Lester Picker's Blog, page 5

Perfection?

Perfection? Fuggedaboudit!

I attended a writer’s panel recently to hear my wife talk about her writing experiences as a contributor to an anthology of short stories (she did a bang-up job!). During the Q&A session following the panel discussion, a young woman asked a question.

“How do you manage to get it perfect? I’m always discouraged by my first efforts and I end up putting it aside for months.”

I felt like jumping up on my chair and screaming, while at the same time pulling at my beard. “Perfect? You expect perfect the first time? You judge yourself by that impossible standard? Aaaagh!!”

The truth is that first drafts are never perfect. Far from it. I have been writing professionally for more than four decades now. I have written more than 650 published pieces in newspapers, major national magazines, corporate publications and online. I have now completed four full-length novels. I have taught writing and served as an editor for a national journal. And I have never, ever seen a first draft that has passed muster, whether my own, a student’s or a top pro.

So, here’s my point. Write! Shut off that destructive inner critic and just write. Get it down on paper (or electronic bytes), whatever it is you are writing about. Grammatical mistakes? Spelling errors? Changes in tense? I’d be horrified if anyone ever saw what crap I throw on paper in my first drafts.

Oh, that’s not to say that I sometimes don’t turn out a phrase that rolls off the tongue like butter on a feverish tongue (okay, okay, that was a first draft!!), but for a full piece of work, whether an essay or a chapter, my first draft will typically see several revisions. My first historical novel, The First Pharaoh, went through nine drafts. When I look back on the first draft of Chapter One I try to figure out who broke into my computer to write that garbage.

But here is the point; I never took that first draft seriously. I looked at that as a starting point. I did not allow myself to criticize it. I looked at it as a momentum builder, a confidence booster. I was off the line and racing for the finish.

Writing is hard work. No, it’s not like carpentry or farming, but it is mentally and emotionally exhausting. It is a lonely profession and requires incredible discipline. My hat goes off to several of my women colleagues who manage to scrape out two hours here and there between car pooling, a day job, and a bad night’s sleep.

But, you’ll never get anywhere if you are seeking perfection right off the bat. There is only one way I know of to get the job done, and that’s to write, write, and write some more. If you can’t shut off the inner critic and do that, you’re never going to be the writer you’ve always dreamed of.

Overcoming Self-Sabotage

I recently overheard a question that a newbie writer asked a published writer at a meeting. “How do you overcome self-sabotage?”

The woman described was her habit of sabotaging her own writing efforts. Her initial drafts were never good enough, so she sulked and put her writing on the shelf for long periods of time. She completed a short story but kept in in a drawer for fear of others’ reactions. She got a good reaction from her husband for an essay she wrote but convinced herself that he was only being kind and that the story wasn’t really worthy. Sound familiar?

The Inner Voice

Whenever I speak with new writers I find this internal lack of confidence one of the most common challenges they face. I see one of my jobs is to help them overcome its destructive effects. I’m not saying that I would tell someone that their writing is good when it isn’t. I’m afraid I’m too passionate about the art of writing to cheapen it.

Bad writing can be improved, given a willing mind and a persistence. All successful writers work hard to hone their craft. But, like every other great accomplishment in life, it isn’t without risk. In this case, if you are unwilling to risk having your work see the light of day, then nothing will get you to be a successful writer.

And by successful I don’t mean publication by a major New York publisher or a national magazine. For you, success may be having your work published in a school newsletter, or printing a family history that only your relatives will see, or publication in an anthology put out by your local writers’ group. No matter. In each case you have to have the self-confidence to show your work to others. You have to overcome that overly critical inner voice.

What You Can Do

In today’s age, there are lots of ways to overcome this inner sabotage. One way, for example, is to use the Internet to show your work to others. You can be (relatively) anonymous on the Internet if you desire, so using a screen name you can post your writing on writers’ forums and ask for feedback. I’d suggest starting with small pieces of your writing, and as you gain confidence you can reveal more.

Another way to overcome this affliction is to join a writers’ group. Look up on Google where the nearest writers’ group meets, often at a local library, community center or group member’s home. These groups are a low-anxiety way to shine your literary light. Start out attending a meeting or two and just observe. Get comfortable with the critique process and see how others handle it. Then, as you get to know your fellow aspiring writers, at some point you’ll feel comfortable enough to share your work. Or, perhaps you’ll make friends with one or two writers within the group and share with them alone.

One caveat; beware of the Terminators. These are wannabe writers who will never put in the work to excel themselves, but who get great joy in knocking down the work of others. Treat these people as if they have Ebola.

The Fear of Rejection

My theory is that what keeps most people sabotaging their work is the fear of rejection. In fact, I believe this so strongly, my next blog will address this very issue. And what I’ll show you, I’ll bet will surprise you!

If You Don't Have Rejection Slips You Ain't No Writer!

Lots of writers brag about getting published in top national magazines. I often proudly tell beginning writers that I’m proud to have been rejected by some of the best magazines in the country. Huh?

I’ll try to explain. Most newbie writers think that writing is an easy and romantic pursuit. In fact, it can be… sometimes… once in a while… okay, rarely. I am passionate about my writing and I’ve been blessed to be successful at it. I’ve been published in National Geographic Society publications, Forbes, Better Homes & Gardens, Fortune publications, Money, and scads of others. I’ve been a weekly columnist for a major newspaper.

But the thing I’m perversely proudest of is my collection of rejection slips. Why? Because they are my badge of honor. They are the dues I’ve paid for the privilege of being a member of a very restricted club, a group of men and women who have earned a living from putting pen to paper or burning phosphors onto our electronic screens.

“Nice writing, but…”

“Due to the volume of submissions…”

“We’re sorry that your query does not fit our editorial needs at this time.”

