The Writing Center

Last week, I gave a presentation to the San Diego Writers/Editors Guild on how to be your own editor. I offered tips on how to think like an editor when revising, polishing, and submitting your work, and in doing so, I had to point out some of the bleaker realities of publishing: that journal editors often read only the first page or two of a submission, that you often only have one chance to make an impression on an editor or agent — and of course, I emphasized the importance of editing, language, and making your work the best it can be.

Thursday’s New York Times challenged all that with a few comments about the quality of the writing in Dan Brown’s The Da Vinci Code. (Disclosure: I have not yet read The Da Vinci Code. I’m actually waiting to borrow it from a slow-reading family member. You know who you are.) But another reason I’ve not yet picked it up is the informal reviews from friends and colleagues, whose collective opinion is that the story is so good and the writing so poor that while most have enjoyed the book very much, others have not even finished it.

In the Times’s review of the film, A.O. Scott referred to the novel as a “best-selling primer on how not to write an English sentence.” Scott also quoted a sentence from the book — “Almost inconceivably, the gun into which she was now staring was clutched in the pale hand of an enormous albino with long white hair” — and this example was not presented as a compliment.

I would agree that the above is an unfortunate sentence. But to the millions of Da Vinci Code readers and moviegoers, does it matter? As a writer (who is also married to a writer, hangs out with lots of writers, and teaches writing), I find that language and style is as important as a good story — but that’s just me, and perhaps writers in general. When most readers talk about books, it’s usually about the stories they tell, not the style in which they’re written.

As writers, we want to tell a great story and tell it beautifully. But what do readers want? (And, most important to writers, what do editors want?) During my presentation at the Guild, I made a point of saying that if a great story has a few typos in the manuscript, a missing word or two, or even a few really bad sentences, editors will overlook these things. And that’s true. But perhaps editors are overlooking even more than that when they see a bestseller in the making.

In an ideal world, a good book is good all around, and as writers we should hold ourselves to these strict standards — even if we can’t fully achieve them, we should strive for them. But despite the myriad views of Brown’s prose, as well as the controversy over the book’s subject matter, he has certainly achieved what most writers dream of: Millions of people are reading and talking about his work.

It’s been fun to see the celebration and attention surrounding the publication of Palomar College’s student literary magazine, Bravura. While the journal has been around for more than forty years, the release of this year’s edition was accompanied by events and awards, marking a growing enthusisam for literary arts here in North County. The new issue features stories, poems, and artwork — visit the web site to have a look.

And for all you writers out there, while Bravura accepts submissions only from Palomar College students, a couple of local literary publications are well worth checking out if you’re ready to submit. Perigee is a lovely, three-year-old online journal that is so well presented it almost feels like a print magazine. (Keep your computer speakers on; as you move from web page to web page, you’ll hear the sounds of pages turning.) For fiction writers: Perigee’s fiction contest is currently open — you can submit up until May 31.

Another local literary magazine, red., was founded three years ago by San Diego State University MA and MFA students. While this print magazine began as a regional publication, its reach is now unlimited, and it accepts submissions only from writers who have not been widely published. The magazine recently closed its reading period but plans to be open for submissions later this year, so keep an eye on the web site.

And City Works Press also publishes an annual journal, City Works, featuring the work of San Diego City College students as well as local and national writers. This publication has been around since 1994 and dedicates half its space to student writers and artists. But it welcomes submissions from everyone, and the reading period opens every year in the fall. The journal also gives awards and hosts an annual reading.

Though San Diego has never been known as a literary hub, there’s more going on than people think. For a small, sun-drenched city (sun-drenched places usually not being conducive to writing), we’ve got our fair share of publishing houses, literary agents, magazines, and MFA programs — and certainly plenty of writers. And these foggy days of May provide a great opportunity to get some reading and writing done — enjoy them while they last!