Even More New Year’s Resolutions for Writers
By Keith Cronin | December 9, 2014 |
Two years ago I posted a set of New Year’s resolutions for writers, which was well enough received that I posted another set of resolutions the following December. This holiday season, since I’m all about tradition (as opposed to being all about that bass), I’ve assembled several more resolutions for writers to consider as the new year approaches.
Some of the resolutions I’m proposing might initially seem to be in conflict with each other, but if you read on, I think you’ll see how they align. Regardless, I hope you find them helpful.
1. Stop comparing your achievements with others.
There’s a popular quote floating around the interwebs, which maintains that “comparison is the thief of joy.” Some people think Theodore Roosevelt said this, while others attribute it to numerous different sources. Regardless of who said it first, it’s a worthwhile statement to ponder.
It’s all too easy in life to focus on what we have in comparison to what other people have, whether it’s money, fame, success, power (or in my case, stunning good looks and abs of steel). And it’s always pretty easy to find somebody who seems more fortunate than us. Having found that lucky bastard – er, I mean that more fortunate person – it’s easy to envy their success, and to bemoan our own lack of the same. And that just never leads to warm and fuzzy feelings.
Artists are among the most susceptible to this kind of thinking, and it can really work against us if we dwell on these comparisons too much. On one hand, it can make us doubt our own chances at success, eroding our confidence and planting the idea in our minds that we are NEVER going to make it – a prophecy that can quickly become self-fulfilling.
On the other hand, it can make us bitter and envious of others’ success, to the point where we disparage these people as simply being lucky, or talentless hacks who had some insider connection, or cheaters who somehow gamed the system, or any other number of ways to diminish their accomplishments and rationalize why they are further along in the publication journey than we are. We ask ourselves why did they get all the luck? How come their book sold and mine didn’t? How did they get invited to be a panelist at that cool literary conference, when nobody invited me?
Folks, try not to go down this path, because as my good buddy Billy Shakespeare once said, that way madness lies. Yes, it makes sense to pay attention to what’s going on in the marketplace, but if your happiness and self-worth is based on how many Amazon reviews you have in comparison to some other author, you’re always going to find a way to be disappointed.
When I was developing this post, I found a great observation on a site called TinyBuddha.com. While I’m not endorsing that site or any specific philosophy, I really liked the following passage I found in this blog post:
The thing about comparison is that there is never a win. How often do we compare ourselves with someone less fortunate than us and consider ourselves blessed? More often, we compare ourselves with someone who we perceive as being, having, or doing more.
And this just leaves us coming up short.
I think there’s a lot of truth in that observation. There’s also a whole apples-to-oranges thing that comes into play. Writing – and any art – is incredibly individualistic. Everybody comes from someplace different, and has their own set of gifts – and obstacles. All we can do is make the best of what we’ve got, and stop comparing our achievements so directly to those of others. After all, you can’t control how successful your book will be. All you can control is the actual writing. Which leads to my next resolution.
2. Start comparing your abilities with others.
I suspect this notion will not sit well with some of you. It’s quite popular – at least publicly – for writers to adopt a very democratic view of their literary colleagues: sort of an “all writers are created equal” philosophy. You see this in conventional publishing, when one writer’s work is rejected by an agent or editor, and his or her literary circle of friends immediately forms a sympathetic mob, condemning that poopy-headed agent or editor for not recognizing literary greatness. You also see this in self-publishing, where writers will vehemently defend the right of absolutely anyone to call themselves a writer and publish their own work, all while gleefully thumbing their noses at the “evil gatekeepers” who can no longer keep them down.
Look, I get that it’s nice to be supportive of other writers, and I’m a firm believer in the “writers helping writers” mindset. But to suggest that every writer out there is equally skilled or talented is something I just cannot buy. I mean, I think most of us can agree that good writing stands out when we read it. But what does it stand out from? Not-so-good writing. And I think it’s our responsibility to learn how to tell the difference.
[pullquote]What does good writing stand out from? Not-so-good writing.[/pullquote]
Is this subjective as hell? Absolutely. But deep inside, I think most of us can tell when another writer has us outgunned. I’m just suggesting that we should embrace the fact that some people write better than us, and then try to learn everything we can from those writers.
