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Never Stop Growing
 Posted by Shoshana Brown Jan 27 2012, 12:00 am in growth, Shoshana Brown, writing craft If you’re a parent, you’re probably familiar with growth charts. I started in the rapid-growth phase. With every chapter I wrote, my skill set noticeably improved. Simple changes, like writing my synopsis before I started the manuscript, so that I’d have a road map to follow, had the power to jump start my productivity and manuscript quality. The wonderful thing about this phase was that the rejections didn’t sting too much. By the time an editor told me they didn’t want manuscript A, manuscript B was finished, and it was so much better, I couldn’t believe I’d ever thought A was publication quality. Then, one day, I finished a manuscript that wasn’t much better than the one before it. I’ve done it! I thought. I’ve reached that magical point where my writing is fully grown and ready to leave the house. I will be a NY Times Bestselling author any day. Except, while I was getting more personalized rejections, and even some revise and resubmit letters, I didn’t get The Call. Those rejections hurt. If my writing had stopped improving before it was good enough to catch the notice of an agent or editor, how was I ever going to sell? I decided I was just going to have to find a way to write a better manuscript. So I took a class. And my writing started to improve again. Not as quickly as before–I was definitely in a slower growth phase. But I was still noticeably growing. And as long as I keep improving my craft, I know that one day (preferably one day soon) I’ll write that manuscript the editors will fight over. What do you do to jump start your growth as a writer? Any favorite books, classes, or exercises you can share? Share:
              
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I am a slow learner. It took 22 years, but Christmas Eve I got an email with a five book offer. I couldn’t move, I just sucked the air out of the room and said WOW for a very long time. It was too late to wake my hubby and too late to contact my CP’s on the other side of the country.
My adventure was filled with lots of writing friends who have a never-ending amount of patience and never gave up on explaining what I was doing wrong and how to improve my writing skills. I took classes from people I learned had really great teaching skills and sucked in the encouragement. I have friends now that cannot believe I am the same writer they read a couple of years ago. For some reason I caught on – you know, the light bulb moment when everything fell into place. I don’t begin to think I have hit the peak of my learning because I will always want to learn how to do it better, but my advice is never give up. I’ve been called very stubborn, but I prefer to call it persevering.
Wow, congratulations!!
Wow!! That’s absolutely fabulous! What a Christmas gift–and you made it for yourself!
Congrats, Paisley!
woohoo Paisley! I checked out your website, I love 1849 CA, let us know when your books will be available!
I love a woman who is as stubborn as a pack-mule. LOL. Congrats, lady, on that fab deal.
Yes–those lightbulb moments make it all worth it.
Congratulations again, Paisley. Can’t wait to read your books.
Congratulations!!!
I cannot decide what I think on this. I agree – when you get in a funk, go out and try something new.
But I also think that’s dangerous in terms of one’s unique voice. I feel like we’ve come to focus too much on craft i our genre and less on telling a kickass story… I don’t think Shakespeare or Whitman or JK Rowling or Nora Roberts or Stephen King were always going to workshops or fretting over POV or building complex excel spreadsheets or plotting turning points and black moments or memorizing Strunk and White. I could be wrong, but I feel like our genre has gotten overly crazy about having manuscripts that are overly edited and polished but lack that raw, unique quality of something new and different. Wouldn’t a really good editor recognize something good even with flaws or the wrong font? Yes, but I think they don’t exercise that ability as often anymore as they might have, because the time/effort/money it would take to massage that work isn’t in the budget anymore. So instead, I find (getting jaded here) that all the stories coming out these days are almost indistinguishable from one another.
I still think the best two things you can do as a writer are to read and to write, and do so widely, topic-wise. Anything you can do to broaden your tricks – great. But I really wonder if using writer’s tricks actively, as opposed to organically, really helps win over editors… although maybe if you don’t try them out and practice them, they never come about spontaneously.
Always,a well crafted sentence is worth a (self) pat on the back. Writing is a muscle you exercise, there are plateaus and spurts, just like that growth chart…
A good reminder, Laurie, that the best things about good writing can’t be explained or taught by rational means. And, definitely, there’s no substitute for the osmotic effect of reading, reading, reading as much great stuff as you can.
At the same time, I do think there are teachable methods that can help writers grow (and, hopefully, unlock the inner resources that would lead to richer writing and more authentic voice.)
