Blog 60: Spring Cleaning

After the freezing weather of January, the non-stop raining of February and the long dark days of winter, we have finally marched our way to spring. Good for us! I’m looking forward to more daylight, more sun and hopefully with it, more energy. We can get that spring back into our step as we enjoy the warmer weather, pretty flowers, Easter holidays, chocolate (of course) and perhaps start to plan for things like breaks away. Finally, an end to the misery of winter.

As the season changes, we may feel more inspired to write or rewrite some of our work. I don’t know about you, but I have to be in the mood to tackle something that requires time and effort. Once I’m feeling it, I can zap through the house like a tornado and get a lot of clearing away and cleaning accomplished. A bit like the Tasmanian devil cartoon character but with OCD if you like. But let’s face it getting things done when you know they will require tackling all over again can be a pretty big demotivator to get it started in the first place.

This brings me to a stumbling (or even headbanging) block that many writers face. The unbalanced work to reward ratio. You know what I mean. We spend so much time at our computer, working to get our stories just right, but once we try entering them into competitions or sending them to agents or publishers, we get either nothing back or a list of rejections. It can be soul destroying when you have put so much time and passion into a project for it not to become recognised and stops you progressing onto the next step.

Many people are looking for work, and it is a relentless and rough going process. Writing so many applications and a lot of the time not even getting an interview. Like them, I have been feeling dejected at the moment as I’m spending so much time and effort to put myself out there as an editor but not getting much return. It can be a knee jerk reaction to have the opinion that we have wasted our time. However, that’s not true. A huge part of life is trying something and persevering at it. Let’s face it, it’s the stubborn and determined among us that really get noticed and make a difference. And, if you hadn’t tried, you would always be wondering Should I have done that?

So, what have you done? A lot, I’m guessing. You haven’t just spoken about doing it, you’ve jumped into a project, researched, put in hours, gained knowledge, and learned a few lessons as you went along. That isn’t wasted time – that’s experience! You are wiser than you were before, you clever clogs. As spring jumps into our lives with the whisper of new beginnings; the budding of shoots coming through, birds building nests and baby animals being born, use the momentum to have a bit of a spring clean with your writing journey.

If you feel you are getting nowhere, have a look at what action you can take. Does your story need a new pair of eyes like a Beta Reader, Developmental/Structural Editor or Copy Editor to take it to the next level? Maybe your application to the agent or publisher isn’t quite right. Read my blog to check off the things you need to do: https://www.angel-editing.com/post/blog-37-hello-is-it-me-you-re-looking-for.

If you think you have got your story as good as it can be and have ticked all the boxes when it comes to applying for representation, then it may just be the wrong people you are sending them to. Keep trying, it can take a while to find someone who connects with your particular idea. Your other option is of course to self-publish. Check out my previous blogs on Self-publishing on a budget: https://www.angel-editing.com/post/blog-44-self-publishing-on-a-budget  and marketing your book: https://www.angel-editing.com/post/may-the-marketing-force-be-with-you.

Perhaps you need to put your story away for a while, so you can come back to it fresh and read it more critically. There may be plot holes, too much showing or your characters may require more fleshing out to make them more relatable for the reader to connect with. Your point of view may need to be changed or the tense you have used. Brainstorm ideas with friends and other writers to try and work out what changes may elevate your writing.

It can be frustrating going over the same thing so do take a break of a few weeks or even months. And in the meantime, work on something else. An old story that you haven’t finished or begin a new one to give your mind a break from the current one. This will help you reset and come back to your other project with new eyes. Signing up for regular writing prompts is an effective way to keep your routine going and working out those writing muscles.

If you are going through a bit of a progression slump, then hopefully some of these author’s journeys will give you some hope: -

Agatha Christie had five years of rejections before getting her first book published.

Jack London’s total rejections in his early years was a staggering 600 but he continued to keep sending his stories out.

James Lee Burke had 111 rejections over nine years before The Lost Get-Back Boogie was published and then nominated for a Pulitzer Prize.

Stephen King, the highly successful writer of horror, his first book, Carrie, was rejected 30 times. During that time, he gave up and threw it in the trash, but his wife, Tabitha, pulled it back out and encouraged him to keep trying. Who hasn’t heard of this man today?

Dr. Seuss had 27 rejections before being able to publish his first book.

J.K. Rowling was rejected by 12 different publishing houses before finally publishing the first of the Harry Potter books.

Yes, being a writer is tough and requires patience, determination, and very thick skin. Imagine if the above writers hadn’t kept trying! As an extra boost, here are some quotes to encourage and/or inspire you to keep at it.

Be courageous and try to write in a way that scares you a little. 

Holley Gerth

You fail only if you stop writing. 

Ray Bradbury

A professional writer is an amateur who didn’t quit. 

Richard Bach

The only writer to whom you should compare yourself is the writer you were yesterday. 

David Schlosser

Writing is an exploration. You start from nothing and learn as you go. 

E. L. Doctorow

The first draft of anything is sh**. 

Ernest Hemingway

All good writing is swimming under water and holding your breath. 

F. Scott Fitzgerald

First, find out what your hero wants, then just follow him! 

Ray Bradbury

Exercise the writing muscle every day, even if it is only a letter, notes, a title list, a character sketch, a journal entry. Writers are like dancers, like athletes. Without that exercise, the muscles seize up. 

Jane Yolen

If you write one story, it may be bad; if you write a hundred, you have the odds in your favor. 

Edgar Rice Burroughs

Good writing is rewriting. 

Truman Capote

It is perfectly okay to write garbage — as long as you edit brilliantly. 

C. J. Cherryh

If I waited for perfection, I would never write a word. 

Margaret Atwood

Get it down. Take chances. It may be bad, but it’s the only way you can do anything really good. 

William Faulkner

A writer is a writer not because she writes well and easily, because she has amazing talent, or because everything she does is golden. A writer is a writer because, even when there is no hope, even when nothing you do shows any sign of promise, you keep writing anyway. 

Junot Diaz

Until next time, keep writing, keep editing and keep believing in yourself!