Ask the Author: Mark Victor Young

“Ask me a question.” Mark Victor Young

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Have you ever worried that your work isn't "literary" or "smart" enough? and/or "Marketable" or "accessible" enough? Are these necessary concerns? Or do you find them stifling? When concepts like these start closing in, do you work *around* or *through* them?
Mark Victor Young Based on my experiences trying to make it in traditional publishing, specifically in Canada, I have concluded that my work isn't literary enough. In saying that, I'll admit that I don't truly know what I mean by it, I only have a sense that there is something about literary publishing in Canada that my work doesn't share. On the flip side (or is it some alternate section of the same side?), I think my work is accessible and marketable. I once had an agent turn down one of my novels after saying he had enjoyed it and my submission was very professional, but couldn't take it on because it was too commercial. (Isn't that a good thing for a commercial enterprise? Does he only work with non-profits?) As you can see, I'm not bitter about this at all. :)

I don't allow these concepts to close in because I made my peace with them long ago. I write what I write partly because it is what I'd want to read, I guess. And I never worry that something I'm ready is too "this" or too "that." I just know whether or not I'm enjoying it.

Thanks for another great question!
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As writers, we deal in conflict. And where there's conflict there is bound to be anger. Can you share one of the bigger anger vectors in your life? Whether it's to do with a personal concern, a worldview-related concern, or something to do with the writing world. Does this anger ever make its way into your work? If so, how? How might a writer make use of his or her anger so as to keep from becoming bitter?
Mark Victor Young Great question! It's not just a question, it's like a literary thesis all on its own. :) My instinctual response to this is that when a writer's personal anger makes its way into his or her writing, it can be a recipe for bad writing. We've all read work that reads like a rant and makes us feel we have left the POV of the character and entered the mind of the author. The term "axe to grind" comes to mind. The great writers can use anger to fuel their characters' own world view and add sparks to their prose, but avoiding the sin of authorial intrusion is a delicate balance. I would say Jonathan Franzen's "Freedom" is a great example of a character infused with anger that was entirely authentic and definitive.

In my own work, I can think of some cases of things which are my own "anger vectors" which seeped into my writing, but in general I try to stay true to the character and steer clear of the many rants I am tempted to include. I can't decide if Pete's rant at the end of "Once Were Friends" is an example of my success or failure at this. :)

To your last point, I don't think making use of anger in our writing will do anything to help us avoid the inevitable slide into bitterness. Maybe meditation and buy a puppy? Hope that helps, Jason, and thanks for the question!
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