Rats Driving Cars!

The news this week that scientists have observed pigs using tools - finding pieces of wood to dig with - comes as no surprise. The list of animals that use tools, which is considered a sign of high intelligence, is large.

But the news that scientists have taught rats to drive little cars is a real surprise. First of all, most of us probably have a hard time thinking of rats as smart like pigs or dogs or dolphins or all the primates. Second, it sort of elevates rats in our minds. We (I) simply don't think of rats the way we (I) think of dogs. (Maybe I don't want to.)

Here's what happened. Scientists at the University of Richmond developed little vehicles in which a rat could fit. They figured out a steering mechanism. Then they taught the rats to drive using Fruit Loops as a reward. The rats quickly figured it out.

When the researchers placed Fruit Loops in different places around the lab, the rats got very good at driving their cars to each different Fruit Loop, where they could stick their heads out the little car window and grab their treat.

The study didn't just end there. The scientists wondered if this new, complicated skill would stress the rats out. So they rigged them with sensors to study rat stress (mini EEGs). The results were the opposite of what they expected. As the rats zoomed around in their cars, looking for Fruit Loop treats, they actually got calmer.

Hey, it's relaxing to go out for a ride, right? 

If this experiment had been about teaching chimps or gorillas to drive, we'd be so pleased to watch the results.

But these are rats!

Wow. 

Rethinking How New Writers Should Think About A Writing Career

Last week, I was interviewed by a college student who wanted to know what a writing career entails. She wasn't asking about how to write. She was asking advice on how to have a career as a writer.

I've written many times about the importance of writing multiple books if you want a career as a novelist. For some reason, this recent interview put things in a clearer perspective for me.

Writing seems to be unique among creative endeavors in that people think they might like to write a book and then, before they've even started it, imagine that the book might get published, and they might find an audience, and then it might sell enough to bring in good money.

Just One Book??

Way back in the past, when people have asked me about the process, I didn't make a big deal out of the multiple books aspect. I thought it was best for people to run with their enthusiasm and not face any more hurdles than necessary. (Like the realization that one book won't do it.)

Not so far back in the past, I've been more forthright about the need for lots of books. But I haven't pushed it very hard. I was still trying to walk carefully so that I didn't dampen the writer's enthusiasm.

Over the years, I've now watched many writers produce one book, and sometimes two or three books, and then feel dejected and, sometimes, profoundly disappointed when the audience didn't materialize.

Am I doing someone a service by playing to the idea that a writer should dive into writing a book without considering up front that it is just the first brick in the building? After all, most writers need a lot of encouragement to follow through on such a long, complex project as writing a novel.

Or am I doing writers a disservice if I don't explain right up front that, statistically, a single book has just about zero percent chance of finding success. (Yes, some do, although many of those "one-book-success" stories aren't true and are merely spin put out by publishers who've dreamed up a new pseudonym for an experienced author.)

It's a tough choice. If I describe only the joys of writing, that helps a new writer be excited. But they may get through the work of writing a novel only to be devastated when they find out that one novel won't likely go anywhere. (Certainly my first didn't.)

If instead I'm realistic about the task ahead and think that new writers are best prepared for the journey by knowing that they will need many books, I will serve them well. But I risk discouraging a new writer who is excited about their first book idea.

I've often used the metaphor of the restaurant menu. If you want to find success in the restaurant business, you need a full menu. It's the same in any field.

No architect wannabe would ever dream that they could find success by sitting down at the kitchen table night after night and designing one significant building.
No doctor wannabe would ever think they could find success by watching Youtube videos of a complex surgery and then attempting to perform it. .
No athlete would ever think they could find success by entering one very difficult marathon.
No oil painter would ever think that they could find success by exhibiting just one show of paintings.
No astronaut would ever... You get the picture.

Yet, when you think about those examples, you realize that every architect/doctor/athlete always assumes from the beginning that they face a very long and tough slog to find success.

So why is it that writing is one of the only things where a majority of people who consider the idea of writing a book imagine that success could possibly come from that single book?