Rejection Pile

In the days when we queried editors by snail mail, I saved my rejection letters. The pile you see here is just a fraction of them. The rest I used to literally paper my office, floor to ceiling, as a reminder of what it takes to succeed as a writer. It was eminently satisfying to realize that I had put these self-esteem destroying missives to good use.

Do rejection slips mean you aren’t a good writer? Just the opposite. If you accept some lamebrain editor’s judgment of your passion, then you are not a real writer. Rejections happen for so many quirky reasons entire chapters have been written about it. Let me tell you one personal story.

An Example

When I taught writing, at my very first class I would walk in, stand in front of an overhead projector I had set up in advance and, without a word, start putting transparencies of rejection letters I had received from 12 different publications for a story I believed in. For nearly a year this process went on. My only commitment to myself was that whenever a rejection came in, a new query would go out that very day.

Well, with the class following along, lucky number 13 arrived letting me know that my story had been accepted! Six months later came a hand-written letter from the editor saying it had been one of the most successful stories they had ever published, garnering many letters from readers. The letter included my check, plus a bonus, and a request for future articles. Now here is the rub. With the class trying to figure out why I went through this 15-minute waste of their time, I ended by circling the editor and the publication in red ink, then placing the very first rejection letter on the projector. They were the one and the same editor and publication!

This is one of my major points, that you never know why an editor is rejecting your work or query. It may have nothing to do with your writing. The publication may have just received or published a similar work. Your approach may not fit their guidelines or editorial voice. Or, let’s get real, the editor may have had a knock-down-drag-out fight with his or her spouse and is in a foul mood today.

So, my advice to minor league writers is this: accumulate rejections slips, save the letters, emails, and tweets. Staring them in the face tempers your steel. They teach you about which queries work and which do not. They prove that you are persistent. And, with a little luck and lots of practice working on this glorious, if sometimes frustrating craft, your batting average will improve. Soon you’ll be sending pitches to the top magazines out there… and scoring!

Why Every Writer Should See Les Miserables

My wife and I just returned from seeing director Tom Hooper’s truly incredible film version of Les Miserables. I feel emotionally wasted. Something struck me as we drove home; every self-respecting writer should run out and see it.

I am somewhat of an aficionado on Les Mis. I have seen it on Broadway four times, again on television and once more via PBS for the 25th anniversary performance in London. If I had known in advance about this concert, I would have flown to London for that stellar performance. Seriously! Instead, I ran out and bought the DVD, which I watched yet again. So the current film would have been my seventh viewing.

Forget about the visuals and the unforgettable music for a moment. For its sheer story arc, there is not a work that has ever been written that wrests more emotion from a viewer. And that is what we must internalize if we are ever to move our readers by the hand as we weave our stories.

Why It Works

Les Mis is a series of interwoven love stories. No, it’s a story about freedom and the tribulations people will endure to pry it loose from the hands of despots. No, it is a story of rigid values set against the redemption of an all-too-human individual. No, yet again, for it is a story of God’s love and his/her promise of redemption. In fact it is all these things and more; much more.

Of course one could read Victor Hugo’s original classic, not likely in today’s fast-paced world. But let’s give credit to the writer’s of the play, which both compresses the action and expands the emotional impact.

As I watched the movie in the crowded theater, not one person stirred or talked. People were riveted. Now that’s the sign of a great story. The plot weaves together various elements including the French Revolution, complex love relationships and a single-minded pursuit sans compassion that propels us along. Even the love story between Marius and Cossette adds a tragic element in the form of Epinine. Brilliant.

Of course the theme of the obsessive, relentless pursuit has been copied ever since. The television series and the movie The Fugitive are simple retellings of Inspector Javier’s obsession and Jean Valjean’s redemption.

A Challenge

Here is my challenge to all of us writer’s: how can we ramp up the emotionality of our work so that we touch something deep in the souls of our readers? How can we rework those uplifting universal themes- love, honor, redemption, freedom- in a way that glues our readers to their seats and elicits tears of joy and sorrow? After you see Les Mis (or see it yet again) look at the book, short story, or play you are working on now and see what you need to do to touch the universal spirit that resides in us all.

My First Audio Book Is Now Out!

Finally! My historical novel, The First Pharaoh is now out as an audiobook. All I can say is “WOW!” For an author this is very exciting.

The audiobook is a close collaboration with my narrator, the incredible Adam Hanin. Superlatives do not do justice to Adam’s interpretation of my writing. To hear my story come alive through his amazing voice and acting abilities is an emotional experience for me. As Adam sent each chapter to me for comment, my wife and I sat mesmerized, sometimes laughing, at other times at the edge of our seats or even crying. It was a real blessing to have Adam understand the story, bond with it, and narrate it so soulfully. Adam, I can’t thank you enough!

There were also lessons that were reinforced in listening to Adam’s narration. I am a firm believer in story-telling, which should be obvious since I am a writer, author and novelist. I have had the privilege of working with Native Americans in my past. Today I count some First Nation people in Canada as my close friends. I have been honored to sit around a fire circle and listen to stories told by tribal elders. There is something primal, bonding, and totally wonderful to be part of that experience, watching babies nursing at their mother’s breasts, children falling asleep to the soothing words of a comforting story told for the umpteenth time, adults absorbing the story lines with new insights.

I do hope you will get a copy of The First Pharaoh on CD, MP3, or whatever is your medium of choice. Curl up on your couch this winter with a cup of tea or java and let yourself be transported to a world 5,000 years ago, to they very beginnings of Egypt’s First Dynasty. Or tune in as you drive to and from work. Either way, Adam and I hope you thoroughly enjoy the experience.

To order your copy from Amazon, click here.

To order your copy from Audible, click here.