Our goal as writers is to craft a story so interesting that strangers will pay money to hear it.
This post is about determining our writing foundation. What are our gifts and how can we abuse them for fun and profit?
Capabilities. 16-August, 2009, I watched Usain Bolt run the 100 meter sprint faster than any human being in the world. I’m not a huge sports fan. I’m not a track and field expert. But I saw an outstanding performance. And my first thought? Wish I could do that. Yeah, except, I’m an American (meaning, I’m overweight). And I’ve never been fast. And I’m not an athlete. And I’m thirty years older. And… Anyway. It’s important to understand the difference between works that we can appreciate and works we can realistically accomplish.
Motivations. After reading Fifty Shades, my wife encouraged me to write a ‘romance novel’. I gave it a shot. She read the first draft and said, “This isn’t romance, this is literary pornography!” Like, what is Fifty Shades? So, I don’t like romance (erotica) and, no matter how much money whatshername made, I’m not going to be successful writing that genre. It’s equally important to understand the difference between a financial motivation and real passion. What motivates you?
Passions. We often hear “Write what you know”. Wrong, write what you love. HG Wells never joined the space program, never became invisible, never traveled in time. But he loved the idea that one day man would do these things. What do you love? OK, other than sex? (Never should have mentioned Fifty Shades… ) Does what you love intersect with what you can accomplish? Can you spend hours researching that topic? Can you convert your interests into something interesting to others? And then, the real test, can you talk about that topic at a party and not have people walk away looking at their watches and mumbling about children left at school?
Influences. I love reading fiction in The New Yorker even though I firmly believe their offerings have degenerated from accessible writers like O. Henry and Thurber to a horde of existential, suicidal, godless miscreants. But boy can those existential, suicidal, godless miscreants write! If I read a story and start thinking about eating a shotgun barrel, I know I’ve read something well written. And a few of their phrases creep into my work. However, while I admire TNY fiction, I know it has become such a rarified genre that it has become “for writers only”. Just as jazz went from the world’s dance floors in mid-20th century to a musical form requiring a music degree to fully appreciate today. I know that TNY is an influence on me, positive and negative, but it is not my destination. Understand what influences you and separate that from what you want to (and can) accomplish. What are your influences?
Discernment. That brings us to the last point about writing foundations. And it is the most important point. Write down literary works by title, not author, that you appreciate as the world’s finest. Then write down subjects that you are passionate about (adoption, atheism, geology, Echidnas, laughter, whatever). Write down the topics of conversation where you can hold other people’s interest. (No, do it again and be honest this time.) And lastly, write down what influences you. Where do these subjects intersect?
For me, it breaks down like this:
Favorite works? The Hard Way by Lee Child. Passion? Heroines like Joan of Arc. Conversation? Young people who overcame tragic childhoods. Influences? Andrea Lee and Tobias Wolff (Brothers and Sisters around the World, and Bullet in the Brain, respectively). Where does that bring me? Strong willed women taking down bad guys. In other words, thrillers with female central characters focusing on character development. Katniss Everdeen over Bella Swan or Anastasia Steele. But enough about me. Where does that bring you? What is your writing foundation?
Wrap Up: Profession or hobby? Do you want to write for fun or profit? This question is the most important to answer honestly. There is a lot of work ahead if you want profits. Most people dream of making money, while in reality, only one in a thousand writers makes more than five thousand dollars. Those who do, work day and night to bring that in. So let’s assume you think you’re up for the work load. The most important question to ask yourself is: how many people read books in the genre where my writing foundation leads me? How can I reach them? How can I test my marketability? How can I test my commitment? How much am I willing to invest in this endeavor to find out?
Peace, Seeley James
