I could paint at all, my walls would be covered with my work which I could show off to whoever entered my house. Same thing if I was a sculptor. But I’m not any of these. So what am I to do: start reading out chapters of my books during dinner parties?
This is the sad fate of all "undiscovered" writers. Until and unless some faceless publisher picks your book out of a pile of hundreds of others, like it was winning lottery ticket, nobody really considers you “a writer.” For so many people you are either a “published writer” or you’re not a writer at all. You’re just a guy who doodles, or scribbles the occasional paragraph to pass the time. They could never take seriously the countless writers who have as much talent as anyone on a bestseller list, yet get lost in the pile of unsolicited transcripts, never to be heard from.
Is this situation changing at all? Of course, there is the internet, with the many sites (such as Author’s Den) where we can post our stories, and where people can read and enjoy them. But then, nobody is paying us for these works. And can we, as writers, honestly say that using these free sites is as satisfying as having somebody buy and publish one of our stories?
And, yes, new technology is changing the face of publishing. Print on demand allows anybody to see their books in print, very fast and at ridiculously low cost. Maybe, like me, you list your book on Amazon or other sites, and you set up a website, link to various search engines, get a Facebook page up, etc. But, unless you really are as lucky as a lottery winner, you’ll never sell a huge number of books like this. And, in the back of the minds of so many readers, and writers, there will always be the thought that, no matter how good your book was, no “real” publisher thought it was good enough to sell.
And how does the writer convince the reader, as well as himself, that this thought, just like all those publishers, is wrong?
Stuck Between a Writer's Block and a Hard Place
I have a confession to make, although it’s mostly to myself. Forget however many copies my book is selling; I'm definitely going nowhere as a writer. For the past many months the main creative writing I have done is trying to come up with original answers to the questions put to me in the countless interviews I've given. Don't get me wrong; I've certainly enjoyed the marketing I've been doing for my novel, The Guilty. Doing interviews, seeking reviews, posting comments and occasional blogs, discovering how many sites out there are devoted to the independent author. I feel like I've recently joined an on-line community I never knew existed, and I spend much of my time inter-acting with other authors as well as readers. But all this time and effort has been in the place of actually writing. Blogs aren't real writing (unless you're a full-time or professional blogger.) Neither are posting reviews of the books of others. For me, real writing means getting back to the fictional characters I've created and who now wait in limbo, wondering when their destinies will be fulfilled. Real writing means regaining the discipline to tell the stories I enjoy telling.
And I do have stories to tell. Two of them to be exact. Two books that I managed to become blocked on after about 200 pages each. That’s already a lot of work to put into a single story, let alone two of them. Yet they sit there, on my computer but, sadly, not on my mind. And I tell myself I have no time to write because I have to organize a blog tour, or prepare for a book fair. But maybe I’m just too scared to put in the hard work and hours that are necessary to get over my writer’s block, to getting the story-telling untracked.
I used to like to think I was a writer, whatever level of success I attained. Now I’m just a busy publicist, who used to write. On more than one occasion, I promised myself that once this or that was done, once I got over the next hump, I would pick up one of my half-written books and get back to being a real writer again. I just don’t know if I can take myself at my word.
And I do have stories to tell. Two of them to be exact. Two books that I managed to become blocked on after about 200 pages each. That’s already a lot of work to put into a single story, let alone two of them. Yet they sit there, on my computer but, sadly, not on my mind. And I tell myself I have no time to write because I have to organize a blog tour, or prepare for a book fair. But maybe I’m just too scared to put in the hard work and hours that are necessary to get over my writer’s block, to getting the story-telling untracked.
I used to like to think I was a writer, whatever level of success I attained. Now I’m just a busy publicist, who used to write. On more than one occasion, I promised myself that once this or that was done, once I got over the next hump, I would pick up one of my half-written books and get back to being a real writer again. I just don’t know if I can take myself at my word.
Why are writers, and readers, in such a hurry?
As I recently began reading Ian McEwan’s excellent book, Sweet Tooth, I realized something that sets him, and other successful authors, apart from the many up and coming, often independent, writers out there: he is no hurry to get “into” the action of his story. His first many pages set up the background of his main character, including the things that influenced her to enter the world of espionage. And here is what many readers, and new writers, should take note of: this is NOT boring.
I say this because I have read a number of books this past year by independent authors who, l like me, are trying to carve out a small niche for themselves in this crowded marketplace. So many of them seem to follow too literally the adage that a story has to “grab” the reader within its first few pages or the reader will turn elsewhere. So, without any attempt at context or character development, they rush headlong into scenes of action or terror, hoping the strength of such an opening scene will interest the reader enough that he or she will buy the book.
