Sometimes I wonder if I should’ve pursued a career as a sociologist, or a psychologist, or an anthropologist. Some kind of -ist.
I’m fascinated by why we do the things we do, and I love pondering the vast differences between personality styles, even between people raised in nearly identical environments. One of my radio coworkers many years ago summed it up about as neatly as you can when he said:
“People . . . are different.”
I occasionally still utter that line on the show because it covers so much.
These differences certainly come into play when dealing with the creative arts, especially writers. We’re each triggered by specific things, we’ve all had our share of tragedy and delight, and, whether or not we want to admit it, each of us brings a certain bias into our writing.
One particular personality difference might explain why some writers are able to succeed while others may not. And it struck me as I read a book that has absolutely nothing to do with writing, but has everything to do with psychology.
It’s called “The Psychology of Money,” a brilliant bestseller where author Morgan Housel explores the differences in human behavior that often can predict—or explain—why some people do well with money while others struggle to make ends meet.
In Chapter 19 of the book, Housel drops this little nugget:
“Life is a continuous chain of surprises.”
It was one of those simple sentences that made me put the book down for a moment. I do that a lot, by the way; I don’t mark up books with a highlighter, but I make copious notes in my phone. The notion of an ongoing chain of surprises prompted a note.
Which one are you?
You’re either a person who enjoys surprises or you’re not. And if you’re not, you might be like several people I’ve known who not only don’t enjoy surprises, they despise them.
No judgement here. I think surprises are a hoot, but many people get anxious when something is sprung on them. I have one acquaintance who gets downright angry if you drop any surprise on them. They must know everything in advance.
They might be the people who peek inside the wrapping paper of their Christmas presents or who threaten bodily harm if their partner plans a surprise party for them. My stepdaughter isn’t neurotic about this stuff, but we laugh because she MUST KNOW everyone’s plan for each day and whether or not they’ll be home. And when. And if not, why not? She can’t stand surprises.
But Morgan Housel puts it well. In our daily lives, we’re confronted with one surprise after another. And if you’re hoping to make money from writing or some other creative endeavor, I’d strongly encourage you to do whatever you can to adopt an easygoing relationship with surprises.
Because the publishing world will jack with your mind on a regular basis. You thought your manuscript was perfect—and then you receive feedback from your editor. You were told by an agent that Publisher X was leaning toward making a bid on your book—and then crickets.
Things just go wrong
I had a book signing at a Denver bookstore for the sixth book in my Galahad series, and on that very day the huge box of books showed up at the store . . . with a mistake on the cover. It said, “Book Five.” And, mind you, this was from a major New York publisher. They were mortified, and I had to sheepishly explain the boo-boo to a packed room of eager fans.
If you’re independently publishing, you’ll encounter surprise after surprise from the online retailers, the audiobook company, the cover designer, and the applications people use to purchase and download your book.
I republished an existing book series under a new pen name, and on the day of release for the new versions, I received a note that my books had been flagged for potential copyright violation. Yes, the algorithm saw that my book already existed under someone else’s name—but it was MY other name. To the robot, I was plagiarizing. But I was plagiarizing MYSELF.
Certainly didn’t expect that mess, which—as I write this—still has not been straightened out. The problem is still there, waiting for a human to examine the data and make a ruling.
Prepare yourself
If you’re someone who can’t handle a surprise birthday party, you better prepare yourself for the nightmares that will plop onto your doorstep once you write and publish a book. Often, I find myself chuckling at the ridiculous issues that materialize out of nowhere. I mean, sometimes that’s all you can do.
But I think about the people who are wired a little differently, the ones who get antsy when everything doesn’t go according to plan. I don’t know if there’s help for altering this specific trait. There must be. Perhaps there are self-help books that can guide someone into being more understanding of the twists and turns that life can throw at you.
Because the continuous chain of surprises will remain unbroken.
Dom Testa writes fiction and nonfiction, and he has never once peeked at a Christmas/birthday present. Nor has he ever skipped ahead to read the end of a book.
Find most of his work at DomTestaBooks.com.