Comments on: The Secret http://writerunboxed.com/2009/07/22/the-secret/ about the craft and business of fiction Wed, 23 May 2012 23:52:59 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.2 By: Carol Henry http://writerunboxed.com/2009/07/22/the-secret/#comment-121381 Carol Henry Fri, 24 Jul 2009 01:42:28 +0000 http://writerunboxed.com/2009/07/22/the-secret/#comment-121381 Teri, Great post and so true, as you and I can both attest to. Not always the 'word' unpublished writers want to hear, but they need to hear the truth. And it's hard to be in the position of others wanting your good fortune to rub off on you. However, being able to give back and share what you've learned along the way to publication goes a long way in maintaining and building friendships (and potential fans!). Teri, Great post and so true, as you and I can both attest to. Not always the ‘word’ unpublished writers want to hear, but they need to hear the truth. And it’s hard to be in the position of others wanting your good fortune to rub off on you. However, being able to give back and share what you’ve learned along the way to publication goes a long way in maintaining and building friendships (and potential fans!).

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]]> By: Jeanne http://writerunboxed.com/2009/07/22/the-secret/#comment-121370 Jeanne Thu, 23 Jul 2009 23:39:19 +0000 http://writerunboxed.com/2009/07/22/the-secret/#comment-121370 OK, this one was good enough to kick me out of simply lurking. I really think you hit the nail on the head. No one ever tells you that with 'the deal' you go instantly from wannabe to the expert on getting published. Thanks for finding a good way to talk about the demands as well as the benefits of success. OK, this one was good enough to kick me out of simply lurking. I really think you hit the nail on the head. No one ever tells you that with ‘the deal’ you go instantly from wannabe to the expert on getting published. Thanks for finding a good way to talk about the demands as well as the benefits of success.

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]]> By: Ann http://writerunboxed.com/2009/07/22/the-secret/#comment-121368 Ann Thu, 23 Jul 2009 22:51:00 +0000 http://writerunboxed.com/2009/07/22/the-secret/#comment-121368 Thank you so much for this post. It is so true and so well written. In a way we writers are a sad lot. Always looking for approval in publication. In another way, aren't we just the bravest people for putting our hopes out there like we do. I was just thinking about book deals this afternoon. I am very new to calling myself a writer. And I do call myself a writer. I write personal essays for magazines but I find that when I say this to non-writers the first questions is, "Have you written a book?" It is a lot like when I started running. As soon as a non-runner would hear I ran, they would ask, "Have you run a marathon?" Apparently, if you haven't run a marathon you are not a runner and if you haven't written a book you are not a writer. I guess I should get started. Thanks again for sharing your knowledge with all of us. Ann Thank you so much for this post. It is so true and so well written. In a way we writers are a sad lot. Always looking for approval in publication. In another way, aren’t we just the bravest people for putting our hopes out there like we do.

I was just thinking about book deals this afternoon. I am very new to calling myself a writer. And I do call myself a writer. I write personal essays for magazines but I find that when I say this to non-writers the first questions is, “Have you written a book?” It is a lot like when I started running. As soon as a non-runner would hear I ran, they would ask, “Have you run a marathon?” Apparently, if you haven’t run a marathon you are not a runner and if you haven’t written a book you are not a writer. I guess I should get started.

Thanks again for sharing your knowledge with all of us.

Ann

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]]> By: Therese Walsh http://writerunboxed.com/2009/07/22/the-secret/#comment-121358 Therese Walsh Thu, 23 Jul 2009 21:08:40 +0000 http://writerunboxed.com/2009/07/22/the-secret/#comment-121358 Juliet, I love your story about the promising and hardworking teenage writer. I know a few, too! Juliet, I love your story about the promising and hardworking teenage writer. I know a few, too!

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]]> By: Therese Walsh http://writerunboxed.com/2009/07/22/the-secret/#comment-121355 Therese Walsh Thu, 23 Jul 2009 20:32:39 +0000 http://writerunboxed.com/2009/07/22/the-secret/#comment-121355 <em>But what if you can’t seem to find a trusted critique group? What if you don’t have the resources to find an independent editor. What if . . . ? Etc. In other words, why shouldn’t your friend’s colleague’s little sister ask YOU for that outside opinion? You may not have a Secret to reveal to them, but they still need to complete that step somehow.</em> Ben, whenever I try to answer this, I feel my brain spindling off into a thousand different directions at once. I think there's another full blog post here, but the quick answer is that there is no reason not to ask--if you have a connection and feel alone and have done all that you can and want advice from someone you trust. Depending on my schedule, I may have time to critique a friend of a friend's colleague's little sister's manuscript, or at least answer her questions. But. Caution here. No one person's advice should ever be taken as gold. Not mine. Not even Dan Lazar's. Each is only an opinion. In the end, it's still all about the author and his or her vision for the story; that's where the real power lies. But what if you can’t seem to find a trusted critique group? What if you don’t have the resources to find an independent editor. What if . . . ? Etc. In other words, why shouldn’t your friend’s colleague’s little sister ask YOU for that outside opinion? You may not have a Secret to reveal to them, but they still need to complete that step somehow.

