Q&A: Keeping Enthusiasm Alive
By Anna Elliott | December 17, 2010 |
Anonymous reader asked: What’s the best way to stay enthusiastic about your career (or in my case -potential career) as a writer? I’m not talking about the love of putting words on the page just for the love of words, I can handle that, but how do you maintain enthusiasm to keep putting yourself out there in the face of all the challenges?
A: This is a tough business, no doubt about it. The writing business is full of challenges that are often very rough on the heart and spirit. Now, don’t get me wrong–I’m not here to throw us authors a big pity party. Obviously, there are far, far harder jobs. None of us is getting trapped for months at a time underground or losing fingers to frostbite or any of the other myriad of other challenges associated with other professions out there.
I count myself–and every other author I know feels the same–truly lucky to be living the dream of writing for a living. But at the same time, there are always challenges and you do have to fight to maintain your enthusiasm in the face of them. Just in my own limited circle of author acquaintances I know writers who have sold their books and signed publishing contracts, only to have their editors leave and their books be ‘orphaned’, never to see the light of day. One author I know was actually sued by his publisher for the return of his advance when this happened. (Though the publisher did ultimately lose the legal case). I know other authors who’ve had all publisher support for their books canceled when their editors were fired, simply because the hate trickled down to all the fired editors’ authors. I know authors whose entire imprints have folded when they’re still under contract.
So how do you stay enthusiastic? Here are my thoughts, whether you’re facing the struggle of querying agents or the ups and downs of being published.
- Love the writing. I think it really all has to come back to this. You have to have a love of the writing at your core, your very center. I think you have to love the writing so much that it transcends love to become an essential component of who you are. You can no more stop writing stories than you can stop breathing.
- Detach. And this is the real toughie. I’ve just said you have to love the writing. You have to spill your heart and soul onto the page, live and breathe your characters’ story. How else can you hope your story will have the passion and power to connect with readers? But I think you have to detach at a certain point of the process. Let go. Let your book go off into the world and accept that it no longer belongs solely to you anymore. Diving into writing a new story is the best way I know to help with this. The schedule of the publishing world is actually a help in this if your book is being published; by the time I see my book in print, it’s been a whole year since I finished writing it and I’m involved in a whole other story. It makes it much easier to let the book go and connect with readers in whatever way they’re going to relate to the story, good or bad. But I think you can strive for it even if you’re in the midst of queries. Start writing something new while you query. Nothing beats the rejection blues like a really good writing day on your WIP–or reminds you of the love of writing that is the reason you’re querying in the first place.
- Accept that the bad days will come. It’s kind of like when your three year old drop-kicks the training potty all over the carpet during what is supposed to be ‘nap’ time. Yes, you love her–you love her so much you can’t breathe–but for a minute there your head is in danger of spinning around like the girl in The Exorcist. You will at some point feel this way about your book, about writing, about your entire career. And that’s okay. Some days you just won’t be able to muster much enthusiasm. Some days you’re going to have to dig deep and find your inner warrior, your inner fighter, your inner determination to push on, to succeed in spite of all the obstacles in your path. Because it is worth fighting for. Writing is a tough business. But do the positives outweigh the challenges? I can tell you right now, they absolutely do.
Anna Elliott is an author of historical fiction and fantasy. Her first series, the Twilight of Avalon trilogy, is a retelling of the Trystan and Isolde legend. She wrote her second series, the Pride and Prejudice Chronicles, chiefly to satisfy her own curiosity about what might have happened to Elizabeth Bennet, Mr. Darcy, and all the other wonderful cast of characters after the official end of Jane Austen’s classic work. She enjoys stories about strong women, and loves exploring the multitude of ways women can find their unique strengths. Anna lives in the Washington DC area with her husband and three children.
You can no more stop writing stories than you can stop breathing.
This is what I’ve found over the last two years in my writing. If life is throwing me a curve ball and I even get the slightest tempted in giving up, I have an axiety attack. Sick to my stomach, headache, shakes. So I have to remind myself, the only person making me crazy is me, so knock it off.
Let go.
This is important and one of the hardest. Querying is hard. Rejection harder. Yes, working on a new book definitely helps.Because it is worth fighting for.
Writing is a tough business. But do the positives outweigh the challenges? I can tell you right now, they absolutely do.
They ABSOLUTELY do.
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Enthusiasm comes with the love of writing. I find I maintain enthusiasm for writing much more easily when I write every day on a schedule. They my mind and my body automatically head for the desk and the job at hand. Some is great some is disposal-worthy. But there’s always revision.
