Blogger: Janet Kobobel Grant
Last week I was interviewed for a radio program, and the interviewer asked me what I liked best and what I liked least about my job. I didn’t have time to give a full answer, but if I did, here’s what I would have said:
What I like most
Introducing a new writer to the reading world is at the top of a very long list of “likes.”
Most agents pursue this line of work because we like the challenge of finding a writer whose words sing, someone who writes with clarity and power. When I start to read a submission, and the writing just keeps getting better as I read along, I want to shout, “Eureka!” because I’ve found it, that gem in a heap of, well, non-gems. I have to proclaim my find to someone–if not everyone–in the office, read passages to them, and enter into serious celebration.
Then I have the delicious job of telling the person I not only get his or her writing but am infatuated with it. And then I have the joy of trotting out my find to editors. I’m like a new parent, grinning ridiculously, as if I were the writer rather than the finder of the writer.
It’s all good.
What I like least
I could pass up having to convey bad news to clients. Bad news can take, among others, the following forms:
- I can’t seem to generate any enthusiasm among editors for a project
- My client’s latest list of possible book ideas holds nothing with a strong enough hook
- The publisher isn’t going to offer a contract for my client’s next book
- The sales on that debut novel weren’t what we had hoped
- An editor my client worked well with is leaving the publishing house
- The publisher has decided to close the imprint my client was writing for
- A publishing contract is being cancelled.
Sometimes I “get” to deliver bad news over and over again. If a publishing line is being closed, I’ll have to contact every client involved. While I know I’m delivering what could be devastating news to each client, with each phone call I make, I feel the weight of the bad news all over again. By the end of one of those days, the heaviness is palpable.
The good news is that I get to work with each author to figure out how to turn the bad news into good. I believe that, out of every bad situation, good can come. And that brings me to another thing I love about my job: I get to help solve problems!
Last week one of my clients discovered her latest novel had a section of another book substituted into it during the binding process. That sent the publisher skittering off to find out what went wrong and if it affected the entire print run. And the news sent my client into a tizzy of trying to figure out how to handle a PR problem. As the agent, I worked with my client to mitigate the fallout.
That situation reminds me of something else I appreciate about my job: It’s never boring. Almost every week, I can say, “Hm, I’ve never encountered that problem before. Let’s see, how can we solve this one…”
What do you like most about the writing life? What do you like least?
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I love, love, love sitting down to a whole uninterrupted day to WRITE! That doesn’t happen often, just a few times a year, but when it does, what a joy.
Least? When I read something I wrote and thought it was good, but find out it’s greatly lacking. The up side of that is the challenge of rewriting!
This was such a fun post, Janet. I loved thinking about your work as an agent. It has to be one of the most difficult jobs in the world.
Thanks, Sue. I often think about what jobs are harder and require such a breadth of know-how. I’m sure there are many, but the one that occurs to me is teaching. That’s a pretty challenging profession, especially if you decide to try new ways to teach a topic, stay current on a rapidly-changing field and really engage with your students.
Me too, Sue ~ a full day of uninterrupted writing!
I’m always fascinated by what people love and hate about their jobs. Thanks for sharing this!
What I love about writing? By the end of a book, I realize the characters’ journeys were really my own. I learn something about myself–work through an issue–when I finish a book.
Least favorite part? When something isn’t working in my WIP and I can’t put my finger on it. Ugh.
It’s interesting that you don’t realize you’re working through issues until you reach the end of a manuscript.
Thanks Janet, it was interesting to read about aspects of publishing I had not considered before.
For me the best thing about writing is when I reach deep to write something, really take a risk, and that risk is rewarded/appreciated by readers.
My least favorite thing is wrestling with my inner critic.
Leslie, I love that you’re willing to take risks in your writing! Yeah, the inner critic often has a very soft but insistent voice. If she just hollered at me, I could deal with her better.
I think your job is most definitely not boring. Thank you for navigating all those waters with and on behalf of writers!
What I love, encouraging and summoning up hope in people. Also, when my characters write my stories for me, sometimes what they do is so surprising!
Least favorite, right now… the fear and uncertainty of not getting an agent or being published.
