Time to Write

If It Hasn't Happened for You Yet

It can be frustrating to keep on writing while waiting for your break. Sometimes we wonder whether we're just wasting our time. All those days, weeks, months, years with nothing happening.

Of course, it's not really that nothing is happening. You're constantly learning, improving, and bringing new stories to life. The part that hasn't happened yet is the recognition from others, like editors or producers, of the value of what you're creating. And that hurts.

I have experienced this myself, and at times it has put me off even submitting material. I love the process of creating. The process of marketing? Not so much. But, of course, we have to do both. Both call for patience. Here's what the poet Rilke wrote about that:

"Being an artist means, not reckoning and counting, but ripening like the tree which does not force its sap and stands confident in the storms of spring without the fear that after them may come no summer. It does come. But it comes only to the patient, who are there as though eternity lay before them, so unconcernedly still and wide. I learn it daily, learn it with pain to which I am grateful: patience is everything!"

That's the lesson I have to learn and re-learn. Maybe it'll help you, too.

 

The (sad) statistics on American reading

What percentage of Americans do you think read at least one book or e-book, fiction or non-fiction, last year?

A new survey by the National Endowment for the Arts reveals it was 54%. 

Thirty years ago, 56% read at least one novel, play or poem per year; by 2012, it was down to 47%.

At MarketWatch.com, Quentin Fottrell commented on reading trends:

"Novels have suffered more than nonfiction in recent years, according to research firm Nielsen.

Total adult print book sales fell 2.5% to nearly 501.6 million in 2013 from 2012; adult nonfiction sales were broadly flat at 225.2million while fiction sales dropped 11% to 103.5 million...

Poetry suffered the steepest decline in readership for any literary genre. Only 6.7% of American adults read poetry last year, versus 12% in 2002, the NEA report found.

On the upside, e-books are helping to offset this trend: 28% of adults read an e-book in 2013, up from 23% the year before, according to the Pew Research Internet Project."

There are lots of possible explanations for the decline. Shorter attention spans, more non-fiction content available via the internet, greater demands being made on our time, more time taken up using social media, the competition from the better offerings available on cable TV, and increasing interest in the sciences vs. the humanities.

For the individual author, there is comfort in the fact that 54% of the population still is a lot of people. 

---If you want to write a book, you'll find friendly guidance from idea through to publication in my book, Your Writing Coach, published by Nicholas Brealey and available from your favorite bookseller.

 

 

Use the good paper!

In an interview, writer/cartoonist Linda Barry talked her love of drawing when she was a child, her mother's attitude toward Linda's using paper, and how it still affects her:

"The only blank paper in the house was hers, and if she found out I touched it she’d go crazy. I sometimes stole paper from school and even that made her mad. I think it’s why I hoard paper to this day. I have so much blank paper everywhere, in every drawer, on every shelf, and still when I need a sheet I look in the garbage first. I agonize over using a “good” sheet of paper for anything. I have good drawing paper I’ve been dragging around for twenty years because I’m not good enough to use it yet. Yes, I know this is insane."

Embarrassing confession: I have some notebooks about which I feel the same, and I can't even blame my mother. But reading Barry's confession has made me realize that the best time to use the good paper is now.

Of course "the good paper" is also a metaphor for anything you've been denying yourself because you're not good enough yet, or the time is not right yet, or some other excuse. 

Do you think maybe it's time for you to "use the good paper", too?

----

If you've been putting off writing that book you've been thinking about, you'll find friendly guidance and useful tips in my book, Your Writing Coach, published by Nicholas Brealey and available from your favorite bookseller.

How the concept of plagiarism is getting lost

Business Insider interviewed Chris Scott, who came up with a funny tweet that was re-Tweeted thousands of times, often without attribution.

People changed the wording slightly and then sent it out as their own.

One comedian even accused him of stealing the joke, claiming he'd said it on TV. When challenged to be specific about when he'd said it, he withdrew the accusation and apologized.

