Writing Wednesday: The Fame Thing Isn't Really Real, You Know

Today's theme is taken from Notting Hill, which for all the problems it has, holds a fond place in my heart and has become a family favorite, which we quote all the time (mostly from Spike). This is something I tell myself a lot and I think it is a useful mantra. When you see other authors getting interviews or starred reviews or giant advances or awards or NY Times Bestseller status or movie deals that you think you want, remind yourself that it isn't really real. And by that I mean, these things are largely exaggerated. And also, they don't make any difference to the actual writing of the book, which remains hard for every writer and can actually be made harder by the distraction of this kind of hype. I know a lot of writers who, after a major award, lose a full year of active writing because of the time they feel obliged to spend touring and giving interviews and just plain trying to live with the anxiety of--what do I write now that will top that?

I wrote 20 novels before I got published, and I bring up this number a lot, partly because I like to remind people that writing one novel does not mean you "deserve" to be published, nor does writing any number. Also partly because I like to remind people that a lot of hard work is the main thing that makes the difference between writers who get published and writers who don't. We sometimes imagine that it's "genius" or "talent" or even "luck" and we give up when we're in the middle of the hard part. You never know when you've written the book that will get you published, but if you give up before you've written 20, I honestly don't have much sympathy. Sorry, I don't. I've never met ANYONE who has written more books than that without being published, but I suppose it's possible. The good thing about writing 20 novels before I got published was that I got used to finishing a book and then moving on to the next book. I got used to finding my own reasons for writing that were completely internal and had nothing to do with the external reaction to my writing. Even if my writing was crap, I still enjoyed doing it and it has become a habit that not much gets in the way of. I like the internal feedback that writing gives me. I don't actually need anything else. I like it. Don't get me wrong. I long for reviews and awards and popular acclaim, but I'm also aware of the fact that it isn't real.

If you are a writer or even an aspiring writer and you become discouraged by the news of someone else's sale, perhaps someone who you think isn't as good a writer as you are, or on a book you don't love that much, remind yourself that it isn't real. In the announcements of good news there is always about a 50% inflation rate. Sometimes it's because the reported amount of a deal includes multiple books in a series which may or may not come to be. Sometimes it's because the publishing industry vastly over-reports how many copies of a first print run they will be making (in order to increase the hype and to get Hollywood interested). Sometimes a reported movie deal is all air, in which the author will receive about 10 cents, relatively speaking, and Hollywood gets to hold onto rights for the next 20 years while the publisher gets a lot of the money. Sometimes a starred review just means that a book happened to get assigned to the right reviewer who "got it." You can't control any of these things. You can't make them happen, and there is no point in being upset about them. Go back to things you can control. Your writing. And actually, your life.

A writer who makes it big isn't transformed overnight into someone who is suddenly a better person. Money may or may not make that writer's life easier. It may make it harder. But the point is, their relationships aren't better than yours. What money buys them is not going to do what you think it will. They still have to do laundry, make dinner, and pick up the kids from preschool. Life goes on. As Julia Roberts' character points out, she's never been able to have anything real with anyone real. Sometimes fame and success actually make life more difficult because they make other people believe that you are no longer a real person, and this is not a good thing. I'm not trying to say that we shouldn't try to be successful. I'm just saying that you need to make sure you don't let your energy get eaten up by useless jealousy. Unless, of course, that fuels your writing in a good way. Then go ahead. But don't imagine that the success is real.

Unpublished writers look at writers who have a contract and think--if only I had that, then my life would be different. Guess what? It's not that different. You've sold one book. It isn't a golden ticket. You won't sell everything you write after that. Once you've found an agent, your agent will not love everything you write. Being a NY Times Bestseller won't mean that your publisher will suddenly want to look at your trunk novels and send you on tours. They might, but no guarantees. There are new anxieties and challenges to be face at every stage of life. Be prepared for this. The glittery view that we have of movie stars and perhaps even successful authors is something *we* put on them. It isn't something that grows out of them. They are just people. One of the things that has surprised me the most as a writer is meeting other writers and realizing that they are all in the same boat, consumed by worries and by the need to create. I like to talk to them, but not because I think something is going to rob off. I like to talk to them because we are in the same boat. If you understand that as an aspiring writer, you are a step up. You're going to make more friends among authors by being real than you ever would by being successful. It's not that we hate success. It's just that we know it isn't real, now that we're on the other side of it.

If you want to see the clip, go here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RESwG23_YGw