Welcome to another blog chain (and thank goodness for them because I’ve been slacking a bit on this blog). This round’s topic was created by Laura. She asks:
Regarding your writing career, what’s the best mistake you’ve ever made and why?
This is a good question but so hard. I was going to write finishing a 300+ page novel and then scrapping the whole thing, but I don’t consider writing it a mistake as I learned so much from it; it’s what made me realize to try writing YA. So I’m going to go with not listening to an agent’s advice–something SHE said was a mistake.
This is all happened in 2005, I think. I had just finished that manuscript I just spoke of, and a bookstore in a nearby town was running a writing day with agents and publishers. I was so excited to go and bought queries with me (something that was suggested). As the day wore on, I was able to shmooze with various agents and one (let’s call her Expert Agent because that’s pretty much how she billed herself when she spoke on the panel) was really interested in my story–based on the query. Most of the editors on the panel were very encouraging, and stated what they were and were not looking for. However, they also stressed the importance of getting multiple opinions on manuscripts sent out. Don’t let one person in the business get you down. And they added some dos and dont’s.
Then EA spoke. Her speech was very doom and gloom and she said writers really need to be a part of critique groups (I agree with this), get other writers’ feedback on manuscripts before sending them out (good point too) and then she stressed to listen when agents tell you to take writing classes to work on craft. She spoke about that at great length. I didn’t think much of it at the time.
At the end of the day, EA sought me out and gave me her card, telling me she wanted me to query her. OMG! I was so psyched. You can imagine all the success stories that played in my head. When I got home, I polished up my chapters and sent her my manuscript later in the week.
It took her two days to get back to me and the crux of her comments had to do with me taking some writing classes. She said my writing was “stilted” among other disheartening things. I mean, it’s one thing if someone doesn’t like your story but when they go into all kinds of writing style criticisms and basically saying you don’t know how, what do you do with that?
I cried and moped for a week. Didn’t go near my computer. Decided it just wasn’t going to happen for me. Then, my sister told me: “Just screw her. You’re a good writer.” And I said, “But, but, but…” And my sister did a there there, comfort comfort but then told me to snap out of it. She reminded me that maybe this agent has a certain style she likes, maybe many have fallen victim to her “kind” advice about writing classes, and that–oh yeah–there are other agents out there.
So I sent out more queries, more sample pages. In the end, agents passed on that story but I got A LOT of personal feedback on it and NOT ONE (other than EA) had negative things to say about my writing. The writing, they said, was the highlight. They picked out passages they liked, called my writing “beautiful”. The story, on the other hand, well…it had issues structurally, among other things, but that I could work on. There would be other stories. I was relieved my writing wasn’t a lost cause.
I saved EA’s criticisms on my e-mail for a long time. As a reminder of what, I don’t really know. I guess a part of me wanted to write her and say, “Haha. I’m getting published. People think I’m a good writer. Take that.” But what would that have accomplished? When I signed with my agency, I finally deleted EA’s “helpful” e-mail. That’s what really helped me move on.
I think agents, editors, critique groups give great advice, but you can’t listen to everyone. If the critique is the same over and over, sit yourself down and honestly evaluate what you have. If it’s just one person, keep going.
If you haven’t read about what made Christine keep going, check out her post. And tune in tomorrow to read Sarah’s post.
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