Thoughts on Craft

Writing is self imposed solitary confinement. As writers we lock out the world to work on our craft. It’s a lonely, lonely endeavor. And not just the writing, nearly everything a writer does makes him or her feel alone. Don’t believe me? Ask any writer with their fair share of rejection slips. Nothing makes you feel as alone as holding a stamped self addressed envelope you mailed out months or even years ago with a cut up sheet of paper inside that basically tells you, thanks but no thanks.

If maybe the editor or publisher took the time to actually write an actual note. Maybe paste a form letter on letterhead and make an attempt to produce a pretty looking rejection. That would be easier to swallow. No, this was obviously one sentence that was repeated ten times on the same sheet of paper and then later cut out into ten little strips. If you got a clean cut on the top or bottom of your note you’d know if you were the first or tenth writer to get the ‘f you’ slip that day.

Almost like an evil prophesy from a demonic fortune cookie, this long ribbon of pain waves at you. It taunts and teases. It tells you that you suck. That you’re going to drown in a sea of rejection.

They didn’t care. Hell, they might as well have sent you some cyanide pills or a few razorblades along with the note. Just to make things easier.

An ex-girlfriend called me when she heard that my first book was getting published. At the time she entered a twelve step program for alcohol. She discovered that many great writers battled their fair share of substance abuse problems. She asked me why I thought so many writers drank. I don’t think I really had an answer for her then. I do now. It’s the loneliness.

My experience with High Stakes was different. I had a small pack of fellow writers in a writing group that helped me along. While putting it together a great photographer came around and did what she could with the cover. A handful of professional writers, editors and reviewers blessed me with some blurbs.

And when it was time to promote the book, so many people came from all over to help. Friends from high school. Hell, even friends from elementary school downloaded copies of the book and helped spread the news.

Strangers from Facebook and Twitter came to the rescue. Some wrote amazing reviews on their own personal blogs. Others shared news about the book to all their followers. None of you had to do any of these things but you did. I just wanted to thank you all from the bottom of my heart. You made a writer not feel so alone after all.