I’m also a professional drummer, and when I was starting out, I hungrily sought out drummers who were better than me, because they were the people I could learn the most from. That approach served me well, so I’ve adopted it as a writer as well. For me, the fastest way to improve my writing has been to identify who is doing it better than me, and then soak up as much knowledge as I can from studying their work.
To make this a more manageable task, I recommend focusing on the specific aspects of a writer’s work that appeal to you the most – the stuff that makes you slap your forehead and say, “Damn, I wish *I* had written that!” Maybe it’s their ability to write gripping action that gets your heart pounding, or incredibly compelling characters who become utterly real to you, or emotional scenes that bring you to tears, or hilarious plot twists that make you snort your coffee all over your Kindle. Pay close attention to the reactions they elicit in you as a reader, and then dig deep to figure out how they did it. And then…
3. Steal something.
Continuing my tradition of using foggily attributed quotations, some famous artist (I’ve seen it ascribed to a range of people from T.S. Eliot to Stravinsky) once said, “Good artists borrow; great artists steal.”
[pullquote]”Good artists borrow; great artists steal.” ~ some famous art dude or dudette[/pullquote]
Sure, that’s pithy and clever-sounding, but what does it mean? Here’s my take: when you borrow, you’re using something that does not belong to you. When you steal, you take over ownership of the object (rightfully or not). Applying that metaphor to art, a borrowed idea might not ring true to your own artistic voice, but a stolen idea is something you have taken and made your own – ideally to the extent that it is no longer recognizable as the other artist’s idea.
As ironic as it seems, it’s the “making it your own” part that I believe makes this stealing justifiable, because you’re inspired by the work of another, and you’ve internalized the concept and done the work needed to make it fit into your own writing.
I hasten to add, I am NOT talking about plagiarism. Actually copying the prose of another writer is unconscionable, immoral, and just plain lazy. But taking a concept or technique you admire in another author’s work and applying it to your own can really help you step up your game.
For example, I’ve been studying the work of Jonathan Tropper, an author whose work I enjoy. Tropper is particularly good at creating big “cinematic” moments, something my own work could use an injection of far more frequently. And he’s willing to really milk those scenes, sometimes to the point where it can become an almost-too-perfect “Hollywood moment.” But then he redeems himself, by having the narrator or one of the other characters make some snide/self-aware observation about how Hollywood-like that moment seems. In doing so, Tropper beats us to the punch, negating any “oh, that’s too unbelievable and movie-like to be plausible” criticisms we readers might have – but he still gets away with inserting that Big Movie Moment. This is a brilliant technique, and I am SO going to steal it.
Another opportunity to steal is in taking a high-level story concept and recasting that story through a new lens. This is a time-honored tradition. Look at how many ways we’ve seen classic stories reimagined in other books and movies. Without these “thefts,” we would never have Bridget Jones’s Diary, Clueless, Apocalypse Now, Wicked, A Thousand Acres, 10 Things I Hate About You, Ulysses, West Side Story, Shakespeare in Love, and O Brother Where Art Thou? – not to mention all the Frankenstein and Dracula offshoots that are perpetually sprouting up.
4. Give something away.
Okay, if you’re feeling guilty about the idea of stealing, here’s your chance to make up for it. How? Take something that has been of value to you as a writer, and give it to somebody else.
This might be a book on the craft that you’ve found particularly helpful, or simply a copy of a novel you love. Or you could dig even deeper, and give somebody your old Kindle, smartphone or tablet when you upgrade your own. Or you could simply share a piece of insight that has helped you as a writer – either one-on-one with another writer friend, or publicly through a blog, discussion forum, or other social media vehicle.
[pullquote]We are ALL capable of helping another writer in some way, regardless of how far along we are in our own writing journey.[/pullquote]
The bottom line is that we writers all need help in some form or another, and – this is something many people don’t seem to realize – we are ALL capable of helping another writer in some way, regardless of how far along we are in our own writing journey. We just need to look for that way, and then find the gifts we can give.