What I find most interesting is Scott's interpretation of the phenomenon:

"It's a genuinely fascinating and foreign concept to me, to see something that you connect with on some level and then decide, 'Well, that's mine now.' My hunch is there's a sizable chunk of people who don't really grasp what plagiarism is or why it's wrong, and they kind of regard Twitter and social media as this giant free-for-all where everybody's just constantly taking and posting whatever they want from whoever they want."

One could argue that since people are not benefitting financially from their Tweets (nor are those who are plagiarising them), this is not such a big deal. What is a big deal, though, is that this attitude spreads easily to appropriating content in general, including going to pirate sites to download material that is essential to the financial survival of the people who created it. 

I don't know whether this attitude can be reversed, but writers and other creators will need to find a way to deal with it. Many musicians have turned to live performance as their primary source of income, but I don't think too many people will pay us to read our novels to them.

Three options if your writing career isn't working out the way it "should"

The late Alert Ellis, founder of Rational-Emotive Therapy, pointed out that a great deal of stress comes from being upset that life isn't meeting our expectations...and that often these expectations are irrational. 

For instance, we may think, "People should be honest," and when somebody cheats us, we are shocked and extremely upset, sometimes unable to let go of these emotions for a long time.

Ellis' thinking was that we know that not everybody is honest, so why are we so surprised when we encounter someone who isn't? 

WHY (NOT) ME?

It's natural to be annoyed about it, but sometimes people get hung up about "Why did this have to happen to ME?!"  

Actually, it happens to just about everybody at some stage, so feeling that we have somehow been targeted by fate also is irrational. (Plus, we seldom ask that question when something good happens to us.)

The more rational approach is to take reasonable precautions against being cheated, learn from it when it happens, and not expect people who cheat us once to do something different next time. 

WHY IS OUR GENIUS NOT BEING RECOGNIZED THE WAY IT SHOULD?!

If we think about this in terms of writing, we can get upset that our writing isn't getting the attention it SHOULD.

History is full of excellent artists and writers whose work didn't get any attention until after they died, and probably even more whose work didn't get any attention after they died, either. 

THREE WAYS WE CAN RESPOND

How are we to respond when people (like agents and publishers) aren't responding to our work the way we think they should?

* We can become bitter. I've met a few people who took that route. It's not much fun, and possibly bad for your health as well, certainly for your mental health.

* We can try to think of a different way to approach our writing or marketing, to see whether that gives us the response we'd like to get. For writers, that could mean self-publishing, publishing collaboratively, trying a different genre, performing their work, and many other options.

* We can consider redefining our definition of success. Is only the best-selling writer successful? Or does writing something that reaches a few thousand or a few hundred people qualify? How about something that changes just one person's life for the better? Could what we learn and experience from writing be enough of a benefit, regardless of how many people read our work? 

What is not a good solution, as Ellis used to say, is "shoulding ourselves."

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Writers and Artists are not Beggers! (Don't make the corn flakes cry)

How random is success? How risky is risk?

Being of German background, I may have a bias toward "the rules", but today I read an interesting post by Richard Koch, author of several books on the 80/20 Principle, in which he makes this point:

Events are more random than we think; business and life are profoundly uncertain.

He says often we get so caught up in the supposed rules of life (to get a good job, get a college education; to make money, work hard, etc.) that we miss it when opportunities not in line with those assumptions pop up. 

If you want to be more open to benefitting from the opportunities that arise, he advises exposing yourself to a lot of different people and situations. Leave aside your preconceptions and be willing to takes risks:

"Take risks with limited downside, and cut your losses if the bet is going nowhere.  For example, change jobs, change where you live, change the people you mix with, accept daring projects that may not succeed but could move your fortunes up a gear.  Divide your life into more discrete chunks."

I think we tend to overestimate the risks associated with trying something different, and we hang on too long to things that aren't working...or is that only me? His approach feels like it would be more fun.

It reminds me of one of the sayings of Seneca: "It is not because things are difficult that we do not dare, it is because we do not dare that they are difficult."

