In my view, the central thing that fiction writers sell is an ability to hyperfocus on things that aren’t real. They may also sell a brilliant way with the language, and maybe esoteric knowledge about some topic, or insight into humanity, or ability to research…or, whatever. But in my view, a vivid imagination is essentially the core thing one sells as a fiction writer. The kind of “virtual living” that’s enabled by writing or reading fictional scenes may be an inherent gift or a learned skill. Creating those scenes requires a narrow sense of focus, an ability to imagine things, and most of all, an ability to manage those imagined things. One can be a successful professional writer with a stupendously mediocre imagination, if one is given to managing that imagination in a way that produces material packaged in such a way that someone will pay money for it.
That is a very different set of skills than managing one’s bank account, health insurance, or parking tickets. Unfortunately, bank accounts are as real for writers as they are for anyone. I won’t go so far as to say bank accounts and health insurance are mandatory; there are a hell of a lot of people who live without them, often not by choice. But life is a lot easier when one has health insurance and money coming in. As a fiction writer, it’s a hell of a lot easier to work if one doesn’t get interrupted by bill collectors. (more…)
Read More...
I’ll have to admit that when I first started to entertain the idea of becoming a serious writer, I thought it was easy once you got that first deal. I was under no illusions that the first sale was easy, but it seemed attainable, and I figured sales might be slow at first, but eventually I’d gather a readership and be able to slip into the writer’s life. It’d be like letting go of the inner-tube to start swimming on your own—a bit scary, but doable, right?
When teaching the Armadillocon Writer’s Workshop I tell students to follow their dreams. It’s important. Frankly, I feel the world would be a much better, happier, more beautiful place if more people didn’t give up on their dreams — whether those dreams are writing or not. Dreams have a practical side, you know. People who follow their dreams are happy. Happy people handle stress better. The less stressed out you are, the less sick you are. (That’s been my experience.) Not that life is perfect for people who pursue their dreams. It isn’t. Understand that there’s a certain process to it. In the beginning, others are going to doubt you. They’ll tell you that you can’t make it. It’s impossible. They may even plant obstacles in your path to prevent you from succeeding. That’s just part of the process. I like to think of it as the Universe making dead certain that’s what you really, really want. Second, if people are doing this to you, ditch them. You don’t need them. That’s another part of the process.
This week’s topic of “career goals and dreams” is a timely one for me, because right now it’s finally sinking in that yes, The Whitefire Crossing is going to be published. For real. Somehow until recently it all felt a little abstract. Even after I signed the contract, I half expected to get an email one day saying, “Haha, we were just kidding about that whole book deal thing – psych!”
