It’s easy. No, really, it is. I wrote one book about it. It wasn’t up front, in a step-by-step format, but tucked between the lines, there’s a simple history and narrative thread about “how to be creative.”
That book? It’s called Two Meat Tuesday. Named for the Tuesday special, which, for the vegans out there, might be the only meat I eat in week, or not, yet, the original premise was to take two topics and discuss. At length. Or not. But the idea was to get two topics, related or unrelated and dig into the meaty substrate, find the gristle, get some stuck between the teeth, maybe. Or whatever. Noble goal, and I think I failed at it. But that doesn’t bother me.
I got another nice rejection letter. I’m liking this because it’s excellent to see how the literary agents are covering their asses legally. Nicely, too. Summarily, I know, it means that the person queried won’t represent the next novel. However, the agents who have responded, they have all been very kind. After so much rejection, it’s satisfying to get to a point where I’m not being slammed in the face, just gently told “no.”
I’m guessing that my pages are thrown away after a 3-second glance. I wouldn’t be playing the game if I wasn’t interested in moving up. Part of being creative? In the face adversity, still merrily plucking along.
At the end of year, for the last couple of years, I’ve thrown all my weekly columns into a book form, assigned the package an ISBN, and let it go. I think I sold two or three copies. Now? It’s too much effort for too little reward; besides, the columns themselves are available online.
However, as a mile-marker, that was a good effort. And as far as learning about some of the insider stuff about publishing? Again, good material.
Being creative isn’t, like, waiting on inspiration to suddenly hit. Show up and start spreading paint around on the canvas. See what happens.
Part of it is oracular astrology.
