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February 23, 2007
Writing Lab is Free of Rules
Let's face it. The publishing industry is rule-laden. "Do your homework," they always advise. Hone your pitch, perfect that query, research your market, and above all toss those adverbs. But before you can follow submission regulations, you must have a manuscript or a proposal worth submitting. This is where writing lab comes in.
I've been a successful writing coach for many years. (It's difficult to put a number on exactly how long I've coached, because, well before I collected income for advising writers, I edited and encouraged fee-free.) What I've found, in my experience, is that there are two kinds of writers: those who write and those who don't. Among those who write, there exists two kinds of people: those who write well and those who don't. And of those who write well, there are, you guessed it, two types of writers: those who know how to submit and those who don't.
In my writing/editing sessions, I have aided and supported writers in all of the above categories. And over the years, I've observed that the writers who reach their goals are those who listen, those who try, and those who apply. In other words, writers who observe, who practice, and who experiment accomplish.
The above techniques encompass much of what goes on in a scientist's lab. Marie Curie once said, "A scientist in his laboratory is not only a technician: he is also a child placed before natural phenomena which impress him like a fairy tale." It is not a place where ideas are forced and outcomes are contrived. A lab is a testing ground where variables are introduced and the results are often surprising.
So should the techniques of writing be.
In this space, this blog, we'll stay focused and we'll explore. We'll stick to the rules and we'll tunnel through them. We'll make microscopic and macroscopic observations. We'll try, we'll fail, we'll grow, edit, change. It is in such a rule-free environment where truths will be uncovered, balances will be achieved, and momentum will be gained. For only through freedoms, can the rules be applied, while allowing creativity and productivity to flourish.
We're not here to object to the rules of the publishing industry. Rather, we'll work within and around them, all the while meshing thoughts and mixing ideas so that we can, in the words of Madame Curie, impress them "like a fairy tale."
Posted by Judy at February 23, 2007 08:40 AM
Comments
Judy, good luck with the blog!
I've found that rules can only take you so far. Sometimes, you've just got to wing it, and see where you end up.
Posted by: Joyce at February 23, 2007 10:57 AM
Write on! (How many times have y'all heard that?)
Fellow garden writer Felder Rushing told me, "The rules stink," which isn't to say you make your own as a writer. Or do we??
Posted by: TC at February 23, 2007 11:17 AM
Great. Short, sweet and to the point.
Posted by: Janice at February 23, 2007 11:29 AM
I've long held to the belief that it's good to break a rule, but you have to know what the rule is and why you're breaking it. I think that meshes with your plan to "stick to the rules and tunnel through them," and I'm really looking forward to this adventure!
Posted by: Cynthia Closkey at February 23, 2007 11:34 AM
Great observations and advice, Judy. You have always been a terrific coach and a dedicated cheerleader for the writers you mentor. If writing were a sport, you'd be a definite MVP!!
Posted by: Mary at February 23, 2007 01:09 PM
On the one hand, so much of writing is subjective... you have to write to please yourself, or what's the point? And if that means bucking the rules, so much the better. That's how I felt at 18. Of course, I was also too chicken to send anything out then, and even at 30 when I picked up my pen again.
Now that I'm over 40, my viewpoint has undergone a major shift. I want to be able to support myself doing what I love - and if that means doing my homework and knowing the rules, so be it. By doing that, I've learned where I have room to do my own thing and when it wouldn't make sense to do so, always keeping my goals in mind.
I'm certainly not out to revolutionize the publishing world - but I'd love to change the world, like Jo Rowling has. And she never intended to revolutionize anything - she just had a story to tell, and she didn't give up until she found someone who wanted to hear it, and look what happened as a result! Not a bad example to follow in terms of attitude.
I've also learned to be fearless - my skin has grown incredibly thick in terms of being critiqued. The tougher the better, as far as I'm concerned, as long as it's thoughtful. I want my writing to be as good as it can possibly be, and I'm never afraid to try new things. Ten years ago I went to my room and cried when someone suggested something wasn't working - now I take it as a challenge. I try new things. I take what I need and leave the rest.
I guess what I'm trying to say here, in my usual long-winded way (yeah, I'm still working on that one!) is that for me, for me it's been more about recognizing the rules that apply to me and working from there.
Posted by: Lisa at February 23, 2007 02:16 PM
Hi Judy,
It is hard to know when to break the rules so I look forward to your thoughts and advice! Great site.
Posted by: kathie at February 23, 2007 02:47 PM
Judy, Thanks for provide a space to share your wisdom! I wonder why we remember the people who break the rules? And a better question for publishing: How can we be memorable without breaking them? Best of luck. Kathy
Posted by: Kathy at February 23, 2007 02:56 PM
Wonderful! I can't wait to see what results. I was never great in science lab, but with you at the helm I'm excited about experimenting. I've got my safety goggles on ... let's go!
Posted by: Julie Long at February 23, 2007 06:06 PM
Congratulations on starting your blog! I appreciated your sound advice and honest critiques back when I had about 8 pages to my name, and I'm looking forward to learning more!
Posted by: Susan at February 23, 2007 07:30 PM
Thanks so much to everyone for visiting and commenting. We can take on the rules together and make them work for us! Let me know what challenges you face so we can address them here, in this Writing Lab space, for all to grow from and move beyond. I am a believer in the theory that whatever we experience, we are better off when we share it with colleagues and friends. So let's join hands and head onward and upward--together!
Posted by: Judy Schneider at March 8, 2007 04:18 PM