Convention Review from a first timer: Ad Astra 2018 - Toronto (Part 2 of 5)

On to the second panel I checked out:   

Style vs. Editing: What’s the difference and how to remain true to your voice without sacrificing your craft.  (MJ Moores (m), J M Landels, Erik Buchanan, Matthew Bin, James Alan Gardner, Marilyn Kleiber)

This panel was interesting.  Headed by a mix of pros, semi-pros and self-published authors, the discussion was generally geared towards anyone either just starting to write or thinking about writing and worrying about whether their own perspective and word choice is ‘good enough’.  As if there’s such a thing as a perfect blend of words and meaning.

I didn’t take many notes and the panelists got a little poetic at times, but the fundamentals were there.  The bottom line was pretty straightforward:  say what you need to say.  Don’t dress it up unnecessarily or your work will read like it was savaged by a thesaurus.  Read what you write out loud.  If it rolls off the tongue, you’re on the right track.  And don’t worry about first or second drafts – they’re supposed to suck.  Getting the story out is only half of the battle – whipping it into shape afterwards is just as important. 

In short, based on the decades of experience sitting at the head table, readers generally want a story that reads well, but that feels unique both in the way it’s written and the way it’s told.  If it doesn’t feel like you, there’s going to be a problem.  This actually led to a neat way to tell if someone’s book has been ghostwritten – watch them read it.   If it doesn’t flow – if they have a hard time maintaining the flow – the book they’re reading might have their name on it, but they didn’t write it.

I also liked that most of the authors on the panel weren’t just authors.  They were also ghostwriters and fight directors and freelance editors.  In short, they were a good cross-section of what it’s like to be an author, particularly one who’s name doesn’t occupy a spot on a bestsellers’ list.  Writing to get rich isn’t going to cut it.  Money can be one of the motivations, and frankly I can’t think of anyone who writes for others who isn’t concerned about getting paid for the service, but if it’s the primary goal – you write not to tell a story but because you want to get paid – then you’re going to hit a wall (or come off feeling like a Transformers’ movie).  If you even manage to finish before finding your next get-rich-quick scheme, your work is going to be a collection of ripped off scenes and ideas – all action and no substance.  And unless you’ve got the luck of a field’s worth of four leaf clovers, no one’s going to buy.  

As for how to beat a story into submission, there was some general advice on using editorial services, leaving your work alone for a while before going back and working it over, and just practicing over and over again without being afraid of producing something award-worthy.  Write for the sake of writing first, then worry about telling your story to others and, finally, maybe selling a few copies.  Not sure I agree with that philosophy – I view this more as a business than a hobby – but I’ve already got my foundations sorted out.  I had to learn all the lessons that come as a beginner before I got secure enough in what I was doing to go beyond that hobbyist mentality.   

The fact is, even if you just want to write part-time, you need to work at it diligently.  Regular sessions, regular practice and focus.  Focus is key – you need to be self-motivated and driven and able to stick with a single idea until it’s complete.  If you can’t, you’ll end up with a thousand story starts and no complete arcs. 

The last interesting piece of information I got was from James Alan Gardner.  When I asked my question at the end, and I admit it came out a little garbled, he was kind enough to point me to the acknowledgment pages of any books I can think of.  No author produces a work from an established press alone – there are always supports, editors, sources, etc.  And that page contains their names and roles.  Look them up – sometimes they’re either looking for new clients or offering their services.       

All in, 8/10.