Advice threads routinely pop up with questions like, "How do I write a query?" and "Should I send my email straight to the editor I know or not?" and "How strict are the word limits?" The posters here quickly answer such questions, but we rarely talk about the psychology behind writing professionally and the mental and social tricks you can use to get ahead.
I was reading Fitness magazine today and persued an article called, "How to Win at Everything." While geared towards women trying to accomplish life goals, the article also perfectly embodied the strategies writers use when building a career. I thought I'd share the tips here along with some of my personal experiences.
1. Compete Only When It Counts. Rule one of the article stated, "Don't get sidetracked by envy: Make sure the things you're competing for are the things you value." Especially when I was starting out (though I still feel like I'm just starting out) as a writer, I had a tendency to accept every assignment that came my way. I pitched every idea that crossed my mind, sent queries to every magazine that would accept them, and said 'yes' to every assignment anyone offered me.
This is great for building credits, but you can't keep up such momentum forever. Sooner or later you'll become burned out and frustrated because you're so busy doing everything at once, you have no time to focus on what you really want to do. It pays to evaluate your goals from time to time -- I'd say at least monthly.
Do you want to write primarily for magazines, or do you want to write game books? Crunch or fluff? Fiction? Fantasy or sci-fi? Once you've built up some industry credits, grow a little more selective of the topics you cover. Try and build towards your eventual goal.
Also beware of your motives. Do you truly want to be a professional career writer? I suspect some people feel like they ought to want to be a writer, and so work at it out of envy (particularly if you're friends with a wannabe writer) or a desire to be part of the industry. There are many ways to contribute to roleplaying games without actually writing them; look honestly at what you want to do and why. Perhaps you'd be happier volunteering at conventions, or just posting consistently in a helpful, conscientious manner on RPG message boards. Don't let what other people think you should do guide your choices.
2. Want The Win. Of course, you can take #1 too far. A few times on these boards, myself and other writers talk about the apathy that is our greatest enemy. That's when we talk ourselves out of a project before we even start it. I have a whole list of reasons why I shouldn't pitch queries:
a) the idea is stupid and the editors will laugh at me
b) someone else has probably already pitched it
c) the idea is great and the editors will ask me to write it and I won't be able to
d) the idea is great and the editors will ask me to write it and I will, but I'll write it badly and then the editors will laugh at me, and also never give me any work ever again
I thought this was unique to me, but most writers I talk to confess to the same "apathy block" that occasionally stops them from going after a good project.
"Off the (organized sports) field, where the tenets are unwritten and the stakes may be higher, you might refrain from competing entirely or limit yourself to sure bets -- applying for a promotion only if you're positive it won't ruffle anybody's feathers or sticking with your (boring) beginner's step class because the people at the next level are so much fitter than you," writes Marguerite Lamb in Fitness.
If you're going to make writing your career, you can't let fear stop you. Not all your ideas will be great, and you won't always write in top form, and sometimes you'll pitch ideas the editors already have in the works. It won't kill you. Learn to accept that your "apathy" is really fear, and then push past it.
The article also recommends competing with yourself. Take all other writers out of the picture and compare your work only with your previous work. See how much you're improving and strive to develop your talents even further. This isn't a race for "best writer," it's a journey of self-improvement. Really.
3. Learn the Right Way to Lose. "Women tend to attribute their victories to luck or other external factors yet blame their failures on personal shortcomings," the Fitness article reports, quoting Anna Fels, M.D., author of Necessary Dreams.
Well it ain't just women. Writers in general -- human beings in general -- have a tendency to say, "Oh, I got lucky," when something goes right, and "Oh, I'm so stupid!" when something goes wrong.
Accept your failures and your successes as part luck, part personal responsibility. Sure maybe your editor was predisposed to like psionic ninja articles, but you took the initiative to write the query, you came up with a concept that caught his interest, and you delivered the finished article on time and within the proper word limit. Give yourself credit for your successes, and learn from your failures.
4. Play Fair. Writing has the image of being a solitary profession, and when you're at the table alone with your computer, it's true. No one can write the article but you.
But writing as an industry is very social. You must forge connections, learn to network, and deal with other writers, editors, and publishers. Some writers think that "playing dirty" when it comes to the social aspects of writing is okay, but don't be tempted. Bad behaviour will come back to haunt you.
What does playing fair entail? No name calling. No talking behind peoples' backs. If you're freelancing for a company, don't blog about how everyone there is an imbecile except for you. If you're working with another writer, don't send the editor emails about how the other writer sucks and you're doing more than your fair share. If you want to write for a company, don't tell the editor how much their product stinks because of their lousy writers, and how much better a job you'd do. People try this, thinking it will propel them ahead. They think of themselves as "cutthroat," "ruthless," and "practical."
