Birds, Words, & Inspiration

The Lure of Expectations

America has a favorite myth. It goes something like this—someday when I retire I'm going to write the great American novel and become a bestselling writer.

I love this dream. I have a similar one. I like that I have such a common dream. However, the Great American Novelist dream has some fatal flaws.

The biggest flaw in this dream is that you are more likely to win a multimillion dollar lottery as you are to sit down, write your first book, and rake in the cash. Sure, we've heard the stories. I know all about J.K. Rowling. I also personally know hundreds of stellar novelists and know of thousands more who have never made enough money to support themselves writing a book. Yet, I realize that it is incredibly impressive that anyone ever even finishes a book.

Write to finish it.

Another fatal flaw is imagining that anything will happen if you aren't writing now. I might win the lottery... but not if I never get around to buying a ticket. Much like the lottery though, the number of books doesn't exponentially increase your chances of multi-million-dollar success. You know what it does increase though? It increases your chances of getting the mega number and couple of bucks. That's cool, right?

Write because you might win small.

And yet, writing a book, well, we all write, so becoming a bestseller could happen, right? You could do that ONE thing and be famous. Yet, we all are also experts in the music genres we adore and all have to act to get through life. Despite this, I never hear anyone talking about how one day they will retire and become Mick Jagger or one day they will retire and become the next Sam Elliott.

Do your art now. Do it to be you.

My point isn't to discount the dreaming. Oh, the day dreams. I love them. My problem is that there is a big difference between day dreams and expectations.The Great American Novel in Us All is a horrible and pervasive myth that hurts great artists. We write wonderful books and the people who read them love them. And despite this, we don't sell that many copies and don't make a fortune. Then we believe the masses who hold to the Great American Myth when they insinuate that we must be doing it wrong. We must be doing it wrong because otherwise we would be rich.

Make good art. Let go of the expectations.

I'm trying to explain this because in particular, the challenge of expectations has been the greatest hindrance to my own art. For twenty years now, every book was going to be the next best seller. Every project had the potential to change my life forever. And when it didn't... I was obviously doing it wrong.
Until now, I never asked myself, what is a realistic expectation for today? What could actually feasibly happen today that would demonstrate that I am about to give the world something it didn't have before I made it? What realistically would show that the people who I can reach in my current circle will actually engage in my art.

We Were Wilder has been turned down by 33 agents and publishers. Most dismissed it on a query, some as a manuscript, and some had nice things to say even though they didn't know how to shop it. Yet, the manuscript had a few ferocious supporters among some close artists that I trust. So I adjusted my expectations. I don't expect a bestseller. Now, I just hope that the small and wonderful audience that I have gathered will read it.

I think they will. I have almost 100 pre-orders and I'm elated. This feels real. This is more realistic, more genuine than a best-seller. I know and care about the audience who is going to read this book. I wish I had gotten to this place years ago. I hope I can keep living here.

Writing, visual art, music, or business, every facet of our lives is riddled with unrealistic expectations. I challenge you do identify them now. Then let go of what happened yesterday, what might happen tomorrow, and thoroughly embrace what is a triumph today. I don't know who convinced artists to live in the expectation, but they didn't have our best interests at heart.

Be Yourself. Let go of expectations. Make good art. Finish it.

xxR