Steve Laube’s Thoughts on the Highs & Lows of Writing

Hey, everyone! I got this email from my fab-o agent, Steve Laube. It’s a tough ride from concept to publication, so I wanted to share his thoughts with you. I hope you’ll leave a comment and thank Steve for allowing me to post this. Originally, he wrote it on the Writer’s View e-loop. They have two different loops you can join (one for “intermediate” writers, and one for multi-published). Check them out.

———————————–From Steve:

I wrote the following today on the Writer’s View Loop – I titled it “Writer’s Angst” in answer to the question “How do you handle the highs and lows of the writing life?”:

Speaking from an agent’s perspective…
I have more conversations with clients about their feelings of anxiety, apprehension or insecurity than almost any other topic. Almost every writer I have ever worked with as an editor or an agent severely doubts themselves at some point in the process.

Doubts occur in the midst of creation.
Doubts occur when the disappointing royalty statement arrives. Doubts occur … just because…

It is the curse of the writer. Writing is an introspective process done in a cave…alone. It is natural to have the demons of insecurity whisper their lies. And, in a cave, the whispers echo and build into a cacophony of irrepressible noise.

But in the end there is the extraordinary feeling of accomplishment when the book is finished and that ministry of words begins.

A couple times a writer has cried, “But my book has only sold 5,000 copies!” I reply, “Put all 5,000 people into one room. Imagine it. A Megachurch auditorium filled with people, wall to wall. And every person in that room has paid money to read your book. And then you walk out onto the stage to give the glory and honor to our God.” That helps put things in perspective.

We don’t write for fame. We don’t write for glory. We write because we must.

And maybe your magazine article on praying for teens will arrive on my doorstep the very day that my wife and I are struggling with how to pray for our teenager. I say “thank you” to that writer who ministered to our family many years ago. Whose words were a breath of fresh air. That writer will never know what impact they had. And neither will you…at least in this life.

My advice? Embrace the lows as simply part of the process and keep the highs from distracting you (adrenaline is addictive).

Steve
The Steve Laube Agency
—————————————

Thanks, Steve! I hope that this has helped and encouraged some of you out there. I know that this really spoke to me during the last two weeks of insanity.

Hugs to all!

Comments 10

Marlo Schalesky

August 23, 2007 at 10:02 PM

Thanks for your comments, Steve. Very helpful! Especially now.

–Marlo Schalesky

ladystorm

August 23, 2007 at 10:33 PM

interesting article, thanks Steve for giving us your insite. 🙂

Gina Conroy

August 23, 2007 at 11:25 PM

Great thoughts, Steve. Thanks Ronie, for posting this. It’s been a while since I’ve been discouraged. (It’s been a while since I sent anything out:) I’m definitely going to remember that mega church analogy! 5,000 books sold doesn’t seem so shabby from where I sit. Just hope I can remember that!