As always, I hear you loud and clear and now I'll try to do better. The thing you said about letting the editor person push their agenda conflict for me. As a self taught, writer, I feel people who've been in it, trained in, know so much better than I do about things like this. And editor totally reshaped my new book. But honestly, I thought it was shapeless before and didn't know how to change that. I try to balance between letting an editor direct and force you and maintaining my voice, even when its crude or doesn't follow rules.
Jenks, I hope you like what the editor has done. If the manuscript was shapeless and the editor gave it shape AND *you* like what the editor has done, then you are a lucky man. If you're uncertain about the new shape of the book, I'd work with it until it felt good in my body. You are doing great. You are learning what you need to know. You're putting in the work. Don't let doubt get in your way. Let the feelings in your body guide you. (And I'm sorry to keep giving you advice, some of which I'm certain is bad advice. Use your judgment on everything I say, okay?) Hope to see you soon!!!
What a great post. I am intrigued by the archetype workshop - thinking some of my teacher friends might be interested as we teach students to examine the works this way. So fun!
Really relate to this: "You are not the hero of your work. Your reader is. You may be a hero, but you are nothing without a reader, and the reader has to see themselves in your work. They have to see themselves as the main character. You are an alchemist, a spell-binder, but not a hero."
As always, I hear you loud and clear and now I'll try to do better. The thing you said about letting the editor person push their agenda conflict for me. As a self taught, writer, I feel people who've been in it, trained in, know so much better than I do about things like this. And editor totally reshaped my new book. But honestly, I thought it was shapeless before and didn't know how to change that. I try to balance between letting an editor direct and force you and maintaining my voice, even when its crude or doesn't follow rules.
Jenks, I hope you like what the editor has done. If the manuscript was shapeless and the editor gave it shape AND *you* like what the editor has done, then you are a lucky man. If you're uncertain about the new shape of the book, I'd work with it until it felt good in my body. You are doing great. You are learning what you need to know. You're putting in the work. Don't let doubt get in your way. Let the feelings in your body guide you. (And I'm sorry to keep giving you advice, some of which I'm certain is bad advice. Use your judgment on everything I say, okay?) Hope to see you soon!!!
This is wonderful, Janisse. Thanks so much for posting it. Much needed just now - and won't be easily forgotten!
What a great post. I am intrigued by the archetype workshop - thinking some of my teacher friends might be interested as we teach students to examine the works this way. So fun!
Thank you for this. Such an important reminder. And I like Zinn's use of transcending. I want to think about that.
Really relate to this: "You are not the hero of your work. Your reader is. You may be a hero, but you are nothing without a reader, and the reader has to see themselves in your work. They have to see themselves as the main character. You are an alchemist, a spell-binder, but not a hero."
Great essay. Oddly, I see some parallels in this one.
https://www.newyorker.com/culture/the-weekend-essay/the-problem-of-nature-writing
thank you for "The Writer is not the Hero"
It's really a good reminder as to what we're about.
Blessings,