Koch has some tips that may increase your odds of happening upon opportunities:

* In terms of your career, find companies and individuals who you think may be about to take off and align yourself with them. 

* Build up unique skills and be alert to new situations in which these could make a major contribution. That will make you valuable to the aforementioned companies and individuals.

* When you do get a break, don't hesitate. Jump in, give it everything, and if it doesn't turn out to be a winner, cut your losses without regrets.

The few times I've rolled the dice--moving to Los Angeles to get into writing for TV and film, moving to London when I got tired of LA, approaching a publisher out of the blue--have paid off nicely. Of course a few haven't, but in general the evidence favors being willing to take risks. I wonder whether your experience has been similar.

What would you do if you dared a bit more? What might be the payoff? What are the actual risks? Could this be the time to give it a try, not forgetting about having a way out if it doesn't work?

 

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Richard Linklater's no-formula movie plots

Writers and Artists are not Beggars! (Don't make the corn flakes cry)

I'm working on a new online course, Profit from Your Creativity, and one section is about mindset.

One myth I'm writing about is that somehow people who publish your book or give your paintings space in their gallery are doing you a favor. Let's go to the supermarket to see if this is true...

At the supermarket you are confronted by an entire aisle of cereals. There are more cereals competing for your attention than can ever win it. It's a buyer's market.

If you choose the shredded wheat, are you doing it a favor?  No, you're choosing it because you think it will taste good and/or be good for you.

It's a win for the shredded wheat and for you.

DON'T MAKE THE CORN FLAKES CRY!

Should the corn flakes take your rejection personally? Does it mean they should slink back to the Kellog's factory, knowing that nobody else will ever buy them?

Silly, right? Yet that's the attitude a lot of writers and artists have when their work is rejected. 

All it means is that the person who rejected your work doesn't get it. It's their opinion that your work can't make any money for them. They may be right. If they are not excited about your work they wouldn't be any good at selling it to a publisher (if the rejector is an agent, for instance). By rejecting you, they are disqualifying themselves. They have shown they were not the business partner you were looking for.

If they do accept your work, they are doing it because they think they can profit from it. There's certainly nothing wrong with that, but it underlines the fact that it's a transaction from which both parties can profit. It's a relationship of equals. 

WHAT KIND OF GIRL SCOUT ARE YOU?

You may think that your attitude is not that important--it's the work that will determine whether or not it is accepted. However, the way you present it, for instance in a query letter or pitch, can have a major influence as well. Certainly it can influence whether or not the other person ever reads or looks at what you are offering. Three girl scouts will show you how that works.

At some point or another you've probably been approached by Girl Scouts selling cookies. Imagine three Girl Scouts with three different opening lines and think about how you'd respond:

Girl Scout A: "Hi, we're selling cookies. You don't want to buy any, do you?"

Girl Scout B: "Hi, we're selling cookies. Do you want to buy some?"

Girl Scout C: "Hi, we're selling cookies. Which do you like better, chocolate chip or brownies?"

It's really easy to agree with Girl Scout A: "No, I don't, thank you."

Girl Scout B's approach is better, but it still makes it very easy to say no.

Girl Scout C doesn't give me the chance to answer no right away. Instead, she prompts me to think about cookies. Which do I like better? If I like brownies, her question probably makes me think about (and maybe visualise) eating a brownie. Yes, please!

Unfortunately, a lot of writers are like Girl Scout A. Their query letters include negatives, like "My work hasn't been published yet, but...." Or in a pitch they say something like, "I haven't worked out all the details yet, but..." If you do that, nobody is going to buy your cookies.

THESE COOKIES WILL [not really] CHANGE YOUR LIFE!

I'm not suggesting that you go to the other extreme: "This book will outsell Harry Potter because it's the most exciting blah blah blah!" That's a turn-off too. It smacks of delusion or desperation, neither of which looks good on a writer or artist.

