Writing is a solitary thing. We writers spend a lot of time in our heads, talking to ourselves on long walks, wondering exactly how plausible it would be to hide a body in the snowbank of the Hannaford’s parking lot or to shove somebody off one of the cliffs a Two Lights State Park. These conversations are not always easy to have with other people. Or my children. A few years back my younger son, who likes to check books out of the school library for other people in our house, asked for a book about murder. The librarian gave me a call, concerned. I was able to explain things. Mostly.
Perhaps, I decided, my story ideas were not the best topics for dinner conversation.
So I did what any other self-respecting person who doesn’t really know what they’re doing does. A quick google search. A few emails to old friends who were published. An even more desperate series of emails to writers I liked but didn’t know.
And I got some great advice, which I’ll list here, in no particular order.
1.) Form a community. Join local chapters of organizations like SinC, MWA, or the Maine Writers and Publishers Alliance. Show up for other writers at book events. Attend conferences like Crime Bake, Crime Wave… The list goes on. Put yourself out there. Celebrate others. We are in this together, we lift each other up.
2.) Read. Read poetry. Read in your genre. Read what you like. Read a few books that make you uncomfortable. Think about why they make you feel that way. Read more.
3.) Celebrate the wins where you can, when you can. You finished a manuscript? That’s a win. 2 agents requested pages? That’s a win. You sold a short story? Huge win. Shortlisted for an award? Celebrate that stuff!
4.) Start your next project. It’s really easy to keep revisiting the project you just finished. But I’ve shelved a thing or two, some of which will probably never see the light of day. And who knows? I might revisit some of them. But a little percolation never hurt the written word.
5.) It does not hurt to ask. And no doesn’t mean people hate you. Ask those writer friends to join you for a book talk or a Noir at the Bar or an Agatha Christie play. Ask to volunteer. Ask somebody to read your manuscript or a piece of it. They might say no. They might say yes. But you won’t know if you don’t ask.
6.) Do what works for you but don’t be afraid to try new things. I tend to ruminate over a story for days and by the time I sit to write it, most of it is already teased out. I’ve tried tight outlines and they don’t work well for me. But my friend outlines everything. Her stories are beautiful. Mine are too.
7.) Local stuff abounds! Your local library is your friend. There are often book talks or writing groups or community events posted. And a librarian that loves you is gold. Get to know your local bookseller. I happen to be good friends with mine. And that bookstore is a happy place for me. Stay tapped into the other local organizations. The Maine Historical Society is a GIFT to Maine writers. Check out THIS upcoming programming. And they have an amazing archive. And they do readings and events in the garden with beer!! Or the local theater is putting on an Agatha Christie play. Or the Telling Room is doing a youth reading. Or Novel, in Portland. A literal haven for anyone who loves reading. Maine has so much to offer to writers by way of community and support.
8.) And finally, people (like me) will offer up all sorts of advice. Some of it will be great. Some of it will be the worst advice ever. My friend was once in a critique group of somebody who really hated any discussion of weather. Any time weather was included in any piece of writing, he’d underline it and simply say – WEATHER!!! in the margin. For me, I have two or three really trusted people I can turn to. I ask them for either big picture stuff, “What is working in this? What isn’t?” or, if I’m worried about something specific, I’ll ask about that. “The opening here feels forced to me. Thoughts?” Find your people, shower them with appreciation. And if you’re in a group that makes you feel embarrassed or ashamed or like you aren’t good enough? It’s okay to look elsewhere.
I’m wondering – what advice do you offer up – unsolicited – to other writers?
Gabi
If your inner prosecuting attorney appears on your shoulder, making writing hard, flick the bugger off and keep going.
This is so true. It’s really hard to recognize when your critic is there and even harder to turn it off.
I love all that you have to say. I greatly enjoy giving book talks and interacting with an audience. As for advice? Just write. Write on.
Yes! And it shows, Matt. You really do a nice job connecting with people.
May I repost this to a writer’s group I belong to?
Of course!
No does not mean No. Never. It means Not Now. And for heaven’s sake don’t take it personally!
Yes! If you don’t ask, you’ll never know, right? As for not taking it personally, sometimes that is easier said than done.
I would add take all advice with your own intentions for your work in mind. Read books about writing but know that some of them won’t speak to you at all, or will only make sense in five years. Write. Write every day or on a disciplined schedule. Understand that there is as much discipline in the job as inspiration and they go hand in hand. Believe in yourself and your right to write. Embrace rewrite even if you think you hate it.
Kate
Yes Kate! Finding a rhythm makes a big difference for me, too. Almost every day. And agreed about the suggestions. Take what you need, leave the rest.
Finding a community is huge! I feel very fortunate to have discovered friends and colleagues in the Maine and New England crime writing community. There is something so deeply consoling to hear a successful author talk about the same challenges I face alone at my desk. It makes it easier to give oneself enough grace to keep creating even when it seems impossible.
Thanks for this! It’s well worth saving, and rereading.
Great article, Gabi!