Silly title? Sure, but it’s true. Just a word of warning, this one is a musing on the craft of writing, not just my thoughts on other writers but on my own methods. I don’t pass along advice about the writing process often because I think it is usually more productive to share my thoughts on just about anything else. Referencing what I do by doing what I do is akin to a rockstar singing about being a rockstar and that becomes meta bullshit if it’s done too often.
Anyway, Shakespeare didn’t know he was going to be a big deal when he wrote. This may come as a surprise to any who simply think that he was a high fallutin’ playwright, but he wrote for the masses, or in other words, popular consumption. He was mainstream and common people liked him for it. He didn’t please everyone and those who try to prove that he was overrated like to point out that his plots were unoriginal or that he didn’t have a solid foundation in the classics (Latin and Greek). Sure, his education was spotty and yes, at least some of his plots were derived from anecdotes of older tales, but he did them well and he did them memorably.
What is my point? Not only did Shakespeare not know he was going to be a big deal and be quoted for centuries to come, but he didn’t know he was writing what would eventually become great literature. The center of that point is the mundane truth that most writers don’t know which of their works are destined for greatness.
Most writers are simply doing a job and some of the best of them aren’t sure which of their works will survive past their deaths, not just in print or be committed to some electronic database, but to become memorable to the point that people will just share what they know of the author’s work with others. Do people know the film Touch of Evil, which some say is the last great film noir was based on a book by Whit Masterson aka Wade Miller (aka Bob Wade and Bill Miller)? Many don’t. Did you know that the ticking time bomb motif done to death in film was invented by Cornel Woolrich, the greatest suspense writer who ever lived? Some do. Is anyone aware that the film The Maltese Falcon is a near perfect adaption of Dashiell Hammett’s novel and this is probably because he intentionally wrote it to be filmable? Serious film critics would know. The common denominator these days as to whether or not a book will be remembered is whether or not it has been adapted and even then, it might not.
This makes me wonder if anything that I commit to print will be remembered after I’m dead. It’s a struggle to stay in the memory of people while I’m alive, let alone think of what influence I might have after the fact. I simply don’t know. What I do know is that I’m trying to create insightful and good storytelling in the moment. I’m learning to flesh out my work to become novel length. Currently, I’m working on a sword and sorcery novel. My wife likes it, but since she’s my editor too, she’s pointed out deficiencies in characterization, world-building, and perspective. It still needs work before it’s publishable. I’ve been writing for over 20 years and the fact of the matter is that I’m still learning. Writing in long form is difficult for me.
My advice to would-be writers is simple:
First, read a lot so that you have a foundation in how things are done (that and it sounds really stupid and hypocritical to be someone who writes but doesn’t read). With reading, make sure you write a lot too. They go hand in hand and you will have to balance them out in a way that works for you.
Second, be open to learning and experiencing new things. Of course, writers have to extrapolate when writing fiction to some degree. No one actually wants to be shot with a gun just to experience what that feels like and that’s reasonable, but it doesn’t hurt for someone who wants to write about hiking to pay a visit to a mountain trail to get a feel for the place. This is probably why I want to learn to shoot guns because they will be an element in other stories I plan to write (among them, I want to write a supernatural western series).
Third, and probably most important, be willing to accept constructive criticism. No doubt, as a writer you will also see some non-constructive criticism (aka trolling) and you will have to learn the difference between the stuff that is useful and the stuff that isn’t. My problem has always been dealing with criticism, internalizing it and letting it affect my confidence, which is why I’ve avoided novel-writing. A lot of writers find it easy, and that’s great for them. For me, it’s different but it doesn’t have to be a deterrent. That’s why I’m resolving to write longer works.
Fourth, accept the likelihood that you won’t become a big deal like Shakespeare. This sounds negative but hear me out. It’s natural to set high expectations for yourself but if they are unrealistic, you will fail every time. Regardless, you will fail because writers learn as they go and that means trial and error, but you won’t be a failure if you continue to write and grow. If you keep doing your best without worrying whether or not you’re absolutely perfect, you might surprise yourself later down the road and realize that you have produced something amazing. Who knows? You might even end up becoming the next Shakespeare.
