When In Doubt, Make Good Art

There was a commencement speech given by Neil Gaiman titled Make Good Art. I first heard it in the audiobook version of The View From The Cheap Seats, and the speech really stuck with me. This is particularly true when it comes to the refrain which tells us that no matter the challenges you're facing, the frustrations you're dealing with, and whether the tide is rising or trying to drown you, there's only one thing you need to do.

Make good art.

Sounds easy, right?

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Making Art Is What It's All About

The short speech from the more-famous-Neil (as he's referred to around my home) talks a little bit about his career. From starting off as a journalist, to writing for comic books, to publishing short stories, novels, screenplays, audio books, to the point where he even wrote a few episodes of Doctor Who, he's had his shares of trials, tribulations, and triumphs. And while he acknowledges all the work he put in, and all the lucky breaks he got, he pointed out some realities that it can be easy to lose sight of.

First, making art is a worthwhile endeavor. It fulfills us in important ways that should not be overlooked, or understated. Even if you don't get paid for it (or you don't get paid what you should be), the very act of creating matters.

Secondly, though, he points out something that is important to remember for all creators, not just writers. That no writing, no matter the kind, is ever wasted. Whether you wrote a comic, a script, a short story, a novel, that act only makes you better. Much like going to the gym, or putting in a day of training, it keeps you sharp, helps you grow, and improves your skills. And while it's true that not finishing a project means you can't put it out on the market and make money from it, finishing a project is no guarantee of success either.

Everything is a crap shoot. Everything.

You place your bet, and you shoot your shot.

Something that I think we should take from Gaiman's words, though, is that everything is a gamble. Writing that book has no more guarantee of happiness than taking that Serious Job (TM), or going into journalism instead of comic books. However, it is better to do the thing, and to keep doing the thing rain or shine. Because dedication will open doors to opportunities that luck by itself would have missed entirely, and if you're going to be a writer you need the odds to be as in your favor as possible.

But I wanted to take this week to remind folks of this advice. If you're struggling, if you're doubting yourself, if you're wondering if anyone even cares about your work, make good art. And if you're riding high, doing the best you can, or you're hitting your milestones, make good art. To abuse my favorite metaphor, it's like going to the gym. You do it when you're pumped, and feeling strong, and have a lot of energy, and you do it when you're tired, or depressed, or frustrated, or you've had a bad day. You do it because it's part of the process, and you need to keep going.

Because writing, like your body, is an organic thing. Use it, or lose it, and you'll never get any stronger, faster, or more skilled if you don't actually do the thing.

So make good art.

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Like, Follow, and Come Back Again!

That's all for this week's Business of Writing! For more of my work, check out my Vocal archive, or at My Amazon Author Page where you can find books like my sci-fi dystopian thriller Old Soldiers, the Hardboiled Cat series about a mystery solving Maine Coon in Marked Territory and Painted Cats, my sword and sorcery novel Crier's Knife, or my most recent short story collection The Rejects!

 

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The Strangeness of Professional Possibility (You Never Know Where Your Ideas Might Go)

We've all had those moments as writers where we sit back, and imagine what it would be like to get a chance to contribute to a favorite property of ours. A shot at writing for a beloved TV show, getting to tell a story for your favorite comic book, or to have your fiction be part of a game universe you love; these are the things we contemplate in our wildest flights of fancy. For a lot of folks out there, they think these ideas are just fan fiction that's never going to go anywhere, and it's just for their own amusement.

After all, we probably won't be one of those writers. The ones who get to drive the plot bus and lay the track for new canon. Surely there's a whole, secret process for how big companies pick who gets to contribute to popular media, and who is allowed to actually handle these properties that we love so much.

I mean, they've got to have a list, right?

I've felt this way for a long time, myself. I grew up reading Marvel comics, watching classic TV shows, and thinking to myself, "Man, I wish I could get some of my creativity into those things... but there's no way that will ever happen."

Funny thing, though... it totally could. And far more easily than you or I think.

No, This Isn't an Announcement Post

Let me be clear, I have not been picked to work on an Avengers script, or to provide my "What-If?" stories to Marvel's next edition (though if any folks with executive power on those properties is reading, shoot me a message and we can talk). I do have a new novel coming out from Ring of Fire September 1st (check the slate), but that's neither here nor there.

What I'm trying to say is that there's no hidden cabal of editors who pull writers' names out of a golden chalice. There's no creativity Olympics where only the best and the brightest are offered a chance to let their work shine in the public arena for all to see. You get these opportunities the same way you get practically everything else in the writing world; connections, impressions, and sheer dumb luck.

I'm serious... lucky opens at LEAST as many doors as talented.

As an example, I've sat on panels with people who've written comics for Marvel (Seanen McGuire has some killer insights if you get a chance to sit and listen to her, by the by), I've rubbed elbows with bestsellers, and I've shared drinks at after parties with the head editors of RPG companies. To be clear, I don't know a lot of these folks well enough to email them and ask for a job, or to give my input on the direction a property should go. But some of them know my name, and recognize my face when we pass in the halls.

There have also been times where I've had a conversation with someone, and they said they'd keep me in mind if a future project comes up. Or a time when I sent in an email asking if there were spots open for something, and got the response, "Sure, what'cha wanna write?" For the record, that's how my short story The Irregulars would up as part of Paizo's canon for the Golarion setting.

My experience isn't new or unique, either. Every panel I've ever been on where someone asks the question, "How do I break into the writing business?" the answers are almost universally to be in the places where you can make connections. Because it's true that winning awards or selling huge numbers of books will get attention, you don't have to do that to get your foot in the door. Volunteer to be a panelist at your local con, help run the green room, and put yourself out there. Even if it's a digital convention, or a social media group, there is no telling who you'll run into and what connections you'll make.

And if you never thought you'd have the chance to write a story about what would happen if Frank Castle made a deal with Mephisto to get him out of Vietnam where he becomes the next Ghost Rider... just wait. You might meet run into someone who hears that, knocks back their drink, and says, "You've got my attention, when can I have the script?"

Like, Follow, and Stay Tuned!

That's all for this week's Business of Writing! If you'd like to see more of my work, take a look at my Vocal archive, or at My Amazon Author Page where you can find books like my sword and sorcery novel Crier's Knife as well as my recent collection The Rejects!

If you'd like to help support my work, then consider Buying Me A Ko-Fi, or heading over to The Literary Mercenary's Patreon page! Lastly, to keep up with my latest, follow me on Facebook, Tumblr, Twitter, and now on Pinterest as well!