Practical wisdom for novelists and other storytellers

I always wondered, and still do, why The Catcher in the Rye shouldn’t be categorized as a young adult novel. One good reason, I imagine, is that J.D. Salinger himself, still alive, would never permit it, and I can understand why. That aside, the question persists for me, and I’d love to hear an experienced editor comment on it.

For what it’s worth, here’s my theory:

When Catcher was published, in 1951, young adult novels could be defined by their conventional (if well told) subject matter: teen romance or adventure, high school sports, history, nothing head-on eccentric or controversial. Even though Catcher was told entirely from an adolescent’s point-of-view, it would have been out of the question to market it in 1951 as a YA.

Were Salinger submitting it new today, however, his agent would almost certainly see it as a possible YA goldmine.

I’m sure I’ll get an argument about that, but there’s no doubt about the larger point, that today’s young adult category has vastly matured in sophistication of subject, to mirror the abundant street wisdom of today’s young reader. Does this mean mainstream novelists have a whole new pasture to play in? Ask Jane Smiley, who has a new YA due this fall. Ask Carl Hiasson, Sherman Alexie, Alice Hoffman, Francine Prose…

Why the rush from mainstream to YA? Like most “genres” they sell reliably. But beyond that, it may be that YA novels are now displaying basic mainstream fiction values more consistently than mainstream itself.

What do you think? Is YA the new mainstream? Shoot me a comment–and to prime the pump, here’s the post that got me turning this issue over in my own mind in the first place. It’s Betwixt and Between: YA in an Adult World by Lauren Baratz on BiblioBuffet.

Yes, there are lessons here for fiction writers, but I won’t pretend my motivation is merely didactic. Truth is, I’ve got a wicked hangover because the other day, along with everybody else in the world, I ingested an unseemly mass of Mark Sanford’s soggy emails, overdosing to the point where I started to feel sick. I even had to skip lunch.

Kidding aside, bad writing can be a potent irritant–especially that form of bad writing in which jarring shifts of tone and diction mar prose intended to be earnest and heartfelt. If the Gov were taking my 101 and turned in these emails, I guarantee you he would get back at least a few sharp comments on appropriate word choice and consistency of expression.

But you know…I’ve seen worse. To be truthful, Gov. Sanford is actually on the upper curve of those business and government types who try their hand at poetry or any form of prose that’s heavily wrought.

“Do you really comprehend how beautiful your smile is? Have you been told lately how warm your eyes are and how they softly glow with the special nature of your soul?”

That’s not bad.

Unfortunately, as you keep reading, it becomes like watching a kid who just learned to ride his bicycle: he may coast smoothly for a stretch, but inevitably there’s a wobble. [Read more →]

How do you reality-test what you’ve written–and for what values? Mark Twain had it figured out. But but there was only one participant in his focus group whose opinion really mattered. Check this out…

Who is Mark Twain? from Flash Rosenberg on Vimeo.

The Editor Unleashedl/Smashwords Flash Fiction 40 Contest deadline for entries was midnight last Sunday.

40 first-round “winners” will soon be announced, and because Editor Unleashed Forum members themselves are reading and voting on the 40 online, all stories are up and can be viewed here. It’s a classy field. If you’d enjoy a few quick hits of excellent flash fiction every (1000 words or under), head on over.

Historically, I’d have to say that fiction contests generally haven’t been my cup of tea. I’ve always felt that trying to make it as a writer is enough of a gamble already, so rather than pulling contest entries together, your time would be better spent researching markets and tending to your submissions.

I’ve never entered one. I’ve never bought a lottery ticket either, nor have I played roulette or volunteered for a dangerous military mission. It must be my nature: I’m fundamentally a dour Scot with a dim view of my prospects in any game of chance.

But wait a minute…chance? Gamble? Don’t contest winners truly earn their prize? [Read more →]

Novelists don’t take kindly to rules. Put simply, they don’t like being told what to do. It’s why they became novelists in the first place.