Ben, whenever I try to answer this, I feel my brain spindling off into a thousand different directions at once. I think there’s another full blog post here, but the quick answer is that there is no reason not to ask–if you have a connection and feel alone and have done all that you can and want advice from someone you trust. Depending on my schedule, I may have time to critique a friend of a friend’s colleague’s little sister’s manuscript, or at least answer her questions. But. Caution here. No one person’s advice should ever be taken as gold. Not mine. Not even Dan Lazar’s. Each is only an opinion. In the end, it’s still all about the author and his or her vision for the story; that’s where the real power lies.

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]]> By: Juliet http://writerunboxed.com/2009/07/22/the-secret/#comment-121286 Juliet Thu, 23 Jul 2009 03:02:50 +0000 http://writerunboxed.com/2009/07/22/the-secret/#comment-121286 A very, very wise post! There will always be would-be writers who believe there must be a quick and easy path to publication and instant fame. So any of us who get published will attract queries of that kind. As soon as my first novel came out I had to take my details out of the phone directory because various people started sending me their manuscripts and calling me for advice (my unusual surname made me easy to track down.) However, not all aspiring writers are unrealistic about the future. I mentored a promising teenage writer for a period about a year ago, while she worked on her epic fantasy novel. She had a draft close to completion and our sessions together were valuable for both of us. She contacted me again recently after a long break to ask very politely if I would read the new version - she has spent the best part of a year polishing, re-drafting, editing her work. I had a feeling from the first this was someone who would one day make the grade, but I am thrilled that such a young writer understands the hard slog required. And of course I agreed to re-read her manuscript! A very, very wise post! There will always be would-be writers who believe there must be a quick and easy path to publication and instant fame. So any of us who get published will attract queries of that kind. As soon as my first novel came out I had to take my details out of the phone directory because various people started sending me their manuscripts and calling me for advice (my unusual surname made me easy to track down.)

However, not all aspiring writers are unrealistic about the future. I mentored a promising teenage writer for a period about a year ago, while she worked on her epic fantasy novel. She had a draft close to completion and our sessions together were valuable for both of us. She contacted me again recently after a long break to ask very politely if I would read the new version – she has spent the best part of a year polishing, re-drafting, editing her work. I had a feeling from the first this was someone who would one day make the grade, but I am thrilled that such a young writer understands the hard slog required. And of course I agreed to re-read her manuscript!

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]]> By: Patry Francis http://writerunboxed.com/2009/07/22/the-secret/#comment-121279 Patry Francis Thu, 23 Jul 2009 01:18:58 +0000 http://writerunboxed.com/2009/07/22/the-secret/#comment-121279 Hard work! It may not be what #s 1,2, and 3 want to hear, but it's the only way. Wonderfully said, Therese! Hard work! It may not be what #s 1,2, and 3 want to hear, but it’s the only way. Wonderfully said, Therese!

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]]> By: Ben http://writerunboxed.com/2009/07/22/the-secret/#comment-121276 Ben Thu, 23 Jul 2009 01:02:00 +0000 http://writerunboxed.com/2009/07/22/the-secret/#comment-121276 Great post. You left me wondering, though. You said to get an outside opinion. But what if you can't seem to find a trusted critique group? What if you don't have the resources to find an independent editor. What if . . . ? Etc. In other words, why shouldn't your friend's colleague's little sister ask YOU for that outside opinion? You may not have a Secret to reveal to them, but they still need to complete that step somehow. Great post. You left me wondering, though. You said to get an outside opinion. But what if you can’t seem to find a trusted critique group? What if you don’t have the resources to find an independent editor. What if . . . ? Etc. In other words, why shouldn’t your friend’s colleague’s little sister ask YOU for that outside opinion? You may not have a Secret to reveal to them, but they still need to complete that step somehow.

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]]> By: Chuck Sambuchino http://writerunboxed.com/2009/07/22/the-secret/#comment-121216 Chuck Sambuchino Wed, 22 Jul 2009 16:20:05 +0000 http://writerunboxed.com/2009/07/22/the-secret/#comment-121216 Thanks for the shout-out. This is a good, comprehensive post, and it should be seen by everyone like the gardener and scriptwriter who wonders how the process works. Thanks for the shout-out. This is a good, comprehensive post, and it should be seen by everyone like the gardener and scriptwriter who wonders how the process works.

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]]> By: thea http://writerunboxed.com/2009/07/22/the-secret/#comment-121212 thea Wed, 22 Jul 2009 15:28:34 +0000 http://writerunboxed.com/2009/07/22/the-secret/#comment-121212 thanks for the man-up words! t thanks for the man-up words! t

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