Last weekend, I attended a conference for long-time published writers, where a host of industry insiders offered their insights on the changing face of publishing. Because of the NINC standards (only authors with two books or more published can join) and the desire to keep the discussion vibrant and flowing, I can’t share many details, but I can share the general spirit.
When asked what authors should be doing now, to deal with the wild changes in our business, the insiders said, over and over again, PLAY! Experiment with short forms and long ones. With writing what you really want to write, with taking the work, the art, to the limit.
Doesn’t that sound like fun? All too often, writers are so anxious to “get it right” that they study and study and study the market, making notes on what’s selling, who’s buying, and where things land on the list, that they forget why they became writers in the first place. We worry and worry and worry. What should I write? What will give me a bigger audience?
Instead of that, let’s step outside the box for a minute. What would play look like for you? Do you ordinarily write long? Try writing short. Try playing with poetry. Are you a genre writer? Try writing something outside your usual sandbox. If you’re a literary fellow, try your hand at the genre you cut your teeth on—maybe a mystery story or a fantasy epic. Maybe you’ve always wanted to see if you had it in you to do Y or Z. Give it a shot. What’s the worst that could happen?
I have had what I call a Sunday book in the back of my mind for quite awhile. It tickles me awake, kicks me sometimes while I’m walking, and once I finish the material due at my publisher this week, I’m going to take a month and just see what happens with it. (Come by my blog, A Writer Afoot, for more information…in three days.) You can read along.
I urge you to play, too. Especially with NaNoWriMo coming up next week, give yourself permission to write the story YOU would most like to hear. Do it with joy. With exuberance, with a sense of possibility. And maybe that’s going to be the story that we ALL want to hear.
Do you remember what your first stories were about? Can you see that influence in the work now? If you could write anything, what would it be?
About Barbara O'Neal
Barbara O'Neal has written a number of highly acclaimed novels, including 2012 RITA winner, How To Bake A Perfect Life, which landed her in the RWA Hall of Fame and was a Target Club Pick. She is a highly respected teacher who also publishes material for writers at Patreon.com/barbaraoneal. She is at work on her next novel to be published by Lake Union in July. A complete backlist is available here.
I can’t tell you how refreshing this blog was to read! You hit it on the head! Yes, we spend countless hours trying to figure out what’s selling, what’s hot…is it vampires, werewolves, witches…it’s one trend after the other. I’ve often said to writer friends that I feel so consumed by the marketing of my writing that I’ve forgotten why I write to begin with. Your blog gives us all ‘permission’ to write the story of our hearts, to take the time to work on that intriguing idea that we’ve pushed to the back burner. I feel the urge to do something I never do anymore…pull out a notebook and just write!!!
Geeze, does this hit the spot! I am in one of those sag phases and your reminder to have fun and recapture that zest of new writing is right on the money (as Woody Allen said about the worst orgasm he ever had).
How freeing. Thank you *climbs into neighbouring sandpit*
Hmmm, quiet today. Not what you wanted to hear?
It’s possible people are having issues here today because of GoDaddy. We’re actually in the process of switching servers; hopefully that will be finished by tomorrow.
My first fiction work was a picture book manuscript about a little boy who decided to befriend the moon. I do think that sense of the impossible, of somehow finding a way to make it real despite all odds, is in my adult work as well.
The surest way for me to play with words in a rejuvenating way is to write a poem. It’s so easy to slip into the day, and doesn’t take me out of the zone with a longer work.
Best of luck with your Sunday project!
Thanks so much for your encouraging post… I’ve been flirting with a novel idea lately that feels like pure play, and it helps so much to have official permission to pursue it! Writing–when it’s going well–is about joy anyway, isn’t it? So why does it often become a burden? Hope you have a blast with your new project!
I so love the idea of just PLAYING. We got into this in the beginning because it was fun, didn’t we? Yes, it’s work, but if it can also be play sometimes, all the better.
It does seem to take a long time to get here sometimes. No worries. I can play around this, too. :)
Getting quite excited, as if I am seven and going to the toy store right after lunch.
Barbara,
Thanks for this post. Your timing is perfect, heading into NaMoWriMo. I’m going to write a novel that’s totally outside my genre, just for the fun of it. It’s an idea that’s been in my head for the past ten years, so I guess I should get it down on paper. Your thoughts really resonated with me. By the way I’m a frequent visitor to your blog and I enjoy your writing.
Playing…sigh. Yes. Just what I needed to be reminded of tonight, Barbara. Thank you ;) .
Hi Barbara,
Thanks for this–it’s perfect timing for me. I’m deciding which of two projects to focus on for nano and this is a powerful reminder.
Also wanted to say I recently finished THE CARE AND FEEDING OF THE GIRLS IN THE BASEMENT and loved it. I know I’ll be pulling it out during those low moments.
Always enjoy your inspiring words.
Sheri
I have a couple of close writer friends who organise special writer weekends from time to time. Often there’s an assignment for a piece of work you need to bring and share with the group.
Once we started daring each other to write a short story in a genre we don’t normally write in. I was given historical romance (I usually wrote sci-fi comedy) and groaned. But within two hours I had decided on my story idea.
I thoroughly enjoyed writing it, and it opened up a whole new area of my writing. My friends found it a riveting read.
So I completely agree with your post! Love it!
(By the way, I use Google Reader to follow Writer Unboxed and recently it hasn’t been showing me updates – perhaps because of switching servers?)
Nothing to add except people probably think I play too much as it is. Just wanted to say hello and tell you I read The Lost Recipe for Happiness recently and thoroughly enjoyed it.
This part really resonates with me today – “give yourself permission to write the story YOU would most like to hear. Do it with joy. With exuberance, with a sense of possibility. And maybe that’s going to be the story that we ALL want to hear.”
Thanks for the reminder. :)
This part really resonates with me today – “give yourself permission to write the story YOU would most like to hear. Do it with joy. With exuberance, with a sense of possibility. And maybe that’s going to be the story that we ALL want to hear.”
Thanks for the reminder. :)
I apologize for the double post. It was not intended. An error came up the first time I clicked submit comment so I clicked it again. To my surprise it posted twice.
Barbara, your posts always give me the dose of new energy I need. I love the idea of setting worry aside and diving into a new challenge, an experiment. It always helps my writing to shift between different projects — the blog, creative nonfiction, short fiction, novel revisions, the new novel. I think I need some poetry in there too. Thanks for such a rejuvenating post!
Such great, valuable advice. I have to admit, in the past couple years I’ve gotten pretty caught up in the “biz,” the industry, and only lately have I been able to see that. Now I’m trying to recapture my spirit of play. Even though it’s early, already I can tell it’s making my work much, much better!
I like the phrase “taking the art to the limit”. Recently, I have experimented with freeform writing and, in my latest novel, with letting the story happen as I type. Unexpected images appear, surprising comparisons form themselves in my mind, and the story takes interesting twists. It is play in the real sense of the word, letting my imagination have free rein and not censoring anything.