I've decided to change my approach. When I look at the pros and cons of advice about writing, I think I will be more direct about the need to write many books before one can hope for success. I'll model it on all the other professions. I'll phrase it in these terms: Writing novels must be done in significant numbers in order to gain traction. If you are prepared to put in that work, you will have good odds of success, and you will enjoy the world's greatest job, with the potential for unlimited rewards, both reader excitement, and freedom of schedule, and creative satisfaction, and income.

As a writer, this picture depicts your goal. Lots of books.

Every Writer Should Plan A Whole Lotta Books

Here's a closing question for all people who want to become writers. Think of your favorite writers. How many books have each of them written? There's your mission.

Maybe The Evil Power Company Ain't So Bad Afterall

As everyone knows, PG&E has gotten excoriated for all of its major mistakes and infrastructure problems that have led to deadly fires in the past.

One of the solutions was to anticipate Red Flag fire conditions and turn off the power lines that often spark the fires.

This last week, they did just that and, predictably, their turn-off procedure left something to be desired. In many cases they turned off the power nearly 24 hours before there was any wind. People were furious.

Turning this stuff on and off doesn't look very simple.

I'm no apologist for the power company. But I wondered if turning off power was not very easy to coordinate. For example, in our house, if you are worried about a fire in the back bedroom and you turn off the breaker that supplies the electricity to that bedroom, you end up also turning off power to the bathroom, where there may have been no fire concern.

In addition, the people working the switches to turn off power to ABCville probably aren't in ABCville and have never even been there. Hard for them to know the nuances of ABCville powerline risks etc.

Now that the Red Flag warning has passed, it seems that NorCal had no major powerline-caused blowups. Maybe no deaths from fire at all.

So while we're piling on our complaints about how PG&E handled the power shutdown, let's try to remember that.

Maybe, just maybe, PG&E succeeded at doing what everyone wanted them to do. Which is to minimize the fire risk to Northern California.

Writers and Persistence

Do you want to write novels? Perhaps no aspect of writing is more important than persistence.

Have you ever run a marathon? Talk about needing persistence.

There are lots of quotes about persistence, and most of them ring true. The most famous may be the one by Calvin Coolidge, who was our 30th president. 

Coolidge said, 

“Nothing in this world can take the place of persistence. Talent will not; nothing is more common than unsuccessful men with talent. Genius will not; unrewarded genius is almost a proverb. Education will not; the world is full of educated derelicts. Persistence and determination alone are omnipotent.” (Read: Persistence is the single most important thing to getting your book done.) 

A shorter quote about persistence comes from Woody Allen.

"Eighty percent of success is just showing up." (Read: Just keep showing up at your writing desk - whatever that is - until you finish the book and, then, keep editing and rewriting until you make the book good.)

Shorter still is the famous Nike ad line "Just Do It." (Read: Just do it.)

For writers, the message is clear. 

Is there a single rigorous approach that gets the book done? No. For example, many times people assume that there are certain techniques that are critical to writing. Perhaps the most common is that you supposedly have to write a certain amount every day. While that may be smart, it isn't necessary. Although I work full time as a writer, I don't write every day. There are too many other writing-business chores to allow me the luxury of writing every day. A daily writing goal is great but hard to achieve. I still have a writing goal. It is annual rather than daily. I have to finish the book by a certain day each year. Then I have to do it again next year. Then again and again. Just do it.

Over time, my bookshelf grows.

Is there a good time to start this slow but steady creation? Yes.

RIGHT NOW. Just do it.

P.S. 

Many writers do two or more books a year. I'm more like the slow tortoise. I've only been doing one book a year. If you only average one page a day (or 7 pages a week), you can still write a book in a year. You could, for example, plan to get an entire month's worth of writing (30 pages) done in two intense days of creation. Having said that, I don't recommend that approach, as it moves perilously far afield from what works best for writers. Even slow writers know that writing every day is ideal.

So all of us who haven't gotten our book done need to remember Coolidge/Allen/Nike. Stop hesitating. Stop waiting for inspiration. Stop looking for the perfect moment/place/time to be a writer.

Just do it.

P.P.S. While I make no promises, I am writing more than one book a year, slowly building a second series. Check back in two or three years to see if it produces much of a result.