When/where you find yourself scared and paralyzed, either of something you are writing, of revealing yourself through the work, or for any other reason, how do you start moving again? And by moving I mean forward, not backwards, as in retreating?
“I’m amazed by how often I’ve struggled with piece of writing only to return to it months, or even years, later to find that it all comes together with little thought.”
In order to write THROUGH the story, I had to relive it. And in my case that meant reliving these specific things:
—the death of my daughter —the abuse I suffered from my father —the self destructions I inflicted on my self
—the longing for a mother drowned by alcoholism
“It’s a wistful feeling, knowing that you had something very special in your grasp but losing it to someone else, but I have to say I’ve learned that it’s best to send best wishes to that author and agent and move on.”
“I can’t really imagine *not* getting attached a writer’s work. The whole reason you agree to represent a book or books by a writer is that you are in love with the work—there is nothing objective about personal taste.”
“How do I know when I’ve found my story? When I wake up in the middle of the night or first thing in the morning and have to grab the notepad on my nightstand.”
The former literary agent speaks openly about authenticity in platform building, when and why he takes on a client and what’s at stake from his side of the desk.
