Since I’ve learned there’s another perspective on writing, thanks to my book coach Jennie, I’ve become more critical of the traditional advice established writers give to emerging writers. I believe the crux of the advice is sound, but the way it’s given is counterproductive.
I was recently given a book, Letters to a Young Writer by award-winning author Colum McCann, author of Let the Great World Spin, which I loved.
Here are some examples of the advice, why it’s unhelpful and what it should be instead:
1. Advice: “Be earnest. Be devoted. Be subversive of ease… Fail. Take pause. Accept the rejections. Be vivified by collapse. Practice resuscitation. Have wonder.”
Why it’s Unhelpful: Failure and rejection are part of the gig, and yes, we should all have wonder and “be vivified by collapse.” But is that useful? To hear an award-winning author who teaches creative writing say “be happy you’re failing!”
What it Should Be: Rejection sucks. It’s demoralizing and difficult and even if failure will lead to a better book, it doesn’t make it any easier to deal with at the moment. I can tell you to hang in there, but I don’t have to because you already are. And that’s what you should focus on. Give yourself a gold star for writing even one word. No one else is going to (yet) but you deserve it, because writing is hard, no matter what any non-writer says.
2. Advice: “Each year my first class in the Hunter College MFA [Masters of Fine Arts] program begins with the statement that I won’t be able to teach the students anything at all. This comes as bit of a shock to the twelve young men and women who have decided to devote themselves to the crafty, sullen art…I don’t mean my opening statement to them every semester as an act of discouragement: it is, I hope the exact opposite. I can teach you nothing. Now that you know this, go learn.”
Why it’s Unhepful:Uh… because you as the student in his class are paying thousands of dollars for him to do just that–teach you. This, in my opinion, is a copout. What if we said to the structural engineer, hey, let me just guide you and you figure out the magical way to create something extraordinary? Ok, you’ll argue, writing and bridge-building are entirely different and one is necessary to our physical safety while the other is not. But what if this very attitude–you can’t “teach” writing–is why 99% of manuscripts get rejected by literary agents? What if it’s because (like me) many of these writers are self-taught, based on advice like this, so we flounder? Yes, there will be people who just instinctively get it. Most of us won’t. There are hundreds of writing programs in universities and colleges all across the world, so obviously the people taking our tuition think it can be taught.
What it Should be: There are many different ways to write. As your teacher, I’m going to show you the process, step-by-step, that works for me. You may find that it doesn’t work for you and that’s fine–but don’t assume you can wing it. Doctors don’t wing it; lawyers don’t wing it; police officers don’t wing it. They’re all highly trained first. If you’re serious about your craft, you need to learn the fundamentals. Writing is not mysterious or magical–it may come across that way when you read it–but it’s not. I will teach you what to do–then how you do it is up to you.
3. Advice: “[The young writer] must read everything that comes her way. The classics, the old books that speak to her from the shelves, the tomes recommended by teachers, the chapbooks left on subway seats, the old dog-eared novels in the railway station, the ancient hardcover in the holiday cottage…. A young writer must also read contemporaries. Fiercely and jealously. She must go into the bookshop and spend hours in awe and contemplation.”
Why It’s Unhelpful: Reading is good, yes. Necessary, yes. But the pressure! Does Mr. McCann not realize that, practically-speaking, what he’s suggesting is impossible? That most writers do not make a living off their work–especially new, emerging writers who have yet to publish? That most writers have day jobs and families and responsibilities outside of their writing, that there simply isn’t time to read as he suggests? When, pray tell, was the last time I had hours to spend at a bookshop, let alone in awe and contemplation?
What it Should Be: Read when you can. It’s helpful to look at how other people write. I know you have a busy life–made even harder by trying to fit in a job that is unpaid and, at the moment, no one else cares about–so read when you can. And give yourself a gold star for reading even one word.
So, you see? I have it all figured out. All I need is the bestselling novel and the awards and then I’ll be all set to dispense advice, too. 🙂