John Matthew Fox helps authors write better fiction. He is the founder of Bookfox, where he creates online courses for writers, provides editing and offers publishing assistance. He is the author of "The Linchpin Writer: Crafting Your Novel's Key Moments" and “I Will Shout Your Name,” a collection of short stories.
Put Your Writing Awards in the Bathroom
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Hi Bookfoxers, Patricia Highsmith, who wrote "Strangers on a Train" and "The Talented Mr. Ripley," used to hang her writing awards in the bathroom. She'd won the award of the year from the Mystery Writers of America and the Grand Prix de Litterature Policiere from France, and she hung them in the bathroom because she said they "looked less pompous there." I love that humility. She didn't hang the awards over the mantle or in the foyer for all visitors to see, she hid them in a place where people pooped and peed. It was a way to keep her feet grounded. Now, you might say -- but John, I haven't won any writing awards. I'd say to you: Well, not yet. Really, what Patricia Highsmith was doing is something all writers should be doing: keeping their ego in check. To "hang your awards in the bathroom" is shorthand for making sure you don't think too highly of yourself. Which is a temptation for all writers, whether you've won awards or not.
Now, I'm not saying ego is bad. In fact, a certain amount of ego is necessary in this business of writing -- you have to have enough ego to say, listen to me for a couple hundred pages. But there's always the danger of inflating our importance in the writing ecosystem, and believing that we're getting shafted, when really, it's just a busy marketplace. Anyhow, I want to say that I'm on this journey with you, but before I tell you about that, let's have a word from our sponsor.
Here's where I am in the journey: I finished my third book last year and this year I've been sending it to agents. And even though I have a great platform and a good publishing history and I've won writing awards and I believe it's the best book I could create, there's no guarantee that this particular novel will land an agent. It's a weird book that doesn't fit into any genres and agents have already told me they're not sure who to sell it to. But I'm not complaining. I'm putting my awards in the bathroom and putting my head down and doing the heavy labor of trying to find the right agent and the right publisher. And when it sells (positive thinking) ... And when it wins awards (still thinking positively) ... I'll hang those awards in my bathroom. Where they belong. And knuckle down to write the next book. Happy writing, John Matthew Fox PS. I'd like to start a "Mailbox" feature where I answer readers' pressing questions about the craft or life of writing. If you have a sticky problem, an ethical quandary or a general question about writing or publishing, please hit reply and ask away! Don't be afraid to take a couple paragraphs to frame the question -- I'm all ears. |
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John Matthew Fox helps authors write better fiction. He is the founder of Bookfox, where he creates online courses for writers, provides editing and offers publishing assistance. He is the author of "The Linchpin Writer: Crafting Your Novel's Key Moments" and “I Will Shout Your Name,” a collection of short stories.
Hi Bookfoxers, Today we're answering this reader question: I am writing a fictionalized version of my maternal grandmother's life in her voice, based on dramatic stories my grandmother told me over the years. I am embellishing some of the stories, and keeping them intact in others. But at this point, they seem like vignettes that I'm not sure how to tie them together. I keep thinking I need, "a clothesline to hang them on". I've thought of interjecting myself, using my memories to tie them...
Hi Bookfoxers, I'm continuing to answer readers' questions, this time from someone who will stay anonymous, in case their neighbor reads this newsletter as well: Despite holding an MFA from a prestigious university and a recent acceptance for traditional publication for my second novel, I still have what is referred to as "imposter syndrome." I knew it was present, perhaps beneath the surface, but what drove it home was when a neighbor asked me to review his manuscript. He planned on...
Hi Bookfoxers, I've started to answer questions from readers in this newsletter, and this one comes from Brenna Labine: Any advice on toeing the line between too much visual description and the right amount of scene/character description? Great question, Brenna! Your question is really a question of pacing -- how can writers keep the reader's interest while simultaneously fully fleshing out the world of the book? If you don't give enough description, the reader won't be immersed. While if you...