Instead, you want to use a form of presentation that reflects your enthusiasm for your project...and a potential win-win for equals. 

 

(Would you like more useful information about writing, all the way from the idea through to publication? You'll find lots of useful help in my book, Your Writing Coach. It's published by Nicholas Brealey and available from your favorite bookseller.)

Challenge your Inner Critic

This is the time of year when resolutions are wearing off and your Inner Critic may be waking up...

If you're getting negative messages from your Inner Critic about whatever goal you'd like to achieve, talk back to it. Challenge it by standing up in a strong stance (your physiology has a lot to do with your mood) and remember:

* If you don't try, you can't succeed

* You've taken on challenges before and succeeded

* Others have done what you hope to do, why shouldn't you?

Then immediately get to work.

If you nip it in the bud, your Inner Critic will slink back into its lair. 

(You'll find more tips and strategies in my book, Your Writing Coach, published by Nicholas Brealey and available from your favorite bookseller.)

Why self-publishers are selling less--and what to do about it

At TheDigitalReader.com, Nate Hoffelder summarizes the challenge that self-publishers (and even traditional publishers) are facing:

"As 2014 draws to a close indie publishing finds itself at a crossroad. There's a growing consensus that the supply of indie e-books is beginning to exceed demand, leading to the textbook micro-economics result [falling revenues]."

WHAT WORKED ISN'T WORKING 

He lists three conclusions:

"One, the days of releasing the first title in a series as permafree have passed. All that accomplishes now is to flood the market and make it harder to sell e-books.

Two, the idea of writing and publishing your next book as the best marketing strategy is also going to have to be reconsidered.

Three, getting into or out of Kindle Unlimited isn't nearly as important as some thought it was a few weeks ago. As I noted when I first reported on this story, this problem is affecting authors both in and out of KU."[Kindle Unlimited is a plan in which, for a monthly fee, readers get free access to many of the e-books available on Kindle. Authors have reported that joining this plan has resulted in lower sales and that the revenue they get from KU has not been enough to make up the difference.]

To this I would add that, for most authors, using social media to promote their fiction doesn't work unless they put an enormous amount of time and effort into it. Yes, you can do blog tours, take part in forums, have a blog about your book, etc. but all those face exactly the same problem as the books themselves: too many people doing the same thing. 

Also, just as giving away your book in hopes that this will attract readers to other books you have written or will write doesn't work now, neither will lowering the prices--that will just result in a race to the bottom. 

SO WHAT WILL WORK?

I don't have a magic plan, but I think based on what's happening now we can safely say to get attention in this ever more crowded marketplace you have to do something different. A few examples:

* Some authors have used crowdfunding as a way to create an audience for their book before they finish writing it. They set the financial bar low to help ensure that their target will be met. However, getting attention for your funding effort also requires a lot of effort, and works best for high-concept books. Two important elments are how creative you can be with the pitch video that you put on the crowdfunding site and the kinds of rewards you come up with for the people who pledge funds. (I'll be doing a series of posts on crowdfunding at some point.)

* When everybody is trying to use new media, it may be the right time to go back to using old media. Local newspapers, local radio, magazines, and other old media are still alive and get a sizable audience. The hook for getting their attention usually is something extreme about the work or about you. Think of oldest, youngest, longest, shortest, cheapest, most expensive, an unusual origin, an unusual experience, etc. 

* There may be piggybacking opportunities, but usually you have to create them yourself. For instance, if you have written a romance in which one of the protagonists suffers from an illness or medical condition, is there a charity or support group that might help you promote the book if you donate 10% of your profits? Obviously this would work only if they felt your portrayal was accurate and might help promote understanding. 

* There may be unusual sponsorship opportunities. For instance, hotels, restaurants and even train lines have had writers in residence. The main value isn't that residence, but the opportunity to leverage it for publicity. Again, you need to be proactive--why not suggest such a scheme to a business that's not doing it now, rather than waiting to hear about one and then having to compete for it?

 DON'T LOSE HEART!

