On Improvement
By Allison Winn Scotch | February 14, 2008 |
A strange thing has been happening of late. Maybe it’s because of my blog, in which I try to give advice (hopefully most of it good) to aspiring novelists, or maybe it’s just something in the air, but recently, I’ve spoken to probably half a dozen hopeful writers (three alone just this week!) who failed to sell their first book. Books that were strong enough to get them agented – no small feat, I should note – but never caught fire when it came time for publishers to bite.
The reaction from all of these writers is just about the same: they’re demoralized, disappointed and wondering, “what now?” All of which are understandable emotions, and I say this from first-hand experience. My first novel didn’t sell either…I’ve made no great secret about it. At the time, I thought it was the next Pulitzer-winner. These days? Er, I’m embarrassed to have even written it, much less have had anyone read it and associate it with my name.
And now, with my next book making the rounds to various authors in search of blurbs and to various trusted readers in search of honest feedback, I’m struck with that familiar feeling again, that one that echoes exactly how I felt about that initial manuscript that should have stayed behind the firewall on my computer and for my eyes only! And that feeling is this: my writing from my first book, The Department of Lost and Found to my second, Time of My Life, has improved in leaps and bounds; my ability to create fleshed-out, believable characters has exponentially increased; my skill at crafting a fast-moving plot has skyrocketed…and while I don’t want to take away from the work I did for The Department, I can’t help but think that now, that work isn’t the best indication of what I can do, of what I have in me. (Not that I’m saying not to buy the book! Buy it! Buy it now!) :)
I used to think that it was demeaning when reviewers would say something like, “A good effort for a debut,” as if “a debut” is somehow lesser than any other book, but now I sort of get it. A debut is just that: your first time. And if you can be decent your first time, imagine how freaking awesome you’ll be in the future. (Please ignore any sexual connotation in the previous sentence! Ha! That was not my intention!)
All of this is a long-winded way of saying that we’re lucky. Our jobs afford us endless opportunities to reinvent ourselves and hone our skills over and over. There is no ceiling on how good a writer you can become, and the chances are likely that every time you step up to the plate – even if you swing for the fences and strike out in an embarrassing display of bravado – that you’ll learn how to do just a bit better the next time. And you simply can’t underestimate how this experience will translate to your capabilities on the page. So your first book didn’t sell? To that, I say, “I’m sorry.” But I also want to say, “Lucky you.” I know that it stinks to high hell right now (really, I know), but sometimes, these exercises are just meant to be stepping stones. Don’t throw in the towel just yet. Try it. You’ll amaze yourself, I promise.
And which means that my next book, book #3, should really kick butt. :)
Allison Winn Scotch is the bestselling author of six novels, including IN TWENTY YEARS, THE THEORY OF OPPOSITES, and TIME OF MY LIFE. Her seventh novel, BETWEEN ME AND YOU, will be released on January 9th, 2018. In addition to fiction, she pens celebrity profiles for a variety of magazines, which justifies her pop culture obsession and occasionally lends to awesome Facebook status updates. She lives in Los Angeles with her family. For more about her and her books, go to allisonwinn.com or follow her on Twitter at @aswinn.
What a great point. The possibility of reinvention (and improvement) is one of the many gifts of this challenging profession. I love your comparison to stepping up to the plate–I try to remember that even in major-league baseball, the players go to bat knowing that the odds are they won’t get a hit. But they keep working on their swing, perfecting their stance, striving to get better. They keep swinging.
Yes, I’m much familiar with the feeling of having an agent fall in love with my book, but no editors. For about a year, I was bummed, and now I echo your sentiments, Allison:
“These days? Er, I’m embarrassed to have even written it, much less have had anyone read it and associate it with my name.”
Which goes to show that everything happens for a reason. Even failure. :-)
Trish – I love that: even when you’re in the big leagues, you still have work to do. So true.
Kathleen – I’m glad you came out on the other side!
I keep seeing articles like this (it really echoes the interview you all posted here on WU with Jasper Fforde). It gives me a lot of hope, as one of those who gets a lot of enthusiasm (but so far no agent), and just keeps on keeping on. Surely at some point, I’ll have to be good enough to be successful. It’s hard when you see 21 year olds writing critically acclaimed bestsellers. But I try to keep my eye on all the “late bloomers” like Fforde, Philip Pullman, etc. Some of us get better with practice.
I didn’t even bother to submit my first book. I had no idea what I was doing, so I just tried everything to figure out my style. I could probably whip my second book into shape if I cared to, but I doubt I ever will. I’ve simply learned too much both from them and since them. And you know what? I don’t regret the time at all, because I learned so much while writing them, so it definitely wasn’t time wasted.
Allison, Thanks for the encouragement. I’m currently starting on a third revision of my second novel. I agree that this one is better, but still not good enough. I’m encouraged that maybe the next ones will need less work. It gets discouraging to keep slogging along. Thanks for the inspiration.
Allison,
I really appreciated your candor about your growth as a writer from The Department to Time of My Life.
I don’t think I’ve ever heard a published author actually discuss their growth after becoming published, and yet it makes perfect sense if instead of just being pleased with being published you are also committed to growing as a writer…that’s admirable, and probably the hallmark of a long and healthy writing career!
-Suzanne.
I’ve interviewed a lot of novelists, and most of them have that first novel they shoved into a drawer. Even though they thought it was a work of art at the time, going onto their second book showed them why that first attempt should stay in a drawer. I don’t write fiction, so I can only imagine how frustrating that can be. Nice to know it can still work out after that!
I threw away my first novel. Entirely right out of the gate. After taking a couple weeks to distance myself, I went back to try and edit and I was crossing out entire pages.
After doing this through about half the manuscript I realized others would be even harsher than I’m being, and if I’ve already gutted more than half then that’s about the same as starting over?
I think it’s important to do that in your early work. Despite your enthusiasm, your first works are never ready for the world.
Part of this is also learning how to be objective about your work too, instead of just seeing it as this subjectively great thing that you love because you made it.
Allison,
Just wanted to say that even though I haven’t read either of your books, I can tell from your article that I already like your writing style. You have a very fresh, crisp way of putting things that is both empathetic and thought provoking–and I really enjoyed reading what you had to say. Thanks for sharing…and I wish you the best on books number 2, 3…and beyond!