The class Shoshana mentions (see the link above) is Margie Lawson’s Empowering Character’s Emotions, which I’d count among the classes that have helped me see my writing in a new (but not mechanistic) way.
You definitely don’t want to do anything that messes with your voice. So it’s all about finding what works for you–which are probably not the same things that worked for me.
In a way, I agree with you, Laurie. Voice is everything. I just wish it was enough. I don’t take a lot of online classes except when I’m writing about werewolves, I take a class about werewolves or history or PIs etc. I did take a much needed grammar and punctuation class, but flunked, I think. It seems the more I know, the more I filter my writing and question my choices. If I studied the “craft” of writing maybe I’d be a better writier and I’d be on the NYT best sellers list and I’d be super rich…or…maybe I wouldn’t be published at all because the magic would be sucked away. Perhaps I should filter and question myself more. Or less. I don’t know. If I don’t filter my writing, my editor, who asks me nicely to take out my fat jokes and fart jokes so I don’t offend readers, will filter me. What it boils down to is…I don’t know. And pardon my grammar and punctuation, oh and probably my spelling too.
I’ve done the same thing. Huge learning curve at first. I’m still getting better, but maybe not at such a fast rate as before. I love Jodi Henley! Her workshops are great plotting for pantsers material. I’m taking an EditPalooza workshop now through Savvy Authors, and though it’s very hard work, I’m whipping my first manuscript into much better shape. I need to because the sequel to it is so much better (that learning curve again!) that it needs to be published. But I have to get the first one through the door. Other of my fav writer resources are Jami Gold and Suzannah’s Write it Sideways. I’ve been trying to read books on craft, but I rarely have time, and I honestly lose interest in a lot of them quickly. Maybe I should read them more like reference books. Can’t really grow as a writer from them if I can’t finish the darn book! So far, I’ve learned the most from blogs and workshops. It’s best to identify what you need to work on and then choose classes or workshops that focus on those weakest areas. For me at the moment, that would be story structure and plotting. I know in a year, I’ll look back and be amazed at how much more I’ve learned. Too bad I can’t pay that knowledge backward to myself today
I’ve had the same experience with books, and what has helped me find ones that hold my interest is to pay as much attention to the author as the subject. Some authors just don’t say things in a way I get, even if they’re presenting the exact same information as someone who does.
Happy writing, Angela.
I’ve been thinking I should take a few online classes … bone up on conflict and such.
But like Angela, I do most of my learning via blogs (like the Rubies’). I haven’t had enough time to do a lot of workshops. The RWA Nationals recordings from NYC still sit, unopened.
Oh, Arlene, crack those tapes open. I listen to mine all the time, especially while on the treadmill and bike. I’ve gathered nuggets of wisdom from speakers that I’d probably never would’ve gone to their workshop, because they’re not in my genre. And now, I know next conference if they’re there, I’ll be front row, taking notes.
If you need a jump start, the tapes will do it–like going to a conference.
I’ve got a bunch of workshop recordings that have been languishing on my iPod. I really need to get that thing charged so I can listen while I’m cooking or exercising.
I listen to RWA National recordings on my iPod when I’m mowing the lawn. Mowing takes a couple of hours, so I can knock off two workshops each time!
I can put them on my iPod? Guess I didn’t realize that. I have an 8G iPhone waiting to be filled …
And as a GH finalist, I didn’t get to attend nearly as many workshop sessions as I wanted to last summer.
Reading a variety of books in and out of the romance genre is my way of studying craft. I love seeing how different and especially newly released authors put together their work.
I do the same thing, Gillian – study craft primarily by reading others’ books, with a special appreciation for debut releases, which are typically crackling with voice, and written/revised/polished over a longer period of time. I studied creative writing in college, and am blessed with the ability to read on several levels simultaneously; I’m immersed in the story as a reader, yet aware of craft choices at a conscious level. It’s not unusual for me to be reading along, find my eyes suddenly stinging, and be able to analyze the sentence for the very turn of phrase that made me cry.
I also enjoy taking workshops. It helps recharge the batteries.
Yes! I have a few books on my keeper shelf that are put together so beautifully that even while I was immersed in the story, I was thinking–this could be a manual for the four-act structure.
And when I run into a writing problem–like, how do I make this character who has done some bad things likeable–I go to my bookshelf to see how my favorite authors pulled it off.
