Pascal's Writer
April 19, 2019

The 17th-century Philosopher Blaise Pascal had a section in his Pensees in which
he laid out his famous wager.[1] He argued that it was better to act 
morally, because the answer to the question "Does God exist?" is not knowable 
through reason and because the potential gains/losses (eternal 
salvation/damnation) were far bigger than the cost (forgoing some pleasures) if 
one was wrong.

So what does this have to do with being a writer? Well, it struck me the other
day that many writers have made a sort of Pascal's Wager: the tradition of
"paying it forward" to other writers.

Writers at all stages of their careers often help out newer and less experienced
writers by giving them information, warnings, and advice. They give
introductions and try to connect writers to editors/publishers who they think
might have something in common. They blurb each other's books, even when the
beauty of the writing in that book makes them jealous. (Though to be honest,
that's exactly the book you want to blurb--the one so good you wish you yourself
wrote it.) They attend each other's panels at conferences to show their support
and email each other congratulations when a new story or book gets published.

Doing all this implies a belief that helping another writer doesn't necessarily
hurt one's own career. It implies a world view in which writing is not a
zero-sum game, and one in which improving the lot of one writer improves the lot
of all writers. That's not to say that the writing world is perfect--we have our
furious (and sometimes pointless) feuds and hates and petty jealousies, just
like any other group of people. But overall, the writing community is a great
one to be a part of, simply because of all the good things that go on within it.

"Great," you say. "So what does this mean for me?" Well, if you're just starting
out in writing, it means that you can and should ask questions--lots of
them--and listen carefully to the answers you receive. There are many writers
out there who want to help and they won't steer you wrong on purpose. If they
say there's no secret handshake and that getting published is a matter of hard
work and perseverance and luck and timing, they mean it. If they tell you that
you should be professional in all your interactions with editors and other
authors, they mean it. And if they tell you that the only way to get good at
writing is to write a lot, they mean that, too.

For those further along in their careers, it means going to conventions whenever
and wherever you can and talking with other writers who may come to you with
questions. It means giving them the best advice as you see it, and maybe even
setting aside the pride generated by being asked enough to say "I actually don't
know a lot about this. You should talk to X," then doing everything to introduce
the two.

So, fellow writer, pay it forward as much as you can. The costs are little but
the rewards great.

[1] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pascal%27s_wager

(c) 2019 by Andrew Gudgel 
email: contact [at] andrewgudgel.com