Thursday, July 30: Femme Fatale
TIME IS ALL WE HAVE
by Deborah Elliott-Upton
“Use your time.” – Jack London
Recently I heard Michael Blake, author of Dances with Wolves, speak. He said, “Don’t stop writing through rejection or through distraction.” In truth, a writer’s life is often filled with distractions and rejections, even when he’s already been published. Blake said he wanted to write a screenplay, but his friend and up-and-coming actor, Kevin Costner, gestured to an overflowing stack of scripts he was considering and told Blake to forget the screenplay and write the book.
I thought this interesting since romance novelist, DeWanna Pace — who was once my writing instructor — had sent Costner one of her books along with a note mentioning her novel had a buffalo scene similar to the one in Dances with Wolves. Costner replied she should write it as a screenplay and then he’d be happy to take a look.
Dances with Wolves, the novel, was submitted to and rejected by publishers forty times. Interestingly, it was published as a romance novel with Fabio on the cover. Finally, New Lines Pictures bought the book “for millions so that they could get the screenplay.”
I enjoy hearing how other writers have “made it.” Most of us root for the underdogs, the ones who paid their dues before they could claim fame. Lottery winners are one thing, but a self-made millionaire is the better story in my opinion. Hearing how Blake slept on friends’ floors while eking out a living proves to me how bad he wanted to be a writer. Do I care as much about the huge success of a screenplay written by a director’s child? Not really. I guess I like the starving artist storyline.
Michael Blake spoke about his writing, but mostly about inspiration and staying in focus of what fulfills us most and do that. He has a lifelong fascination with wild horses and his energy is spent mostly these days with keeping them alive and well. He’s also writing about them with his newest book, Twelve the King.
“Reading is getting harder and harder because TV is quick entertainment,” Blake told us. “Affiliate with people who have the same feeling about work as you. You want to inspire the ones that follow you to keep it going.”
His words made me think of Criminal Brief and how we, lovers of short fiction, are trying to “keep it going.” Finding markets for short fiction isn’t as easy as it used to be. Finding people who will take the time to read short fiction isn’t as easy either. That seems strange since we supposedly have more leisure time than our grandparents did. The solution seems to me to keep plugging along, encouraging others to do the same. I want to put a bumper sticker on everyone’s car that says: Read something today just for fun! Not just something for work purposes or on Facebook or backs of cereal boxes during breakfast. Find a great short story and then pass it on. That’s what keeps it going.
I liked this, Deborah. It really has grown more difficult unless you are willing to give stuff away.
For years I’ve kept Jack London’s creed on the wall beside my desk and have lived by the final two sentences: “I shall not waste my days in trying to prolong them. I shall use my time.”
All my old friends who gave up the things they enjoyed and wasted their days trying to prolong them are dead now. Don’t know if there’s a message in that or not.
It’s true. There really is nothing more heartwarming than hearing how someone worked for years and finally got the chance they deserved. :]] But, I still like the lottery winner stories, too!! :]]
“That seems strange since we supposedly have more leisure time than our grandparents did.”
It is true: we have more leisure time than they did. Unfortunately, we also have an order of magnitude worth of options on how to fill that leisure time: TV, radio, CDs, DVDs, MP3s, video games, laptop computers, cell phones, WiFi, and (of course!) the Internet.
When I think of my grandparents in West Virgina or Maine with an AM radio or their little black-and-white TV that got all of two snowy channels off the airwaves, I’m not surprised that they picked up a novel or the latest copy of the Saturday Evening Post and retired to the porch to read.
So yes, I heartily agree: Read something today just for fun!
Enjoyed the article.
Sometimes inspiration comes in the form of a tote bag. LOL Seriously I found one that will carry books amazingly well. Nevermind the drop dead gorgeous hunk on front (no Leigh, not you) :-).
Time is what one makes it. Wasteful, peaceful, resentful, happily….
I try to use mine wisely. Reading is wise.
Find a great story and pass it on.
That truly is what the world needs.
Reading is a lost art. I watched someone over the weekend read and they had a hard time pronouncing most of the words. In the real world, spell check helps if you can get close to the correct spelling. In the fictional world where your brain is required, it is a dangerous place where sounding out the word is required.
Great article. Glad I read it.
I’d love to make an educated, thoughtful comment on this post but the question is where would I start? All great and food for thought as usual! Thanks!
(Fabio?!?!?!)
Fabio was once known as the male model for the romantic heroes on romance novels. I never understood why they’d take the photo of real people and then have an artist paint one like it for their covers. But, anyway, Fabio is known more recently for the TV ads for a margarine that is supposed to taste so much like butter people can’t believe it.
I never understood why they’d take the photo of real people and then have an artist paint one like it for their covers.
Artists have been using real people as models since painting was invented. The photo of Fabio used by the artist of a romance novel cover probably doesn’t include the rearing horses or pirate ship or manor house or whatever.
Boris Vallejo, famous fantasy cover artist, always takes pictures of his models and then paints them in exotic backgrounds.