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The Steve Laube Agency

The Steve Laube Agency

Helping to Change the World Word by Word

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Home » Archives for Bob Hostetler

Bob Hostetler

Write from Scars

By Bob Hostetleron September 21, 2023
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I learned recently that my agent—the man, the myth, the legend, Steve Laube—speaking at a writers conference, quoted something I’d said in a recent conference keynote. Yes, you read that right! The Great One actually quoted me! Me! And it wasn’t the usual “Can you believe anyone is that stupid?” sort of allusion. It was in a favorable context, as though I’d said something of value.

Well, slap my face and call me Red.

In my keynote, I had mentioned a Zoom meeting in which I was talking to a fellow writer and teacher of writing. She said she’d met me at a writers conference years before, in an editorial appointment (these are valuable features of many such events, providing writers the opportunity to meet with editors, agents, and accomplished authors, to receive feedback and advice—and even, every great once-in-a-while, a promise of publication). This person told me that she had handed me her manuscript; I read it; and when I finished reading, she said I asked, “Why are you angry?”

I was horrified. I said, “Nooo! I didn’t.”

She laughed and said, “Yes, you did.”

I said, “I’m so sorry.”

“No,” she said, “you were right. I was writing from a place of anger.”

I had no memory of that meeting. And I don’t think I’ve ever said something so blunt and unsympathetic to anyone else in an appointment. (Please don’t provide examples in the comments.)

But I had a point in telling that story to 500 or more writers. Because we’ve all suffered pain—in life, from family and friends, even in pursuing writing for publication.

But whatever pain haunts you and still hurts you, my advice is to give yourself the time and space to recover. Yes, writing about your pain may be cathartic; it may be therapeutic—for you. But it won’t help your reader if you’re still bleeding. It gets all over the pages. It makes a mess. It’s just not a good look.

If you’re writing something you intend for publication, don’t try to write about it while you’re still bleeding. Let it scab, let it heal, and even scar.

Write from scars, not open wounds; and you’ll be in a much better place to write something that will help others.

 

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Category: Pitching, The Writing Life, Theology, Writing Craft

A Prayer Before Writing

By Bob Hostetleron September 7, 2023
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Lord God Adonai, I am about to write. I have nothing to say, nothing to offer. I am a poor writer, and an even poorer Christian. And yet I must try to find words that will bring into being something that has never been before. Help me, Lord. Inspire me. Empower me. Flow through me. Grant that I may write better than I can write, and thus know that all the honor and glory and thanks belong to you, …

Read moreA Prayer Before Writing
Category: Inspiration, The Writing Life, Theology

Food for Writing

By Bob Hostetleron August 29, 2023
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Some foods are better to eat than others when you’re writing. Right? It goes without saying (but I will say it anyway) that Cheetos are not the most keyboard-friendly food to snack on while you’re writing your next article, blog post, or book. And tacos get all over your keyboard, research, and outlines, right? So, I asked some Steve Laube Agency clients, “What IS the food you most …

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Category: The Writing Life

Poetry: I Can’t Sell It, but I Recommend It

By Bob Hostetleron August 15, 2023
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Anyone who has read my “Who and What I’m Looking For” post on this site may be aware that poetry is not a genre I represent. I know, I know. Your poetry is different, and it would force me to make an exception. I hear you. But the likelihood of selling a book of poems is somewhere between nil and nada, even for you. I love you, but it’s true. (See how that rhymed?) Having said that, though, I …

Read morePoetry: I Can’t Sell It, but I Recommend It
Category: The Writing Life

Be a Re-Reader

By Bob Hostetleron July 18, 2023
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Maybe you’ve heard of C. S. Lewis. Some people consider him to have been a fairly smart man. A literary superhero, even, who once wrote, “An unliterary man may be defined as one who reads books once only. . . . We do not enjoy a story fully at the first reading. Not till the curiosity, the sheer narrative lust, has been given its sop and laid asleep, are we at leisure to savour the real beauties. …

Read moreBe a Re-Reader
Category: Encouragement, Inspiration, Personal, Reading, The Writing Life

One Agent’s Loves and Hates

By Bob Hostetleron June 29, 2023
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I recently posted on social media about my (possibly unhealthy) love for em dashes—that is, the dashes that are the width of the letter m, often used to set off examples, explanations, or descriptions, as I did in this sentence. (See how beautiful it is?) An editor friend named Linda commented, “This is so me. I love the em-dash. Nothing aggravates me more when editing than when a writer …

Read moreOne Agent’s Loves and Hates
Category: Craft, Grammar, The Writing Life, Writing Craft

New Writer Lingo for a New Day

By Bob Hostetleron June 15, 2023
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If you’ve been writing (or hanging around with writers) for a while, you’ve probably seen or heard the abbreviation POV. It’s short for “point of view.” And WIP (“work in progress”), MC (“main character”), and perhaps even NaNoWriMo (“National Novel Writing Month,” which rolls around every November). But those, like many terms we writers use and abuse, have been around for a while. They’re kinda …

Read moreNew Writer Lingo for a New Day
Category: Career, Common Questoins, The Writing Life, Trends

20 Books That Molded Me

By Bob Hostetleron June 1, 2023
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I’ve read thousands of books in my lifetime. I’ve written on this blog about why I read and about my annual reading plan. I’ve posted about how to read more. So, yeah, I read a lot. Wanna make something of it? Where was I? Oh yeah. Over the course of my decades of reading, I’ve even kept a record of the books I’ve read. So, not only can I tell you (if not by memory at least by a quick …

Read more20 Books That Molded Me
Category: Personal, The Writing Life, Theology

Will Someone Steal My Book?

By Bob Hostetleron May 18, 2023
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It’s a common question I hear among writers, especially among those who are starting out in the long journey toward publication: “Will someone steal my book?” Or “my idea?” Or “my plot?” And so on. Some writers are loath to show their work to a critique group or submit to an agent or editor, for fear that someone will take their title or idea or writing and pass it off as their own. Believe it or …

Read moreWill Someone Steal My Book?
Category: Book Business, Career, The Publishing Life, The Writing Life

3 Productivity Questions for Busy Writers

By Bob Hostetleron May 11, 2023
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Writers have a lot to do. Maybe you’ve discovered that. Wherever you may be in your writing journey, you’ve probably encountered the many tasks a writer has to accomplish (especially during tax season, can I get a witness?): write, rewrite, edit, proofread, get critique, rewrite again, research, review, submit, record submissions, follow up submissions, book travel, register for conferences, pack …

Read more3 Productivity Questions for Busy Writers
Category: Career, The Writing Life, time management
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