Lisa, what a great motivator for you to work to instill hope and encouragement in others.
Career angst is a trial for writers that never goes away. At your present level it’s about getting that first important person to affirm to your work; all the other levels are about affirmation, but the expression of it comes in different forms. You’re on your way!
My favorite part is when I’m writing and suddenly realize what happens next–and it’s PERFECT!
My least favorite thing is writing the synopsis. The proposal I like, the synopsis? Ick.
Same here, Sarah. Evil, wicked, repugnant synopsis. Sigh.
Same here! That ummphh when the story takes flight is awesome!
Great description of what you like most about your job, Janet. I love it when a reader “gets” what I have written, when it resonates, encourages, inspires, or at least entertains. Just a couple of weeks ago, a beta reader returned my book with a glow on her face. She said that there was a particular part that made her cry. I could not have received better news, and I’m still smiling from it. There are so many other favorites, though – getting to know my characters, plotting their lives, their surprises for me, watching my word count grow, reading agent and writer blogs and craft books.
My least favorite is the waiting. Definitely the waiting.
Sometimes it seems as though we’re spending our lives in the waiting room. I guess we have lots of opportunity to wait with patience.
Ack, Janet! You mean another book was printed with parts of another book in it? And it went out like that? Poor everyone involved. What a nightmare that must have been.
I’m finding that I love whatever part of the writing process I’m in. When I’m writing that first draft, there’s nothing better, and I can’t imagine ever enjoying editing this much. And then I make the switch to the rewriting/editing stage, and the mental gears grind for awhile. But once I get going, I can’t imagine why I ever thought the creating was as fun as the editing.
Now writing a synopsis–ugh. Not sure I’ll ever like that. But even getting into a proposal can be fun.
What I really don’t like about the writing life is how sedentary it forces you to be. I’m reworking my schedule now that it’s summer to address that issue. Won’t be easy, though. These ruts are the kind in tropical forest dirt roads after three months of solid rain.
I’ve been in those ruts, literally, and they’re not fun. I may get some walking into my schedule next week. And maybe some step climbing too. 😉
Sally, yes, a portion of my client’s book was switched out for a portion of another book. It’s created a wee bit of a mess.
I loved reading your enthusiasm for the creating and the editing/rewriting. I could feel the energy in your sentences.
Amen to the sedentary stuff. I can’t believe how hard I have to work to get my body out of the chair to move; what a challenge. But we can do it!
I’m with you, Sally. It’s summer weather in California now and I’m adjusting my schedule for a mid-day lap swim to beat the sedentary blues. Yippee!
Sounds wonderful, Kathy!
Janet, what a fun post. I always love reading about the agent-life. 😉
I love, LOVE when a scene or a twist comes to mind for my story and it makes it better. Usually when this happens, it flows out pretty close to “perfect” on the first try. I love the fast drafting part of writing the best. But it’s fun to go back and re-write weak scenes and make them stronger.
What I don’t like is trying to figure out how to make time for the social media aspect when what I want most to do is write. I’m loving meeting people through blogs and FB and Twitter and my blog. I just wish I I had more time to “do it all.”
Jeanne, I thought of a twist in my WIP, and you’re right–the first take of it came out pretty good. Not word choice, necessarily. But the flow of the scene, the action, the dialog. Interesting, isn’t it?
Yes, it is interesting. I love it when that happens. 🙂
My favorite part AND least favorite part of writing is the same thing: receiving a critique. I love it because constructive criticism helps me learn and grow as a writer and produce better quality work–and a single compliment can carry me for days! At the same time, criticism can be hard to hear and not take personally. My absolute favorite part of writing is hearing that my story touched someone, made them laugh, or brightened their day in some way. That’s why it’s important to me to have readers, not just write “for myself” as I did for many years.
Critiques are a bit of a two-edged blessing, aren’t they? Wonderful on one hand for so many reasons but difficult on the other for so many reasons.
Interesting post today Janet. I am going to change the topic just slightly to “What do you like most about the technical writing life? What do you like least?”
