Are You Compelled to Write?

In the last several months I've heard no less than 4 agents, 3 publishers, 1 manager and 5 producers say that they are looking for for writers who are "compelled to write".

What they mean by this — I think — is that they're looking for writers who are more driven by the act of writing than they are by the desire for a big check. They're looking for the writer who (I quote), "just keeps churning it out."

The manager even said, "I don't want to represent the writer who just writes one script a year."

Compelled or Crazy?

The phrase "compelled to write" bothers me partly because it makes me think of some wild-eyed, crazy person with their desk overflowing with manuscripts . . . and also because I'm not compelled to write.

The writing process is hard. There are about a million things I find more enjoyable than sitting in front of my laptop trying to fix a scene or figure out why my subplot isn't working. It's mental boot camp! Half the time I'm wondering, "Why am I doing this again?"

What I DO like is getting a response from readers.

Storyteller

What drives you to write? I'm curious, and would love to hear.

I'm not compelled to write, but compelled to tell stories. No, let me change that. I'm compelled to have my stories HEARD — to bring something to the reader that matters. Maybe that's what the industry folks are talking about too, but that's not quite the vibe I get.

Stories are a conversation. If no one reads my story, it's like talking on the phone with no one on the other end. Or telling joke without someone there to laugh. It seems pointless.

I don't need the big check, but I do need a minimal audience. Heck, one person will do.

Gentle Reader

Stephen King, one of the most prolific (dare I say compelled) writers out there, talks about the gentle reader and taking them by the hand through the story. That's a great image and one that helps when the writing gets tough.

But I have to wonder if Stephen King would have been such a prolific writer if no audience had shown up. Would he have stopped talking to a non-existent crowd or would all those novels be filling up his closets?

Your thoughts?

Crazy writer?

Sorry for rambling. I guess I just heard "compelled to write" one to many times and snapped.

Keep writing. I know your readers are waiting.

di

Write Something REALLY Cool

"What should we be writing about?"

Writers inevitably asked this of agents, publishers, producers, managers, etc. We don't want to waste our time. We want to be writing stories that will sell and audiences will flock to.

What floors me is that most agents, publishers, producers, managers, etc. have an answer.

At a recent NWSG meeting, a producer said about scripts, "Just look at what's selling. That should give you an idea of what we're looking for." (And we were to gather, that was what we should be writing about.)

I disagree!

The producer's answer has been bugging me ever since I heard it. Those words are of no help — especially for a writer who is setting out to write a story.

Say it takes a year for you to write your story. If you're lucky and someone likes it, it could take another year to sell it. Then you've got to produce and/or publish the story.

More helpful, would have been the advice from an agent at this year Pacific NW Writer's Conference, "I'm looking for wonderful character-driven stories with a high concept plot." This may sound vague, but it's great, honest advice.

Taking a project from concept to product can take literally years, and there is NO way to know what is going to be in vogue then. The only thing you can probably bank on is that whatever is popular today will probably be old hat by then. People constantly want something different.

Keeping Tabs on the Market

You should definitely keep track of what's being purchased. It can save you some wasted time.

I was about three-quarters of the way through a spec script on a giant elf when I checked the trades and saw ELF with Will Ferrell had just gone into production. I moved on to another project, but gave myself points for at least coming up with a marketable idea.

You Decide

So what should writers write about? Whatever we decide to write about! We're the storytellers.

I truly believe that producers, agents, publishers, and mangers, just want to be blown out of the water.

You've heard agents say, "When I read it, I knew I had a winner." In other words, I never would have conceived of the story, but now that I've read it, I want to market it.

Blowing Them Away

What blows industry folks out of the water? Your imagination, creativity and talent!

Like us, and every other reader and movie goer, the industry wants to experience something original, fresh, compelling, moving . . . you fill in the adjective.

That doesn't mean recreating the wheel. Heck, I would have thought after Anne Rice, vampires had pretty much been done to to death . . . then comes Twilight and True Blood and we're off to the races again.

Choose Wisely

Pick the story that you are passionate about. One that keeps you up at night. Whose characters that speak to you and are more real than your Aunt Marie. If we tell the stories that resonate with us, they are likely to resonate with others.

It's hard enough to write a novel or script or nonfiction book. You don't want to get to the end of the project and if (god forbid) it didn't sell, say, "Man, I wasted a whole year on this!?"

We are the storytellers. We don't need to ask what to write, we need to write what needs to be told — and tell our stories like no one else has told them before.

Despite what they say, the industry will know a great story when it sees it.

Live from the Pacific Northwest Writers Conference

The PNWA conference seems to be a success this year — at least that's what I'm hearing from the writers who are filing past my table.

One of the big draws this year is the huge number of agents and the chance to pitch to them.

I've been watching the post-pitch reactions. Some writers are all smiles and it's easy to guess the agent has asked to see their manuscript. Then there are others who look like they've been hit by a buss — I'm assuming that these folks got a "no". Then there are the stunned and confused writers

Stunned and Confused

I talked to one of the "stunned and confused" at little. The agent liked his story, but had given him a list of things to work before on. Once he'd made these changes he should give her a call. The changes included things like: getting into the story faster, creating move tension for several of the characters, etc. The writer was ready to do the work, but not exactly sure how to do some of these things.

As a story editor (actually standing at my story editing table) I wanted to say, "Hey, that's what I do! I help writers figure this stuff out. Let's talk."

But I've stood in those shoes before and sometimes you just need to go home and digest all the information. You're feeling half rejected, half inspired, and not sure what to do with all this information someone has just handed you.

Today I'm bringing more chocolate. After these agent sessions, I think the writers need more comfort than advice.

More to come!

Diane