Something is missing from contemporary fiction-writing pedagogy. This lack lies not only in the creative writing reference books that line the shelves of Barnes & Noble, but also across the gamut of MFA programs and commercial creative writing workshops that educate aspiring writers across the world.
So what’s missing? The answer lies not in the mechanics of writing or the intricacies of marketing strategy, but in the oft-overlooked soft skills that undergird the human experience.
A few thousand MFA students matriculate into the world of professional fiction writing each year. Thousands more self-directed students pore over excellent writing reference books like Stephen King’s “On Writing,” John Truby’s “The Anatomy of Story,” and Lisa Cron’s “Wired for Story,” searching for their unique path to authorhood. These academic programs and reference books are essential for learning the tools and long traditions of the fiction trade.
Resources such as these give aspiring writers the proverbial paint brush, palette, and canvas—tools with which to ply their art. But they do not show writers how to build the elusive “It Factor” that can take them from aspiring writer to successful author.
This is because something ethereal remains untaught. Only a tiny percentage of aspiring writers find success. And when I speak of success, I mean it in the particular way that Stephen King describes it in his book, “On Writing.” You are a successful writer “If you wrote something for which someone sent you a check, if you cashed the check and it didn’t bounce, and if you then paid the light bill with the money.” When people are affected by your work enough to buy it, read it, and talk about it, you are a successful writer.
My question concerning the struggling writer has long been this: why is it so hard to find success in fiction? Part of the answer lies in the simple fact that there are so many writers, many of them very good. It is a difficult endeavor to raise your fiction above the roiling thunderclouds of the market long enough for it to be noticed and embraced.
But there’s more to this. This question of “why” is one I’ve asked myself often as I’ve led university-level creative writing workshops, reviewed books for an online magazine, and worked within the marketing department of a large company. Why do some writers just seem to have a certain “It Factor” that propels them beyond the clouds and out into the interstellar space of authorial success?
The more I’ve been exposed to successful writers, artists, celebrities, and other creators, the more I’ve realized that the difference between a J.K. Rowling and a John Doe isn’t usually the mastery of literary tools such as tone, mood, character arc, and plot. These are essential, but the mastery of them is only a part of the writerly equation. The difference between mediocrity and success also does not lie entirely in publicity, marketing strategy, or branding, as important as these things are for sales.
Think of your authorial success as a triangle. At one point lies mastery of the mechanics of fiction writing. At the second point, you’ll find the mastery of marketing, of how to make sure your work is both salable and gets in front of the right eyes.
The third point of the triangle—the one no one really talks about—is you. It lies within the personality traits of the writer. It lies within the artist rather than the brush.
This is the basis of my upcoming book, “The It Factor: A Guide to Essential Soft Skills for Fiction Writers.” There are certain personality traits that appear and reappear in the best of the creatives I’ve interviewed, studied, and worked with. Many successful authors have been fortunate enough to have one or more of these traits innately cultivated within them by the natural paths of their lives. Things happened to the J.R.R. Tolkiens and the Neil Gaimans of the world which uniquely prepared them for a life of good art.
But you don’t have to depend on chance. Neuroplasticity research has shown time and again that you can consciously cultivate habits which lead to lifestyle changes, which, in turn, lead to a changed You—a You that is far better positioned to succeed as an author.
In “The It Factor,” I unpack some of the most important soft skills to cultivate if you want to write fiction that stands above the rest. These traits are:
- Discipline
- Wonder
- Wisdom
- Openness to experience
- Empathy
- Self-knowledge
- Creativity
- Moral responsibility
These are some of the essential building blocks of the authorial self. They are not the only traits a writer should purposefully develop as they grow, but they are the traits I’ve found to have some of the greatest impact on any act of artistic creation. Without them, even the best-written and marketed fiction will feel unrelatable, shallow, and forgettable.
Each chapter of “The It Factor” unpacks a single trait in detail, defines it and its importance, shows it in action via an interview with a successful author, and finally, concludes with exercises designed to help readers develop the trait. I write this book to help aspiring writers of fiction push themselves one rung further on the ladder of success, and to help fill in one of the most glaring gaps within creative writing education: the personal development of the writers, themselves.
It is my hope that you all will find this book useful not only in your writing lives, but in any creative act you undertake. You, as a creator, have a special place in my heart. It is people like you who have the power to shape culture and change the world for the better. I hope that you find my work not only educational, but a deeply-felt encouragement, as well.
I look forward to sharing “The It Factor” with you soon.
Recent Comments