5. Back up your computer.
Keen-eyed readers may experience a sense of déjà vu here, and might be starting to suspect that I’m recycling this particular resolution from previous years. Guilty as charged – but this one truly bears repeating. Despite my shouting this mantra from the rooftops over the years, I continue to be amazed by how few writers I know who have a truly solid methodology for backing up their work.
For example, my own niece, a brilliant young woman attending a top Ivy League school, just lost her entire NaNoWriMo manuscript when her laptop was stolen a couple of weeks ago. She kept meaning to back it up, but hadn’t gotten around to it before the thieves struck. This will be the first time in years that she hasn’t completed the NaNoWriMo challenge, and I can’t even imagine how frustrated she must be.
As tragic as that loss was, it was also completely avoidable. There are numerous ways you can automatically back up your data, without having to remember to “get around to it.” I’m a longtime Carbonite fan, and have used it twice to reload my data onto a new machine when an older laptop has failed. And my daughter had her laptop stolen while in grad school, and was able to recover her data and move it to a new machine without missing a beat.
There are two main things I like about an automated solution like Carbonite. First is the fact that it’s automated, so it doesn’t rely on me remembering to launch the backup process. After setting it up, it requires no effort – and thus no excuses – on my part.
[pullquote]In this digital age, so much of our lives are stored on a hard drive. I want to protect ALL of that stuff, not just my Great American Novel In Progress.[/pullquote]
Second is that it can back up ALL of your data (based on how you set it up). Many writers I know use things like Dropbox or Google Docs to back up the manuscript they are currently working on, or they simply email copies to themselves. But what about the rest of their files? In this digital age, so much of our lives are stored on a hard drive: music, movies, family photos, important documents, and more. I want to protect ALL of that stuff, not just my Great American Novel In Progress. For that reason I strongly recommend you find a solution that backs up all of your important files, not just your current literary efforts.
Other popular automated backup solutions include iDrive and Mozy, and I found a range of other alternatives discussed on this page. Me, I’m sticking with Carbonite, but I urge you to choose SOME solution, and start backing up your files as soon as possible.
What’s on YOUR list?
Are you making any resolutions for 2015? Will any of these suggestions make it onto your list? Please chime in – after you’re done backing up your computer, of course. Here’s to a happy new year for all of us, and as always, thanks for reading!
Image licensed from iStockphoto.com
Author of the novels Me Again (originally published by Five Star/Gale), and Tony Partly Cloudy (published under his pen name Nick Rollins), Keith Cronin (he/him) is a corporate speechwriter and professional rock drummer who has performed and recorded with artists including Bruce Springsteen, Clarence Clemons, and Pat Travers. Keith’s fiction has appeared in Carve Magazine, Amarillo Bay, The Scruffy Dog Review, Zinos, and a University of Phoenix management course. A native of South Florida, Keith spends his free time serenading local ducks and alligators with his ukulele.
Thanks. Great Article. Great Ideas. Just published my first book. HIM The Coastal Killer.
Great stuff! Thanks!
Yes! Back up your computer! Even if you think it won’t happen to you. We were signed up for a back up service which worked only okay because the files came back hodgepodge. But then one of the employees worked and worked with me and finally found and retrieved my whole Scrivener file — which held everything! You can imagine the trauma.
We now have My Passport external drives. I can’t report on how well they restore information since, thankfully, I haven’t spilled anymore cups of tea on my laptop.
I also now keep an entire copy of my Scrivener file (not just a compiled document) on Google Drive. It *is* the most important file on my computer.
I’m glad you got those external drives, Carmel. I still prefer an online backup. After all, if my house burns down, it would destroy all my computer hardware, so I want my stuff to also be stored somewhere that is immune to to most physical jeopardy. A grim thought, I know, but I’m a born worry-wart. :)
Oh, yes, this worrier has thought about that too, thus the Scrivener file on Google Drive.
Keith-
You always make me chuckle, and often laugh outright. But in your post today there’s one serious point I love: It’s poisonous to compare your *abilities* to those of other writers.
