7 Things I’ve Learned So Far: Diana Wagman

This is a recurring column called “7 Things I’ve Learned So Far,”where writers (this installment written by Diana Wagman, author of THE CARE & FEEDING OF EXOTIC PETS) at any stage of their career can talk about writing advice and instruction as well as how they possibly got their book agent -- by sharing seven things they’ve learned along their writing journey that they wish they knew at the beginning.

1. Take a walk. Sometimes taking a walk or doing the laundry or driving in the car is the best way to write. For the same perverse reason that when I don’t have time or money to shop everything looks wonderful, when I’m without my computer I have my best ideas. The Buddhists sometimes use a repetitive motion meditation—sweeping or scrubbing or walking in a circle—to free the mind and let go of angst. I’m not a Buddhist, but this really works for me. I have a “yard” of mostly dirt (who said writers are all gardeners?) but when I rake I do some fantastic writing.

2. Never quit for the day without being excited about what you’re going to write next. Forget finishing the chapter or getting to a good stopping place. It is absolutely imperative to stop in the middle. I get up only when I have the next sentence or event in my mind. That way, I’m anxious to get back to it. I’ll be thinking about it as I do other things (see #1 above) and the story and my characters will be calling to me. When I don’t do that, the next time I sit down I will face a blank page and I can spend the entire day wandering and wondering and never move forward.

3. Use one perfect adjective, metaphor or simile, rather than two or three. The sky really might be as blue as her eyes, as the child’s crayon drawing, and as a cornflower in spring, but choosing and using only one—adjective, metaphor, or simile—is so much stronger. It gives the reader a clear picture. And just as important, you must choose one that also gives the tone/mood/attitude of what you’re trying to say. The sky was blue like a bruise has a very different subtext than blue as a child’s crayon sky.

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4. Read it out loud to hear the rhythm. Good writing has movements and rhythms like good music. Short, declarative sentences convey action and urgency. Longer, languid descriptions give the reader time to reflect. Your sentences should convey the mood your story is in. Reading aloud is one way to find this. I stand behind my desk to read and I’m sure my neighbors think I’m nuts—I know my family laugh about it. But it works. And, if it’s awkward for you, the writer, to read a page of your own aloud, if you stumble over the prose, then something isn’t working.

5. Practice. Writing is hard. The flow doesn’t happen often. A lot of it is putting your butt in the chair and slogging through it. Too many writers want to sit in the café, drink coffee and wait for the muse to appear. A cellist wouldn’t do that. You can’t suddenly be a great musician. You have to practice. You have to play 4,000 scales, make a million sketches, shoot a zillion baskets before you’re YoYo Ma or Picasso or Lebron James. So practice everyday, whether it’s describing how the coffee tasted this morning or writing a paragraph about the weather out your window. Practice. Then when the muse does come (and mine is usually somewhere washing her hair) you’ll be ready for her.

6. Don’t be afraid. Go there. Go as deep and as far as you can. Write down your scariest, most outlandish thoughts. No one will see it but you, and you will find the truth for your story. Go to your character’s darkest spot. Would he throw himself in front of a bullet to save his wife or save himself? Put your character in jeopardy, take away the one thing she loves most, have him think the meanest thing possible about a friend. If you know the worst that can happen, you can pull back and write the ordinary—but it will be ordinary with a sharp, true edge.

7. Don’t give up. I had some early success, three published novels each three years apart, but this latest book just refused to come together. This one took nine years, three agents, 37 rejections from publishers, but now it’s out and doing very well. Many times I despaired. Many times I wanted to give away my computer and never write again. But I couldn’t. I can’t do anything else. I have to write. When I’m not writing I feel like my skin is inside out. So I kept at it. I threw away over 400 pages—truly—and went in a new direction. It worked. Persevere!

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