Ordinary Fluff and Other Stuff

The life of a writer has become one obligation after another, revealing how tough it is. When I pursued these degrees to support a writing career, I learned the process from some amazing writers, agents, and publishers. I even sat and listened to a certain Ohio-based comedian discuss Jonathan Swift and his thoughts on “A Modest Proposal.” Mr. Swift authored this essay to argue the mistreatment of his people in Ireland, and satire became a proposed art form. Thankfully, he had the gumption to challenge authority, and the wording brilliantly expressed concern and provided a few chuckles during the process.

Anyway, back to the comedian, a hilarious example of well-crafted art, I started to believe in the potential of my projects as a wordsmith. Influencers have never been a challenge I faced from day one. Literary professionals usually live and die by the quill. When I graduated from the universities I attended, with a foundation for further learning, no indication led me to believe in what was yet to come. I wrote from the perspective that creativity comes from every which way the wind blows. I may have missed the point of crafting what is a beloved piece of literature.

I authored sixteen hundred poems to find a voice that would eventually make me known. Unconventional and a bit oddly shaped, I write deeply about topics that matter to audiences. Knowing the subject means speaking truths that can become controversial enough to shout from mountaintops. When a project feels rewarding, tears, smiles, and belly laughs leave an author feeling grateful for the life experiences they have to offer. The agents I have talked to had initially made the publishing process a lot of fun.

After a long day of pitch sessions with agents from New York City, being a small-town Ohioan attending a liberal arts university known for its hippies and diversity left me feeling excited. I received a business card from Hannah Brown Gordon. I didn't write a single word on it, but she believed in my premise and that thing inside me—what I call tenacity. Authoring a book proved to be a challenging development, even with extensive training, and life got in the way. Family members got ill, loss became a struggle, and working full-time made writing something genuine a humdinger of a process.

I deeply love creativity, but overcoming illiteracy allowed me to explore the world and beyond. When I earned the title of author, it was a moment when dozens of readers sent thank-you messages on New Year’s Eve, saying that my well-crafted words had touched their hearts and helped change their lives. What a way to start the new year as a passionate person. I knew destiny had much more in store, and now, all these years later, I have achieved something meaningful, written with care and finesse. I remain receptive to rejections, but hear agents suggest that in thirty seconds or after reading five pages of a manuscript, they have a perceived notion of what constitutes success. 

Why in the world, as a well-informed marketer who values advertising for profit, would I ever put myself through having thousands of followers on social media? I have no desire for such a burdensome world of connection and fame. I am a realist; fifty thousand Facebook friends would be a disaster waiting to happen. If that aspect of the process keeps me from succeeding, then I see it as a blessing in disguise. I always live by the rule that we must be careful what we wish for in our careers.

I can write fluff and other material that meets the needs of those involved in publishing and creative pursuits. They may seem ordinary, but they are truly remarkable achievers. I admire that they promote themselves assertively as better equipped to reach our shared goals. I give them full credit. I have peers ask me whether spending money on developmental courses with agents will yield a percentage, and together we will take over the world. I believe great literature does exactly that: it fosters a love rooted in trust and respect.

What I appreciate about composing the next significant global manuscript is the process through which evidence of a soul emanates sincerity to the audience. Please refrain from altering my core essence; however, consider modest adjustments to my language to introduce some vigor, without diminishing my intellectual integrity based on others' perceptions of a reality they may not have encountered.

I thank you if your integrity and sincerity positively contribute to my literary career. I need not rely on fluff or other fillers to get my point across. If I had a time machine to go back and meet Hannah Brown Gordon again, with no ailments, no loss, no distractions, and my manuscript in hand, I would be a happy collaborator who trusts in what she convinced me of—storytelling.