In any crisis, there is opportunity. I'm convinced that authors who are as creative about their marketing as they are about their plots and characters will find a way to cut through all the noise. 

(To find some great techniques for coming up with creative ideas, see my book, Creativity Now, published by Pearson. For 100 case studies of unusual and inexpensive market techniques, see my book Do Something Different, published by Virgin Business Books. Both are available from your favorite bookseller.)

Writers: beware the extreme hype! (part 2)

In the previous post, I shared a pitch for a book on self-publishing. Unfortunately, the information used to try to sell it to you was out of date at best, misleading at worst.

Recently I got another pitch from the same source (Trent Steele, editor, Write Street Newsletter, part of the Self Development Network). This time the pitch is for a book called The Wealthy Writer (not be confused with one with the same title, by Michael Meanwell).

This one starts by painting a picture of the idyllic life you could have if you were earning $100,000+ per year writing for the internet. That's what the book, by Nick Daws and Ruth Barringham, will show you, apparently. 

The pitch screams:

"TODAY the Web is Literally BEGGING for New WRITERS!"

Not figuratively, but literally. That means somewhere the Web is on its knees (who knew it even had knees?) beseeching the gods for someone, anyone, to please write for it. Because, as we all know, there's a big shortage of writers willing to put their words on the web.

NOT MUCH TALENT? NO PROBLEM!

The pitch goes on:

"Right now, ANY writer, living ANYWHERE, with almost ANY level of talent, can begin a career writing online.

It requires absolutely NO experience – and you could start earning BIG, in just DAYS.

We’re not kidding. Right now, you could be just a couple of days from your first paycheck.

Work quickly – and you could have earned your first payment by TONIGHT.

From article writing to affiliate marketing... From blogging to copywriting... From e-books to self-publishing... From auction websites to sales copy...

It’s EASY – and right now the industry is BEGGING for NEW WRITERS!"

Apparently there are loads of secret websites that offer big money even to low-talent, inexperienced writers. I haven't heard of these sites, have you? No? Well, the sales letter explains:

"The "worst thing" is that "regular" writers don't even know these sites exist!"

I'm not sure why there are quotes around "worst thing"--maybe to indicate that in this instance they mean figuratively, not literally, the worst, since I can think of quite a few worse things.

There must be some kind of conspiracy to keep this information from us, because in my experience, word normally travels pretty fast about people who are willing to pay writers any money, much less $100K a year.

The pitch asks:

"Are YOU ready to begin making at least $100,000 a year by tapping away at your keyboard?"

Tapping away at our keyboards...reminds me of what a member of the aristocracy said to Gibbon when the latter issued another volume of his The History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire: "Another damned thick book! Always scribble, scribble, scribble, eh, Gibbon?"

The disclaimer

There is a smaller-print link to a disclaimer that says the examples they use are not typical, it's all down to how hard you work, etc.

THE GUARANTEE ALMOST GUARANTEED NOT TO BE REQUESTED

They say that if you haven't earned at least $25,000 after three months of using their manual, they'll refund your $47...but only betwee three and four months after purchase. How many people do you think remember that? And if they do, how many will remember where they put the address to which to send the refund request? It's not a fake guarantee, but a clever one.

IS IT POSSIBLE TO MAKE $100K PLUS WRITING FOR THE INTERNET?

There are copywriters, authors of ebooks, and others who make that and more. However, I doubt very much that they are writers "with just about any level of talent" and "no experience." They also are in the top 1%, maybe the top .5% of all writers trying to earn money through their craft. And I doubt that they would think of what they do as "tapping on the keyboard for a few hours a day."

I understand that sales letters have to get you excited about the thing they're selling. A little hype is expected and accepted, but I think this pitch goes too far. OK, the most you're going to lose is $47, but these days that amount can be a lot to lose for somebody who is unemployed and buys into the fantasy of riches presented here. 

