Jessica Page Morrell is the author of several books, including Bullies, Bastards, and Bitches - How to Write the Bad Guys in Fiction and the recently released Thanks, But This Isn't for Us: A (Sort of) Compassionate Guide to Why Your Writing Is Being Rejected. She also teaches writing and works as a developmental editor. Here's her advice on avoiding common mistakes in your manuscript.
Urban Muse: Your book contains a lot of advice on how to craft a compelling story that editors will want to publish. What would you say is the most important advice for aspiring writers who read your book?
Jessica: Learn the underpinnings of story structure. This works for memoir writers too. Too many writers start typing away without a sense of what a beginning, middle, and ending must deliver, and also don’t know what a scene contains. At first trying to incorporate these techniques will feel awkward, but eventually their timeless logic will be a huge help to your storytelling. Also use all elements of the story—setting, dialogue, subtext—to push the story forward creating narrative drive and tension.
UM: In your opinion, which authors do this very well?
J: This would be a long and eclectic list—but some of the books I recommend again and again are The Road by Cormac McCarthy, Olive Kitteridge by Elizabeth Strout, Peace Like a River, by Leif Enger, The Glass Castle, by Jeannette Wells, The Memory of Running, by Ron McLarty, The Ha Ha, by David King, The Mystic Art of Erasing all Signs of Death, by Charlie Huston, and The Story of Edgar Sawtelle, by Wroblewski, although it’s a story that could be tightened a bitUM: Are there any examples of authors who've been successful despite breaking some of these rules?
J: Cormac McCarthy breaks almost every rule including punctuation, but pulls it off because his fugitive characters are sending messages from lost worlds and he’s simply a writing genius. Stephanie Meyers of the Twilight series and J.K.Rowling of Harry Potter fame break a lot of so-called rules. I agree with Stephen King that Meyers cannot write—she has a lot of purple prose, excess, and melodrama in her stories (not to mention weird messages about sexuality and emotional dependence) so I cannot read her stuff it’s just so cheesy and bad. Rowling overwrites, her stories are wordy and flabby, particularly her dialogue. She also uses adverbs which drive me crazy, but Rowling knows the basics of storytelling and structure, unlike Meyers. Rowling also compensates by creating a richly-imagined world and both writers take risks with characters and plotting, and know their characters intimately.
UM: You mention in the book that there's a difference between reading a manuscript and a story. Could you explain this difference?
J: That’s an interesting question. Sometimes when I’m reading a manuscript I’m swept up in the story, transported far from my ordinary world and into the story world and the characters’ lives. This doesn’t happen often because usually I’m aware of the writer’s mistakes, the missing elements, a murky or slow beginning, or other problems that don’t allow me to enter the story, participate in the dream. I’m always excited when it feels like a story instead of a series of problems that need solving, or missing puzzle pieces that I need to find. Or sometimes the writer is trying too hard and the story is drowned out under a lot of prose. Within the first sentences or paragraphs I can usually determine if the writing is polished, beautiful and compelling. The first element that pulls me into a story (this obviously works for nonfiction too) is the quality of the language.UM: You discuss many of the reasons behind rejection, but do you have any suggestions on how writers can deal with the emotional side?
J: If you’re a fragile or easily-defeated person being a professional writer might not be your best career choice. It’s a tough business and you are a business person first, and an artist second. You don’t have room for a lot of ego or freak outs or tantrums. If a manuscript or piece gets rejected, you need to fix it or write something else. Too many writers hang on to the same project for years and years when they need to move on. Also, you cannot take things personally—if your writing doesn’t sell this doesn’t mean you’re incompetent—it just means on this particular day an editor said no to a particular story. Keep moving forward. Keep believing. Stay excited about things. Practice awareness. Take risks. Notice your loves and hates and passions. Then write about them. There’s a lot of competition out there, so bring your most grown up and alive self to the game. And affiliate with other writers so you can commiserate or at least share a beer when the going gets tough. Study the lives and career trajectories of published authors, especially those you want to emulate. Not many of them were whisked to success on fairy’s wings—they worked hard, persisted, and respected everyone they worked with.UM: What's next for you?
J: I’ve written several books on craft and I want to step away from this focus for a while. Last year I was in a car accident and suffered head injuries. I was unable to read and write for awhile and had cognitive problems such as memory loss and this experience especially brought home the importance of my writing practice. My writing practice is what I center my days on and it’s also central to my spirituality and keeps me centered, focused, mindful, and grateful. It’s my Zen and homeland. So I’m writing a book proposal about this topic and will be passing it along to my agent in the next month or so. During my recovery I spent a lot of time in bed and felt isolated, so another project I’ve been working on is a series of essays about the healing power of nature, because these days walking in a garden or forest is pretty wonderful.Thanks, Jessica! Check out The Writing Life for more on Jessica Page Morrell.