Every writer has a different audience. Heck, every *novel* has a different audience. You can see this in the stock-market-like graph of royalty reporting. Even novels in a series never sell the exactly the same number of copies. You aren’t like others, nor are your novels even like each other.
I’m not saying don’t write better, and neither are you. (Your suggestions to learn and steal from others are right on.) I am saying, like you, your strengths as a writer are strengths. Your weaknesses are opportunities.
The only fault is to throw up your hands in the face of publishing’s apparent unfairness and take the easy way out–the easiest being not to write at all and instead watch reruns of “The Big Bang Theory”. There will always be someone better than me, richer than me, better at high-speed pattern drumming than me–and better at writing than me. (Mr. King, please retire! No no, don’t. Just kidding.)
So, what’s on my list of resolutions. Give more away–yes. Learn more–yes. Be more myself on the page–yeah, that too. Get back to the gym…uh, well, there’s always 2016.
Thanks, Keith. Gonna back up my computer real soon now.
Good thoughts, Donald – thanks for weighing in. And I can meet you at the gym if you want – how does 2017 sound? Or is that too soon?
LOL
Keith,
I quit making resolutions years ago. I found when I made them, I broke them right away–just did, couldn’t help it–but when I didn’t make any, I kept them. ;)
But I do set goals, which in my mind, don’t seem as stringent. If I mess up on a resolution, then the whole year is blown; if I mess up on a goal (a misstep, let’s say), the year’s not blown, I simply regroup and try another way. I know, I know…it’s all a mind game with me.
I always strive for #2 in my life (and I’ll refrain from bathroom humor). I try to surround myself with people who have something I want, books that have something I want, and I emulate. (That’s where #3 comes into play, except my stealing is emulation).
And thanks for the auto back-up info. I’ve been using dropbox, but not everything automatically goes there and I’m terrible about “getting around to it.” I’ll definitely check out Carbonite.
Thanks! Great thoughts!
Thanks, ML. I have a somewhat similar approach: I write a set of goals for myself each year, and put them somewhere prominent in my workspace. I can’t say I’m totally successful at adhering to them, but it’s great reinforcement to basically make it unavoidable for me to be reminded of them.
Your article couldn’t have come at a better time, Keith. I’ve been struggling with Point #1 recently. Sometimes when I’m on Twitter, I get discouraged by tweets from other writers about how they added 1000 words to their WIP in 30 minutes, 1500 in an hour, etc. I’m not a speedy writer; it takes me maybe 4 or 5 hours to reach those same benchmarks. But moping and wishing I could write as quickly as others can isn’t going to help me. Instead, I need to go at my own speed and celebrate the milestones when they come. :) Thank you, Keith!
Sara, I can sympathize – I am NOT a fast or prolific writer, except when it comes to business writing. Like it or not, I seem to be muse-driven, and I think my muse needs to drink WAY more coffee!
Keith, your #1 is the best I’ve read anywhere on authors comparing themselves to one another. In my authors group we are often sharing what marketing efforts work or don’t work to stimulate sales, so this comes up a lot. Your point that our books are “individualistic” with our own set of gifts and obstacles (and readership) has a lot of value. Very insightful. Thank you.
Thanks, Paula. I struggle with this all the time. As you observed, we have tremendous opportunities to share information and strategies, and I think we should take advantage of these. But the trick is to NOT expect the same results that others achieve through these strategies, since our books are not the same as their books.
Yes and double yes to number 5. All the resolutions for writing can be eradicated more quickly by one crash of a hard drive than anything else. I have Time Capsule and Carbonite and am thankful for both.
Yay for you, Carolyne! I’m glad to see *somebody* is backing up their stuff!
Fantastic!!! Also, I agree with the danger of self-publishing without enough editing and feedback. I’ve done it both ways and traditional publishing creates a bar you have to get over, because gatekeepers want quality. Thanks for all the other points. A dear friend’s computer just crashed and she told me emphatically this week to back up mine. I haven’t, so I’ll take this blog as a sign!
