I stumbled across Jim Butcher's Livejournal page today. Yes, I know, I'm supposed to be working on my submissions. I have no excuse. I am not worthy... yadda, yadda, yadda.
Anyway, I've read exactly... one Dresden File book. I did not find it inspiring and I can only vaguely remember it. But, and it's a big one: Jim never gave up and now has a series and the television series. Good for him. And I mean that. Determination to succeed should be rewarded.
I'm sure you can think of a number of authors whom you thought were so-so. Your choice, my choice, no big.
The journal, however, is a testament to good craftmanship. He has a number of posts on how he writes; his own how to that might start a newbie writer off. He has also posted bad reviews, something you don't see very often.
In this age of instant comment, writers - I think - have to be aware of the good and the bad. Not everyone will fall over themselves to read your work, not everyone has a good/bad response to your work. But it does pay to keep in mind what reviewers say about your work.
Jim has posted one in particular dealing with the workings of a gun. Jim got it wrong and the reviewer pointed it out. I imagine it's a mistake Jim won't make again (free dig here) unlike Laurel K. Hamilton who doesn't read reviews at all and wonders why so many people hate her books.
The point is that none of the negativity has Jim throwing up his hands and deciding not to write any more. Writing is a constant learning curve and no one expects to be absolutely perfect on their first go - at least, they shouldn't. Your very best work is the least any editor expects. And while you're going to get bumps and bruises along the way, if you absorb the lessons, there's only one way to go and that's to improve.
Jim's advice doesn't work for me. I'm not that organised and if I used his recommendations, I'd never start a book because I'd be - as they say in the vernacular - over it before it began. That doesn't mean it won't work for others.
I may not appreciate his books, but I do appreciate the help of a published author.
3 comments:
That sounds like a really interesting blog. I haven't found my "writing way" yet. Too organized and I feel like the novel is written before I even get the first word down, and too loosey goosey and I only write for so long and then I get bored because I have no destination. Experimenting has been helping though.
I gotta check his blog out, just to see what he does. It sounds interesting.
I love it when perseverance pays off, whether for a writer or inventor or whatever.
Yeah, some of those comments... he had to have a bad case of the wince!
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