So, I thought I had it all figured out what being a writer meant. Just write. Write some more. Write, write, write. That was when I was young(er) and naive(er). Then I realized that to be a writer, you also have to be an editor. So I edited and rewrote and edited and rewrote. Edited some more. Cried. Sobbed. Contemplated burning MS multiple times. And then, finally, I thought I was finished. Like a child showing a mess of a coloring page to her mommy, I glowed with pride and accomplishment. And then today I had another revelation. An almost Grinch-like moment and my heart shrank two sizes.
It's not enough to write a good story. Heck, it's not even enough to revise it until it's a great story. And, by all that is freaking holy, it is STILL not enough to revise it into the most fantastic story of all time... if it's not marketable. You could have written the next Twilight (God forbid) and if an agent doesn't think that people will line up to buy it, they will pass.
And this has made the writer side of me, that sensitive, glimmering side still oozing innocence and imagination, curl up and die. Because sometimes a writer has to face the facts: you've written an awesome story that no one wants to read (well, besides your mom). And then all sorts of nasty thoughts enter your head. Let's change that ending, let's alter that query. We'll snag them yet, preciousss. Oh, yesss, we knowss what it likes. We knowsss. (Sorry, still have a bit of The Hobbit hangover.)
So what do we do to our literary masterpiece that is so deliciously dark with themes and struggles? We rip it apart. We make it light and sparkly and ensnaring. We contemplate changing the beginning, luring agents (and readers) in with false promises of happy endings and a predictable story arc (a gentle read) and then, when it's too late WE CLOSE THEM IN OUR TRAP! Muahahahaha! The sparkle will fade to a depressing gloom. But they won't be able to stop reading, not when that glitter of a happy ending is still dancing at the end. By then, it will be too late. There will be no escape. ::cue evil laughter::
(Wow, I should really lay off the Smarties before posting.)
I think you need to take a break from Fury. You might end up doing a bunch of extra work on it and then someone picks it up as it already was. Why not work on something else?
ReplyDeleteWhispers, "One Thousand."
I agree. I'm still continuing my seven month break from Children of Tokua. It's my first completed novel and I still want to query it, but it drives me crazy. So...big sigh...I work on other small projects and see if I can get those published. HOWEVER! There's an agent out there waiting for Fury so never give up; just don't lose your mind over it that it becomes something unrecognizable to your heart.
ReplyDeleteYou're right; many paths have to converge for your work to get sold. No "one thing" is enough. But you're also forgetting something: I've read your work, and I love it. You are without a doubt one of the best writers I know, and your work WILL get out to the people who need to read it.
ReplyDeleteIn the meantime, I'll add my whisper to Telliot's, and I dare say so will others until there is a chorus (a plethora, if you wish) of voices whispering, "One Thousand".
As an aside, did you realize that you summed up the entire "Twilight" phenomenon with one sentence? And I quote,
"The sparkle will fade to a depressing gloom."
Keep writing, Brandi.
I promise that your mom isn't the only one who wants to read it.
ONE THOUSAND?? What's that? Lol. Just kidding. No worries, it is still taunting me but I have a feeling that it will be, honestly, one of the most difficult stories I have yet to write because I'm using a world that already exists and so I have to stick to rules. Damn rules. I shall be working on it again soon however. I have handy dandy notebook with a mermaid on it to keep all my facts in.
ReplyDeleteFURY...yes, it's evil. I will be leaving it alone until I finish the revisions on DRAGON QUEEN. (That includes the query.) I still have two queries out there, so, who knows, maybe one of them will give me some happy news.
And, Brad, that Twilight reference is hilarious. Somethings slip out without me even realizing the connection. Hehe.