My First Book, Still in Print, but not the First Time I Went Crazy
Pulitzer-Prize winner James Michener gave me this piece of advice: No matter what, don’t give up your day job until you’re sure of enough writing income.
I say to you, to hell with that. Go crazy, throw caution to the winds, turn your security into chipped beef, hurl yourself into WRITE-WRITE-WRITE mode, and end up with a career. Like me and thousands of others.
I had this terrific gig, principal movie and theater critic of the Hearst newspaper in Los Angeles. I loved movies, loved writing about them, and had an open door to meet everyone in the biz. I was in the catbird seat.
But I was chafing at the bit. My life was spent recording what other people were doing. But I wanted to be the guy DOING.
Here’s how it came down. I’m trading stories about mountain men—think JEREMIAH JOHNSON—at a party in Beverly Hills. (Jeremiah would have taken his own scalp before going to a party in Beverly Hills.) A publisher overheard and was fascinated. Aside, he asked if I wanted to write a book of these stories.
Do I want to want to write a book? It was like he’d asked me, Do you want to climb Mt. Everest? Sail around the world? Make out with the sexiest woman on the planet?
I was struck so dumb that when I said yes, immediately, I proceeded to ask for an advance lower than he planned to give me. He actually volunteered to raise it.
Did quitting make good sense? Who cares about that? It made me feel alive. I was swinging with what Ray Bradbury said: “If we listened to our intellect, we’d never have a love affair. We’d never have a friendship. We’d never go into business, because we’d be cynical. Well, that’s nonsense. You’ve got to jump off cliffs all the time and build your wings on the way down.”
Still, this madness tossed my paycheck out the window. And my fancy position.
So I would get ten grand over about one year writing a book? What next? Was I going to go to fancy parties trolling for work? How often had publishers waltzed in out of the blue and offered to throw me money? How did I plan to pay rent and buy groceries? How would I feel about losing a position of leverage?
Long story short: Other publishers did make offers. So did movie producers. I was still a Somebody in my own eyes. That first book, Give Your Heart to the Hawks, has been in print for four decades. And I have made a living.
Yes, you have to get used to insecurity. You may sometimes have to depend on the writer’s fallbacks, the unemployment check or the working spouse. You may have to take an occasional, short money-making gig. But, do you yearn to write? You don’t get a do-over on life.
Want to write? GO FOR IT. Go crazy. Go on the adventure.
Get on board with Goethe and jump in. He wrote, “Whatever you can do, or dream you can, begin it. Boldness has genius, power, and magic in it.”
I would not tell everyone, but I will tell you. Even when it’s dicey, the writing life is FUN.
—Win
Footnote: Meredith and I give a class called The Creative Surge. It’s full of practical exercises for jumpstarting your creativity. News of it will be on this blog. When it comes along, sign up before it fills up.
About Meredith and Win Blevins
Really enjoying these posts. Remind me of good times in Business of Media class.
Looking forward to more posts – and I’m still writing!
Good classes coming your way, so stay with us Steven!
Keep writing. And then write some more. And then read as much as you write. Jump in that sandbox, make a mess (your first draft), and then clean it up.
Thank you so much for getting in touch!
Best! M & W
Looking forward to the day when I can take that leap! Currently, working that j.o.b. with all of the benefits, and that part is nice. But on the side, I’ve written two novels this year! Now comes the work — polishing and ready to present to an agent.
Love you both and your advice. :^)
Congrats on getting those books written, Cynthia. There is no doubt about it — editing and polishing is work. Did you have a great time writing those novels? Hoping the answer is YES! You can always clean up after the party.
— M
Hello Win
I am one of those who invested one year into a book. It was a labor of love, and has led to stories in 5 anthologies, with little pay, two biographies, and now I work as a reporter (freelance). Having said that, sometimes I wish I could get to that book I have a contract for (or the publisher would send the advance). However, I am learning the ropes of discipline of having to write a story quick, and make it interesting.
My job may end a month from now, but until then, I am learning so much.
My 9-5, or 9-9 is a blessing, and a curse.
I would not do anything else.
Thanks.
Win
Enjoy your postings. Been a voracious reader since the early “40s (yeah, I’m an old (bleep)), anything I could get my hands on. Read several of your books years ago, got sidetracked, now starting back with them.Writing…now that’s another kettle of fish. My background is in engineering and the last English class I took was Technical Writing in 1958, never took a writing class. I belong to a SF club where most of the members are also writers and I tried to write up a real RenFaire incident into a SF short. Sounded good (to me), wife and son enjoyed it but it was rejected at least 3 times. What the heck, I enjoyed writing it, telling it as if I was the storyteller telling my tale over a campfire or middle of the market place. turned 80 back in May so it’s not like I have lots of time to learn the ropes, but I’m digging out that story and taking another look based on several of the comment you’ve made in the last few posts. Thanks!
PS-Yes I read other stuff besides SF, westerns, historical, lots of technothrillers, nonfiction. Awlays way behind and the stacks keep growing.
Nothing can make my day like an avid reader. That goes double for one who reads everything.
As for writing, three rejections counts for zero-zero-zero. Most writers get far more than that when they start. Remember, Norma Maclean waited until his mid 70s to write and publish one of the great novels of the last century, A RIVER RUNS THROUGH IT.
Best!
-Win
Hi Win, I’ve heard your story before (from you) but it never gets old. You are a great storyteller. Happy writing.
Maria, thanks so much!
Saw the covers for your new book. Very exciting.
Best to you, who have also gone crazy and made a writing life!
–Win
I’m going to print this column and post it somewhere so I can reread it on days when 1) an unbudgeted expense comes in; 2) a rejection arrives; 3) a practical person gives me 10 to 50 reasons why an 8 to 5 job makes better sense.
I LOVED this. I didn’t know you left behind such a sweet deal before flinging yourself off the cliff. Good for you. Good for Bradbury. Good for dreamers.
Yes, bless us dreamers — what a beige world it would be without us.
Patti, keep going. 8 – 5? Not for you. Meredith and I could give a practical person 10 – 50 reasons why they shouldn’t have a sensible job, a sensible life.
Keep going, and stay in touch. We’re all in this same boat — sometimes leaky, sometimes extraordinary — and supporting each other means everything.
with love — Win & Meredith