I got a phone call yesterday…no, not the call…don’t I wish. But something similar. I’m hoping to be able to brag and boast and celebrate the results by tomorrow, but we’ll see how it all turns out…^_^
But it got me thinking. I do this a lot. Ponder how much writing is like working. Okay, obvious, I know. Writing isn’t easy. I’ll be the first to say how hard it is to translate ideas into solid stories.
But I mean from the business side of things. Selling books is a business. Sending your query to a literary agent or publisher is a lot like sending in your resume when you apply for a job. And you want to submit your best work and make sure it’s done, just like you would at any job.
But I had another revelation yesterday and I’m trying to apply it to writing. One of my phone calls, the person asked me what I do…a lot of people struggle with this in business as much as we as writers do when working on an elevator pitch.
And the work side of it occurred to me, and it was like a lightbulb. I make round pegs fit in square holes.
It only takes me a few words to say that, but it conveys exactly what I need it to for a hiring manager. Now I just need to figure out how to apply that to a one-two sentence story pitch.
Now that I’ve seen it in relation to myself, I’m hoping it will help me better apply it to my stories.
What kind of things trigger revelations for you?
That’s a good description. I have revelations all the time, but usually when I’m not thinking about anything, just relaxing the brain and something dawns on me.
Sounds like you have some great news! Keep us posted! 🙂
Oooh! I’m very intrigued. I hope you’ll share your exciting news!
I once said during an interview, when they asked me what my greatest accomplishment is: I’m a Chemical Engineer in an Electrical Engineer’s world, and I haven’t been fired yet.
The guy laughed, and later told that joke at lunch and they all laughed again. I got the job, but turned it down. This was back in the late ’90s when jobs were easier to shrug off.
Part of being a writer is being able to think sideways. Your peg analogy is just that: thinking sideways.
You need to be able to hook people with a good tagline to be memorable.
I always say the drummer is the sexiest guy in the band, but everyone notices the lead singer because he’s the most obvious. Same with the quarterback and the pitcher and any other guy who’s obvious — nobody notices anyone else in the background, no matter how good they are.
It’s like that: you need to be obvious and memorable, not necessarily the best.
Good luck with the calls!
– Eric
Now to work on getting the square pegs in the round holes. hehehe
Random things trigger revelations. It’s hard to pinpoint anything exactly. I love the feeling of a revelation though, especially when it solves a problem in a novel. Wish I had an answer for “what do I do” but I know I don’t want it to be dishwashing for long.