Doc Hensley on Writing

If you are in a writers’ critique group or writers’ club, gravitate to those members with the best track records in sales. Find someone who also has good editing skills and then woo that person. Take her to lunch one day, give her a nice gift (a novel, perhaps), and then explain your problem.

Say, “Jenny, I’ve got two kids at home and a husband who works nights. I want to be a writer, but there’s no way I can go back to college. I need your help. I know you’re busy with your own career, but I also know you have a willingness to help new writers. I’ve got a suitcase filled with rejected manuscripts. If you’ll read a few and give them a thorough editing, I promise you I’ll rework them and get them back in the mail. I’m not thin-skinned. I can accept harsh evaluations. In fact, I desperately need them. Right now, I don’t even know what I’m doing wrong. How about it? Could we meet for lunch—my treat—for the next three Tuesdays and go over some of my manuscripts?”

In all likelihood, Jenny will identify with your dilemma, having been through it herself once. She will probably consent; but if she is unable to, then seek someone else. Keep trying. Don’t be reserved or shy about securing a tough editor for yourself. There are numerous ways you can go about it.

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Adapted from Writing for Profit by Dennis E. Hensley (Thomas Nelson, 1985; revised 2003). At Taylor University in Upland, IN, Dr. Hensley teaches students in the Professional Writing Major the importance of communicating. © 2012 by Dennis E. Hensley. All rights reserved.

You’re already aware that the world is full of critics. Come up with an idea, and ten critics will be ready to tell you why it won’t work. Critics, however, are evaluators, whereas editors are teachers. There is a big difference. What you need are teachers.

An evaluator will look at your manuscript and say, “It doesn’t set my soul aflame!” An editor will look at the same manuscript and say, “Burn it!”

You should not seek emotional responses to your manuscript. That is what a critic will offer. Save that for the post-publication assessments. What you need during the writing stage are judgments of specifics: grammar, syntax, vocabulary, paragraph structure, and content. As Thornton Wilder noted, “If you master your techniques, literature will take care of itself.”

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Adapted from Writing for Profit by Dennis E. Hensley (Thomas Nelson, 1985; revised 2003). At Taylor University in Upland, IN, Dr. Hensley teaches students in the Professional Writing Major the importance of communicating. © 2012 by Dennis E. Hensley. All rights reserved.

I can see direct parallels between the worlds of freelance writing and professional baseball . Even the catch phrases and lingo are the same.

When I was a young reporter for The Muncie Star, I would have to start each morning by “pitching” ideas to the City Editor. He would actually respond, “No, you’re out in left field on that idea” or “Stay with that one until you knock it out of the park” or “Sorry, you struck out on that one.” If one of our regular reporters was off covering a court case and another story was breaking, the City Editor would scream, “Hensley, you’re on deck, so you go cover the police beat” or “Hensley, you pinch hit for Anderson over at City Hall.”

If a politician would suddenly announce she was entering the race for mayor, the City Editor would say, “Whoa! She threw us a curve on that one.” If I was having a hard time digging up facts for a story, the City Editor would say, “You can do it, Slugger” or “I’ve got a hole on page one, Hensley, and you’re batting clean-up. Bring it home, baby, bring it home.” If I was at my house on my day off and the City Editor had to call me in for some overtime, he’d say, “Get off the bench, Hensley, we’ve got a five-car pile-up on the expressway and I need you to go cover it.”

I could continue with endless examples, proving that baseball metaphors are always “at bat” amidst writers. However, one particular phrase dominates all others when it comes to baseball and freelance writing. It was said by Tom Hanks in the movie A League of Their Own. Say it with me, folks: “There is no crying in baseball!”

The same rule applies to writing. If one of your manuscripts gets rejected, you cannot cry. You have to rewrite it. If your elevator pitch gets blown off by an editor, you cannot cry. You have to go back and refine it. If your coauthor quits or dies in the middle of a project and you’re left having to do all the remaining work, you cannot cry. You have to step up to the plate and finish the book. If your book finally gets published and the critics rip it to shreds, you cannot cry. You have to sit at the computer and write a better book the next time.

As writers, we all strike out now and then. We cannot cry when that happens. We can bunt, steal, walk, or switch hit. But, no, there’s no bawling in the ballgame of writing.

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Dennis E. “Doc” Hensley is the author of How to Write What You Love and Make a Living at It (Shaw/Random House). © 2012 by Dennis E. Hensley. All rights reserved.

Part 4 in the series: “Beware the ‘False Consensus’ Endorsement”

Before you become a literary lemming and run off a cliff, go just partway down that path. Do your own test marketing.

