Sarah Anne Johnson: What would you say to someone working on a first novel?
Elizabeth McCracken: If you think, "Is this a novel? How do I know that I'm writing a novel? How do I know it's not just one damn page after another?"--that's how it is. Most of my advice has to do with preparing yourself for depression and heartbreak in the actual writing of the book. You must be prepared to break your own heart.
I'm not a big-dreamer-kind-of-guy. I'd rather scale back my writing, downsize it into smaller manageable pieces. Less words, less heartache--easier for me to swallow rejection. Why punish myself? Why stay indoors and brood? Why not enjoy the day?
I'm a realist. I play the odds, finding the tiniest of the tiniest literary journals to submit my work. The more obscure the better. I've sold myself short many times, once giving a now defunct literary magazine the 1st North American Serial Rights to a short story, then reneging when something better came along. How do you do that? Very simple: I hereby rescind my initial offer ...
I remember contacting Eric Novak, the founder of Elitist Publications and author of "Killing Molly." He and his cohorts were assembling an anthology of short stories and poetry by Detroit writers. I'd read his first novel, thought it sucked (to put it mildly), and decided they might be impressed with my work. Eric got the idea for his novel while placed under house arrest for a drug conviction. Talk about irony: A correctional educator seeking the help of someone who almost went to prison.
After several emails back and forth (including an attached short story), Mr. Novak leveled with me. They were interested in posting fiction and poetry on their website prior to making selections for their anthology. I felt like I was being conned. Anyway, Elitist Publications no longer has a website and probably no longer exist. I wonder if Mr. Novak slipped into a deep depression and no longer writes. I did unearth an old review of "Killy Molly" at The Detroiter.com, and here's the last bit of info regarding Elitist (click here). Hope I didn't torch another bridge.
17 comments:
If you can write your short pieces every day here, each of which has the essentials, and a beginning a middle and an ending why do you believe writing a longer work would be so difficult?
TWM wrote his first 85,000 word piece in 3 weeks, the second 45,000 in one, the third 65,000, in three, the fourth 85,000 in two, the fifth 40,000 in four, the sixth 92,000 in five weeks. The writing them isn't the hard part it is the constant editing and revisions which take the time.
All of the ones that are copyrighted at the Library of Congress (the first 4) have each been gone through a minimum of five times. And that after laying each one aside for at least two months without looking at it again between revisions.
And all the while keeping up on other writing projects, like short stories, shorts (1000 words or less) and now hundreds of individual pieces of poetry.
And still having a life outside of writing, such as my life is.
But the difference is once I had something published, wrote a chapbook/Anthology with urban poet Aricka Foreman and self published it (www.leadfootpress.com---Black White and Blue in Detroit $10 63 pages, intro by Michelle Brooks)received my 200 rejection slips;including personal notes from the editors of some of the houses and agents. I quit caring if anyone ever published my work again. and now I've come to the point where I don't care if I ever write another piece of creative writing again, and don't give a damn if anyone ever reads any of it.
You,unlike TWM, still care Jim, you have the talent and the skill to be published, through a wide range of venues, you just seem to believe that all of your "fans" are blowing smoke up your ass when they compliment your writing. Which is your greatest fault.
Jim, I wonder if these smaller shops sell peoples works to larger companies? And people just don't know it! It must take a lot of effort to get a reading published. Need to be noticed! Hand in there! Let me know how the bug world goes today! :) --Bro, Ron
Have you ever checked out:
www.commonties.com/index.php
Just heard about it as an on-line place to submit work (and get paid).
I haven't tried yet - don't know how legit it might be.
Jim, I feel your pain. One more jerkoff editor slips away into the drunken night. Elizabeth McCracken, on the other hand, is right groovy for a former librarian ;) Certainly wiser than Laura Bush. . .
Some bridges are pretty unstable to begin with, and lead to nowhere.
TWM,
Hmmm, I thought I felt a draft.
Charles,
Only if you fall in.
Beth,
I'll check it out.
Erik,
Most of the librarians I know get themselves into serious trouble. McCracken's cool though. And you.
Its kind of like your brake light.You keep trying and trying, talk yourself out of a couple of tickets, and eventually it gets fixed, and the light comes on. In your case, just not permanently, but don't give up. No? MW :)
It's a little like quantum mechanics, like Time and Chance.
Many years ago, I was in Mexico writing the Great Canadian Novel.
After 400 pages, I was convinced that I had blown it.
Took it to the Instituto Allende's Creative Writing course. (University of California satellite campus).
Said Tom Mayer, of Playboy and Viking Press: First third of the book is totally original,shades of Jerzy Kosinski or Romain Gary!;
Last two- thirds still another imitationof Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man.
We kept the first third and I got a scholarship. Eventually, my Black Icon was published.
You never know.
To this day, I remain a pantser. And I keep a rabbit's foot.
Ivan
well the last draft ended in'71
feeling a rough draft means you have an outline for a longer work
or if you mean me as a slight wind coming though a poorly caulked window, no wasn't me. I do hurricanes and tornadoes nothing slight in my world.
Checked out my blog lately...oops I deleted everything on it, all 200 pieces of prose and poetry written since mid January...1 at a time; but I did leave a small wind there if that's what you felt.
Or if you're saying that I am blowing smoke up your ass, then I will attribute that to you not knowing me, I don't do that to anyone ever. Ain't my style. If I thought you were a hack I wouldn't bother to try to make you believe more in your abilities as a story teller. I would tell you that what you write is shit, plain and simple. Ask our favorite professor she has seen me when I critique a piece.
"I quit caring if anyone ever publishes my work again. and now I've come to the point where I don't care if I ever write another piece of creative writing again, and don't give a damn if anyone ever reads any of it."
I may continue to read it in public
and may not that I haven't decided yet. But one point is that this was the very first year I read in slams, something I never thought I could do but you know what? When the regular season had ended I still had managed to keep a spot in the upper half of the pack, reading against professional money making poets, who had their own rah rah section, and was able to move into the semi-finals, which I had to drop out of because of a car accident that fucked up my neck but the point being I tried to do something I thought I couldn't and did pretty goddamn good for a rookie.
Oh yeah the blurb about the chap book, I don't make a dime off of them. I gave all the profit to Aricka because she is a college student and the money fits better in her pocket than mine so thanks for not deleting the post.
Walking man:
I think JR's remark was innocuous.
You one bitter dude.
I can epaathise,certainly when it comes to losing all your children in cyberspace. Aghh.
But starting fights in the slushpile!
Ivan
...should read empathize
Ivan
JR: I don't think you will burn bridges. The midnight oil maybe, but not bridges. You are a natural writer.
Donnetta
can i tell you how many times i've tried to start writing a book? i even tried to do an outline and work from that but i suck at outlines...i got published while preggo but i consider it more journalism than anything else since it was a monthly column about what was going on with my pregnant self.
I enjoy reading of your perseverance. It makes me feel up to the rejection. I just don't know where to start with half my ideas.
There was a meme going around recently and one of the questions asked was "What is the lowest form of misery?" and someone wrote "Rejection". You have to keep getting yourself out there.
Josie
Thanks for an inside look at the trails and tribulations of getting published. Sheds light on what one might be in for.
Post a Comment