Lou
For what it’s worth, my debut novel comes out in four months and I am in all-time-high neurotic writer panic, so I definitely feel this question. Every stage you get to has its own wonders and fears. So I think with realistic expectations (there is no real “made it” moment) and an appreciation for every small success as it happens, you can maintain your enthusiasm over the long haul.
What I finally learned after years was the ability to say to myself “I am disappointed” or “this day was a bad day” without letting it spiral into “I’m a bad writer and I’m never going to make it.” That’s what makes the difference to me, and it’s all attitude — completely within your control.
Love. This. Post. So much truth here. Thanks, Anna.
I also agree with what Lou says about writing every day. The magic doesn’t come for me unless I’m up to my eyelashes in the story, and that doesn’t happen unless I’m writing every day. If I go too long without that magic? The poisonous and debilitating sort of generalizations Jael mentioned have a way of setting in. “I can’t write this book; it’s too big for me,” etc… Better to combat all of that fear by writing. Show up. Do it. That seems to be key for me.
Excellent post! I might add one item to your list: celebrate the good times with gusto. When we’re in the midst of the long hard slog, it can sometimes be easy to miss the milestones that should bring so much pleasure and excitement. So remember to celebrate the completion of a draft, an agent requesting a full, seeing the cover art for the first time, whatever it is, and recognize you’re still moving forward.
Beautiful post. So many good points here. Thank you. :)
I wish we had “like” buttons on comments here. I’ll have to look into that. Anyway, I like Marissa’s comment.
Marissa and Jael, that’s an excellent point to celebrate every small success, every step forward along the path. I think it boils down to really internalizing the ability to be ‘in the moment’ and appreciate each success without worrying about the future.
And Therese and Lou, I completely agree about writing everyday. Someone or other said something like, “I write when the spirit moves me. And I make sure the spirit moves me every day.” Just like a book, a writing career is built one word at a time!
Great post at a time I really needed to hear it. Over the next few months I will be entering contests and sending out queries – things I’ve long procrastinated on due to fear of rejection.
I finally had to come to terms with the fact that rejection is tough, but the idea of never achieving my dream is much worse. I appreciate Marissa’s added tip to celebrate the small successes. It is something I find invaluable in all facets of life.
Excellent tips here! I’d also have to say celebrating your successes helps. Even the little successes, such as meeting your word count for the day, or writing even a little bit while you have the flu. Any triumph should be acknowledged and celebrated!
Great reminders for a new year. I’m sure many of us have resolutions having to do with drafts, etc. Mine is for sure to try and get back to your #1 tip . . . focus on the writing and let myself enjoy it again. (I already love it, but until I started my blog last month, I forgot how to have fun with it.)
Thanks for this!
I completely agree with this post. the LOVE for the writing is what allows us as writers (in this case amateurs) to write ’till four in the morning when you have to work in the next day.
We have to believe in ourselves. That’s the trick. The final result in is our hands.
I’ve been thinking a lot lately about how much potential overlap there is between a healthy writing mentality and what is taught in twelve step programs of all kinds: loving detachment, one day at a time, let go and let God, etc.
Anyway, Jael, lovely post and I’m hoping you’ll feel the neuroses abate for a while. (At least until it’s time for the next batch to arrive. Mwahaha.)
Oh sheesh, apologies, Anna! Don’t know how I addressed my comment to the wrong person.
<—-slinking off, neurosis firmly intact, in quest of required caffeine
Oh Jan, please, no worries! I’ve been known to mixup my daughters’ names for goodness sake, much less people I only know online!
Oh, good. I’ll just call you Ja—er… Anna from here on out. ;)
Great post! I’m in the “getting there” phase, but at times it does seem extremely overwhelming. I’ll have to get this post right next to my computer to keep me going. :)
Thanks!
[…] I was over on Writer Unboxed, blogging about maintaining enthusiasm in a career in writing. And I forgot to mention it here! But […]
I’m thankful to you, Writer Unboxed, and so many generous authors who honestly share their journeys via blog, twitter, or their websites. It’s given me a very real understanding of the challenges and joys of a writing career.
Great post and many great comments! I have tried a lot of these and can’t wait to try a few more. For me, the biggest thing that keeps my enthusiasm up is constant improvement. I’m always reading books on the craft and finding new things to improve my work. Not only does this give me a new challenge every day, but when one of my previous works gets rejected I can tell myself “It’s okay, you’re a better writer than that now.” Then I’m even more excited to get my next piece out!