Bonnie should have tested her skills in smaller venues before instantly trying for the big time. She should have written some comedic articles about life as a housewife, mom, or Tupperware party planner. She could have sent them to Redbook, Today’s Christian Woman, or even to her local newspaper. If they were accepted and published, and if she got letters from readers along with invitations to speak, this would have been verification of her talent.

Conversely, if Bonnie’s writings all came back rejected, this would have made her bluntly aware that her style and delivery, and perhaps even content, needed a lot more work. Likewise, if after doing the small venue talks to the PTA and scouting groups, word-of-mouth advertising generated a lot more calls for her to speak, that would have been evidence she had a winning presentation. If no calls came in, however, additional refinement on content and delivery would obviously be needed.

We all crave praise and compliments. We harbor dreams of fame and success. But if these fantasies blind us to the realities of our levels of talent or preparation, the results will be emotionally devastating and financially crippling. We have to let other people hold a mirror before us and describe what the real reflection is … not what we wish it would be.

Those writers who are bold enough to face reality are usually also bold enough to perform whatever plastic surgery is required to shape the image into what is required to fulfill the fantasy—a better written manuscript … a stronger national platform … more polished professional skills.

Don’t be swayed by a false consensus of your talents. Deal with reality.

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Dennis E. Hensley, PhD, is the author of 52 books, including Teach Yourself Grammar and Style in 24 Hours (Macmillan) and How to Write What You Love and Make a Living at It (Random House). His 3,000 freelance articles have appeared in Success, Reader’s Digest, People, The Detroit Free Press, Cincinnati Enquirer, and The Indianapolis Star, among numerous others. He is director of the Professional Writing Program at Taylor University. © 2012 by Dennis E. Hensley. All rights reserved.

Part 3 in the series: “Beware the ‘False Consensus’ Endorsement”

Authors like Bonnie should be no less diligent than companies regarding test marketing. Manufacturers constantly reevaluate their developing products. They want to make sure, before they invest a large amount of start-up capital, that the end product will be something the public will buy. Writers should follow similar procedures. Here’s how to go about it.

Get feedback from experts, not friends and relatives. Certain people hire me to edit their manuscripts. My rates are rather steep, but after these folks have gotten rejected a dozen or more times, they’re ready to find out why they can’t sell their books. Folks in their writers’ club have praised them for their creativity. I don’t praise them. Instead, I grab a red pen and start slashing.

I point out errors in spelling, grammar, punctuation, format, style, syntax, transitions, logic, and continuity. I help them identify stilted dialogue, ambiguous descriptions, vague characterizations, unrealistic coincidences, vapid plotting concepts, and tedious “back story” summaries. For novice writers, this editing can be painful; often, brutally so. However, it can also be revealing. At least now these people know exactly what is wrong and precisely how to go about fixing it. Their friends weren’t—and often didn’t even know how to be—so forthright. It required an outside expert who had qualifications and bluntness and professionalism. Take this lesson to heart for yourself: make the effort to find an expert.

Make sure you hear what is being said. In Bonnie’s case, people told her she was fun to be around, but (being desperate for approval) Bonnie heard that as, “You’re as funny as a professional comedienne.” People gave her polite applause, but she interpreted that as a rousing cheer. She didn’t listen to what was actually being said; she heard only what she wanted to hear. That’s self-deception. In the end, Bonnie became her own worst enemy. But you can learn from her mistake. If you ask for feedback, don’t talk. Just listen intently, accept the praise or criticism, and then adjust your public speaking or professional writing accordingly.

Acquire endorsements that have credibility. Bonnie thought that including quotes from her mom and her elementary teacher would be a cute idea for her book cover. It was neither funny nor credible. I’m sure Stephen King and Jerry B. Jenkins could get endorsements from their mothers, too, but why? For my latest book on aspects of professional writing, I obtained endorsements from two magazine editors, a college writing professor, and three best-selling authors. Now that’s clout.

If Bonnie had approached some professional speakers or comics for endorsements, one of two things would have happened:

1. They would have turned her down, and Bonnie would have discovered her book really wasn’t funny enough to be published, or
2. they would have given her the endorsements, and that would have greatly helped her sell the books.

Credible endorsements are factors that convince people to buy a book. So, seek the right folks.

Next week, part 4: “Learning to Deal with Reality”

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Dennis E. Hensley, PhD, is the author of 52 books, including Teach Yourself Grammar and Style in 24 Hours (Macmillan) and How to Write What You Love and Make a Living at It (Random House). His 3,000 freelance articles have appeared in Success, Reader’s Digest, People, The Detroit Free Press, Cincinnati Enquirer, and The Indianapolis Star, among numerous others. He is director of the Professional Writing Program at Taylor University. © 2012 by Dennis E. Hensley. All rights reserved.

