Last week I blogged about my husband’s liberating writing advice exactly four years ago to “just start.” And start I did. During 2007, I wrote random chapters, first paragraphs of stories, essays–anything and everything.
Eventually the false starts got tiring. As a self-proclaimed new “writer” with no training whatsoever, I decided it was time for help. I enrolled in a twelve-week novel-writing course on Thursday nights while Bryan, apparently the perennial hero on this blog, watched the kids.
The instructor was generally hateful. He started each class with a writing exercise then asked each of us to read our paragraphs aloud. He despised everything. “Doesn’t work,” he’d say half-way through someone’s piece, or simply, “Nope.”
I didn’t mind the honest feedback, but he never once in twelve weeks heard something he liked from any of us. Even worse, after his disgust he’d share a page from one of his published novels to grace us with an example of what did work. (Gabriel Garcia Marquez he was not.) He spent the rest of the time reading directly from his notes about basic plot structure–information most of us had read two or three times already from James Scott Bell for $16.99. (Thank you, Mr. Bell.)
BUT THEN, during the final class, this otherwise discouraging instructor shared the most valuable writing advice I’ve heard since Bryan’s “just start.” And I’ve probably read every craft how-to out there, twice, so that’s saying a lot.
He said, [I'm paraphrasing] “Most of you in this room will never publish a word. You’ll give up. I’m no more talented than any of you or anyone else. I just work harder, that’s all.”
Holy crap life-changing aha/light-bulb moment or whatever Oprah would say. His words seem soul-sucking at first, but pay attention. “Work harder” was something we could at least control. There was no golden ticket to publication, but certainly without the strength to persevere we would fail. That message has kept me going ever since.
Some time later (probably a year and a half because I had another baby in there somewhere) I’d written two novels and even experienced some excellent request rates after querying one of them–though ultimately no agent. I’m downplaying the pain of that process. Trust me, it was excruciating. But I got through the disappointment, and I’m still in the game. Next time I query agents (I’m estimating two years from now or more) I’ll have several short story publications to mention in the “publishing history” paragraph I had to leave blank the first time around. Glass half full, people. Glass half full.
My friends and acquaintances who remember my boastful tales about “this agent” or “that one” reading my partial or full manuscript (oops, wouldn’t recommend all that sharing) will still sometimes rightfully wonder, “What ever happened to your book?” And I tell them in my most zen-like voice, “I didn’t work out. I tossed it. I’m writing something new.”
“How can you stand it?” I’m often asked.
I shrug. “This is how it works. It takes a long time.” And believe it or not, I’m at peace with that truth.
I won’t give up. I’ll just work harder, that’s all. NOW WHO’S WITH ME?
Nina (@NinaBadzin)
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Welcome! I am a freelance writer living in Minneapolis with my husband and four children. My essays on parenting, social media etiquette, improving my habits, Jewish life and more appear in the Huffington Post, Kveller.com, The Jewish Daily Forward and elsewhere. I'm glad you found your way here!
This is such good advice. In all arts, talent is just one part of the equation for success. Hard work and perseverance are the most important ingredients. As Heinlein wrote (paraphrasing), most people only talk about writing, but never do. Of those who do write, most people don’t finish what they write. Of those who do finish what they write, most people don’t send their work out to market. Of those who do send their work out to market, most people stop when they receive their first rejection. Even given all that, there are still thousands and thousands of writers who do write, finish, send out and keep sending out their work. It’s daunting… I tend to fall in the “don’t send out to market” category, having only sold a couple of short stories to ezines for very little money. Have yet to submit a novel query despite having several novels. I think it’s fear of failure — if I keep polishing my novel, I have an excuse for not getting published.
Such a great comment, thank you for sharing that paraphrased quote. As for sending out your work and fearing failure . . . I hear you–that’s a real thing. But maybe part of you knows it’s not truly ready? I think most people send things out too early. I know I have!
I hate writing. I love having written. who said that?
Dorothy Parker said “I hate writing. I love having written.”
Hi – I’m new to your blog and I just wanted to say thank you for the great post. So well put and just what I needed to hear! For me the confidence-lows are the worst for hindering my writing drive – the ideas are still there but it’s hard to find the drive or self-belief to get them down! So far, my technique is to just ride out the lows and catch-up when I’m lucky enough to be on a roll! Oh and try not to panic when I realise that the school summer vacation begins in less than TWO MONTHS (!) and the house will be full of children bombing around again – eek!