Often, though, once these writers start a book in this manner, they can’t, or won’t, ever bother trying to make their characters in any way real or more than two-dimensional cut-outs. It’s as if the momentum of the story precludes any need to make the reader actually care about the people he or she is reading about. All that matters is that cars crash, murders are committed and young girls’ lives are imperilled by the supernatural flavour of the week.
The problem with the above-mentioned adage, as anyone who has read extensively can attest, is that it’s simply NOT TRUE. The first scene of a book doesn’t have to reach out and grab the reader by the throat. Sometimes, even for thrillers, or horror novels, or spy novels, it is important to catch the readers’ imagination, to seduce them, to make them wonder “who are these people that all sorts of terrible things are going to happen to?”
A James Bond movie can begin with a mind-blowing car chase, or some sort of impossible stunt, because everybody going into the movie already knows who James Bond is. His character has already been developed over decades’ worth of films, so nobody is going to say to themselves, “but just who is this handsome hero and why is he always in danger?”
However in the very first James Bond novel, Casino Royale, written for an audience who had no idea who this eventually iconic character was, Ian Fleming takes the time he needs to establish who Bond is, what he’s doing at the casino, how he got this assignment, why they are after Le Chiffre. And, again, this is NOT boring.
And by the way, this applies to epic-length books as well as shorter thrillers. Casino Royale, despite taking the time to set up the characters and the context, comes in at less than 150 pages! So what I’m talking about can be done well without dragging on endlessly. Maybe this is a challenge in itself.
Writers, both old and new, need to have the confidence in themselves, in their ability to write well, to create interesting characters, to imagine fascinating worlds, so that they don’t worry that a potential reader will put their book down if “nothing happens” in the first few pages. Lots of stuff “happens” in those early pages of Casino Royale, even though there are no gunfights, and no glamourous women are seduced. Just like lots of stuff “happens” in the opening pages of Sweet Tooth.
Writers who don’t take the time to create a realistic world and three-dimensional characters, are short-changing both the story as well as the reader. They are offering cotton candy when a more substantial, and more memorable, meal could have been served. It is as if they are too afraid of being left behind, too much in a hurry to serve food when it isn’t fully cooked. As for readers who rush for the cotton candy, afraid to sit down and take the time to enjoy a three-course meal, they are also doing a disservice to themselves, as well as to the many great stories out there.
I think if every novel was written in the same style of a headlong-rush into the fray, then this is all readers would know and expect. However I suspect that if a reader comes across a book that takes its time in developing its story, but is well-written, and tantalizes with the promise of a fascinating fictional world to explore, then the reader will take the time to sit down, tuck in and commit him or herself to the time it takes to read a novel of quality. All it takes is for writers to take the time and make the effort to write what they will know in their hearts will be a better book.
I say this because I have read a number of books this past year by independent authors who, l like me, are trying to carve out a small niche for themselves in this crowded marketplace. So many of them seem to follow too literally the adage that a story has to “grab” the reader within its first few pages or the reader will turn elsewhere. So, without any attempt at context or character development, they rush headlong into scenes of action or terror, hoping the strength of such an opening scene will interest the reader enough that he or she will buy the book.
Often, though, once these writers start a book in this manner, they can’t, or won’t, ever bother trying to make their characters in any way real or more than two-dimensional cut-outs. It’s as if the momentum of the story precludes any need to make the reader actually care about the people he or she is reading about. All that matters is that cars crash, murders are committed and young girls’ lives are imperilled by the supernatural flavour of the week.
The problem with the above-mentioned adage, as anyone who has read extensively can attest, is that it’s simply NOT TRUE. The first scene of a book doesn’t have to reach out and grab the reader by the throat. Sometimes, even for thrillers, or horror novels, or spy novels, it is important to catch the readers’ imagination, to seduce them, to make them wonder “who are these people that all sorts of terrible things are going to happen to?”
A James Bond movie can begin with a mind-blowing car chase, or some sort of impossible stunt, because everybody going into the movie already knows who James Bond is. His character has already been developed over decades’ worth of films, so nobody is going to say to themselves, “but just who is this handsome hero and why is he always in danger?”
However in the very first James Bond novel, Casino Royale, written for an audience who had no idea who this eventually iconic character was, Ian Fleming takes the time he needs to establish who Bond is, what he’s doing at the casino, how he got this assignment, why they are after Le Chiffre. And, again, this is NOT boring.
And by the way, this applies to epic-length books as well as shorter thrillers. Casino Royale, despite taking the time to set up the characters and the context, comes in at less than 150 pages! So what I’m talking about can be done well without dragging on endlessly. Maybe this is a challenge in itself.