Part 2 in the series: “Beware the ‘False Consensus’ Endorsement”

The woman put her self-published book in front of me. After I read the cutesy-pie endorsements on the back cover, I asked how I could help her, pretty much knowing what she was about to say.

“People have always told me I’m funny,” she began. “I’m the life of the party everywhere I go. So, three years ago I started speaking at mother-daughter banquets, PTA meetings, and Girl Scout retreats. I never charged anything because I was just getting started. My goal, however, was to become another Erma Bombeck, traveling around the country giving talks at conventions, conferences, and women’s gatherings. Make some TV appearances, too.”

“Erma’s been dead for more than a decade,” I pointed out.

“All the more reason for someone new to come along,” she countered, totally undeterred. “Anyway, I wrote up all my funny stories, but no one would publish my book because I didn’t have a national platform as yet. So, my husband and I borrowed $7,000 and we self-published this book. Now, I have a garage filled with unsold books, and, unfortunately for me, requests for personal appearances are not pouring in. So, where’d I go wrong? I mean, I know I’m funny. Everyone says so.”

This woman was a victim of what is known as “false consensus syndrome.” For example, people will say, “Let’s eat at that café. Look at all the trucks parked outside of it.” To that, I’d be one to ask, “And who, may I inquire, ever said truckers were any kind of judges of what qualifies as gourmet food?”

Here was the problem with Bonnie, the unsuccessful comic. She liked to tell jokes. People would always give a courtesy laugh, even if they thought her jokes were lame. Also, she liked to speak in front of groups. The groups would give her a round of applause, mostly because the folks listening were thinking better her than me since most people hate public speaking. Furthermore, she gave her typed book manuscript to her mom, her husband, her best friends, her sister, and her neighbors, and she asked for “honest feedback.” Because these folks loved her, they refused to be cruel, so they responded with what they imagined she wanted to hear: “It sounds just like you.” “It’s really amusing.” “I enjoyed it.” “Thanks for sharing this with me. It was quite entertaining.”

And so, with these “enthusiastic” endorsements, Bonnie concluded she was ready for the big-time. She wasn’t, of course. Nevertheless, she spent borrowed money to print her book and then found herself in the wilderness of would-be comics and would-be authors. It proved to be a very, very lonely place.

 Next week, part 3: “Avoid Being Condemned by Faint Praise”

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 Dennis E. Hensley, PhD, is the author of 52 books, including Teach Yourself Grammar and Style in 24 Hours (Macmillan) and How to Write What You Love and Make a Living at It (Random House). His 3,000 freelance articles have appeared in Success, Reader’s Digest, People, The Detroit Free Press, Cincinnati Enquirer, and The Indianapolis Star, among numerous others. He is director of the Professional Writing Program at Taylor University. © 2012 by Dennis E. Hensley. All rights reserved.

Part 1 in the series: “Beware the ‘False Consensus’ Endorsement”

I was providing 20-minute consultations at a large writers’ conference in Chicago. A woman* in her late thirties sat down for her appointment. She put her self-published book in front of me.

On the cover was a photo of her in hair curlers and no makeup. She was shown holding a frying pan in one hand. A baby held by the other hand was balanced on her hip. The book’s title in garish purple letters was Life in the Fast Pain: How to Be a Go-Go Gal in a Gone-Gone Body and the byline read “by Bonnie the zany mom Davis.”

On the back cover were cutesy-pie endorsements, including, “Now that she’s a mom, Bonnie knows why she drove me nuts,” from Mrs. Cynthia Becker, identified as “Bonnie’s Mom” (thanks for explaining that one), and “I knew even in third grade when Bonnie would stand on her head in front of the class, she was destined to become a comic one day,” from Mrs. MacIntosh, identified as (can you see it coming?) “Bonnie’s third-grade teacher.”

I stared at the woman. I was amazed at how she looked nothing like her persona on the cover. Instead, she had on a smartly styled pantsuit, snazzy patent leather shoes, and classy contemporary jewelry, all set off by a modern short-to-the-ears slightly frosted hairstyle.

I asked her how I could help her, pretty much knowing what she was about to say….

Next week, find out what “the zany mom” said in part 2: “And Who Is ‘Everyone’?”

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 Dennis E. Hensley, PhD, is the author of 52 books, including Teach Yourself Grammar and Style in 24 Hours (Macmillan) and How to Write What You Love and Make a Living at It (Random House). His 3,000 freelance articles have appeared in Success, Reader’s Digest, People, The Detroit Free Press, Cincinnati Enquirer, and The Indianapolis Star, among numerous others. He is director of the Professional Writing Program at Taylor University. © 2012 by Dennis E. Hensley. All rights reserved.