I’m so glad you found me! Will check out your blog asap!
[...] hard not to feel a little down-hearted. But I think Nina Badzin’s recent post - http://ninabadzin.com/2011/03/28/you-will-never-publish-a-word/comment-page-2/ - serves as a good reminder that hard work and perseverance carry a lot of weight in this [...]
Hi Nina,
Another Norman Newguy. I couldn’t help but buzz in, even though the last post was a week or so ago. I began taking my own writing seriously about five or six years ago, and I am now nearly 67 years old (and going strong). I began with a nonfiction book on the military (I am retired US Army and a retired high school teacher), and I really thought that it would be snatched up and sell like hotcakes. After trying for over two years to find an agent or publisher for that one, I, with encouragement from others, decided that a memoir would be easier to sell. I finished that project, and have been going the query route for six or eight months now. I have had very few significant bites at that hook so far. In the interim, I began a humor book and am 30,000 or so words into that. More recently I have begun a novel. I figure that I am going to live to be at least 106 years old, and I am reconsidering, thinking maybe 110. That merely means that I still have forty years of writing left in me. I may just make it in those few years. Wish me luck. I am by no means finished with my efforts. Write on all! John
John, thanks so much for chiming in. You will NOT be 110. Look at how much you’ve written in 5-6 years! Some people spend ten years writing those first 10,000 words. I think you’ll make it.
Thanks for your comments, Nina. I have a few fleeting moments of doubt now and then, but my attitude is generally quite positive, and I am usually on a high throttles setting. I am either writing, revising/rewriting, creating new ideas for my new novel project, or reading guidance from other authors or agents who have already experienced success. I stay busy. I neglected to mention querying, and that continues, of course.
[...] 4. You Will Never Publish a Word: Nina Badzin shares motivating advice from her first writing teacher. [...]
Thanks for this post! Sometimes we forget how much hard work counts in the writing game. You hear stories about Rowling and other writers that make it big on their first novel, with no prior experience. But, she is definitely an outlier. The rest of us have to work–and work hard! Good luck and keep writing!
Ah, but don’t forget JK had been writing since she was a kid. She wrote several books before Harry and collected MANY rejections before landing a deal. There’s definitely no such thing as an overnight success. Scary but also liberating. Good luck!
The amazing thing is that, unlike actors, singers, or athletes, an author’s potential actually grows with age. With time, one can sharpen the mind and gain life experience to enhance the writing one shows to the world. Keep going!
That is so true! I never thought about it like that. No need for Botox when you’re a writer.
Working harder is defiantly on my to-do list, as is learning to spell, or put a coherent sentence together. Unfortunately I’m blessed with something i like to call bone idle laziness. The greats didn’t have to worry about all this spelling or whether their grammar worked correctly.
My favourite part of writing is seeing a story come together, I hate editing! I suppose that’s where I could Work harder.
I’m currently working on my very own novel project (currently still unpublished, just waiting for that one story that doesn’t suddenly start to suck or become a chore to write), I would mention the title but as of now there isn’t anything beyond “The Tales of Watcher, World & Dreams”.
I do believe writing is something everyone can do; all you need is the inspiration of something to write about along with a drive to tell your tale.
That is really good advice though I’m going to commit that to memory.
Thank you ^-^
:wayne
Good post. Reminds me of an interview I read long ago (in high school I think) with Woody Allen. And though everyone thinks of him as a director, he said he is a writer. And I remember he said that even if he’d never sold anything, if he was working as a postman he’d come home after work and write, because that’s what he is: a writer.
And I remember thinking, I’ll never be like that. But now I get it.
As someone else said: writers write.
That’s really what makes the difference. It’s also kinda nice that you had to put up with so much to get that one little gem – kinda like in a story.
[...] a mom, and I’m a blogger. So in a way, yes. But I also write about writing, publishing, reading, friendship, Judaism, social media, and [...]
It reminded me of something Tom Hanks said on Inside the Actor’s Studio. A student asked him how he felt about all his success. He replied, “I feel like the last man standing.” He explained that all his former acting peers from years ago gave up…they got normal jobs and quit acting. He hung in there and the universe rewarded him.
I just now found your blog. I’m also in Minneapolis…612!