In an article on what makes a novel publishable, New York literary agent and author, Donald Maas, is looking for stories written with a fearless heart.
A well-crafted story with three-dimensional characters that adheres to genre conventions and is polished until it shines may still lack that extra quality that results in a contract.
As a literary agent, he searches for memorable stories written with authority, without slavishly following all the “rules.” More importantly, they are written by writers who don’t apologize or wonder if they are worthy. They assume they have the right to tell their stories in their own, individual way. They are not seeking approval, but want to tell you about their take on the passions and heartbreaks of being human.
Fearlessness shows in an arresting premise, in mythic characters, and in prose that sets your heart ablaze.
Fearless writers are not timid. They tell it as they see it. They are not constrained by the fear of being wrong, of being called derivative, of sounding cocky. To write fearlessly is to risk those things, so the story does not end up being merely acceptable.
To write fearlessly from your wild heart, forget what your family, friends, and readers will think. Fearing disapproval is a guaranteed method of diminishing your prose. Learn the rules of craft and break them only when the story demands it. Write the stories you fear to speak aloud. The gold is buried in the shadows.
Tell yourself, I am a writer. I am brave. What I have to say matters.
Then say it again.
Here are some prompts from Donald Maas to get you going.
- Write the one sentence you are absolutely not allowed to write.
- Write about a feeling that is mean, ugly, small, and unfiltered.
- Make your next sentence something better than plain prose. Make it snap, sing, or singe.
For more on writing better, check out: Writing the Breakout Novel by Donald Maas