When I started writing fiction, I had little interest in anyone else’s rules. With time, and lots of early failure, I came to realize that thumbing my nose at the rules of narrative fiction made about as much sense as ignoring the laws of physics.

I once heard a guy in a bar refer to the song, “My Way,” as “the loser’s national anthem.” Individualism should be prized, but it’s vital to a novelist’s full development that distaste for authority share space with some respect for the “rules” of fiction–ancient principles that work for you if you let them, or trip you up if ignored.

A novel is such a giant undertaking that you won’t get by if you know only a few of the rules; it will crumble under its own weight. Familiarity with all of them is required–and not just to recite, either. They should become part of your muscle memory. [Read more →]

How often have you heard a novelists say that, “in fiction, there are no rules.” Too often, I’m afraid.

I’m not comfortable with that attitude because of the subliminal message it carries, namely: “don’t tell me my novel doesn’t work because of some rule it violates. Rules just inhibit creativity. I like it the way it is.”

It’s a form of anti-professional spin that, in the name of “freeing” your creative spirit, suggests anarchy as the cool way to write your novel. But more often than not, the result is a flabby, contradictory story that’s unsatisfying on any level.

There are rules. Call them principles or instructions or directions or chopped liver, whatever––the rules of fiction are ancient and powerful guides to success in this very difficult game. [Read more →]

We all know the mantra: to write a better novel, show, don’t tell. It’s the lead-off topic in nearly any how-to book on fiction writing. You hear it repeated endlessly by creative writing teachers. You see it scrawled in the margins of the stories you’ve submitted for critique.

What’s the big deal? Let’s say I write: “She lingered after dinner, savoring the wonderful fruit dessert he served.” What’s wrong with that? [Read more →]

Most of my adult life I’ve used an original NordicTrack cross country ski machine. I love it, but I remember how ungainly and uncoordinated it made me feel on first try. It reminded me of learning to ride a bicycle; I practically fell off a couple of times until I got the knack.

There was a nice new “Pro” model at my health club, but I never saw anyone on it, even when the other machines were jammed with users. One day I asked one of the trainers why. “Because they don’t want to look bad.” He had a point. The membership was young, and trendy singles filled the place after five, strutting their stuff to the opposite gender.

Once I saw a cool looking dude step up and give it a try. One or two silly-looking wobbles and he glanced around the club to see if anyone had noticed. Then he stepped off–probably for good.

Are you the kind of writer how doesn’t like to look bad — ever? [Read more →]

Let’s say you’ve written a novel or a memoir that you and others feel is ready for prime time. Be aware that the buzzword in publishing today is “platform.” As in “what’s your platform?”

How do I know? My agent told me.

As publishing struggles to remain profitable in a business environment never envisioned by their founders, editors (hence agents) need more and more assurance that the book you’ve brought to them will sell. This is your platform.

What exactly is a platform and how do you get one? Occupy a position of national importance. Barack Obama has a platform. Be a celebrity. Shaq O’Neil has a platform. Be a recognized expert. Paul Krugman has a platform.

The question “what’s your platform?” need hardly be asked of these guys. But what about the rest of us? [Read more →]

Hey, novelists, might as well face it. Reality for most of us, whether we’re published or not, is keeping those balls in the air.

It’s “working for a living”–meaning teaching, technical writing, tending bar, whatever–that will put food on the table. Unfortunately, maintaining the writing life as “Priority Number One” will always be a daily, monthly, yearly struggle.

If you’re able to make novel writing pay the bills, bless you & keep up the good work. For the rest of us, here’s a montage of fragments from comments I received on my last post “A Novelist’s Dilemma - To Teach or Not to Teach”. They are well worth reading in their entirety, and you can do that by clicking here.

These are front line dispatches from real novelists, all struggling, in one way or another, to make their peace with a double-duty life. [Read more →]