I learned how to be a journalist when I took a part-time job at the Muncie Star and worked under an iron-willed martinet who had all the charm of a sunburned gorilla. This guy not only stabbed you, he also twisted the knife. He lost reporters the way old men lose hair. And if I hadn’t needed schooling money so desperately, I probably would have deserted him, too.

But I stayed. And my fear of the man’s sharp tongue made me more careful about what I wrote. I listened attentively as that editor blue-penciled my copy and explained why my lead was a snore, why my quotes were incorrectly balanced in the article, and why my ending lacked snap. I smiled resolutely whenever I was sent back to the typewriter for a second, third, sometimes a fourth draft of an article.

The man never praised anyone. After six months he was transferred to one of the chain’s sister papers in Phoenix. I can’t say he really missed him. But to give him his due, I must admit that the guy really did know about journalism. I believe that editor did more to improve my writing in those six months than all of my college English professors had accomplished in six years. They had been concerned with the artistic flair of literature; but the newspaper editor had been concerned about communicating. I soon learned that the editor had had the right idea. If you can’t communicate, you can’t work as a freelance writer.

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Adapted from Writing for Profit by Dennis E. Hensley (Thomas Nelson, 1985; revised 2003). At Taylor University in Upland, IN, Dr. Hensley teaches students in the Professional Writing Major the importance of communicating. © 2012 by Dennis E. Hensley. All rights reserved.

My own first cold bath in manuscript criticism came when I was a twenty-three-year-old graduate student in college. I had written five chapters of a novel and had sent them to a literary agent recommended to me by one of my professors.

After three weeks of waiting nervously, I received the first chapter from the agent. Stapled atop it was a handwritten memo which read, “You have a fabulous plot here, kid, but you don’t know beans about style. Want to learn?” The enclosed chapter was a bloodbath of red ink. I felt ill. I was a moron, an idiot, a fool, a failure.

Forlornly, I showed the memo and chapter to my professor. She offered her congratulations and told me I probably had a real future in writing. That agent hadn’t accepted a new client in more than six years, she explained.

And to be honest with you, he didn’t really accept me either. But we did correspond regularly for two months, and he did butcher the other chapters. The agent showed me where my story rambled, where there were passages in need of more description, and where the dialogue was wooden. He was concise and accurate.

After the initial shock and numbness wore off, I actually began to get excited about all the “secrets” I was being shown. I paid close attention. And my writing did improve. That first novel never sold, but I did later sell more than 50 other books. Strangely, I now know that that brutal editing gave me an edge on my classmates who had not had such an experience. My grades improved, my confidence increased, my writing matured.

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Adapted from Writing for Profit by Dennis E. Hensley (Thomas Nelson, 1985; revised 2003). At Taylor University in Upland, IN, Dr. Hensley teaches students in the Professional Writing Major how to increase in their confidence and mature in their writing. © 2012 by Dennis E. Hensley. All rights reserved.

When I work one-on-one with attendees at writers’ conferences, I find that some are there only for praise for their “masterpieces,” and they go home disappointed and unlearned. Others, however, are like one who told me, “Be blunt. I’m only here for five days. Don’t waste time being tactful. I’m here to learn why my manuscripts keep getting rejected.” Writers like that are sure bets for eventual success.

That desire for success is what helped Pam when I first started critiquing her writing. In the beginning, she often had to set the manuscript aside for a few days for what she calls her “pouting period.” Once the initial shock of all of those red marks wore off, she says she found she became more receptive and could accept and learn from my comments and suggestions. As time went on, the “pouting periods” became less and less.

Then Pam got two technical writing chapters for a Web-page design book back from her editor that were deemed “perfect;” the editor hadn’t asked for a single change. It took a lot of hard work to reach that stage, but the secret is to eventually reach a point where the writing is so smooth that the “hard work” doesn’t show. The goal should be to strive for such perfection. The days of hand-holding editors such as Maxwell Perkins are long gone. “That’s the editor’s job” is not a valid excuse; it’s a lazy one. Accept criticism and learn from it.

When Pam sent me an e-mail telling me the good news about those two “perfect” chapters, she asked, “Am I brilliant? Or are you a good instructor?” I wrote back: “I think you are brilliant because I taught you well. Ha!” Either way, it worked.

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Adapted from Writing for Profit by Dennis E. Hensley (Thomas Nelson, 1985; revised 2003). At Taylor University in Upland, IN, Dr. Hensley teaches students in the Professional Writing Major how to achieve publishing success. © 2012 by Dennis E. Hensley. All rights reserved.