Writers, both old and new, need to have the confidence in themselves, in their ability to write well, to create interesting characters, to imagine fascinating worlds, so that they don’t worry that a potential reader will put their book down if “nothing happens” in the first few pages. Lots of stuff “happens” in those early pages of Casino Royale, even though there are no gunfights, and no glamourous women are seduced. Just like lots of stuff “happens” in the opening pages of Sweet Tooth.
Writers who don’t take the time to create a realistic world and three-dimensional characters, are short-changing both the story as well as the reader. They are offering cotton candy when a more substantial, and more memorable, meal could have been served. It is as if they are too afraid of being left behind, too much in a hurry to serve food when it isn’t fully cooked. As for readers who rush for the cotton candy, afraid to sit down and take the time to enjoy a three-course meal, they are also doing a disservice to themselves, as well as to the many great stories out there.
I think if every novel was written in the same style of a headlong-rush into the fray, then this is all readers would know and expect. However I suspect that if a reader comes across a book that takes its time in developing its story, but is well-written, and tantalizes with the promise of a fascinating fictional world to explore, then the reader will take the time to sit down, tuck in and commit him or herself to the time it takes to read a novel of quality. All it takes is for writers to take the time and make the effort to write what they will know in their hearts will be a better book.
What Do You Do When the Writing Stops?
Are you like me? You’ve spent a year, or two, or three working on your book. You’ve read it and re-read it; revised, corrected and edited it. You’ve had it looked at by proof-readers, beta readers and your most trusted friends. But, eventually, after all the tweaking and adjusting has been done, you just have to let it go. Whether you’re self-published or going the traditional route, eventually there comes a day when you put the manuscript in an envelope, or attach the file to your e-mail, and it’s gone, on its way to be published.
It’s the moment you’ve hoped and aimed for as you slaved away on your story, late at night while the family is asleep, or early in the morning before rushing off to work. Or, if you’re one of the fortunate few, this has been all that you’ve spent your time on, without the need for another day-job to pay the bills. Either way, it’s no longer in your hands. The publication date is set and the manuscript is at the printers.
So what do you do now, when you no longer have your book there to worry over and think about? You’ve gotten used to thinking of new plot points in the shower, or lying awake trying to come up with a better ending. You’ve actually enjoyed reading it over and over, snipping a little here, or adding a little there. But now there’s nothing more for you to do.
How are you going to fill those hours? Of course, you can spend time marketing and promoting your book. You can write blogs, review other people’s books, post comments on discussion threads that interest you. You’re so used to typing furiously away for hours, always looking for just the right word, that you take these temporary fixes where you can. But they don’t really fill the empty space in your day and in your heart, do they?
I suppose it’s a bit like when your kids move out on their own. There’s that sudden emptiness that fills your home. No need to cook extra-large meals for just you and your wife. One less bed to make each day. Nobody for you to ask to lower the sound on the TV. You've sent them off into the real world, and you hope you've done your best by them and that others will be kind to them and love them as much as you have.
If you’re like me, you’re too old to have other children. Those days are long past. But you’re never too old to start a new book. And, suddenly, there are no longer enough hours in your day…
It’s the moment you’ve hoped and aimed for as you slaved away on your story, late at night while the family is asleep, or early in the morning before rushing off to work. Or, if you’re one of the fortunate few, this has been all that you’ve spent your time on, without the need for another day-job to pay the bills. Either way, it’s no longer in your hands. The publication date is set and the manuscript is at the printers.
So what do you do now, when you no longer have your book there to worry over and think about? You’ve gotten used to thinking of new plot points in the shower, or lying awake trying to come up with a better ending. You’ve actually enjoyed reading it over and over, snipping a little here, or adding a little there. But now there’s nothing more for you to do.
How are you going to fill those hours? Of course, you can spend time marketing and promoting your book. You can write blogs, review other people’s books, post comments on discussion threads that interest you. You’re so used to typing furiously away for hours, always looking for just the right word, that you take these temporary fixes where you can. But they don’t really fill the empty space in your day and in your heart, do they?
I suppose it’s a bit like when your kids move out on their own. There’s that sudden emptiness that fills your home. No need to cook extra-large meals for just you and your wife. One less bed to make each day. Nobody for you to ask to lower the sound on the TV. You've sent them off into the real world, and you hope you've done your best by them and that others will be kind to them and love them as much as you have.
If you’re like me, you’re too old to have other children. Those days are long past. But you’re never too old to start a new book. And, suddenly, there are no longer enough hours in your day…