I love writing technical documentation from scratch. The process is facinating. It goes hand in hand with my background in quality assurance. I like working closely with the engineers and seeing their work come to fruition. I also enjoy editing their documentation. I also enjoy seeing my own works come to fruition too.
I am thrilled when our equipment leaves and deliverd to NASA. It is even a bigger thrill when it is delivered to the International Space Station.
The biggest amazement about my job is that now I am sending commands to the equipment that I have been writing about for the last 5 1/2 years. The equipment I have been writing about makes up an experimental rack. It is amazing to watch the experiments (we call them test points) in real time.
What I like least about my job – When I get a document back that has a lot of red lines or tracked changes in them. To me it means I did get what the engineer was trying to convey (that’s not always the case).
I also don’t like how tiring technical writing can be. Sometimes I am so mentally (and sometimes physically) exhausted that I can’t work on my own writings outside of work.
Thanks, Lori, for giving us a glimpse into your world. It sounds fascinating yet hard. I’ve done some technical writing, and I agree with you that it requires lots of brain power to write succinctly yet with clarity and accuracy.
I think what I like best is completing some item of writing (article, essay, chapter, book, poem, or even just a paragraph or dialog bit), sitting back and reading it and realizing it’s good, really good; that I was able to string words together in a way that communicates well. Maybe later I’ll discover it’s a little darling that needs to be slayed, but the felling of the moment is great.
What I like least is the guilt I always feel that writing takes time away from a zillion other things I’m supposed to be doing: yard work, check book balancing, bill paying, household management, prayer, devotions, spending time with my wife, etc.). I don’t imagine that will change until I retire in 4 years, 6 months, and 27 days, or can support myself by writing, and maybe not even then.
Not that you’re counting the days until retirement…
I was going to say my favourite thing is setting up a kissing scene. Getting the angles right, the heart pounding feeling, the gasp before contact. All the technical stuff is so interesting. And Hubs is SUCH a good and willing helper. I was going to say that, but thought better of it. I mean, one wants to appear mature and intellectually capable, right? Not like a twit, right?
So I’ll say some thing else, all grown-up and lucid…later. WAY later. After I grow up.
😉
Least favourite thing? The giant bowl of nerves served up on a platter of stress tossed roughly and without a set timetable, with a layer of anxiety and a side of rejection.
Let’s go back to kissing, shall we?
Yes!
Well, if you insist…
TMI, Jennifer!!!!!!!! I love your take on everything. Makes me smile or laugh. I can pretty much count on that.
Thanks, I’m glad to be of service.
Love this post, Janet. This might just be a question I have to incorporate into my blog interviews to see what people say.
I love the editing part of writing the best. Perhaps I’m crazy, but I really enjoy polishing my work to make it shine.
My least favorite is the waiting part. Waiting for a rejection or acceptance from an agent or publisher and waiting for an illustrator to be assigned to my projects. The Lord is certainly teaching me patience.
Cheryl, feel free to incorporate those two questions into your interview arsenal.
Janet, thanks for sharing your favorite and least favorite parts of your job. That’s always a difficult question because there are so many aspects to every job out there. My smile grew really wide as I read the part about you feeling like a new parent when you find a fresh new voice to promote.
As a writer, my answers to your questions today would be: My favorite part of writing is seeing the story unfold before my eyes as I type it up. My least favorite part of writing is feeling brain-dead when I get stuck in a difficult-to-write scene.
I just finished a read-through on my current work in progress, and I realized I really enjoyed working on the revisions. I’ve discovered a couple scenes that I need to add and fixed some typos and point of view issues. I’m ready to type up the changes and go from there. Who knew I would have so much fun editing my story?
Thanks for another great article and thought-provoking question, Janet!
Blessings,
Andrea
Andrea, you’re welcome. I agree with you that it’s hard to answer those questions because it sort of depends what is currently uppermost in my mind about my job. Most of our work is complex so it’s hard to settle on one answer to each question.
What is best about my writing my novel? Any day I’m writing is a good day. I love spending time with my characters, my lady protagonist and the CAT! He is so way too cool.
Whenever I’m in ‘their world’ is all good. Not such a good place is when I sent out the wrong version of the manuscript to a potential editor/publisher and have to do the ‘mia culpas’ apologize and send it again.
