3 Paradoxical Truths About Writing

Because sales for my latest book have slowed to a glacial pace, I needed a reminder of just why we write; of exactly what motivates us to pursue a character or a subject with such passion that we become sufficiently consumed by the new entity that we complete the article, story or book. The answers came via three paradoxical truths revealed through 3 different people.

During a radio interview I was asked to do early this week, the radio host  became quite curious during the show; ‘why’ he asked, ‘does someone with an academic background like yours, switch to fiction?’ Then yesterday, prior to an appointment with a reporter who wanted to use me for a second article he was writing, I checked his first article published in November and noticed that he had never mentioned any of my books. Upon receipt of my email explaining that I would do this second interview only if he included information about my latest book, he replied this way: ‘Re: wasting your time, I’m sorry you feel that way. I thought that helping a well-meaning member of the press inform people would be well worth your time. Maybe I was wrong. ‘ And last, when I was told by a man I met at the dog beach this morning that the title of my latest book was really not a marketable, I smiled in recognition and thanked him.

So what are the truths to be gleaned from these conversations? Starting with the last and moving back to the first, here they are:

The comment from the man at the dog beach this morning was made in good faith; he explained that he’d spent most of his career in sales and marketing and seemed genuinely interested in the fact that I was a writer. Upon looking at the business card I had handed him he declared that most readers would not understand my title, The Fragrance Shed By A Violet when I explained its origin; moreover that ‘your average reader would not care about how Mark Twain defined forgiveness‘. These were comments that I had heard many times during the process of writing, editing and publishing this book. Perhaps the reason sales have slowed to a crawl is that I should listened to the others who went before my dog beach friend.
The reporter expected to consume 30 minutes of my time and give nothing back; after all, he had done so before, successfully, why not again?
Normally, one writes either non-fiction or fiction; generally we don’t see a switch to fiction; especially in later life.

Here is the paradox, some of the realities behind the life of a writer: We write in order that others read what we write but we don’t write for everyone. My dog beach friend is right; I knew the risk I was taking while writing this book by selecting what many people had told me is too poetic or too intellectual a title. I understand and agree but there can be no other title than that one.

When I refused the interview with the reporter, I did so knowing that he might cancel the interview but I knew that I needed to stop giving away my time; to my surprise, he agreed; teaching me that there are times that we must be aggressive.

When I began this book, I was a bit embarrassed; after all most novelists begin early, not later in life, like me. But the truth is, I was not ready early in my life; now I am.

It’s all paradox.

 

 

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