Beginner’s
Mind
I signed
up for ChaBooCha in March 2019 because early chapter books were a completely
new genre for me and I felt clueless about how to do it. I had brought up the
idea of writing chapter books to my editor several years ago and she steered me
away, saying it couldn’t be a stand-alone book, had to be a series, etc. I thought, she doesn’t think I can do it, and I need to keep writing historical fiction if I want to keep paying my
bills.
But this time when I brought it up, she immediately said I should
give it a try. She put together a package for me and mailed it: two middle
grade novels and two early chapter books (to help me figure out the difference,
I presume). She told me to read as many recently
published early chapter books as I could. I thought, she’s as tired of starvation, political intrigue and massacres as I am.
When I first started writing in the late 1980’s, there were books
to read and conferences to attend and writer’s groups to become part of. In
2019 there was the internet! There were websites, podcasts, discussion boards,
and of course, ChaBooCha with its informational and inspirational posts and the
feeling of being part of a group.
Each day I read the posts from the other folks who were doing the
same thing as I was: trying to find writing time in the midst of a busy life,
trying to keep the self-doubt at bay, trying to make a story come alive on paper—or
actually, make it come alive on a screen, as this was the first time I was
writing a book on the computer rather than by hand in a spiral ring notebook.
As I read the posts by the other participants I became aware of the
fact that many of these writers were at the beginning of their careers. This
brought back a flood of memories. These writers were in the wanting, learning, striving,
yearning part of the writing life. They were at that dangerous stage where
frustration and despair can creep in and make a writer give up (oh, the times I
quit in order to just pout for a while!). They were also at the hopeful stage,
where the sky is the limit and dreams are mostly out ahead. The phrase
“beginner’s mind” kept coming to me. What was I to learn from these memories
and feelings that were flooding back?
Wikipedia defines Shoshin as “a word from Zen Buddhism meaning ‘beginner’s
mind.’ It refers to having an attitude of openness, eagerness, and lack of
preconceptions when studying a subject, even when studying at an advanced
level, just as a beginner would.” Openness, eagerness, lack of
preconceptions—isn’t that the beauty of the way it all felt at the beginning?
Isn’t this the heart of the way children are, and the reason we are drawn to
their energy, the reason we want to be with them by writing for them?
It took me eight years of working really hard before I got my first
New York publishing contract. I used to watch for the mail, and when a package
came from a publisher, I’d take it and close myself in the bathroom so the rest
of the family wouldn’t see me cry if it was another rejection letter, which it
normally was.
One year on my birthday I threw the I Ching about my writing. It
came up hexagram 29, The Abysmal
(“Darn straight this is abysmal!” I said.) Actually, The Abysmal referred to water following its path through an abyss,
it has no choice but to flow where the abyss guides it. That felt very true. I had to write, I had to take each
rejection as it came, I had to keep learning and trying. But what I had thrown
in the I Ching had a change in it – the change was from The Abysmal to something like a tower up on a hill that was looked
up to, and influence born of contemplation (I think it was hexagram 20,
Viewing, looking up). I certainly couldn’t image anything like that at the
time.
And so it has all come to pass, the way the I Ching said it would,
with success following the time in the abyss. Now I’m somewhere on that hill.
But for this latest project of trying to write an early chapter book, I took my
walking stick in my hand and walked down the hill. I looked into the water
flowing in the abyss and dangled my feet in it. Ahhh, into the abyss again. The
story will flow where it will, I will be eager and open and hold no
preconceptions. We will see what happens.
I’m liking the idea of staying in touch with beginner’s mind, in
all areas of life, hopefully forever. It’s the way my grandkids view everything at ages 6 and 7. It’s the way
I was about writing thirty years ago.
What would I say to these writers who are at the beginning now?
Stay excited. Decide each day that you don’t know anything and that you’ll find
out as the day goes on. Keep reading books that are successful and as you do,
try not to be jealous of the authors. Keep learning, keep honing your craft.
Please don’t give up on traditional publishing, it still works even though it
can seem absolutely impossible to break into for a long time. If you are in the
abyss, go with the flow. When the change happens and it’s time for you to climb
up out of the water, dripping wet, and walk up the hill, you’ll know it. And
it’ll be a blast.
*****
Elisa Carbone is the author of Poison
in the Colony: James Town 1622 (Viking, 2019), Blood on the River: James Town 1607 (Viking, 2006, Winner of the
Virginia Jefferson Cup Award), Stealing
Freedom (Knopf, 1998) and a dozen other books including picture books,
middle grade and YA novels. She is now trying to write a couple of humorous
early chapter books that involve two third grade protagonists, some math, some
science, and a lot of pets. You can find out more about her work at www.elisacarbone.com.
*****
Give-away
Eliza has generously offered today's give-away which is a copy of her book Night Running: How James Escaped With the Help of His Faithful Dog by Elisa Carbone, illustrated by E.B. Lewis. If you are already a signed-up member of the challenge, all you need to do to be entered for the drawing for this prize is comment on this blog post. The winner will be selected by a random number generator on March 31st at noon.
