What One Literary Agent Claims Is More Valuable Than an MFA
How to level up your writing, for free
As new writers, we often ask ourselves how we can make our writing ready and worthy to be published, to join the ranks of authors whose work we love and stand the test of time. We wonder what separates the quality of traditionally published writing from unpublished. Is it talent? Skill? Experience? I won’t deny that these are factors, but I think there is something else that is often overlooked: having multiple pairs of eyes on your writing. And then, taking at least some of the feedback you’re given. While we amateurs might not have access to professional editors, there are still ways we can get valuable feedback.
For the past three years, I’ve gone to at least one session of the San Francisco Writer’s Conference, in part to feel like I belong to a community of writers. This year’s session was hosted by Jennifer March Solloway, a literary agent at Andrea Brown Literary Agency. The theme was how to stand out from the submission slush pile. Soloway said that what was even more valuable than her MFA was her time spent reading the rough drafts of other writers. We can all achieve this through a peer editing group (which is free and much more accessible than an MFA anyway).
The importance of exposing ourselves to writing that doesn’t “work” (yet)
We’re so used to seeing the finished, polished products of published authors that THAT is what we compare our work to. But once we start to read the first drafts of others, we see that all of them need some improvements. I imagine that even if we saw a first draft of Toni Morrison’s work, it would need at least some tweaking (I mean, it would probably still be amazing, but my point still stands).
Reading published works often show you the right things to do, what makes a story work. But it’s equally important to know what doesn’t work, what makes a story fail. And once you read someone else’s work, you might realize that you’ve made the same mistakes in your own writing. Without reading another writer’s first draft, you might not have come to this realization. You’re simply too close to your own writing, your intentions. You know too well what you wanted to say, so it’s hard to see the gap between your mind and the page; what you left out that you should have put down in words. But when you look at someone else’s work, all you have is what’s on the page.
Editing helps you understand the writing process more deeply
Writing at its core is three things: creation, expression, and communication. In the creation phase, you come up with an idea about what you want to write. In the expression phase, you write it out, which can feel good and provides an outlet to your thoughts and feelings. In the communication phase, you edit and revise, and think about how best to convey everything to the reader. Ideally, the reader then interacts with your writing, and decides what they think and feel about it.
Often when we are just starting to write, we only care about the creation and expression part; they are the most pleasurable, with the least amount of responsibilities. You might make the assumption that the reader will know what you meant, because you feel it so deeply and understand it so profoundly, how could they not? And let me be clear; for those who write for pleasure, or as an emotional outlet, it’s fine to stay in this phase. But for those who want to write for an audience and get published, it’s essential to not neglect the communication phase, to have other people look at your work continuously, so you begin to see what your weaknesses are, and then act to resolve those weaknesses.
The communication phase reminds us that writing is a kind of exchange, a dialogue between writer and reader. It’s the closest thing we have to telepathy; we want people to read our thoughts, but the only medium we have is the page. Amateurs often overestimate their ability to use the page this way, and undervalue the reader’s reactions. If you don’t care about the person on the other end of the exchange, it will come through, and your writing will likely suffer for it.
We ought to strive for balance between satisfying ourselves and our readers. We have to let them in, and consider them. (Conversely, if you care too much about what your reader thinks, you can get performance anxiety and become paralyzed, or compromise on your artistic vision too much.) Editing other people’s work puts you on the other side of the exchange, by reminding you what it’s like to be a reader. And when you find yourself not quite satisfied as a reader, you understand just how much work it takes for every writer to refine that exchange.
A peer editing group is a force multiplier
Before quarantimes, I went to a meet-up on how to get published, hosted by author Joan Gelfand. She has boiled publishing success down to the 4 C’s: craft, commitment, community, and confidence. I would argue that community is the only one that strengthens each of the other C’s: it grows your confidence, rekindles your commitment, and hones your craft.
In this way, peer editing groups provide not only feedback, but also emotional support. You’ll see that it isn’t only you who struggles. You’ll have an automatic audience for your writing — which can be motivation in and of itself — as well as accountability partners (and bonus: you can easily participate in a peer editing group while socially distancing).
Being part of a community of writers is indispensable in an otherwise lonely and isolating endeavor. For those of us who have a hard time believing in ourselves, having other people believe in us is invaluable.