Keith,
My daughter made me back up. I did it, I confess, to shut her up. I haven’t had to to use it (yet) but the way you spell it out here makes me see her wisdom. These ‘resolutions’ feel more like best practices to me. I’ll take them all. Esp. #3. I’m reading an author who has an element in her work that is similar to mine. I had a moment of panic before I realized that I need to study how she makes it work so beautifully, then fold the good stuff into my own mix. Actually, there’s a lot she does well. Someone I know calls this ‘reading like a writer’. Such good advice here. I’ll add to it drinking less coffee, doing more yoga and laughing at myself more.
Susan, I’m glad your daughter was able to browbeat you. :)
And “reading like a writer” is a GREAT phrase – I keep meaning to write a post along those lines. Hmmmm – maybe I should make that one of my resolutions…
Great article, Keith! Throughout most of my life I never suffered from comparing myself to others – until I started writing. It’s so easy to fall down that trap, and the times I do are paralyzing. So we can’t compare ourselves to other writers, but we can strive to be better, to learn more and definitely to give more. What great advice!
And Donald, thanks for adding that you can’t even compare your own novels to each other.
Now back to writing for me (and checking that I have my computer backed up!)
Keith–
I second Paula Kappa’s high-five for your Resolution #1. I used to teach, and one of the books I most enjoyed (as did my students) was Tao te Ching, by Lao-Tzu as translated by Stephen Mitchell. Usually, I am skeptical when people go mystical and start praising Asian or Hindu perspectives. No Yoga for me, thanks. But the Tao te Ching has taught me a great deal (I keep forgetting the lessons, but that’s something else).
Among the 81 short poems that make up this guide to living well is #9:
Fill your bowl to the brim
and it will spill.
Keep sharpening your knife
and it will blunt.
Chase after money and security
and your heart will never unclench.
Care about people’s approval
and you will be their prisoner.
do your work, then step back.
The only path to serenity.
If you think of what’s here in terms of constantly comparing your life or your writing to someone else’s, the lesson is clear: “do your work, then step back.” I take this to mean that the work itself, the attention you bring to it, your love of doing your best is the right perspective, not constantly looking over your shoulder to see who’s coming up behind you, who’s about to pass you, or has. In other words: stick to the business of getting better as a writer, and don’t waste time and energy worrying about others.
Great poem. I’m going to print it so that I can read it every day. Thanks for your wisdom!
Love this, Barry: “do your work and step back.” Not easy to do, but what a valuable goal.
Thank you. This is good stuff to remember because that green-eyed monster is too close at hand.
I did want to mention the flip side of comparing yourself to others and thinking you are BETTER. This is the Pharisee in the temple looking at the tax collector. The Pharisee is sure everything is just fine, but the tax collector goes home and sees what he must do to improve his work. I’ve been the Pharisee before when I had absolutely no reason to be.
As you mention, reading other people’s stuff and knowing when it’s good and you want to be like that is not a bad place to be.
I really liked your exposition of the borrow-steal quote. If I steal, I want to make it my own.
I’m glad to see people finding these ideas useful! So what are some of your other resolutions for 2015?
Great article and I esp. liked the part about stealing something! What a great way to grow!
I enjoy making goals and one of my writing goals this year is to stop playing it safe and censoring myself. I do this even in my journal because I worry someone might accidentally read my words. There are some things I’ve never written on paper, even though I want to. And now I sound like a constipated writer.
‘ I recommend focusing on the specific aspects of a writer’s work that appeal to you the most – the stuff that makes you slap your forehead and say, “Damn, I wish *I* had written that!’
This chimes with me very strongly.
Did you read the comment that Brian B. King left for yesterday’s post? I was soooo envious of his many achievements! (But then I got to the end of his comment and calmed down.)
As Merlin once said to Arthur in a movie called Excalibur: “There is always someone more clever than yourself.”
(Hey, and wasn’t the big movie Star Wars “stolen” from the myth (or legend) of King Arthur?)
I plan to back up my computer stuff any week now. Good tip.
I’m not really about that bass either; I like the beat of the drum.
One thing you said in one of your posts really hit me. You talked about every word counting, not just writing a nice post. I took that to heart and so far this year have written posts that have challenged me and made me nervous because I put myself out there. I’m not just going to write a bunch of words this year, I’m going to really write!
SMS2friends