The Knights of Motivation

-by William Walley

If you have ever tried to write a book, you understand how difficult it is to stay focused. What characters go where? Who is talking to whom? What is even the point of this book? These are all common questions that writers constantly ask themselves when writing a novel. Sometimes the answers to these questions can become so obvious to a writer that we assume the reader will fill in the same blanks we do, in the same way and in the same order. Such is not always the case…

This is why joining a writer’s group can really help writers maintain a clear picture, but joining one isn’t so easy. The first time I had my writing reviewed actually scarred me for a long time. I was in the 5th grade when I decided to write my first novel. It was about a group of friends that crashed on an island covered in jungle, inhabited by voracious wildlife, and littered with secretive natives. While trying to survive, the friends find an amulet that gives them the power to turn into the wildlife of the island, but the more they use the amulet, the more violent they become. A wonderful premise for a novel, if a bit cliche.

When I finished, I was so excited. I had the innocence of youth, mixed with the excitement that comes along with finishing a difficult task. I took that feeling of euphoria and presented my creation to everybody that would take the time to read it. My family was the nicest about it. “It is only four pages,” was the rudest feedback they gave me and my brother told me he couldn’t tell which characters were talking to each other.

My classmates; however, were not so nice. They proceeded to call me, “Unwritten” after the popular Natasha Bedingfield song. Unlike that song, it was not an uplifting metaphor, but a cruel nickname. The students pointed out that I tried to write fight scenes like I was reciting Mortal Kombat finishers. Left punch, right punch, up, down, FINISH HIM! They ruthlessly teased me for the ending of the book as well, “They all lived happily ever after.” That feeling of euphoria being turned into dread is something that you never forget.

In middle school, I entered a writing contest and was told that my piece lacked structural components. They never mentioned what those components were. In high school, I had a teacher that I looked up to read some of my writing. The first time sharing my writing since the fifth grade. He told me, in not so few words, that I should stop writing.

Through the years, I continued to write, but I stopped letting people view my works. I entered writing contests at my university. I won some, lost some, but none of them provided feedback on what my work was missing or how it could improve, and honestly, I preferred it that way.

Eventually, my life led me to work in Korea as an English teacher. It was there I met Jamal and, through him, Ben. This turned into one of the greatest experiences of my life. Living and working in a foreign country makes it a little easier to make friends. You have a sense of duty to help somebody who is just as lost as you were when you arrived. And let me tell you, walking the streets of Daejeon, South Korea, I was lost. A small-town Mississippi boy who had no idea of what to do in a metropolis of over 1.5 million people, I needed something that reminded me of home, a place of solitude and creativity.

I was very lucky to find one not even a block away from where I lived. It was tucked into a small place on the second floor. The white fold out tables and card packs that filled the room was a much-needed familiar sight, but a more welcoming sight was another foreigner sitting at the table; Jamal. We chatted about Magic The Gathering (which was why we were at the shop), food, and our hobbies, which lead to the conversation about writing. He told me that he enjoyed writing as well, and that if I wanted to, I could join this writer’s group that was led by Ben.

I didn’t go into details of my past, but I told him that I didn’t want others to read my work. The more we talked, the more comfortable I felt around him, until eventually I agreed to sit in on a session. Waking up early on a Sunday, I stumbled to the meeting point. A nice little cafe who’s name I have now forgotten. A group of five members sat around the table, like the Knights of the Round Table on a quest to rid the world of terrible stories and poor grammar. Instead of swords and magic, they wielded laptops and coffee. Or at least, that is what it felt like to me.

Everybody introduced themselves and exchanged common pleasantries. Then the meeting started. Ben introduced his work on the Enclave Series (neo-Western thrillers), and Jamal introduced one of his short stories. My first thought while I was reading them was “Wow, these people are way above my skill level.” That feeling of intimidation quickly turned to admiration when I saw how they talked to each other and presented their feedback.

The structure of the group was important. You submitted your work in a group chat, before the meeting. The other members read the work, and then gave notes for you to look over. During the meeting, each person provided you with feedback on your story to explain their notes to you. If you submitted a story, you were expected to provide feedback.

The feedback provided was always given in a nonjudgmental way. The people in the group wanted you to succeed. Everybody in the group contributed something that would help your writing grow. It could be extra reading for you to gain more knowledge on the subject (this is Ben’s favorite), or maybe an extra adjective to bring your writing to life. But there was not a single judgment on the overall quality of your writing. It was the true meaning of constructive criticism. You gave positive ideas to add to their writing, rather than negative feedback that diminished it.

Even with such a positive community, it took me a few more times before I finally decided to submit. My first submission was a short story about an old man during his final moments. Each point of his life was filled with vibrant colors. The writing required heavy use of adjectives and vivid details to bring out the colors. I knew I didn’t handle it well, and I was positive it was going to be the worst thing at the meeting, but I also knew they wouldn’t care. And they didn’t.

Ben and Jamal coached me through how to make the piece stronger. I edited it, and submitted the edits at the next meeting, where they continued to coach me through how to improve the piece. Years later and I still join the meetings. Some of the members have changed, but Ben and Jamal are always there. They are always providing the same, constructive feedback (and extra reading). You would think that it gets old, but it doesn’t. They gave me the courage to present my writing to people and finally start writing novels that I have put off for years.

As we speak, I have multiple children’s books that have been submitted to publishers for viewing. Ben and Jamal actively look over my novels that are in the works. Without them, my writings would still be in a Google Docs drive on my computer, viewed by only me.