Mozart? or Salieri?

Are you Mozart or Salieri?

You can count on the sun coming up. You can count on the kids coming home from school famished with hunger as if they hadn’t eaten in a month. You can count on the Yankees spending big money on the player du jour. And at every writers’ conference, you can bet either an editor or an agent will admonish us to send in our best work.

A couple weeks ago, I wrote an article on writing contests and the common mistakes I saw while judging. The truth is, every single writer who sent in an entry truly did think she sent in her best work. Who’d go through the inconvenience and expense to send sub-par writing?

We’re not all the same. Some of us have more talent, some of us have more tenacity, some of us have more imagination, but we all have one thing in common–a chance to succeed. But what is success?

Ever watched the movie Amadeus? It’s historical fiction, playing off the rumor that Salieri confessed on his deathbed that he murdered Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. Why? Because God had chosen a “vulgar little man” on which to bestow an extraordinary gift of music, while Salieri would vow anything, including chasity, to be granted that same gift. Instead, Solieri was relegated to mediocrity.

Mozart had musical genius that some say has never been and never will be matched. He reinvented musical genres, patterns, and techniques. I doubt we have anyone alive today who is as influential or as talented, and my guess is that most musicians would be scared to death to be compared to him.

The same with writers. While most of us don’t pretend to be the next Jane Austen, Charles Dickens, Ernest Hemmingway, Stephen King, or Nora Roberts, we still harbor hopes of penning the next industry-shaking, genre-bending, in-front-of-the-wave book.

Bottom line is, most of us are more equivalent to Salieri, which is not to say our work is substandard; rather, we are excellent writers telling excellent stories with moments of genius–and someone will always get a bigger contract, or better terms, or sell first, or whatever. We might not be prodigies but we don’t have to use our energy in a negative way, as did Salieri in his rumored jealousy of Mozart, who Salieri considered unworthy of such a precious gift.

Let’s pretend the rumors were true and the movie was even close to reality.  You have to wonder if Salieri might have earned an enduring musical niche for himself had he not spent so much time and energy on revenge. As it is, we remember him only as the man who hated Mozart.

Yes, polish your manuscript, synopsis, and query letter. Of course you should only submit your best work. Join a critique group–there are a bazillion online critique groups if you don’t have one available locally. Don’t settle for second best. Give yourself the gift of pouring everything you have into every story you pen.

IMHO, no matter what our talent level is, mediocrity comes only when our effort is mediocre.

jquidor
who joined Keely’s Contest & News Group
Oct 22, 2007

Thanks to all the new members who joined the group. More contests are coming up so be on the alert!

News: I’m guest blogger this week at Unusual Historicals, and that means more prizes!

Here’s an interview whereTammie King of Night Owl Romance interviewed me about Down Home Ever Lovin’ Mule Blues.

Also, I’ll be chatting at Night Owl Romance on Feb. 16. More about that next week.

Check out The Romance Studio on Feb. 3, where you could win a signed copy of Down Home Ever Lovin’ Mule Blues, plus other good stuff.

Also on Feb. 3, for another chance to win free prizes, come to the Coffeetime Romance chat at (I think) 5pm, or maybe 6pm. We’d love for you to join us!

Have a Magical Monday!

Jacquie

Down Home Ever Lovin’ Mule Blues (See the Book Video featuring Justin Saragueta)
Jacquie Rogers *** Myspace *** Twitter *** Facebook
Faery Special Romances *** Book Video
Royalties go to Children’s Tumor Foundation,
ending Neurofibromatosis through Research

Tags: effort, mediocrity, mozart, salieri