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Long ago, when I was a journalist with Foinse I learned a good lesson -.
Fadó fadó, nuair a bhí mé i m’iriseoir le Foinse d’fhoghlaim mé ceacht maith –.
READING AND WRITING: A column about literature and creative writing.
LÉAMH AGUS SCRÍOBH: Colún faoin litríocht agus faoin scríbhneoireacht chruthaitheach.
This week writers would also like to assume that the publishing industry is moving at a glacier pace (before climate change) Writers are almost always in a hurry of trying to reach a deadline.
An tseachtain seo bheadh sé chomh maith ag scríbhneoirí glacadh leis go ngluaiseann tionscal na foilsitheoireachta ar luas oighearshrutha (roimh an athrú aeráide) Bíonn deifir ar scríbhneoirí nach mór i gcónaí agus iad de shíor ag iarraidh spriocdháta éigin a bhaint amach.
However, patience is one of the most basic skills that one has to develop if one wants to survive on the pen.
Mar sin féin, tá an fhoighid ar cheann de na scileanna is bunúsaí a bhíonn ar dhuine a fhorbairt má theastaíonn uaidh maireachtáil ar an bpeann.
Why?
Cén fáth?
When the deadline is reached, the wait begins.
Nuair a bhíonn an spriocdháta bainte amach, tosaíonn an fanacht.
Long ago, when I was a full-time journalist with the newspaper Foinse, all the staff had to work late on Thursday nights.
Fadó fadó, nuair a bhí mé i m’iriseoir lánaimseartha leis an nuachtán Foinse, bhíodh ar an bhfoireann ar fad obair go mall oíche Déardaoin.
There was a particular rush in the office on those nights: we all strive to get the newspaper ready in time for it to be sent to the printers.
Bhíodh bús ar leith san oifig na hoícheanta sin: muid ar fad ar ár míle dícheall an nuachtán a fháil réidh in am le go bhféadfaí é a sheoladh chuig na clódóirí.
The Friday I killed.
An Aoine a mharaíodh mé.
Foinse was not in the shops until Saturday and I could hardly wait to read the paper I had written that week.
Ní bhíodh Foinse sna siopaí go dtí an Satharn agus is ar éigean a d’fhéadainn fanacht go dtí go léifeadh lucht léitheoireachta an pháipéir a raibh scríofa agam an tseachtain sin.
But if diligent young journalists need patience, fiction and non-fiction writers, poets, and anyone else who wants to publish a book need two, three, or a hundred times more research.
Ach má bhíonn foighid ag teastáil ó iriseoirí óga díograiseacha, bíonn a dhá, a thrí, nó a chéad oiread foighde ag teastáil ó scríbhneoirí ficsin agus neamhfhicsin, ó fhilí, agus ó éinne eile a bheadh ag iarraidh leabhar a fhoilsiú.
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: the publishing industry moves at a glacial pace (before climate change.) It is often a year or more between the day a writer finishes the last draft and the day that the final that work in the shops.
Tá sé ráite agam roimhe seo agus déarfaidh mé arís é: gluaiseann tionscal na foilsitheoireachta ar luas oighearshrutha (roimh an athrú aeráide.) Is minic a théann bliain nó os a cionn thart idir an lá a gcríochnaíonn scríbhneoir an dréacht deireanach agus an lá go mbíonn an saothar sin sna siopaí.
It’s been five months now since I sent the last draft of a novel to my literary agent in the Netherlands.
Tá sé ag tarraingt ar chúig mhí anois ó chuir mé an dréacht deireanach d’úrscéal chuig mo ghníomhaire liteartha san Ísiltír.
I received a brief note from her a week or two after I sent her the draft saying that she had received the draft and that I would hear it when she had read it, but I am still waiting for it.
Fuair mé nóta gairid uaithi seachtain nó dhó tar éis dom an dréacht a chur chuici ina ndúirt sí go raibh an dréacht faighte aici agus go gcloisfinn uaithi nuair a bheadh sé léite aici, ach tá mé fós ag fanacht ar scéala.
However, I realize that I’d prefer not to email her a complaint about the delay – for another couple of months anyway.
Mar sin féin, is maith a thuigim gurbh fhearr dom gan ríomhphost a chur chuici ag clamhsán faoin moill – go ceann cúpla mí eile pé scéal é.
I would only throw myself in the leg if I could find her.
Ní dhéanfainn ach mé féin a chaitheamh sa chos dá gcuirfinn cantal uirthi.
Like everyone working in the book industry, literary agents are constantly under pressure.
Ach oiread le chuile dhuine atá ag obair i dtionscal na leabhar bíonn gníomhairí liteartha i gcónaí faoi bhrú.
I bet it’s not just my draft story that is lying on her desk and of course there are books for correction and sale and contracts to explore and extend.
Cuirim geall nach é dréacht m’úrscéilse amháin atá ina luí ar a deasc agus ar ndóigh bíonn leabhair le ceartú agus le díol agus conarthaí le cíoradh agus le síneadh.
And in the meantime a naughty virus may ruin their lives.
Agus tharlódh gur chuir víreas dána an saol as a riocht idir an dá linn.
Patience, therefore, and focus on the next proposal to take my long-awaited attention.
Foighid, mar sin, agus díriú ar an gcéad togra eile d’fhonn m’aird a bhaint den fhanacht fada.
With the help of
Le cabhair ó