Thursday, January 24: Femme Fatale
PASSION IS EVERYTHING
by Deborah Elliott-Upton
At a writer’s conference, an agent said, “The more passion you have for your writing project, the easier it is to sell to an agent or editor.” She was absolutely right, but your writing better be pretty good, too.
I know many writers whose work is so/so, but they became published anyway. I know many writers whose prose is terrific, but have not been published. As far as I can see, there are three reasons writers get published:
• A great story well told
• Luck
• Passion (usually coupled with either a great story well told or luck or both)
Sure, a great story is an easier sale than a mediocre story any day unless you are already a multi-published author who now merely rests on his laurels, churning out rehashes of the same formulaic storyline and characters, or even worse, having his novels ghost-written.
Luck is being at the right place at the right time for a story or press to fall into your lap. This is usually reserved for nonfiction books written more in the vein of an “as told to” author.
Passion is easy to spot. When an author tells someone about his story, the excitement practically drips from his lips like honey from Pooh Bear’s fingertips. It is indicative (so says the NYC agent) of a promise of a good writer telling a great story.
I’ve been to pitching groups where authors are almost apologetic about their storyline or characters.
“My hero’s kind of wimpy at first, but he gets better.”
Does that make you want to read that story? Me neither.
“This all happens in the South during the War, but I haven’t decided which war yet and I need to research the South, I guess.”
I guess so.
“My friends say this story is better than my last one.”
Ahem, I can’t wait.
My very first appointment with an editor, then at Berkley Publishing, was during a three-day weekend conference in New Mexico. I was a novice at writing and I’m afraid it showed in my manuscript, but I had signed up for a one-on-one ten minute appointment with an editor who my friends said could buy my book, get me published and change my life forever.
At that time, we all believed in his counterpart, the Prince Charming Agent, too. I do believe the right representation makes a difference, but I am also aware the writer has to do amazing work on her own to actually change her life forever.
Unfortunately, I began my allotted time with the editor with my own set of awkward apologies.
“I shouldn’t have made this appointment,” I said.
“Why is that?”
“I’m wasting your time. I didn’t place — much less win — the contest you judged for the conference.”
“What’s the your book’s title?”
I rattled off the one I’d chosen for this particular contest. (Titles are often changed from one rewrite to another, which is why so many of them seem to be simply referred to as “my current WIP” or Work in Progress.
“Hmm,” the editor said. “I remember that. Texas setting, right? The writing was good, but remind me about the basic plot.” He settled back into his chair.
I realized the more I told about the storyline and characters, the faster I spoke. The editor was now sitting upright, his eyes peering into mine. Did I imagine a twinkle in his eye occasionally?
I explained why I wrote the story, how I had the knowledge about the area where the story took place and how the mystery would be solved. I shared my heroine’s quest of proving the identity of the man who murdered her husband before he killed her,too.
The editor’s elbows were now on the table separating us and he leaned forward. When I stopped talking, he was smiling.
“When you get home, look over the comments I made. Do a rewrite and send it to me.” He handed me his card.
Why had my manuscript suddenly garnered another chance at publication? It was the passion I’d shown about my project.
I suggest an experiment. Choose any story you’ve recently read, TV program or movie you’ve watched. Share the details with someone who you think would enjoy the same tastes as you in entertainment. If your passion about re-telling the story is addictive to the recipient and she expresses a desire to read the story, see the program or movie, then know the writer did his job well. And you, received the reward of his hard work and, oh yes, his passion.
Seems like a fair trade.
I think passion and confidence go hand in hand when it comes to pitching a project whether it be in person or through a query letter. Of course the signs are much clearer in person, but even in a letter agents and editors can detect hesitancy on the writers part.
If the person who created the story doesn’t believe in it 100% why should anyone else?
But there is a fine line between being confident and cocky and even after doing it many times my stomach still tightens when a professional in the business asks me, “So what is your novel about?”
But as Debbie well knows in a casual environment I can talk writing, novels, and my stories forever. Most serious writers have the passion, it’s just making sure that passion manifests itself properly and comes across to others. Being prepared for those sure helps the passion and the quality of those pitches.
When I was in library school one of the best bits of advice was a professor who quoted his former boss, the director of the Brooklyn Public Library: “When I’m hiring someone the main thing I look for is a fire in the belly.” Passion can make a big difference.
I so agree. I believe one must get past the nervous stage as well. I will never forget the first time I pitched something to an editor I was already nervous and I walked in and upon seeing the editor, didn’t know whether to burp her or pitch my story. After the shock of the YOUNG editor I did a pitch in what I call overbabble.
I think one thing very important is confidence, which can work very much for you or against. I’ve known some who refuse to take “advice” and some that grovel for someone to “fix it” and then there are those of us who learn to weed out the bad, plant the good and hopefullly grow with each story we spin.
Thanks again for a great article.
It’s been my experience that there are a lot more artistes out there who are passionate about their really awful writing than ones who are shy about their good writing. In fact, I usually view self-enthusiasm as a red flag. But that’s just me.
James, I’ve talked with editors and publishers who share your opinion, that too much self-enthusiasm can be a warning sign. I’m reminded of the old joke about the airline pilot who announces to his passengers that he has good news and bad news. ” The bad news is, we’re lost. The good news is, we’re making damn good time.” I feel that a lot of aspiring writers go charging off thinking their work is wonderful, and wind up going full speed in the wrong direction.
On the other hand, I also agree with the most basic rule of salesmanship, which says that in order to interest someone in your product (or project), you must first be sold on it yourself. It’s a fine line. I suppose the answer is to try to gain enough knowledge and experience to be able to correctly judge whether your writing is good enough to pitch — and if it’s not, to keep working until it is.
I admit I have seen both very good and very bad writers get passionate when they talk about their work…it is a human frailty I suppose. Usually, it’s very new writers that go overboard and proclaim they will be bigger than Stephen King, etc. and they aren’t usually worth a snuff’s amount of difference in the writing world. They do fade quick though. The ones that wear me down quickest is the ones who can’t even work up much enthusiasm for their own babies that make me want to scream. The key is when you find passion wells up inside you and overflows, not that you force it to make an impression, whether on yourself or another.
Thanks a billion, Deborah! I shall remember this when I try to sell this mystery novel I’m writing. (Which started as a short-story by the way.)