Shoshana, your post brings up one of my favorite writing memories. Though I didn’t start writing novels until recently, I’ve always taken writing classes and workshops. About fifteen years ago, I went to a writing retreat taught by novelist Margot Livesey, and sitting in the chair next to me was fantasy writer Patricia Wrede. She had a number of critically-praised novels under her belt by that time, some of which I had on my keeper shelf! But she was there as a student, there to learn. No ego, participated in all class exercises, didn’t even tell our classmates she was published.
Though Patricia didn’t realize it, I learned as much from her that week as I did from Margot.
That’s such an awesome story!
That’s class.
And I really like Margot Livesey. Cool to have taken a class w/ her.
I’ve probably taken enough classes and read enough writing how-to books to have a PhD! I did it during a time I was unable to write, but I couldn’t abandon it completely. That period of time with all the lessons helped me, I believe because the first book I wrote when I got back to it was my finalist book!
It definitely wasn’t wasted time, then!
Excellent post, and very timely. My CP’s and I were just discussing this very thing. I cast a wide net to improve my writing. I read published books in my genre, I judge contests (and always find mistakes in those entries and realize I’ve made the same mistakes in my own), I take online courses, and read craft books. A little bit of everything, but as Laurie said, we should be careful not to work too hard to ‘fit the formula’ because then our creativity suffers. But the thing I rely on the most is my fabulous critique partners. Find someone you trust who is willing to tell you where your writing is weak. I’m past the need to have someone tell me it’s good. I need them to point out how to make my writing GREAT. (Well, I still like to hear it’s good, too.)
Great point, Tracy. A good CP can look at your manuscript with a perspective you just don’t have.
Tracy’s CP love works both ways (as one of her CP’s, I can say that with firsthand knowledge, hah!). We’re incredibly fortunate to have a group that gels so well. We know each others’ styles very well, and can pinpoint nuances that we ourselves just don’t see. It’s the best of both worlds. I’d be up the proverbial creek without my critique group!!!
“I need them to point out how to make my writing GREAT.”
What a fantastic attitude, Tracy. And I know what you mean. My CP is fantastic at pushing me from good to great.
*Waving in case Jen is reading this*
Your point about learning from reading contest entries is a really good one!
When something’s NOT working in someone else’s manuscript, it really slams you in the face. It would be nice if flaws were as glaringly obvious in one’s one manuscript, but alas…. But that’s what CP’s are for!!
As another of Tracy’s CPs, I can definitely say the CP love goes around. What’s most important, I think, is not just the actual critique. It’s the support. Ups, downs, in-betweens. Bad wc, good wc, losing a file, deleting 10,000 words, and making that scene go from good to great. And most of all, we’re genuinely happy for each other on the good days, and genuinely devastated for each other on the bad (rejection) days. But no matter what, we always have each other to rely on, and I think that helps us grow day by day, manuscript by manuscript.
Classes are a great help. I’ve taken some from Mary Buckham, Kris Kennedy and Carol Hughes that have helped in my growth. Critique partners (the good ones) can take your writing to a whole other level. Reading widely, without suffering through the “same old, same old” that Laurie talks about above, contributes to your growth. But I don’t think anything leads to growth like BICHOK day in and day out until the work is finished and polished.
Just 2 cents from a (still) unpublished writer.
Absolutely–the actual writing is the most important thing to do.
—> But I don’t think anything leads to growth like BICHOK day in and day out until the work is finished and polished.
This is so true, Kate.
As a former competitive gymnast, I see distinct parallels between BICHOK and time spent practicing, say, a balance beam routine in the gym. No way could I do a no-fall, minute-thirty beam routine in a competitive situation without a lot of repetition, and hundreds (thousands) of falls, during hundreds (thousands) of hours of practice.
Great post, girl! I’m of the school that you never stop learning, and that you can learn something from everyone. Sometimes, it’s what not to do.
Workshops, tapes, craft books, blogs, interviews, reading in and out of genre, judging contests, working with other writers… I’ve done them all and continue to do so. There is just so much to learn. It’s important to develop the sense to know what is right for you and to put into practice.
>>Sometimes, it’s what not to do.
Yes. That can be just as important.
My Irish Gram alwlays said, “A day you learn nothing is a day you’ve wasted.” I’m not big on classes, but I do read craft books and make note of things that work and don’t work within things I read and critique. A lot can be learned working with others.
I have always written in some form, but writing fiction is unlike any other type of writing (which I, of course, learned the hard way). It’s the difference between a ruthlessly landscaped garden and seeds and bulbs thrown at random. Have I grown as a writer since I threw myself into the mix? Oh, yeah. Lots of weeds and rogue shoots, though. Thinking back on the first POS and its first siblings, I cringe. Excellent analogy, Shoshana.
