Go The Distance

Originally posted on 9/6/09 for the Charge of the Write Brigade.


Whoops.

It appears I posted my article a week early. Ah well. This gives me the chance to pen a quick letter of encouragement.


Dear Frustrated Author;

I understand you’ve had it rough. Word has filtered to me that you’re ready to throw in the towel.

I realize you’re tired of finding mistakes in your manuscript that previously were invisible. That you can’t believe the betas and the critique group members found something so obvious while you overlooked it for the last seventeen read throughs.

And then there were those constant rejections. You wonder if there is a single lit agent in the world who hasn’t passed on your masterpiece. It’s so easy for them, huh? You pour your life blood into this work and they don’t have the decency to look at it. Or maybe they did ask for pages and now you know they saw the glaring errors your betas pointed out. Ouch!



I need you to realize something. These problems are normal, they will happen again and even get replaced with other challenges. I don’t need to tell you that this is life.

What I do want you to do is think back. Remember when you got the notion for this book? Remember why you wanted to be a writer? Think on that. Remember the positive things your betas and critique group members said? It wasn’t all bad, was it?

Why would you build a wooden rocking horse for a child? Because you love her and want to see her smile and laugh. There is an end result you’re looking for. So you begin and work every day on it. Tiny slivers cut into your hands and you wince with pain (the smallest cuts seem to hurt the most). Do you quit?


How about when that child comes over on Saturday and asks, “Is my horsey almost done, Uncle Author?” What do you say?

You suck the tiny sliver spots on your hands and get back to work. You persevere. At some point you’re finished and she laughs and smiles and rocks the heck out of that beautiful rocking horse.

My point? When were down, we don’t know the future, keep at it. There is a certain period of time between painful creation and happy finished work. When I say “finished” I don’t mean rough draft stage or 5th revision, I mean the end of the road. For you and I that means published.

The gap between start and true finished is a long one involving many pratfalls. We have to remember our goals, reevaluate our plans and jump back into the work. Everyone has a reason to write. Focus on your end destination (like the happy child in my example) and push to that goal.

You’ve made it this far, why stop now?

They Felt Doubt Too

Originally posted on 7/19/09 for the Charge of the Write Brigade.


Hey there gentle beings. The name is Jack Roberts and I’ve decided to join the merry band of literary champions, the Write Brigade. It’s true that I come to you with limited experience but in my struggle to catch the dream, I’ve learned a thing or two. In fact I’m still learning.

This lesson becomes abundantly clear to me every time I read through my writing. Just last Thursday, in fact, I discovered something on the World Wide Web that made me want to duct tape my hands in oven mitts and chain them behind my back so I'll never make a fool of myself again.

I discovered a post where I reviewed the seventh Harry Potter book. Apparently overcome with excitement, I typed a long winded essay. I told of my personal history with the series, examined various characters and practically filled every sentence with overjoyed hyperbole.

After reading the post with fresh eyes I felt embarrassed. Why didn’t I wait a couple years before I posted it? Sure, I’m over reacting, but the very thought of something that over-the-top can be connected to me just sent shivers up my spine.

With my past sins still fresh on my thoughts I continued with my daily activities. Among those tasks was the purchase of movie tickets. As I drove around the theatre, aware of a line that would make a DMV employee feel at home, sudden realization smacked me upside the head.

Many want to see this movie because of their love of the book. A close bond that author created by simply choosing to weave the best story she could. She had to have doubts in her writing abilities. I know she had rejections. What if she quit when faced her mistakes?

I count the minutes until I see the latest Harry Potter movie and reflect to where I was when I read it. I remember finishing that book in a bathroom stall located on the same floor of the hospital my son slept in. He slept deeply, the latest in a chain of plastic surgeries a success. With my wife in the chair beside his bed, I was safe in the knowledge that he’d be OK. So I crept to the bathroom (because I didn’t want to disturb anyone) and delve into the remaining chapters of HP 6. What feelings I experienced! I couldn’t get enough. A writer with fears and insecurities worked hard despite them and created something that gave me that lasting memory.

If we as writers gave up every time we discovered a mistake, life would be void of entertainment. What do you do? You take a deep breath, realize others have been there before, and jump right back in. Simplistic? Sure, but it works.

Thanks for reading.