If you happen to have ordered this book and have any comments, please let me know. I'm on the road at the moment, but maybe when I'm back home on a secure internet connection I'll order it and do a follow-up report...I just have to remember to put a reminder of that guarantee three months in the future on my calendar.

Two ways to keep your mind sharp as you get older

This is the season when we tend to appreciate even more than the rest of the year that the best gift any of us can get is good health, but unfortunately it's not something anybody else can give us.

As I enter middle age (I'm taking a very optimistic view of how long I'll live...) I look for anything that can help ensure that I will be able to keep my mind nimble for as long as possible. I suspect that's a high priority for you as well, and that's why I'm passing along the following:

Tuesday, December 23, 2014. The December 2014 issue of the journal Atherosclerosis revealed an association in older men and women between higher levels of the lipid-soluble antioxidant coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10) and a lower risk of developing dementia.

Kazumasa Yamagishi of Japan's University of Tsukuba and colleagues conducted a case-control study of individuals aged 40 to 69 years upon enrollment in the Circulatory Risk in Communities Study between 1984 and 1994. Serum CoQ10 levels were measured in 65 men and women who developed disabling dementia between 1999 and 2004, and in 130 age- and gender-matched control subjects.

An association was observed between higher CoQ10 levels and a decline in the risk of developing dementia. Subjects whose CoQ10 levels were among the highest 25% of participants had a risk of dementia that was 77% less than those whose levels were among the lowest 25%. When the ratio of CoQ10 to total cholesterol was examined, a similar relationship was observed.

"This is the first prospective study to examine the association between CoQ10 and incident dementia in a general setting," the authors announce. They observe that CoQ10 has lowered brain oxidative stress and amyloid plaque in a mouse model of Alzheimer's disease, and that rats with damaged areas of the brain experienced a reversal of markers of oxidative damage with CoQ10 supplementation."

CoQ10 supplements are available without a prescription. I'm not a doctor and this post does not constitute medical advice. Before taking supplements, check with your doctor, especially if you are taking medication.

EXERCISE HELPS, TOO

Exercise has also been shown to be associated with a delay in the onset of dementia and Alzheimer's. In one study with  1760 participants over the age of 65, all without cognitive impairment at the start, persons who exercised 3 or more times a week had a 32% reduction in risk for dementia compared with those who exercised fewer than 3 times a week. (Annals Of Internal Medicine, January 17, 2006, Volume 144 Issue 2, pp 73-81.)

 

 

If you have trouble sleeping, try this (non-drug) method

As somebody who suffers at times from insomnia, I've always been on the lookout for solutions.

Taking melatonin at bedtime makes little, if any, difference. I still take it because a doctor I trust told me it may help stave off dementia and Alzheimer's. 

I've tried herbal supplements, too. No effect.

I've stayed away from prescription sleep aids because they are habit-forming, can have side effects, and tend to be less effective the longer you take them.

That's why I was happy to find a non-drug approach (and, no, I'm not selling anything). It's an app that uses brain entrainment to guide your brainwaves down to the levels associated with sleep. I've found that it helps me to get to sleep in the first place, and also to get back to sleep if I wake up in the middle of the night.

You can play this on a smartphone or tablet (I use an iPad) that you tuck under your pillow. Keep the volume just high enough to be able to hear the tones--it won't be loud enough to disturb anybody with whom you share a bed. If you have wireless earbuds that are comfortable enough, you can use those to get the stereo effect that is supposed to be what makes the process effective. But whether or not it's the placebo effect, the under-the-pillow placement works for me!

The app I use is called Binaural Beats Master Collection. It has tracks for general sleep induction, power nap, and from high stress to deep sleep. It lets you adjust the amount of time you want the selected track to play.  You can click off the screen display to save battery power. 

It also has settings for energy boosts, meditation, increased creativity, and ridding yourself of a headache. I haven't tried any of these yet, but I'll report back when I have.

The basic version just for sleep, Binaural Sleep Beats, is free and you can upgrade to the additional tracks if you like (at least that's true at the time of this writing). 

