Be a tradesman

I’m reading Agatha Christie’s autobiography.  Now, let’s not kid ourselves.  The Dame has got some game.

Dame Agatha Christie is the best selling novelist of all time.  She is the most translated individual author, and her works are the third most published books.  Whatever criticisms may be leveled at her literary skills–deserved or not–we’d have to agree she knew something about building a career as a writer.

There’s a fascinating passage in the autobiography about the necessity for a writer to take “account of the market for his wares.”

If you were a carpenter, it would be no good making a chair, the seat of which was five feet up from the floor.  It wouldn’t be what anyone wanted to sit on.  It is no good saying that you think the chair looks handsome that way.

She goes on to say,

It’s no good starting out by thinking one is a heaven-born genius–some people are, but very few.  No, one is a tradesman–a tradesman in a good honest trade.  You must learn the technical skills, and then, within that trade, you can apply your own creative ideas; but you must submit to the discipline of form.

So, what is the point of me quoting this?

Take a couple of Tuesday Tips from Dame Agatha.

I’m about to embark on another round of play submissions.  So, I’m going to read the guidelines carefully and adhere to the rules for each submission.  My chair–or play–can be as handsome as you please, but if it doesn’t fit the rules, why bother to submit?  And if it doesn’t fit any rules. . . well, I suppose a miracle might happen.  But, it’s probably going to involve self-producing or self-publishing.  If you want to market your work, you have to know the market.

The other tip — “It’s no good starting out by thinking one is a heaven-born genius.”  I thought of this recently when a friend reported on a play reading that was less than wonderful but for which the writer and director wanted to hear no criticism.  It seems to me that Aaron Sorkin (another writer who knows something about building a career) had it right when he had a character say, “If you’re dumb, surround yourself with smart people.  If you’re smart, surround yourself with smart people who disagree with you.”

A whole lot of praise and approval is nice for the ego.  Constructive criticism and a mind open enough to hear it is better for the play.