Dear Santa:
Writers who have the courage, creativity, and commitment to write the best books they can and do what they must to make them succeed are the new heroes of the business. They need and deserve all the help they can get, so I hope you will bring them these gifts:
- the vision to see problems as opportunities to grow and write
- the books they need to read both to become experts on the kind of book they’re writing and to establish criteria for their books. As Ernest Gaines, the author of The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman, says: “You can only write as well as you read.”
- the gift for making words sing
- enough readers to spot every problem in their work and tell them them how to fix it
- the support of friends, family, fans, other writers, and professionals in their field
- goals that challenge their abilities and make them jump out of bed every morning eager to do whatever it takes to reach them
- faith in their work, themselves, and other people
- the ability to make decisions that serve their short- and long-term goals
- the curiosity to learn more, understanding that someday they’ll be able to use their knowledget
- the means to live but not so well it diminishes their drive for achievement
- the gift for creating metaphors and titles that ignite interest in their books
- the spirit of service to their readers, their families, and their communities
- the dedication to sharing their work so it sells as well as they want it to
- optimism. It’s been said optimists believe this is the best of all possible worlds, and pessimists fear this is true. But optimism is better for you.
- the desire to experience life, because as Philip Roth once said: ”Nothing bad can happen to writer. Everything is material.”
- the most precious gift of all: the time to read, write, promote, and maintain the balance between them and the rest of their lives
I know I’ve asked for a lot, Santa, but, except for the books, these gifts don’t weigh anything or have to be wrapped. And writers need them to help them use the gifts they already have. Your generosity will inspire some of them to write about you, and you’ll be the hero of their stories.
Yours for the Write Way to Live,
A Hero Worshipper
The Eighth San Francisco Writers Conference / A Celebration of Craft, Commerce & Community / President’s Day Weekend, February 18-20, 2011 / Mark Hopkins InterContinental Hotel on Nob Hill / Keynoters: Dorothy Allison & David Morrell / Pitch your book to agents and editors from both coasts / More than 50 breakout sessions / 100 presenters / www.sfwriters.org / sfwriterscon@aol.com / blog: http://sfwriters.org/blog / free MP3s at www.sfwriters.info / open to anyone: a day of in-depth classes on Monday, February 21st
New! San Francisco Writers University: Where Writers Meet and You Learn, a project of the San Francisco Writers Conference / Laurie McLean, Dean / www.sfwritersu.com
Michael Larsen is a literary agent and consultant to nonfiction writers. He and his partner Elizabeth Pomada are co-directors of the San Francisco Writers Conference and the San Francisco Writing for Change Conference.
