A Writer's Best Friend is... Failure?
Tuesday, February 23, 2010 at 05:01PM If you think writing is all about success, you're wrong. Writing is just as much about failure as success. In the right doses, it can be a writer's best friend.
What are your favorite books about? Are they about perfect people living perfect lives? Are they about kids or adults who effortlessly achieve one brilliant success after another? Can you imagine anything more boring? And do you know of any writer, who, when asked, "What inspired you to write?" answers, "I was inspired by my perfect life?" or, "I was inspired by my string of successes?"
Um, no. Most of us say things like, "I was the class misfit," or "I spent hours alone in my room and turned to books for consolation." Or "I lived in an imaginary world and everyone thought I was crazy until I started writing..."
Mr. Frog
Have you also ever noticed that the most inspiring, positive stories are filled with sadness and death, and the funniest stories are about painful, humiliating events? In 7th grade, I was chosen to serve tea to an honored guest on Career Day. I proceeded to drop a laden tea tray right into his lap. The humiliation of that moment was seared into my memory - and years later, I used it in a scene in The Accidental Witch, one of my first novels. Failure can be one of a writer's biggest inspirations.
Failure is also an intrinsic part of the writing process. What is revision other than failing to write a perfect story the first - or the second - or the third - or the thirty-third time around? Yep, that's what we writers do. We fail all day long. And then we fail some more. Cheerful, isn't it?
Trying to get published at first often amounts to a string of seemingly endless rejections. EVERY writer, without exception, gets rejected at some point or other in his or her career. I fondly remember one of my early rejections. The book was called "The Crinkle in the Puddle" (don't ask!) and one editor wrote me, "The puddle doesn't have enough personality." "It's a puddle," I remember exclaiming. "It doesn't HAVE a personality!" Needless to say, the book was never published.
When a writer finally succeeds at publishing a book, there is often more failure awaiting him or her. Reviewers may recoil in horror. "Take away her writing license!" That's what I always imagine a reviewer thinking when they really hate one of my books. Or, "She shouldn't be allowed unsupervised near any alphabet!" Sometimes the reviewers like a book, but the readers hate it. Or sometimes everyone loves it, but no one buys it. What's worse than selling only 22.8 copies of your masterpiece?
I'll tell you where failure really comes in handy, though. It's great for beginning writers. In fact, it should be required. Nothing is worse than seeing a writer with a string of early successes get lazy and arrogant. It's so disappointing - and a waste of good talent! After one of my first picture books, The Salamander Room, sold out its first few printings in a few months, and got stellar reviews everywhere, I imagined myself in a steady rise to the top of the children's book world, with one dazzling success after another. Then my next book, The Oxboy, which I still consider one of my best, flopped. So did my next seven or eight books. As painful as the experience was, it changed my approach in a very positive way. I never again considered success to be my due. When I write a book, I put my best efforts into it, knowing that it might always fail. Carrying that knowledge is part of what it means to be a writer.
You wouldn't want to have twenty years of nothing but failure. That would be awful! But don't be afraid of failure. It's part of any writer's life.
Anne | 102 Comments | tagged failure, inspiration, rejection, reviews, revision, success | Share Article | Email Article
Reader Comments (102)
Luv this post! :-)
I wrote it for you! And everyone else, of course! But you asked... -Anne
Hehe! Thanks... I feel special & so do all the other "young" writers that asked you for advice! Are you planning to write another series of books??? XOXO--Aishah
Right now I'm working on a novel - stand alone, not series. No plans for a new series yet - but perhaps in the future?
Sweet! You Wrote This For Aishah. You're Really Sweet Anne:) I Love This Post. Can You Tell Us A Little About What The Novel Is About?
Hi AbbyFan, I usually don't talk too much about work in progress (WIP) but I'll give you a hint. It's about a girl who's being bullied - and she gets a chance to remake her life. I'm about 3/4 of the way through the book. Don't know when it will be published, but I hope to finish it this spring! -Anne
Woooooooooooooooooooooooooooo! Can't wait to look at it! You rock!!! Can't wait!
A book unread, is a life unlived. I saw this quote on the back of Confetti Girl by Diana Lopez. Hehe!
Love The Quote Aishah! And Anne That Book Seems Awesome!
Thanks Abby Fan! It's raining here in CA wat about in ur state?
Anne-
How do you make a account on this website?
Plz answer.
Ur friend,
Aishah
I'm here!!!
So busy, didn't visit this website for like 5 or 4 days! AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!
LOVELY POST ANNE! I agree, failure can do allot more then make you think you hit rock bottom.... that's a good way to describe it write? I have a failure rock (stone), it's a stone that I foolishly tripped over when I was following my dad around in a park. I kept it and now that moment came in handy for my book, The Journal Journey!
Here's this weird quote I found while looking for words that describe coffee."The pen is the tongue of the mind". Miguel de Cervante. Does this quote mean your mind is licking a full peace of paper with ink???????????????????????????????????????????????
By the way I can't stop writing The Journal Journey...IT'S ADDICTING!! :D Bye, would write more but mom just came in asking to see she some drama on the computer???? BYE BYE!
By the way Mr. Frog looks great! :)
Aishah, I don't know the answer to your last question! :-( Will try to find out.
Faria - I'm glad to hear what's happening with your writing. Good to see you again here. -Anne
"She shouldn't be allowed unsupervised near any alphabet"! Too funny. I am still laughing. This is a seriously good post. Enjoyed it.
OK, no problemo!
Thank you, Nan!! (smiling)
Wow Faria That Book Seems So Great. Plus I Love Your Posts You Can Get Insperation Out Of Any Thing! I Really Hope To Read That Book One Day But Now I Know Publishing Takes A While But I'll Be Patient:)
Started new book: Creative Ink. The other two books were uh, so blech! www.amazingauthorz.webs.com for more info.
Anne, if u had the choice of writing one more Abby Hayes book, what wud u name it and why?