The Big Idea

by Gary Fearon, Creative Director, Southern Writers Magazine

When an idea comes to us, we make an immediate assessment of its value. We ask ourselves, Is it worth doing?  Is it possible to do? Do I even want to do it?

The decision of whether or not a given idea deserves to be given a chance is often left up to our gut feeling, and rightly so, since intuition can be more accurate than hard-fought analyzing. Within a few seconds, our inner critic may decide it's not original enough, we don't have the time to do it, or that someone else could do it better. A lot of good ideas are left on the table and forgotten.

Fortunately, in those magic moments of inspiration, there sometimes are ideas we decide are worth holding on to, and, much like the proverbial light bulb over the head, we feel instantly illumined.  These ideas fill us with such enthusiasm that we can think of nothing else.  Or they may nag us until we do something about them.

Some of these ideas, we will see through to completion.  Others we'll jump into with enthusiasm only to lose momentum after a few chapters—or, worse, a few paragraphs—and they end up on the cutting room floor with the rest of our creative castaways.

What makes the difference is how much passion we bring to the project.  Normally we think of passion as an earnest pursuit of something. But many dictionaries include its additional meaning, one that relates to sacrifice and suffering (as in The Passion of the Christ).  If we really believe in something, we're willing to put in the effort.  When it matters enough to us, we have no choice but to make it happen.
 
Sue Grafton said, "Ideas are easy. It's the execution of ideas that really separates the sheep from the goats." I'm not sure how many of us have aspired to goathood, but we sure want to get that Great American Novel written.  Fortunately, it's November 1st and two great things happen today that could be the catalyst:

1) NaNoWriMo.  Can you write a 50,000-word novel this month?  Yes you can, and writers with even less time to devote to writing than you do have done it every November since 1999.  Break it down to 1,667 words (roughly 7 pages) a day and it still sounds like a challenge, but that's part of the charm of National Novel Writing Month. It virtually forces you to write with wild abandon to reach your daily goal and not worry about making your first draft perfect. When was the last time you wrote with wild abandon?  Take the leap, fellow goat. http://nanowrimo.org

2) The November/December issue of Southern Writers. Need further convincing to do NaNoWriMo? Sherry Rentschler offers first-hand motivation in her article "I NaNo and You Should Too!" In addition, the new issue offers inspiration via interviews with leading authors including Jayne Ann Krentz, Sherri Wilson Johnson and Tanya Anne Crosby, just for starters.  And with instructional articles on Creative Nonfiction, self-promotion, and book launching, your writing future's so bright you can get out your Foster Grants now.

It it were possible to wave a magic wand and jump directly from getting the initial story idea to being on the New York Times best seller list with it, we'd undoubtedly do it.  But we'd miss out on a fantastic journey and the proud satisfaction of having seen it through. I hope to write 50,000 words in November, and look forward to celebrating with you when you do the same.

The Monty Hall Problem

by Gary Fearon, Creative Director, Southern Writers Magazine

To clarify things right off the bat, Monty Hall himself is not a problem.  As of this writing, the original host of Let's Make a Deal is alive and well. In fact, today is his birthday.  Happy 94th, Monty.

"The Monty Hall Problem," on the other hand, is a thing, and one that's been debated for decades. It is a brain teaser having to do with probability, one which has puzzled great mathematical minds and caused university professors to write papers on it.

As you may know, Monty's game show would include three doors, behind one of which would be an awesome prize like a brand new car or a European vacation.  Behind the other two were far lesser prizes, at least one of which would be a "zonk" like a goat or a burro.  To play the game, the contestant would choose a door, and Monty revealed what was behind one of the doors not chosen.  Then Monty would give the contestant a chance to change their mind about which of the two remaining doors they want. 

This is where the debate comes in.  With three doors, it's clear that the contestant has a 1-in-3 chance of winning the big prize.  After one door is revealed, has the contestant's odds of winning improved?  Is it still a 1-in-3 chance or has anything changed that?  I have my theory, but I'll let you mull it over first, or even go Google "The Monty Hall Problem" if you really want to melt your brain.

Writers today have a similar gamble to make.  When we invest ourselves in writing a book, we don't know what the outcome will be.  Will it get picked up?  Will it sell?  Will it end up in a yard sale?  We could further complicate the equation with additional options like, should we self-publish or go traditional?  We could create any number of mystery doors for this analogy.

What it really comes down to is this question: what would it take to make us feel like a winner?  For some, it will be the simple pleasure of having finished writing the book we always intended to write, whether it makes it to print or not. Others dream of opening that box filled with copies of their shiny new book. Take the scenario step by step all the way to being on the NY Times bestseller list and you have innumerable definitions of "winning" that would make Charlie Sheen's head spin.

At the end of Let's Make a Deal, Monty would go around the crazily-dressed audience and ask if anyone had such random objects as a wooden nickel or a bobby pin. Those who did would win some small cash amount on the spot. Not everyone who came to play ended up winning a trip to Paris, but they all had fun, and that was the name of the game.

