Douglas Adams. I miss him. That man was one of the greatest writers this planet has been graced by. It was his humor that spurred me onward to strive to write and become disgustingly famous myself, and while we're waiting for that to happen, we drink tea in his memory.
I would never presume to suggest, or even dream that I could write in the style of Mr. Adams - to do so, even if I thought it would get my middle toe in a door, would be foolish. They say that, as writers, we should be able to compare ourselves or our writing to another published author or his/her works. Designed to give a prospective agent some frame of reference - of comparison - and to show that prospective agent we, the writer, have done our homework and read everything printed since 700BC and know exactly who our target audience is.
Okay, that's a bit of an exaggeration. They really only expect you to be fluent in works from 658BC.
I wish I could be half as talented as Douglas Adams' left foot, but even if I were, or just thought I was, I'd be too timid to declare that to anyone. Though I did write a humor piece last year inspired by thoughts of the great writer, called: Mick Danger; Private Eye, Ear, Nose and Throat.
It's been set aside, in need of revision and edits, and a few thousand more words. I'm not entirely sure why I set it aside, but I do intend to pick it back up again. I think, when I took a good hard look at it, I had this odd sort of fear that THIS . . . This would be the novel that gets me an agent. This piece, this humorous Fantasy - of which I have never penned before - written in First Person - something I'd never even tried before - was going to be The One.
And I wasn't sure I wanted to be "known" for that. Did I want this humorous Fantasy to be my coming out, when all my other work is character driven Science Fiction? Did I really want to consider writing more just like it, and being known as a Fantasy writer?
Even now, while I have one of my best-loved pieces off - being read - I can't help thinking that Fantasy piece is going to be what breaks me out. Although it's a bit niche. It's about a writer who was murdered by his editor, who is then murdered herself.
All I have to do is dig it back out, edit the crap out of it, fluff it up a bit more, and pen a query. And I will.
I'm pretty sure I will.
But that still won't put me anywhere near a par with Douglas Adams.
In fact, sometimes just thinking about my favorite authors and their great achievements and works of amazing fiction humbles me into shame. Who am I to imagine I could join their ranks, and sit on bookshelves beside them?
These thoughts can be paralyzing at times, educational at others. In fact, I encourage you to sit back and consider the works of your favorite authors, or any of the greats, and ask yourself: Am I good enough to join them? Do I have what it takes to sit in a café next to Neil Gaiman and pass him the sugar? Would Ernest Hemmingway even let me pet one of his cats?
Humbling, isn't it? Makes you want to curl up on the couch with your wooby and eat chocolate. Then you'll flick on the TV and see they're running reruns of Firefly - written by another of writing's gods, who you couldn't even hold a Bic lighter to, which puts you into an even deeper funk only slightly alleviated by the amazing dialog and acting.
It's okay. We all feel that way at times. It's a bummer this is hitting you so close to November 1st, but you just can't dictate when these feelings of inadequacy will strike, leaving you sniffling into your wooby while the candy wrappers pile up.
In the immortal words of the late, great Douglas Adams, it's: "Almost but not quite entirely unlike tea."
Don't worry, or let it get to you. This, too, shall pass. You'll get over it, and soon - probably sometime early December, you'll forget all about that and once again believe you can write.
You can write just as well as anybody!
Then you'll launch off that couch, toss you wooby aside, pick up a pen - and write my address on that lovely box of tea.
And I'll leave you today with yet more words of wisdom from Mr. Adams himself: "Let's think the unthinkable, let's do the undoable, let's prepare to grapple with the ineffable itself, and see if we may not eff it after all."
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13 comments:
The best thing Douglas Adams ever wrote, as far as I'm concerned, was "Last Chance To See," one of my favorite books ever. I intend to, someday, write a book exactly like that.
In the month of November, I will be all like, "Kristine who?" So nyah. :)
The only one who can be Douglas Adams was Douglas Adams. Be yourself. Whether that's like Douglas Adams or not, your words will still help make the world a better place.
And I'll have loads of tea :D
I wouldn't have survived my twenties without Douglas Adams and his brilliant way of putting things in perspective. He was a satirist of the first order, on a par with Swift and Voltaire.
I never compare my writing style to that of other writers, though. That just seems presumptuous. I wouldn't do it even if asked. It's an invitation to trouble.
Presumptuous? Nah. It's necessary and part of the business. It's never presumptuous to recognize what your own strengths and weaknesses are or who your influences have been.
Yup, I'm constantly scanning shelves in the bookstore and thinking "my book could go there." I've been playing with a hook and started the synopsis today.
Gack. I hate synopsis. Blech.
But identifying your style is useful when it comes to pitching your work.
word verification: iycfooel. I'm gonna use that to make a LOLCATZ.
I forgot I'm anonymouse on blogger and didn't sign that.
It's Soccer Mom.
Who else would be this spastic.
This is fast becoming one of my 3 favorite blogs. You guys are a funny lot!
I forgot I'm anonymouse on blogger and didn't sign that.
It's Soccer Mom.
Who else would be this spastic.
Who else would use word verification thingies to make LOLCATS?
We're glad to have you around, Jerry. I'm the respectable, serious one.
My first thought was, "Adams died?" Then I thought I should research that so I don't look like a dumbass. Oh, he's been gone for several years. He was pretty young, too.
All that said, I've never read anything by him. I've had a copy of "Hitcher's" for years, but never started it. I will say I thought the movie was awful.
Wait, I had a point, really. Come back!
In 2001, when Douglas Adams died, I was crushed. Absolutely devastated. He taught me a number of important things about video games (they don't have to be art, but they can tell a story) and he taught me plenty about what I can do in terms of ecology and environment.
When Salmon of Doubt came out, I was miserable and happy all over again.
...
I'll never be like Douglas Adams, but I can at least comfort myself knowing that my work ethic is actually a lot better than his. :-)
You mean deadlines aren't supposed to make a lovely *whooshing* noise as they rush past?
Wooby?
*wanders off giggling in search of a wooby*
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