Lockdown was difficult for everyone - but for some of us there were also unexpected upsides. I'm still waiting for a dentist to stick my front tooth back in (it fell out on day 2) but was fortunate to spend the whole time with my two youngest children, both now in their twenties. It's an interesting experience when family who left home ages ago move back in for a while. We hadn't spent such intensive amounts of time together for so long, I'd almost forgotten about their weird dietary habits and just how much trash TV they're able to watch.
What I (re)discovered is how easily you can get sucked into trash TV with them. It's a bonding family experience (or at least, that's my excuse). Soothing in very stressful times when you can't face gritty drama, or yet more Covid 19 news. Anyway, I found some surprising benefits watching it, and now I want to inflict that experience on you.
Thing is, a LOT of trash TV is American and comes in series on Netflix. Whether it's Brooklyn Nine-Nine or Skin Wars, if you watch one episode, you're immediately sucked into the next - and before you know it, you actually CARE who wins season 10 of RuPaul's Drag Race. Worse, you then go on to watch season 11 and 12. Evie Oddly in season 11 becomes your new hero. Seriously, the best woman won... a reference you'll only get if you watch it. Tempted yet?
Anyway, I found plenty of quotes from RuPaul's drag queens are totally transferable to a writing life, so I'll share a few with you...
Americans are very different from the British. They are so damn enthusiastic, it's exhausting. But I've grown to love their enthusiasm. They don't apologise for much because it's considered negative thinking and you have to shape up. Acknowledge mistakes, yes - but no apologies unless you've caused pain to others. As someone who apologises for my own existence when I fall flat on my face, even if I'm in agony, there's a lot to be said for allowing yourself to express your pain and expect support.
And pain is something many of the contestants in RuPaul's Drag Race know all about, whether it's because of family rejection, brutal violence, being forced into exorcisms or having to undergo gay 'conversion' therapy. Yet they've learnt to transform all the knockbacks into sheer determination to succeed with help and support from their own community.
And when you think about it, we writers also have a wonderfully supportive community - it's just we tend to spend more time in pajamas and we don't wear quite so much makeup.
Each week in Drag Race, one of the queens is eliminated. But very few of them wail or complain - they know just being chosen to take part shows they have a fair degree of talent and they'll make the best of it anyway. They also take any criticism on board in a positive way. Week on week, everyone ups their game.
So maybe if you're rejected as a writer, whether by an agent or a publisher, just listen to any reasonable criticism you're offered and try to work harder, okay? (You're also allowed to swear, tear the rejection slip into tiny pieces and therapeutically compost it)
The optimism of the contestants in these shows is amazing. But then what's the point of being pessimistic if the outcome is the same either way? If you're an optimist but get rejected, at least you enjoyed the ride. (At this point, I'm online ordering some glitter eyeshadow...if I don't get that zoom call from an enthusiastic publisher wanting my latest book, at least I'll look dazzling...)
Worst case scenario, you just pick myself up and write another book. And the best case scenario? Just eliminate the competition and take the crown, gurrl!
by Lu Hersey (with help from RuPaul's Drag Race)
twitter: @LuWrites
web: luhersey.com
2 comments:
Lu, a very interesting way of adapting "trash tv" advice.
Thanks Penny!
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