I was talking to a writer friend today. She writes novels and is published. I haven’t completed the one I started six years ago during NaNoWriMo. She doesn’t write picture books. I am waiting/hoping to get mine published. It’s a waiting game no matter what you write.
She reminded me to not compare myself to other writers. I needed that reminder – again – because I have been thinking about my picture book submission earlier this week, and that many other writers submitted their manuscripts around the same time. Mine will get read but I will be astonished if it is accepted. Why? Because, I thought, the others will be better stories or more suited to the publisher’s interest, than mine. Through the process of elimination mine will be rejected. I thought, but I don’t KNOW. I’m waiting. My friend is waiting, too, for the next step in the progress of her latest novel.
She said if she were to compare she could be insecure because of my writing. WHAT! No way! Because, she told me, I write multiple stories in one year while she writes a story in about three years. hmmm My reply to that is it takes longer for her novel because of the length of her in-depth story and all the research she does for it. No matter if it’s world-building or just capturing a moment or incident, it all takes time and effort to create worlds or scenarios and scenes. It’s all writing. It’s all creative expression. It’s all work. And it’s an exercise in patience – definitely not one of my strengths.
I think writing a good novel (one that gets publish ♥) is an amazing and exciting accomplishment. I’d love to do that, but I don’t yet know if that is within my abilities. For now I am concentrating on picture books because that’s more where my passion lies in my writing. I have to stop comparing. I have to be who I am as a writer.
Look at this fabulous image I found on Twitter:
She’s a history professor from the future. She said to just carry on as if she’s not here.
Researching your topic is a very important part of writing your story. Even for the picture book I recently submitted, I researched what the characters would be interested in eating. I like things to be accurate.
I am usually very visual, so as I write a story I see it unfolding before me like a movie. I’ve been told that is quite common to writers. I hear what the characters are saying and what is happening around them, and often what they are feeling and thinking. In fact, here’s another oddity about me — in real life I often see the words people say to me in conversation. I see the words spelled out before me, in my mind’s eye. I wonder if that is an advantage for me in my writing … or if I am just strange. 🙂
Questions for you:
- Do you visualize when writing stories? Do you when people talk to you, the way I see the words spoken to me?
- Do you research for your stories, or do you not bother much with the little details?
Thanks for reading, and … Creative Musings! 🙂
Polilla Writes 
❤ You're just strange! Hahahahahah!!! Well, at least about the words, but I love knowing that happens for you. How unusual. I can "see" a word when I'm trying to spell it. Otherwise, nope. I do, however, see the scenes I'm writing, which I think is usually a great advantage. However, on occasion, because I can see the scene, I assume the reader can, too, and, of course, s/he can't. Then I need an editor to tell me to fill it in a bit. I love learning how others do their writing. I supposed if we all wrote the same way, we'd all be writing the same book, and wouldn't that be a problem! Great post, Lynn.
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Well, thank you; it has now been confirmed. (and I love you too! 😉 ) Being strange is fine with me since I don’t want to be like everybody else anyway. haha
I just have to get more comfortable with myself, I guess.
You must have good editors, Sue, because what I’ve read of your books so far is fantastic! You simply pull me into the story and make it visual and real.
I wonder if someone would have more trouble writing a story if they can’t see it the way we do?
Let’s not ever all write the same book. In the picture book world it’s surprising how many times that almost happens with little variations in stories. Again … research for different reasons.
Thanks for your comment, Sue.
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It is so cool that you see the story unfold for you. I think for me it is more like I hear or feel it unfold. I do tons of research and look at a lot of pictures to get the description right. One should never compare oneself with others as we are not clones! Thank heaven. Keep doing what you are doing.
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Your stories show you do much research, Darlene. 🙂
I’ve always said, and believe, the world really doesn’t need to deal with another me.
Thank you for your comment.
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Writing and research definitely go together for me. I’m always looking something up, and I’m a very curious person. As for visualization, I see my stories as movies and try to capture what I see and feel as if I were in them. I do my best not to compare myself to others. No matter what, I’m just going to be me with my gifts and my flaws and my stories to tell.
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I like all that you said here, Heather. Thank you for sharing. 🙂
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Great post, with great points! 🙂 I think comparing after a failure is okay, as long as it is a “How to get better” comparison, or a “What can I do different” comparison. 🙂
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Thanks, Erik. I think your view on comparison is a healthy one. We all must keep learning how to do better as we go along in this adventure of writing. 🙂
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