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about yourself as a writer? We're all trying to get better, and we know it's an endless road, but what have you learned so far and how has that affected what and how you've written since?
I'm curious as to what the OP learned...
Sat Nam! (Literally "Truth Name"--a Sikh greeting)
I've written a couple of memoirs. In the course of writing and editing the first one (not yet published), I talked to various family members and friends and showed them the passages they were in so they could correct anything that was inaccurate. As a result of that, I learned why something happened that had puzzled me for years. That passage got cut in the process of editing, but oh what I learned!
Blessings,
Siri Kirpal
That I'm not good enough to write good "genre" fiction, of any category. And that what I can write and complete has no commercial market and interest no agents or editors anywhere.
caw
That I'm not good enough to write good "genre" fiction, of any category. And that what I can write and complete has no commercial market and interest no agents or editors anywhere.
caw
Well, I'm almost convinced of the same, but we can't be sure of that, can we? Hello? Can we? hahaha, maybe we can.
Okay, iffen I'm going to participate, I guess I have to go whole hog: I'm a good writer—probably not great—but, yeah, pretty darn good; and I do love to write. But, you see, I'm a commitment-phobe and I simply have no interest in going the distance.
Because, I know that it will have to be the best thing I've ever written--and I've been balking at the challenge.
Waitaminnit! I, for one, was answerin' a question, not offerin' advice.
Just to play devil's advocate - why does it have to be this? Could it be, instead, something that was fun for you to write, without worrying about finished quality?
A historical boxing novel, hahaha, did your eyes glaze over?
Because the stuff I've written just for fun hasn't got me anywhere. And I suspect that even the one I hold out as my personal best has fallen short because it just wasn't good enough. The only other possible reason I can think of is the subject matter. You ready? A historical boxing novel, hahaha, did your eyes glaze over?
Actually, no. I've enjoyed a lot of boxing films, and even (gasp!) the occasional documentary.
I'll grant you, I'm probably not the demographic to get you onto the NYT bestseller list, but depending on the story, that's a book I'd pick up.
But you need to look after yourself in this. There's never a requirement to write. Just suggesting that you should do what feeds you, whatever that is.
Because it's about boxing? Nah. I'd hazard a guess that possibly—just possibly—your MC wasn't as compelling as you know how to make him(?). (This is where opening a vein and bleeding onto the page comes in. Where you need to reveal yourself, your thoughts, your passions, and so forth.)
[emphasis mine]Really? Well, cool, so let me tell you all about it now...
Great advice, the bolded.
I bled for this book. Lemme say that again...bled for it, and honestly, 'compelling' is what I heard most often. I should have said upfront, I knew this guy, well, and I nailed the bastard, hahahaha.
Seriously though, I do wonder by your question if you'd thought I wrote a cardboard cutout, you know, the stereotypical brute with no brains and no heart. I fear that's what people think at first blush, when they hear of the subject matter. When I first (thought) I'd finished it, I showed it to my wife, and she asked me why the MC was the one character she couldn't get a real take on. I realized she was right and so I added first person, very introspective and revealing inserts that brought him home. So, now you're in the mind of a prizefighter, I humanize the prizefighter, and I bring the reader right into the ring, as well as moments of doubt and fear and an examination of the warrior mentality. Ha, see what you did? I'm selling it to you now, and for a limited time only, you can get a real good price.
[emphasis mine]
Heavens, no! Not what I meant at all. I was, in part, going back to your earlier comment about having trouble revealing yourself in your writing and in part working with what was going through my head as I read your post: A compelling character could make a book on golf WELL worth reading. ('cause, yanno, I'm not a fan of golf. So shoot me.)
I'd take you up on your offer if I could refrain from offering thoughts and ideas on re-visioning the book—'cause, yanno, that's what I do. heh
about yourself as a writer?
Sat Nam! (literally "Truth Name"--a Sikh greeting)
I assume this is the guy you've mentioned to me before. I'll hazard the guess that the guy wasn't known enough to get a publisher interested. Not to mention that there's some dicey stuff that the sorts of publishers you and I would probably want to work with would probably have pc tizzies about.
And you? afraid of commitment? Aren't you the guy that's often asked questions about what you can do for your daughter? I'm having trouble thinking about you as a commitment phobe.
And as far as you and CAW go, I'll go one better than Ari: I don't think any of us can know how good our works are or how compelling they are. Emily Dickenson? Didn't make it to the big time until after her death. Most of us don't like to think about that and yes, the world has certainly changed, but really, we can't know. How many authors of big best sellers from 50 years ago can any of us name? How many authors nobody had heard of until after their deaths do we study in school or read in airports?
And there you have it: we learn an awful lot, and a lot of it is awful. But then, but then, there isn't really much difference between awful and awesome, is there?
Blessings,
Siri Kirpal