Reading about Writing

Recently, I finished reading a book called Writing the Breakout Novel--an ambitious title, and a still more ambitious idea. I always think it's funny that so many people end up reading books about writing books, but it is, of course, infinitely more easier than actually writing the books, and it still gives the illusion of being productive in some way. Anyway, I picked up this book at the library, if only because the idea that there was any one formula for writing a "breakout novel" was so absurd.

It was a pretty good book. Lots of solid advice on plot, characters, setting, whatever. Usually when I read books about writing, I read them to hate on the author for insisting on a particular method as The One that will give you a successful book. (I don't remember the title, but I read one book last year where the author basically said depression was a distraction and real writers would just ignore it. Hooray for delegitimizing mental disorders.)

This book was a little better than the usual "this is my way and therefore the only way to write a book," but it still felt a little formulaic. Sure, there were a couple throwaway sentences about how all his advice still wasn't guaranteed to give you a "breakout novel," but it mostly glossed over how much of a nightmare the publishing industry is for writers. It was a book meant to encourage--if you work hard enough and have enough talent, your book will be successful.

May I just say, from the bottom of my heart: yikes.

Optimism's cool, I guess, but for a man like Donald Maass, who obviously knows the publishing industry, it's irresponsible. People read books about writing because they want reassurance that somehow, in this ridiculous environment in which we live, they can make it. Good writers, I think, are always a little bit scared that they're not good enough. (Unless you're, you know, so wildly successful that you don't have to care about the quality of your work anymore--cough, J.K. Rowling, cough.) A little bit of self-doubt is necessary for the rigorous process of drafting and redrafting and reredrafting a book.

Reassuring writers by giving them a formula for writing a successful novel is...mean. There is no one way to write anything, unless you're talking to a high school English teacher. (Who the hell came up with the be verb rule? I'll fight them with my bare hands. And if they're dead, I'll dig up their skeleton and fight that. Will I singlehandedly begin the skeleton war? Absolutely. And it'll be worth it. What was I talking about?)

Reading books about how to write is fun because I'm a contrarian. I like to glare at the front cover and say, who is this person, anyway? What do they know? What gives them the right to tell anyone how to write? And usually, there isn't really an answer. But I do think it's irresponsible of this guy to paint the publishing industry as if it's fair.