Stephen King said that he kept his book On Writing short because most books on writing are b.s. With that thought, if I continue shoveling out advice I’m going to overstay my welcome. That’s it for now.
Written by Nick Montelongo
Anyway, Shakespeare didn’t know he was going to be a big deal when he wrote. This may come as a surprise to any who simply think that he was a high fallutin’ playwright, but he wrote for the masses, or in other words, popular consumption. He was mainstream and common people liked him for it. He didn’t please everyone and those who try to prove that he was overrated like to point out that his plots were unoriginal or that he didn’t have a solid foundation in the classics (Latin and Greek). Sure, his education was spotty and yes, at least some of his plots were derived from anecdotes of older tales, but he did them well and he did them memorably.
What is my point? Not only did Shakespeare not know he was going to be a big deal and be quoted for centuries to come, but he didn’t know he was writing what would eventually become great literature. The center of that point is the mundane truth that most writers don’t know which of their works are destined for greatness.
Most writers are simply doing a job and some of the best of them aren’t sure which of their works will survive past their deaths, not just in print or be committed to some electronic database, but to become memorable to the point that people will just share what they know of the author’s work with others. Do people know the film Touch of Evil, which some say is the last great film noir was based on a book by Whit Masterson aka Wade Miller (aka Bob Wade and Bill Miller)? Many don’t. Did you know that the ticking time bomb motif done to death in film was invented by Cornel Woolrich, the greatest suspense writer who ever lived? Some do. Is anyone aware that the film The Maltese Falcon is a near perfect adaption of Dashiell Hammett’s novel and this is probably because he intentionally wrote it to be filmable? Serious film critics would know. The common denominator these days as to whether or not a book will be remembered is whether or not it has been adapted and even then, it might not.
This makes me wonder if anything that I commit to print will be remembered after I’m dead. It’s a struggle to stay in the memory of people while I’m alive, let alone think of what influence I might have after the fact. I simply don’t know. What I do know is that I’m trying to create insightful and good storytelling in the moment. I’m learning to flesh out my work to become novel length. Currently, I’m working on a sword and sorcery novel. My wife likes it, but since she’s my editor too, she’s pointed out deficiencies in characterization, world-building, and perspective. It still needs work before it’s publishable. I’ve been writing for over 20 years and the fact of the matter is that I’m still learning. Writing in long form is difficult for me.
My advice to would-be writers is simple:
First, read a lot so that you have a foundation in how things are done (that and it sounds really stupid and hypocritical to be someone who writes but doesn’t read). With reading, make sure you write a lot too. They go hand in hand and you will have to balance them out in a way that works for you.
Second, be open to learning and experiencing new things. Of course, writers have to extrapolate when writing fiction to some degree. No one actually wants to be shot with a gun just to experience what that feels like and that’s reasonable, but it doesn’t hurt for someone who wants to write about hiking to pay a visit to a mountain trail to get a feel for the place. This is probably why I want to learn to shoot guns because they will be an element in other stories I plan to write (among them, I want to write a supernatural western series).
Third, and probably most important, be willing to accept constructive criticism. No doubt, as a writer you will also see some non-constructive criticism (aka trolling) and you will have to learn the difference between the stuff that is useful and the stuff that isn’t. My problem has always been dealing with criticism, internalizing it and letting it affect my confidence, which is why I’ve avoided novel-writing. A lot of writers find it easy, and that’s great for them. For me, it’s different but it doesn’t have to be a deterrent. That’s why I’m resolving to write longer works.
Fourth, accept the likelihood that you won’t become a big deal like Shakespeare. This sounds negative but hear me out. It’s natural to set high expectations for yourself but if they are unrealistic, you will fail every time. Regardless, you will fail because writers learn as they go and that means trial and error, but you won’t be a failure if you continue to write and grow. If you keep doing your best without worrying whether or not you’re absolutely perfect, you might surprise yourself later down the road and realize that you have produced something amazing. Who knows? You might even end up becoming the next Shakespeare.
Stephen King said that he kept his book On Writing short because most books on writing are b.s. With that thought, if I continue shoveling out advice I’m going to overstay my welcome. That’s it for now.
Written by Nick Montelongo
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