My personal take on The Monty Hall Problem is that you do indeed start with a 1-in-3 chance of winning.  But once it's down to two doors, I contend that the probability becomes 50/50, regardless of whether you change your mind or not.  Genius columnist Marilyn vos Savant, however, disagrees vehemently, and has gone into exhaustive detail to explain why.  Since my IQ is not in the Guinness Book of World Records and hers is, I'll graciously concede.

As for the odds of achieving commercial success as a writer, no one can predict that with any accuracy.  But one thing we can all agree on is that the probability of getting zonked and winning nothing goes to 100% if we don't try. Going the full Monty means writing, even when we think the odds are against us.  If we love to write, and play the game for the sheer fun of doing what we love, we are guaranteed to be a winner.

I'm just glad I don't have to dress up in a clown costume to play.  Marilyn vos Savant already thinks I'm an idiot.

That's Not What I Asked

by Gary Fearon, Creative Director, Southern Writers Magazine


 

In a conversation with another writer last week, I was reminded of the fine line between necessary details and too much information. We were discussing how often an exchange like this happens:

Person 1: When are you taking your vacation?
Person 2: Well, we were planning on going in May, but our youngest has soccer tryouts and we need to be here for that. Then my nephew and his wife are coming for a visit so we can see the new baby, and...

By the time Person 2 gets around to "What was the question again?", Person 1 is sorry they asked.

Let's not even get into those folks who take the greeting "How are you?" as an invitation to go down the laundry list of ailments and aches they've been having.  Granted, there are times when we genuinely seek a real answer when asking, "How are you?", like when Person 2 is coming out of a coma.

Watching the entertainment awards shows in recent days, one couldn't help but notice the tendency of some winners to give more information than is appropriate.  "And the Oscar goes to..." is not asking the question, "What are your thoughts on the human condition?"

Those on the receiving end of extraneous dissertations are not getting what they asked for.  When something takes a turn out of sync with our expectations, there is disappointment and often resentment.  As consumers, we are especially prone to expect a product to be that product with no undue surprises.

One of the most frequent complaints I hear from friends who read a lot is their annoyance with books that go into unneeded backstory or detail about the industry, profession or region where the story takes place.  When it gets to the point where they're skipping pages at a time, they already know they're not going to read that author again.

More than one bestselling author in Southern Writers has told us that although they may do voluminous research, they make it a point not to put it all in their story.  When it's in their head, the essential information will filter onto the page organically, without force feeding it to the reader.

Giving the audience exactly what they're asking for (a well-worded story that doesn't waste their time) will generate the preferred response when you ask, "What did you think of my book?" That's an answer you'll actually want to hear.

Tripping Your Way to Success

by Gary Fearon, Creative Director, Southern Writers Magazine

A good analogy might be Jennifer Lawrence at the 2013 Academy Awards. You'll recall that the graceful beauty tripped on her gown while ascending the steps to accept her Oscar for Best Actress. A lesser thespian might have let the stumble spoil their acceptance speech, but the star of Silver Linings Playbook laughed it off and went home with the gold.

The ability to "shake it off" is a prerequisite to success echoed in every field, from entertainment to sports to high finance. The pros know that the easiest way to hit a roadblock is to let a trip trip you up.

It is said that songwriters have to write a lot of bad songs before they can write a good one.  That sentiment has been repeated so often by so many songsmiths that it has become a cliché, and like most clichés it has its basis in truth.  Of course, the same applies to any writing. We have to be willing to write a lot of bad paragraphs before we can inherently understand what makes a good one.

We learn more from our mistakes than we do from our successes. (Which do we dwell on more?) Going from good to great in whatever we do requires abandoning fear of failure and developing a willingness to take chances that take us out of our comfort zone.

Comedy icon Jerry Seinfeld recalls that he was "out of your mind nervous" the first time he appeared on Carson. Even now, decades later, he admits, "I'm very respectful of anyone who attempts to stand on that stage. It's a very difficult thing just to stand there." Yet he adds that it is that very discomfort that fuels him as a performer. "The worst thing is when you get comfortable. That's why success is the enemy of comedy."

Each week on TV we are treated to an endless array of workplace competition shows where standup comics, amateur chefs, tattoo artists and runway models are thrown new challenges and face possible elimination. The good news is, real life doesn't eliminate us when we mess up. The greater the error, the greater we stand to learn from it. In that spirit, we should be proud to make mistakes that are epic.

One of the finest writers I know told me last week that she was appalled when she re-read something she wrote a mere few months ago. Letting something sit and then visiting it with new eyes once the initial infatuation is over is one of a writer's most valuable experiences. Many successful authors have learned to write their first draft like a writer, and revise the second draft like an editor. 

As hockey legend Wayne Gretzky said, "You miss one hundred percent of the shots you don't take." In the creative arts, don't be afraid to challenge yourself beyond what you know. If you've fallen in love with writing, falling is part of the fun.