It doesn't work. No one wants to play with a mean kid. Act responsible, professional, and neutral in public and save the rants for your spouse or mother.
5. Accept Applause. At the risk of sounding sexist, I do think this is a bit more of a female failing. Once you've finally climbed the mountain -- you've gotten your first greenlit query, or published your first article, or landed your first book deal -- enjoy your success. Most importantly, accept it.
Modestly brushing off praise might make you look sweetly humble, but it also diminishes your effort. You worked hard for what you got, and to then disregard acknowledgement makes it seem like it wasn't a big deal, and it undermines your authority (and your well deserved kudos). Accepting praise reinforces in your mind that you are worthy of praise, and it also makes you seem gracious.
I admit I had a terrible problem with this in the past. Whenever someone praised me I would reply with, "It was nothing," or "No big deal," or "So and so did most of the work," or "It was easy." Effectively undercutting the praise and the praise-giver and my own effort. It can feel awkward when someone praises you, so you might want to use the trick I learned. It's really easy -- smile and say, "Thank you."
GenCon attendee: "Hey, aren't you Amber Scott? I loved your Ecology of the Will-o'-Wisp!"
Amber: *smiles* "Thank you."
Then stop. It's easy.
Editor in email: "Got your submission today, Amber, thanks! You did a great job, I love it!"
Amber in email: "Thanks, editor."
If it really really seems just too abrupt, add a line about your favorite part of the completed project. DON'T qualify the thanks.
Wrong:
Editor: "You did a great job, I love it!"
Amber: "Thanks, editor, but it was really nothing."
Right:
Editor: "You did a great job, I love it!"
Amber: "Thanks, editor, I enjoy writing ecologies."
So there it is, my writing advice distilled into Fitness-magazine format. Feel free to add your own bits of advice or comment on the posted ones or whatever. :-)
-Amber S.
Thank you. There's some great advice there. Now I know that I'm not the only one with fears of people laughing at me. :) Maybe you could write for Fitness? ;)
Enough from me for now. I suddenly want to write a query for psionic ninjas. ;)
Rock solid advice. Thank you for taking the time.
Meds!
You rocketh. This advice is awesome and useful to writers just starting out and to those with some creds under their belt. Great advice about working in any field actually. I do more theatre than writing and what you have to say definately applies there as well. Good stuff. Thanks for sharing. Happy Holidays everyone!
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Thanks Amber,
I for one don't always stop to think about such things as you mentioned in your advice column. Especially turning down work, which I'm petrified to do out of the irrational fear that saying "no" means I'll never work again.
I also tend to be pretty much a lone gunman out there as well, however that too, I've been trying to change. After all, the community is filled with such cool creative people, and RPGing is such a social type of hobby, and of course everything is based upon the collective contributions of multiple authors.
Anyway, I just wanted to let you know that your two cents is much appreciated.
Tim
After reading your column I have a renewed sense of purpose when it comes to writing. Although, I am not so much sure about pushing past fear. I tend to think that the fear of failure and being laughed at is what keeps us at our best. But then again, I also believe that when i am writing i am writing for no one but myself. Do I like what I am doing? Would I want to read it? It might sound like I am being very self centered, but what got me into it was the joy I have when I sit down and write a few pages about a character or some other dream world.
Information is well stated and very much appreciated.
Thank you for all the little tidbits that I never thought of.
Later
p.s. I prefer Men's Health to Fitness, or Runner's World
I tend to think that the fear of failure and being laughed at is what keeps us at our best.
I'm not so sure about that... at least in regards to myself.
When I write, I write stories that I think I and others will enjoy but I don't worry too much about folks laughing at it. I write more out of a sense that I think I can do it better than Author X over there. I think a lot people who want to or do write do it because they read something bad once, or saw a poorly scripted movie and said to themselves "I can do better than that." Given the state of fantasy literature these days I don't think that's a stretch.My advice: Write with swagger. Be confident. This is your world you make the rules so be daring. Remember, someone wrote and then filmed Gigli. All any of us has to do is better than that.
Egotistically yours,
GGG
I want my $8 back!
- Randel from Clerks to George Lucas in regards to Phantom Menace
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I write more out of a sense that I think I can do it better than Author X over there. I think a lot people who want to or do write do it because they read something bad once, or saw a poorly scripted movie and said to themselves "I can do better than that."
I actually write because I enjoy it (whether or not I submit anything). Before freelancing, I was writing all the time for my campaign anyway, and my wife suggested I submit stuff. She said, as long as you're doing it, you might as well get paid.
I agreed with her and have now gotten my rather expensive hobby to pay for itself. Its like a reward for DMing.Basically I write what I need or want for my own games, and getting it published excuses me from justifying its implementation to my crew and saves me the trouble of printing up player copies.
tim