Writing is hard. If you’re like me,
you have more than a few moments of discouragement. You might need someone to
encourage you to press on, keep writing
-- it gets better.
Hallie Ephron’s keynote speech at
the recent Lakefly Literary Conference did that for me. Even though she has written and published at
least nine novels, she remembers what it was like to be the only non-writer in
a family of highly successful authors. Hallie’s parents, Phoebe and Henry Ephron, were playwrights
and screen-writers, while sisters Nora, Dalia and Amy were established
novelists.
Hallie decided to write in her 40s
after a reporter asked if he could do a story about her because she was the
only Ephron sister who wasn’t an author. Hallie refused, thinking if anybody
was going to write about her not writing it was going to be her.
Although there obviously were
writing skills in her genes, she says it took 10 years to get published. She
brought a handful of rejection letters to the Wisconsin
conference and shared snippets with us.
Most of us in the audience were
smiling and nodding, having fielded rejection letters containing similar
discouraging messages.
Hallie’s counsel was clear: There’s
hope if we, as working-to-get-published authors, keep trying and acquiring
wisdom along the way, eventually we're likely to get there. And, she went on to
say, in the process, why not enjoy the trip?
I scribbled notes,
trying to commit to paper as many of her affirmations as I could. The end
result: 13 encouraging comments from Hallie, which I'd like to share.
1. "For a long time your taste will outrun
your talent." But if you keep
writing, you WILL get better.
2. Practice is important -- and writers must
realize that first drafts are often less than wonderful. Sometimes you simply
have to “hold your nose and write.” In other words, get the words and scenes in
your head on paper, even if they’re not perfect. Each practice session makes you a tiny bit
better.
3. But remember, on the way to getting better,
you’ll have flops and failures. It’s simply a part of learning. We master new
skills by making and correcting mistakes. Even when you get your story
polished, it might turn out to be not quite right for a particular editor,
agent or publishing house. So Hallie cautioned, "Be prepared for
rejection."
4. "So much in what makes for success is
out of your control. Get used to it."
She added: "There might be times when you do everything right and
still your book isn’t snapped up."
Unfortunately, this can happen.
5. So you might as well learn to have fun in
this journey to develop your craft. Enjoy what you do. "Don’t wait until
you sell the book to celebrate. Champagne
is meant to be opened."
6. Know that you have a very special story to
tell. "No one can write exactly what you will write."
7. Everything in your life, even the
frustrations, can help develop your story and your craft. Learn from your daily
experiences. “Everything [in life] is copy. Take notes."
8. Never forget:
You can learn from others. And reading is vital. As she puts it: “You must be a READER if you
want to be a successful writer.”
9. When you write, spend more time listening to
yourself than trying to follow trends or attempting to re-create a recent
best-seller. "In your writing,
please yourself first."
10. The story you’re going to tell likely will
require many hours of effort, so the best approach is to choose your topic
wisely so you'll be "writing what you love."
11. If you want to become more proficient in
writing, set aside a specific place and time to practice. Her advice: Don't be haphazard in
"making space and time in your life to write!”
12. As you write, remember that it’s an art and know
that hard and fast rules won’t always work and that sometimes the writing and
selling process doesn’t seem to make sense. That’s OK. "Trust the chaos."
13.
Don’t consider your status as a pre-published author to be a negative.
"Having never published a book might be a "brilliant place" to
be. Agents and editors are on the lookout
for the next new talent."
Really?
Agents and editors are looking for me? Like most of the Hallie’s Wisconsin audience, I hope so, but even if they aren't,
I’m going to take her advice and enjoy my time as I work toward refining my
craft.
Hallie’s latest
mystery, There Was an Old Woman, has
just been published. Actually, first,
I’m hoping to read her book, "The Everything Guide to Writing Your First Novel: All the tools you need to write and sell
your first novel."
In the meantime, I’m open to hearing
encouraging advice. Do you have any tips on starting a new hobby? Or finishing
a novel? Please share.
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