This particular app combines the binaural tones with other sounds--not quite music but not annoying, either, at least to me. Some of the others available don't have music or additional sounds at all, while some use classical music (for instance, binaural Beethoven). It's a matter of finding which works best for you. 

There are apps that claim to use the same principle to improve your IQ, prompt lucid dreams, increase your motivation, and lose weight. I'm more skeptical about those, but probably I'll try a few just out of curiosity. 

There are similar apps available for Android and the other operating systems. 

Some of you may remember that some time ago I wrote about using a brain machine. Those work in the same way, but add blinking lights to the sounds. I'm finding using the audio app much more convenient.

If you give one of these a try, please let me know whether it helps, either in the comments section or via email to [email protected]. 

Sunday thought: the circle of freedom & you

 

"Freedom is cumulative. One choice made with an element of freedom makes even greater freedom possible for the next choice. Each exercise of freedom enlarges the circle of oneself."  - Rollo May

I think this applies to what we write as well as to the rest of our lives. When you refuse to self-censor based on what others might think or whether something is more or less likely to sell (do we ever predict that correctly?) you make your circle of freedom smaller.

Sunday Quote: We (writers) must make mistakes

"We must make our experiments. We must make mistakes. We must live out our own vision of life. And there will be error. If you avoid error, you do not live."

--Carl Jung

It's possible that nobody will want to publish what you write.

You can publish it yourself.

It's possible that nobody will want to buy your self-published book.

You can give it away.

It's possible nobody will want to read the book you give away.

In that case, it was an experiment. 

The one thing writers need that can't be taught (other than talent)

A successful writer needs to master the craft of writing, but there's another requirement and this one can't be taught: a thick skin. Writer Barbara Henderson revealed her experiences with this, for an article on ChronicleLive.com, written by Hannah Flint:

"The 53-year-old said she had suffered major setbacks in her career and that let-downs from publishing companies could be hurtful.

The former BBC Look North journalist said aspiring writers had to learn to pick themselves back up again after facing rejections from publishers if they wanted to make it.

She spoke of her 'blackest moment' as a writer in which her children’s novel, The Serpent House, was rejected after a year of it being held by a publisher.

It happened after the book was shortlisted for the 2010 Times/Chicken House prize, but Barbara had missed out on winning. And then Chicken House, a children’s book publishing company, kept the manuscript for a year before telling Barbara that they were no longer interested.

She said: “That was such a setback and I was gutted. I can’t do anything about it, but that was my blackest moment. After a while, I was able to feel strong enough to put it out again.”

I can relate to that: it took 13 years between the time I wrote the screenplay for "The Real Howard Spitz" and the time it was produced. And one of my sitcom proposals was held by a broadcaster for more than a year before they decided although they liked it, they felt the audience wouldn't get it. I'm sure just about every writer has one or more stories like that...but that doesn't mean it gets any easier.

Barbara Henderson said it took her 18 months before she recovered from the disappointment and sent the manuscript out again. It's a good thing she did, because the book found a publisher and won praise. 

She said, “My advice to anyone else would be to be very persistent and try to toughen up a little bit because it is really hurtful if someone turns you down.” 

(for friendly advice on writing your book, get a copy of Your Writing Coach, published by Nicholas Brealey and available from your favorite bookseller.)

The great escape (it's what writing is all about)

"Two hours of writing fiction leaves this writer completely drained. For those two hours he has been in a different place with completely different people." - Roald Dahl

Being in a different place with completely different people is what made me love reading, and makes me love writing.

With a few exceptions, I've avoided writing (or reading, or seeing films) about serial killers, child molesters, and murderers, mostly because these are not people I want to spend time with.

If you do enjoy vicariously confronting horrible people, perhaps making sure they get their comeuppance more often than is the case with their real-life counterparts, that's great, too.

Either way, I hope you're taking advantage of our unique ability as writers to create worlds and people to live within and to share with thousands or even millions of our fellow escapees.