I remember sitting in a writing class as an undergrad and having a lecturer telling us that selling our work, schmoozing and so forth was almost as important as good writing. And I saw people exchanging matching glances that said quite clearly, But I decided to be a writer so I wouldn’t have to talk to people!
Which is not totally true in my case (although it is one of the day to day perks). I mean, I quite like talking to people about writing. It’s just that saying, Gosh, I’m brilliant, wouldn’t you like to publish me? is not something I seem natively wired to do. Although that could be because the second I think about selling my work every single neurosis I’ve ever had about the quality of my work rears its misshapen head.
Thankfully, the first step doesn’t have to involve conversation, it more usually involves writing, which I’m substantially better at. At least until you realise this isn’t fiction or academic writing it’s commercial writing, which is a whole other thing.
And while commercial writing lends itself towards a by the numbers approach, the best of it — like the best of any writing — includes a spark of something better, something beyond the formula. Unfortunately an awareness of that fact has not noticeably increased my ability to write something that fits in that category.
Honestly, at this point I’d just like to write something that isn’t totally idiotic.
Kandace Mavrick
Paul McLaughlan
platform thing 
Meryki Basden
14/07/2011
Weirdly I have been trying to practice saying to people “I’m Brilliant, don’t you know ? :)” And I say it jokingly, but I also figure if you say things to and about yourself (both out loud and in your head) you start to believe them more and act accordingly. And I had the idea partly because a friend of mine frequently tells people that he is awesome, and again while he says it as a joking thing and not in an obnoxious way, people seem to unconsciously believe it even if they are kind of giggling with him joking at the time. Of course it helps that he is awesome, but I think that’s not totally the point anyway.
So not sure if that made sense and haven’t really looked at this thing of yours or commented before and am now feeling overwhelmed with choice when it comes to options to login 🙂
Kandace Mavrick
14/07/2011
I know what you mean. Except in my case I think it has the reverse effect. I have a tendency to tell people I’m very clever (possibly because I sound about four and they may not otherwise realise?). But it leads to such immortal statements as: “I’m smarter than I look and it helps if I tell people — wait, that came out wrong.” Which, as you can see, doesn’t exactly help my cause.
It’s like part of my brain thinks if tell people as often as possible and flash my doctorate at them it will overcome the ludicrous nature of my name (and you know, that whole thing where I have a lot in common with a seven year old) but really I think it tends to make me sound even more like one of the seven dwarfs (you know the one). Eh. Contradictory neuroses, what fun!
Kandace Mavrick
21/07/2011
http://www.asofterworld.com/index.php?id=629
platformthing
14/07/2011
I like your idea: fake it till you make it! 🙂
I’m going to have to try this myself.
Kandace Mavrick
14/07/2011
Heh. Paul, you need to log in as you to reply otherwise we are the amorphous kandace/paul.
paulthing
14/07/2011
Pah! I fully intended to be blog-like! I am awesome, am I not? 😉