The question I've often wondered: Does Greatness search out Greatness, or did these artisans become Great because of the company they kept?
I believe that the answer is: A little bit of both.
In my continuing effort to become the best writer my talent will allow me to become, I began searching - several years ago - for writers (or, more specifically, "a writer") who would inspire and sharpen me, and for whom I could do the same.
I found Mickey Diamond.
Mickey is one of the most purely talented writers I have ever read. Right now, he is working on a novel called Boy Blunder, "about a teenage boy who is so eager to please you that you will grow to despise him" (if you click the link, you'll find a very small sample of Mickey's writing; he also teaches language arts at a high-school in N.J., so he put up a "caution, mature content" label on the blog - no worries, you'll be safe; also, he's too busy teaching and writing to ever visit his websites, but keep an eye on them nonetheless, in case he ever does show up there again).
Dear Reader, I am going to share an email I received from Mickey yesterday, and hopefully this will inspire you 1) To begin searching for a writer of your own who pushes you and makes you fly the way Mickey does for me, and 2) To try and become that person for somebody else.
Also, you'll likely pick up some inspiring thoughts for yourself from this email, because that's what emails such as this offer...
Jordan,
As you're already aware of my belligerent laziness, I'll spare you reasons and preempt your understanding. I'm learning to take certain liberties.
I've been thinking about your note and your blog posts regarding agency and the story you've written and the publishing process and all of that.
I want so badly to tell you F*** The Agents. But I can't, completely.
We both know you can learn something from them. Good writers are good students/listeners, blah blah bullshit. But, and this is what I'm struggling with--have always struggled with--where does the line between consideration and imitation/dedication blur? As you said, writing is subjective and so you can't do it *for* someone else. Not in any vague way at least. But, eventually you will hear from someone specific with specific tastes. Your story is a bit salty, they might tell you. Too much lemon zest. And you want them to take a liking to you; to complete your existence as a writer you need them to like you. To ingest and appreciate you and spread the word about what a palatable delight you are. [I'm going with the food metaphor because you refer to yourself and *Lenore* as "tasty" and "delicious" throughout your website. I just want to play along, not make oral sex jokes.] You come to realize that you are doing this for someone else.
But then, of course you *are* doing it for someone else. If you (we) weren't, we'd scribble in our journals and giddily re-read them later. Not that I haven't done that. Not that it doesn't (usually) feel like that. Nor even do I deny that's how I got started writing. It begins with a desire to imitate a certain writer's ability to pull something (usually an emotion) from someone else. When that's the case we might just as easily be actors or painters, architects or clergymen.
I'm being obtuse and bloated. Tweak *Lenore*, but don't re-write *Lenore*. Continue to trust that the story is good. Keep making edits that make you swoon. And--here, keep in mind I don't really know what I'm talking about--look for different agents. My plan to find an agent (however naive) is to seek the agents of writers I like and have been compared to. Now, I know a good deal of your faves are dead, so that might be hard. But it can't be impossible. And it probably sounds dreamish or childlike or grandiose to plan like this. But if we aren't those things, we aren't writers. We're every f***ing body else.
And that's my piece on that.
[Note: Here, Mickey filled in space with thoughts and information and musings and problems of his own, and hopefully - sometime soon - I will be able to respond to his email in the manner he responded to mine. That is, in a way that uplifts him and keeps his motor running. Even though I got his permission to reproduce this email for all of you, I'll spare him the voyeur-victimhood of opening up all his thoughts for strangers...]
And that brings us to the end for now. If you'd like some (largely biased and pretty much unprofessional but heartfelt and real) feedback on *Lenore*or *Blue*, I'm willing.
Peace.
Mick
Mickey - Again: Thanks for the words. The edits (tweaks) of Lenore are coming along spectacularly. For now. And you can likely expect a revised copy of the manuscript to fall into your lap sometime soon - if not for "feedback" or "help," at least just as a "thank you" for the assistance you gave me with Lenore last year, and for the support you continue to give me. Expect a reply email sometime soon. Or, sometime later.
Dear Reader - Thank you for journeying alongside me through this email, and thank you for journeying alongside me on my journey.
Remember to search for your own Fellow Writer Who Makes You Fly. And of course, search for the person who you can inspire as well.
That brings us to the end for now.
Cheers.
~J
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You made me realize how extremely lucky I am to have a "fellow writer who makes me fly." Thank you. You're so right to encourage others to find theirs.
ReplyDeleteHeather - It's wonderful to have that, isn't it? The boost it can give you is indescribable. I hope everyone experiences it at one point or another.
ReplyDeleteAnd here I was, ready to walk away from the writing table for today. Instead I've got an aw-shucks grin stretched across my face...
ReplyDeleteJM is only giving half the story. If you're a follower of this blog then you're aware of his skills with the pen and his ability to inspire. If you've been smart enough to peek at The Great Lenore, then I don't need to say anything else. The man is good. And I happen to get a personalized dose of that goodness, one that is consistently positive and reinforcing and I am always grateful to hear from him.
I'd like to point out a few observations about this kind of relationship from my end.
One, it's symbiotic. Two, it's serendipitous.
We (writers who make each other fly) provide for one another in a basic way: a writer needs reliable feedback. We get feedback from all over--agents, proofreaders, copy writers, editors, friends, blog readers, etc. But a writer eventually needs to hear from someone they trust, and that trust often begins with admiration. That's why you write to your favorite authors when you're young (I hope you haven't stopped), and that's why I wrote to JM in the first place. I liked what he was doing, plain and simple.
Accordingly, as much as you can choose who to contact, you cannot choose the writer you link with. It is not always going to be an on-going thing. There is a chance they will make you fly on hot, stale air or abandon you mid-flight. There has to be a little serendipity involved here.
And the serendpity carries into the actual exchange of letters. I'm continually amazed that I hear from JM when I *need* it. [Honestly, I had to ask my wife if she was JM Tohline, and if this wasn't an elaborate attempt to make me feel less lonely in the world of writers (while we're being honest, once the wife-hoax was dispelled I began to secretly ponder if JM wasn't my Tyler Durden and if I wasn't doing this all to myself. I'm still holding on to that one). When a letter from your fellow writer appears at the right time, it builds in a spirituality that will, if nothing else, remind you of the magic you are capable of.
So, Jordan's Dear Readers, good luck in your searches. But be sure to find someone. That last thing a writer--or anyone--wants is to be shouting into an abyss. Unless, of course, you're shouting into it *with* someone.
Hello, Mick - First time commenter, huh? Are you new here?
ReplyDeleteThanks for the words - I think your thoughts here are quite insightful. And vital. It's true - when those words from your fellow writer come at just the right time, it lifts you more than anything else could. And usually, they do come at just the right time. That's the beauty of a relationship such as this.
I hope everyone who reads your email to me and reads your comment here realizes how gorgeous it is to find someone like this, and how good it feels to be this someone for someone else.
Good work, brother.