Writers, Like Dogs, Should Be Let Off Leads

A friend came over at the weekend with his dog, and we went on lots of long walks. Since my dog died last summer I've been missing the dog walks and I was looking forward to walking a dog again. But it didn't live up to my expectations. This dog had a habit of catching a scent and following it, leaving the poor owner scouring the countryside for hours before eventually tracking him down. As a result my friend kept his dog on a lead all the time.

Now, one of the things I loved about my old dog was his sheer pleasure in running about and sniffing and generally having fun out on a walk. Dogs have a tremendous capacity for simply enjoying themselves which I find irresistible - no wonder people who have dogs are apparently happier than those without. The lead was one of those long ones on elastic, but it inhibited joyfulness. Basically, the dog had to stick to the path and not chase after rabbits or stick his nose down badger holes or do any other doggy things. Of course the dog didn't run away, which would have been annoying, but it also made for a less enjoyable walk.

We can be like that as writers. We know what works and stop taking risks in our writing. Or we write with half our mind on who might read our work - parent, lover, child or friend. Or we've had success with one type of writing and are now reluctant to try something else, even though the story we have nagging at our brains won't suit that form.

Sometimes I have to tell students I want them to fail, just to get them to push their boundaries a little further than feels comfortable. Maybe the writing they produce doesn't 'work', but they will at least have learned something about their process. More usually, they surprise themselves by its success and what they can do if they take a few risks.

Personally, I'd rather write with the risk of getting lost, rather than stick to the path all the time and I'd rather read untethered writing too. Take risks! The only thing you have to lose is your time.

The Great Publisher Send Off - Update Part 2

Yup. The publisher who doesn't accept unsoliciteds was the one who rang me up. Yippeee!!!!

But there's another twist in the tale. This editor was number fifteen in my list not only because I couldn't find a named editor to write to, but also because they have a very small picture book list - the editor told me they only took on two last year. In fact, I had decided that I wasn't going to bother to send my material off to them, and it was only because I'd got the number fifteen in my head and printed off fifteen of everything so there was a set going begging, that I bothered to send the material out to them.

What a good thing I did. However, it just goes to show that you should never try to second guess a publisher's response. Just because you think X, it doesn't mean that they also think X. You never know. That's why sending out multiple submissions is a good idea - though I admit fifteen at a time is excessive, and I only did it as it was part of an experiment - six would have been more sensible. But then I would never have sent out to the publisher I've got a response from...

So. Don't be cautious. Don't be anxious. Don't fret about what they might think. Just DO IT!

PS Just in case anyone is thinking, it's all right for her, I used a pseudonym and my covering letter had no biographical material.