Elaine, I hate when I send out a wrong version, or track changes pop up for the editor opening the document, etc.
Love these two questions, Janet.
Lots of good input too.
I’m with Sue, my favorite part is uninterrupted writing, especially at the cabin. But in reality, most of my writing days are mega-interrupted so I’ve learned to adjust.
It’s a two-way tie for the least favorite ~ the sedentary lifestyle and the waiting come in the gate by a nose.
I swim mid-day laps in the summer/fall. I usually write scenes in my head in the pool and rush home to get them on the computer.
The waiting is a challenge. I work on other aspects of my career while waiting ~ blogs, website, personal handwritten notes to my readers,research, and oh my goodness, Pinterest!
Kathy, it sounds as though you’re making good use of both your swim time and your waiting time. What more can we ask–besides editors surging in to swoop up your work, of course.
Editors (plural!) swooping in! How wonderful that will be, Janet! I will be thrilled with just one editor!
What I like most about my job as a writer: the writing.
What I like least about my job as a writer: the writing.
Just depends on the day. 🙂
I think most writers like having written. On the other hand, they’re driven to keep writing. Might this be a psychosis? 🙂
I love it when someone walks up to me, or sends me a message to say: “That’s exactly how I feel but I’ve never been able put it into words!” That is all the motivation I need to keep pushing forward.
Ah, the writer-reader connection. It’s a beautiful thing.
Thanks for the great post, Janet.
So many things I love about my job and life as a writer . . . the first three that come to mind get written down.
1) Working with an industry-savvy agent who isn’t adverse to being a counselor.
2) Working as a team member with my fabulous publishing peeps.
3) Working with characters (fictional ones too) that surprise me. Love the discovery process of writing fiction.
Oh, and research trips. And being part of a community of Christian writers. And notes from readers whose hearts were changed by the truth in a story.
Way to slip 7 reasons to love being a writer into 3 slots, Mona! I *heart* being a counselor–on a strictly part-time basis. Your #3 was funny about the characters you work with. And I’m refusing to take that personally!
I love visiting a place for the first time, or the tenth, and deciding that it will be the setting for my next story. Ideas ooze out of places I never expected and I can’t wait to get them down on paper.
When my critique partner laughs, swoons or is blessed by a scripture in my story I feel very encouraged.
Trying to organize my discombobulated thoughts into a cohesive plot can be very challenging. But having a napkin and pen in the glove compartment, and a notebook on my bedside table helps in this regard.:-)
Jenni, finding a setting that invigorates your imagination is great fun! You should save a few sample napkins so you can take pictures of them when you blog about your published novel. Your readers would love to see a novel in the making.
Okay, I’ll legally all grown up now…
The thing I LOVE the most about writing is creating whole new lives that never existed. Writing people into existence who will affect change in the world and who will be loved, or hated, and who will leave a whisper of themselves long after the book is closed.
A friend of mine called me up and told me even when she finished the book, she was worrying about how the characters were doing.
Thing I hate the most? Being asked why in the world would I write about heartbreak when there is enough in the world already.
Well, perhaps it would be nice to have someone think twice about judging someone based on their skin colour?
Jennifer, I love reading a book that “lingers” long after I’ve finished it. What a compliment your friend gave you!
Writing about heartbreak is important! It can help us understand our own, the real stuff in the world. Keep at it!
Thanks for more insight into an agents life.
For myself I like the writing process best. (Cashing checks is great, too!) However, I don’t care for putting a proposal together and pitching my work.
Peter, thanks for mentioning an important part of “likes”: cashing checks. And also an important part of dislikes: the proposal. I’ve structured plenty of proposals in my day, and as a writer, I just want someone to buy my book because I told them it would be great–honest, it will!
I love the fact that there is always more to learn! In the beginning, I was overwhelmed about how much I didn’t know, but I feel more comfortable with the writing journey and learning as I go. Your blog is always helpful in teaching new things!
As a new freelancer, what I love most about this “job” is being able to work for myself. I could get used to it! While it requires a lot of discipline and perseverance, I like to write on my own time and call my own shots.