FILL: When do you submit?

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Original Posting 1 Feb 2012

I've been thinking about that question you raised, Gene, about just how good, final -- perfect? -- Something needs to be before submitting it.

It's a problem that comes up in many areas. In the classes that I teach, I often run into students who think I'm only interested in "the right answer." Since many of the questions I ask have many right answers, or sometimes none, they often struggle. It's hard for them to realize that only in taking a look at some possible answers, and why we might choose them, are we likely to find our answer today.

Anyway, in this case, let's look at a couple of situations. One is just the ordinary process of writing. You get an idea, you put some words around it, you revise that -- this is mostly individual work. At some point, though, you probably want some feedback to find out how it works, what people notice about it, and what they don't notice. Next, you probably want to revise it a bit, and eventually, maybe you push it out to one or more of the publishing channels (self-publishing, traditional publishing, something else?)

In this case, you probably submit it here on WRITERS in an earlier version. It could be very early -- at the idea or rough draft stage, or maybe just the scene -- if you're looking for some early advice or help. Of course, none of us is going to write it for you, but maybe you want to ask if we've seen anything like this idea you had about making Abe Lincoln be a secret vampire hunter or something? (Oddly, I have recently heard about this little genre that apparently is growing, taking various historic entities, mixing historic fact and a healthy dose of fiction to create... George Washington, vampire slayer? Stuff like that.)

Okay. However, it's more likely, you've worked on it to a point where you feel pretty good about it -- it's ready for a workshop review, comments and critique -- so you submit it here so that we can do that. You're looking for feedback, a critique, to help put the final polish on it.

Or maybe you have polished it as far as you can, and you just want someone to take another look at it? That's another good point to submit it here.

So I guess there's three different stages where asking for feedback from the group seems to make sense. Early in the process, just to kick the idea around, or to ask for suggestions about how to avoid that "looking in the mirror" scene, or to ask whether something you're trying works. Later in the process, to get that helpful second opinion, to see what it looks like in someone else's eyes. Towards the end of the process, to get a double check.

The other situation that I wanted to look at was something like 6 x 6, where we're trying to push out a story each week. The point of the exercise really is that it helps loosen up that drive for perfection that most of us fall into from time to time. Because come -- Saturday, right? -- We need to send that story out, whether it's gotten that very last polish or not. And then turn around and start the next one. So we don't have a lot of time to think it over, one more time, maybe change a little bit here, what about... Just shove it out.

One of the real benefits that I see is that often we are our own harshest critics. That story that we're shaking our head over may get a hearty greeting if you just send it out! At the very least, you'll find out which parts people really notice.

Now I do think, especially if we're sending something to the traditional publishers, but even for self-publishing, it's worthwhile to get it in good shape. But even there, we need to be careful to avoid perfection paralysis, where we never send anything out because we're polishing it just one more time. Here again, the 6 x 6 exercise seems like a useful way to combat that tendency, because we're likely to learn that it doesn't really need to be perfect.

Anyway, how good does it need to be to submit it here on the list? Well, I really think that's up to you. Especially for 6 x 6, I wouldn't fret too much. We all know the time is short, and here comes Saturday again! 6 x 6 should be fun, not deadly.

I guess the other thing I keep trying to explain is my notion that we learn from mistakes. The WRITERS list needs to be a safe place to make mistakes. That's what a writing group is really all about, is being able to share our mistakes and learn from them. Of course, this means that posting something with some errors in it is almost better than posting it too smooth. Not that we need to introduce errors, particularly, but that trying to get every single one out is just too hard. In fact, what one person sees as an error may not seem to be an error to others, and we can learn from that, too.

Another benefit that I see to 6 x 6 is that we're likely to maybe try out some smaller ideas, just because we know we've got to get a story out this week. So instead of the blockbuster wonderful idea, maybe we just write something a little bit simpler. I know I get wrapped up in trying to make a great story, and I just need to relax and tell some small stories. Because we are pushing out ideas quickly, it's a little bit easier to try some of the other ideas. And sometimes those turn out pretty well.

Anyway, the short version is, especially for 6 x 6, post it! Submit it even if it's not finished, even if everything hasn't been completely polished, and then go on to the next idea. I think part of the exercise is the pacing, developing an idea fairly quickly, putting it together, then sending it out and letting go of it. Because it's time for the next weekly story.

I hope some of this makes it easier. Sorry this is so long, I'm not sure I have time to tighten it up -- I've got to write a story!

EXERCISE: You remember me, don't you?

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Original Posting 21 Feb 2012

One of the television shows here in Japan recently had a rather strange little piece. Basically, they had one or two people sitting in a room when the person arranging things brought one more person in. Who took one look at the person sitting there and said, "Wow, it's been a long time since I've seen you. How are you doing?" The newcomer proceeded to sit down and talk with the other person.

In almost every case, the person who had been recognized said something along the lines of, "Oh, sure. I remember you. We met..."

The trick here is that the newcomer was a hired model -- a young woman or young man -- who had never met the other person before. And yet people happily figured out when they had met, and apparently were happy to meet again.

The thing I wondered about was what happened after they told the people that they had been hoaxed? Were people upset, or did they just take it as a good joke on themselves? I'm not sure how I would feel if someone pulled this on me. I often forget names, and I will admit that from time to time people talk to me that I certainly don't remember. Between classes, conferences, and other stuff, I just meet too many people.

So, take a character -- protagonist, antagonist, whoever you like. And have another character insist that they met before, even though they have never met. What does your character think? How do they react to this stranger who isn't a stranger? And then...

They used to have spies escaping with secret information doing things like this. Sitting down at the bar and insisting on being somebody's friend, just so that they could drop the envelope, roll of film, key to the train locker, or whatever in their pocket. Just before they got up, walked out of the bar, and got run over by a truck.

A stranger or not? That's the question!