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There's a television commercial, I believe it's for E-trade,
that talks about how nobody wants to be an ordinary...fill in
the blank. Supposedly we aspire to be better. Nobody wants to be
an ordinary athlete, nobody wants to be an ordinary investor. A
photo of Hemingway flashes across the screen and it says "nobody
wants to be an ordinary writer". That made me pause. I wasn't so
sure about that.
You see, I am struck by how often I hear from writers who want
to know if their current project is worth the effort. Basically
they want to know if they can sell it. There's no passion behind
their idea. No writing for the love of writing. They're willing
to abandon an idea based on my say so or someone else's. Somehow
I don't think John Steinbeck, when he was writing East of Eden
went around asking anyone if it was worth the effort. In fact, I
am inspired by what a reviewer said of that novel when it was
published. "A novel planned on the grandest possible scale...One
of those occasions when a writer has aimed high and then
summoned every ounce of energy, talent, seriousness, and passion
of which he was capable..."
I keep that quote in front of me as I write my next novel. I
hope I'm aiming high. I'd rather aim high and miss than aim low
and be ordinary. I'd like to challenge you to aim for greatness
in your next project. If you're not sure how to do so, here are
a few tips that may help.
Seek Out Good Teachers
Shooting for greatness can be a lot harder when you don't have
the guidance and support of a strong teacher or writing coach. A
good teacher will see you as a person as well as a writer which
helps them to know what you are truly capable of. A good teacher
will know when to push you and when to hold back. Many years ago
I had a teacher who discouraged me from starting a novel. I was
new to understanding my powers as a writer and he feared that I
wouldn't be able to finish what I started and give up writing
altogether. He was right. I probably wouldn't have finished back
then. I was too immature.
I picked that teacher because after hearing him speak I
instinctively knew he had the pieces I was looking for then to
establish myself as a writer. Likewise it may help you to assess
where your writing stands and what you need to learn to get your
work to the next level. Don't be afraid to interview an
instructor before you take a class to see if you can get what
you're looking for.
Complete One Project You may have a zillion ideas in your head
right now. Choose one and complete it. Why? Because you will
learn so much from sticking with one project and bringing it to
fruition, even if it doesn't get published. You'll learn how to
work with ideas, you'll learn what to do when you get stuck,
you'll learn more about your own writing habits and your
strengths and weaknesses. Have you ever gone to a museum and
seen the drawings that an artist makes as "studies" in
preparation for a larger painting? This is kind of the same
idea. Once you get to your larger canvas, you'll be better
prepared to write your masterpiece!
Set Big Goals for Your Next Project
Okay, next you have to think BIG. What kind of book would be
challenging and exciting for you to write? A massive 4-volume
biography of a historical figure? A 500-page Civil War epic that
spans 3 generations? (And don't say the Civil War has been done
before! Check out E.L. Doctorow's The March and see how new
creativity can enliven an old idea.) How about a romance novel
good enough to win a National Book Award? Whatever your shot at
greatness will be, the only requirement is that it's something
that you will absolutely love writing. Otherwise you won't want
to keep going when the going gets tough.
Remember to bring originality to your ideas. I recently read a
piece that was adequately written, but every single sentence and
expression had already been said in songs and other works.
That's not always a bad thing, but this author had done nothing
to make the work her own. This is the kind of thing that can
cause a manuscript to be rejected and the writer would be
totally baffled because she thought she had written well. It
takes more than a pretty sentence for a work to be great.
Read Other Great Work
You will hear this A LOT from me as well as many editors and
literary agents: if you're going to be a great writer, you must
read. Always read great writing so you will be reminded of
what's possible with the language. Good writing can become
almost like a tune in your head and you're programming yourself
to play that tune when you get in front of your computer screen.
Now that doesn't mean you've got someone else's voice in your
head and you're writing in a Stephen King or E.L. Doctorow
persona! It does mean that you can read your work back to
yourself and recognize when you've hit a wrong note. In reading
you'll also learn how authors work with big picture ideas and
themes--the kind of stuff that adds layers of depth and interest
to a book.
Disconnect from Thoughts of Money
I know making money is important, but it can also be a huge
distraction. For now, unplug from that impulse that makes you
want to think about how much you can sell this project for or
whether you can sell the movie rights to it. There will be time
enough for all that when you have finished your great work. Of
course, sometimes thinking about the finish line can be what
motivates you. Maybe having a copy of a big fat royalty check on
your bulletin board keeps you going. That's okay. But if you
find yourself trying to sell the book before you've made any
headway into the project, beware. What if you did sell it at
that point? Then you'd be caught up in meeting a deadline and
meeting expectations. Those aren't exactly ideal conditions
under which to deliver a pacesetting work.
One last note: Even if your book project is not meant for the
general public--maybe you're writing a book for your children,
for instance--that doesn't mean that you shouldn't have
similarly high standards. After all, whatever you create is
going to go out there with your name on it. That fact alone can
inspire you to make your book the best that it can be.
© 2009-2015 Sophfronia Scott
WOULD YOU LIKE TO SEE MORE ARTICLES LIKE THIS ONE? See
Sophfronia's The Book Sistah Blog, category "Articles".
About the author:
Author and Writing Coach Sophfronia Scott is "The Book Sistah"
TM. Get her FREE REPORT, "The 5 Big Mistakes Most Writers Make
When Trying to Get Published" and her FREE online writing and
publishing tips at http://www.TheBookSistah.com<
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