Four Things Eleanor Brown Did Right
Thursday, February 23, 2012 
I am thrilled to host the fantastic Eleanor Brown today on the blog. When I saw that her bestselling novel, THE WEIRD SISTERS, was released this month in paperback, I asked Eleanor to stop by and share some of the secrets to her success. Below, find her fab tips. Then (or now), click over to Facebook for a chance to win a copy of the book!
I Started Small
Though my ultimate ambition was to write and publish a novel, I started small, both in my writing and in my aspirations. I wrote short stories and essays and articles, and worked to have them published in small literary magazines, local newspapers, small magazines, and anthologies. That process taught me a great deal about how to write an effective query letter, work with editors, and research markets. By the time I had my novel and was ready to search for an agent, I had a series of publishing credits and contest wins to include in my query letter, and the experience to feel confident in what I was doing.
I Was Honest with Myself
Before I wrote The Weird Sisters, I wrote four other complete novels. Learning to write a novel took time and energy, but, despite all that effort - they were terrible. Cliched and awkward, with plots that collapsed in the middle like an undercooked cake (and they weren’t even fun to eat!).
It’s incredibly tempting, in any creative endeavor, to mistake the triumph of finishing for having a finished product. And you should definitely celebrate finishing a draft of a novel – it’s an achievement! But I’m a fan of Stephen King’s advice in On Writing to step away from a project for a while and then return to it with fresh eyes. When I did that, I had to be honest with myself, and admit that the manuscripts were…not good. In each case, I elected not to revise, but I definitely took what I’d learned from writing each one and used that knowledge in the next, until I wrote something I was truly proud of, and that one, I saw all the way through to the end, until it was good enough to share.
Job Interview
I learned far too late in life that a job interview is just as much about your determining whether you want to work with them, as whether they want to hire you. Agents and publishers are no different.
Jennifer Weiner tells a great story about an agent who read the manuscript of Good in Bed, and suggested, while expressing interest, that a better title would be Big Girl. Jennifer wisely recognized that suggestion indicated the agent was not the right person to represent the book. I had some similar experiences – agents or publishers who were interested in the book, but wanted me to make changes that I felt would have robbed the book of something important.
Writers are trained to jump at any attention, but it shouldn’t be that way. We need people on our team who understand and care for our work as much as we do, and we need to remember that we’re interviewing agents and editors too!
Patient
Writing, for me at least, is a slow process. The traditional publishing industry is even slower. It took seven years for The Weird Sisters to make it out into the world, and at times it was hard to wait. But I am a believer that things happen when they are supposed to, how they are supposed to. If I had rushed things, I might not have ended up with an agent I adore and trust, an editor who transformed my book into a better story than I ever could have dreamed, and a team of people at my publisher who are so generous and supportive there aren’t enough fruit baskets in the world to thank them. When I wasn’t working on The Weird Sisters, I was working on other things, trying to be patient and working on other projects, and I believe that patience paid off.
Reader Comments (9)
This post couldn't have come at a better time for me!
Loved the book and especially love the advice. I agree on the interview process and have reminded myself of it often, in past interviews. It seems more difficult to apply to the search for an agent, but in truth, it is no different. My goal is to publish excellent books, rather than frequent books. And that often takes time. Thanks!
The good enough article of I is very interesting.
I am actually reading The Weird Sisters, as we speak. It's one of those books where I reread passages, the words are like treasures I can't get enough of.
I remember Jennifer Weiner's story, too. What great advice, to always remember to bend, but not so much that you lose your story.
Such great advice. Thank you both for sharing.
Great post! I especially liked the part about how you stepped away from those four manuscripts you wrote and then looked at them with fresh eyes. Even though you chose not to revise them, those manuscripts weren't a waste because of what you learned about them. I think that's one of the great things about writing; it's an ongoing learning process.
Eleanor, there's great wisdom in your post. I especially like this comment:
"It’s incredibly tempting, in any creative endeavor, to mistake the triumph of finishing for having a finished product."
Every writer has to learn now to write a novel. That first bad novel isn't a waste of time. Writers learn what it takes to structure a story, develop characters and theme, and put it all together,. Thanks for sharing your insights.
I will have these words tattooed on my...writing pad next to my laptop: never mistake the triumph of finishing for having a finished product. All four points are well made, and I'll take away the lessons as I wrestle with my WIP. Thanks for a helpful, interesting interview.
Congrats on all your hard-earned success, Eleanor! Your book is wonderful.
All good reminders for me!