I was listening to John Lithgow promoting his memoir, Drama: An Actor’s Education, on NPR today. The program and the theme of the book highlight the actor’s life of serial rejection and the murderously hard meandering road to success (Sounds like writing sometimes). Callers were invited to join a conversation about themselves or a loved one who had chosen acting.
Lithgow took calls from young hopeful actors and parents who had varying degrees of concern that their children were pursuing a career on the stage. Even though the parents had themselves been actors, they didn’t want their children to have to endure what they did. While they wanted to be supportive, they also wanted to encourage the next generation to have a backup plan, like Medical School.
I was struck when the host, Neal Conan, described acting as a pact between actor and audience. “We’re going to fool you and you agree to be fooled.”
That’s exactly what we do as writers of fiction. We, too, have a relationship with our readers that’s based on deception. I know. It doesn’t sound healthy. We tell the reader, “I’m going to lie to you and you agree to believe it.”
The reader opens your book trusting that the lie you’re going to tell is a lie that they’ll enjoy believing.
Lithgow also gave advice that translates directly to any artistic endeavor, especially writing. He said to stay creative and to develop the things that you could control.
Don’t write your one picture book or novel that’s sure to be a beloved classic and then wait around for it to be discovered. Keep working to grow your body of work and grow yourself as a liar...I mean "writer."
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