>>Lots of weeds and rogue shoots, though
It takes a lot of pruning, but you get a more interesting garden that way.
I really appreciated this post, Shoshana–thanks!I think what resonated for me was the way earlier criticism was easy to blow off (I’d already seen how much better my new manuscript was, so the rejections for the old one made sense). But I’m getting close to done on a manuscript I really like…and that actually makes sending it out scarier, because this time being told it’s not good enough would be a lot more devastating. I know I’m borrowing trouble before it arrives–I hope this is the manuscript that gets The Call–but it’s still an emotion I feel and need to recognize. Thanks for the opportunity to think and talk about it.
That’s what I’m here for.
I’ll be thinking good thoughts for you and the new manuscript, Elise, and hoping you get The Call soon.
I think we put so mich focus on writing that often, reading falls by the wayside. I read a book a week, and I’d like to think it makes me a stronger writer in the long run. Even if I read something of which I’m not fond (it’s rare in this genre!), I get a sense of what not to do in my own work. Collecting a vast mental encyclopedia of other writers’ characters, plotlines, GMCs, all of it adds to those lightbulb moments that I have in my own work.
Plus, it’s just FUN to plop down with a book and call it “research”
I definitely let reading fall by the wayside when I’m in writing mode. Thanks for the reminder not to.
Yes–I’m sadly behind on my reading. Sounds like I need to have a research day.
I routinely review one or two lessons from my favorite instructors a week. Just went over some from Donald Maas and Bob Mayer’s 102 solutions to common writing mistakes. But I believe keeping it fresh means reading many genres. I may read a paragraph or page that I like over and over several times. One particular book I have on my Kindle I have it in print and I have another that is highlighted and sticky noted I liked it so much. There is another book that I absolutely despised. For me it was awful. I went out and bought a print copy although I hated the thought of giving the author money and did the same with the highlighting in the sticky notes. Only those sticky notes have never do this don’t do this written on them.
>>I routinely review one or two lessons from my favorite instructors a week.
That’s a great idea, Rita. I have a whole folder of the lessons and exercises that helped me the most, and I’m sure if I went over them again, with a new perspective, I’d learn even more.
Brilliant (and hilarious), Rita!!
I guess I feel like I’ve taken a lot of the workshops that are available (or at least some version of them), but may find one or two to brush up on. I’ve actually considered seeking out online courses on criminal profiling, since I write a lot about it. But I can’t imagine taking on anything to that degree right now. Someday, maybe…
And like the others, I have the conference workshops on CD, but haven’t listened to them yet. It’s been on my to-do list forever. I think I’ll have hubby help me put them on my iPod so I can listen and take walks…kill two new year’s resolutions with one stone!
Criminal profiling sounds like it would be a really interesting class to take–but only when you have the time. You’ve got to keep your life balanced.
I love yuour graph. How true!!
Thanks for stopping by, Mona. Hope you’re having a great writing day!
Great post, Shoshana. I love the comparison to a child’s growth chart with its plateaus and spurts. Makes total sense. Margie’s class kicked me into a new gear, too.(as did Writing the Breakout Novel w/Don Maass). Every once in a while, a swift kick makes all the difference.
>> Every once in a while, a swift kick makes all the difference.
Yes–if only it wasn’t painful.
Great analogy, Shoshana. I tend to learn in bursts and plateaus – and the plateaus feel like they’re getting longer and longer. I wish I knew how to rattle myself out of my current stasis. If you find the secret, let me know?
Okay–you’re first on the list.
Sorry I’m late to the party, Shoshana. I always seem to be playing catch-up these days. It was a great post. I think the thing that has helped me most to grow as a writer is to critique other people’s work and to read badly written books. Nothing points out my mistakes more than when I see them in someone else’s work. It really is true that when you give to others, you get something back.
Yes–it’s so much easier to find those mistakes in someone else’s work–we just don’t have the perspective to find them in our own sometimes.
Oh I’m so late to this, but Margie Lawson’s classes and lecture packets REALLY helped me write fresh and sharpen my prose. Her classes are well worth the effort!!!
GREAT post, Shoshana!!!!
Yes–I love Margie’s online classes. I tried to take one of her immersion master classes last year, but…let’s just say forces were conspiring against me. Some day.