Walking in the store today, I stopped by the book section hoping to see my favorite author's new release. Still not there, I pursed alternative titles. There were books by the Prez and his wife, more scandals novels by the romance gurus, and a few health tip books that looked interesting, but not enough to warrant their price tags.
I picked up the latest by Jodi Picoult and started to read a few sentences in the middle of the book, just to see if I liked her voice. If I can't stand the author's voice, I can't read the book (I won't mention whose voice I can't stand since I wouldn't want to burn any bridges before I get there, kwim? ;)
Jodi Picoult. Love her voice. Love it.
Want to know why?
It's almost like mine...
Crap, I think to myself and deflate. Now I'll look like I was copying her voice when I go to try to have my novel published. I should probably throw in the towel...
But no! I don't want to. I wrote the entire thing already! There's a few editing tasks ahead then I can write the query and send it out. I'm not quitting just yet, are you crazy?!
Ok, no need to panic, right? Just breath and buy it since it does look like a great story. It's a movie now too, so it must be.
Then another book catches my eye: Just Breathe. Can't remember the author now off the top of my head right now, but when I read the back of the book, I practically drop it onto the floor. In a nutshell: a woman has an emotional catastrophe that makes her revisit her California beach hometown where she falls in love. Gee...Doesn't that sounds awfully familiar. Almost like my story line...
I put it back and retreat home to read the book my mother happily left for me. "You'll like it. Just look at the title." She knows that my first choice for the title of my own book is Live, Laugh, Love. Presumptuous? Maybe. But I think it fits my story to a T. The title of the book my mother leaves me is Eat, Pray, Love. I read it. Great story. I hear my own story - my own main character - in a lot of places throughout the book. There are many key points in the book that are just like my own, right down to the sound that flip flops make when you run in them!
So I change the title of my book so something else and the sound flip flops make...But now, when I look at my book, I see all these other published author's work in my work. I'm fighting back those nasty self-doubting writer demons that just want me to quit. "It's going to be embarrassing!" they laugh, snicker, sneer. "Plagiarizer!" they point.
But I know I'm not one. I've never even read a Jodi book until those innocent three sentences. Truth be told, her voice is much like Barbara Delinsky's voice, my favorite author. I'm sure Elizabeth Gilbert's voice is a bit similar as well...hmmm...maybe I shouldn't feel so vulnerable right now...Maybe...
And there are only 50 states, of which only a handful are on an ocean coast. Even if it's the same exact town as mine, and our stories have a similar thread, does that mean I should devote mine to the paper shredder? Maybe...Maybe not...
These are all deterrents to writing, making me - us - feel as if we shouldn't even try. It's hard enough to actually write the blasted thing. That's a deterrent enough!
However!...If you find that you are being sidetracked by multiple signs to quit, I think you should keep on going. Someone or something out there thinks you've actually have what it takes...and they are scared you're going to make it.
That's my outlook on this sort of thing. Whenever I have a massive amount of neigh sayers show up, I get going even faster! Hasn't always been. I used to drop everything at the first sign of a challenge and then regret never taking the chance. But my small brush with death taught me something: take your chance now, sista! You might not get another one...
So, deterrents aside, write! Keep going! Flip them the finger and just do it. Never know. You might get laughed at. Maybe. Or, more likely, you'll get one of those personalized notes in the mail..."We'd like to see more. Thanks!"
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