Years ago, a fellow writer had a post blow up all across the internet. It led to a book deal with a reputable publisher. The book took him a few years to write, but, eventually, it was published. When I saw the result, I scratched my head: “This does not seem like a book strongly rooted in that article.”
In a behind-the-scenes article, the writer explained a bit of the process of working with a publisher. He said the book had undergone many shifts and changes. The title, the theme, the pitch, and so on. In the end, they landed on something the publisher believed was more marketable but that didn’t quite resemble the spirit of the original piece that inspired it.
I remember looking at the book, going “Oh…,” and feeling sad. It was decent, but it could have been so much more—if only his vision had stayed uncompromised.
Life consists entirely of tradeoffs, yet some things are uncompromisable. If you give so much as an inch, they’ll fall apart entirely. They are far and few between, but it’s important to recognize them when you meet them.
Most of life can be negotiated. Must be. But your artistic vision, your way of parenting, what it means to you to be a friend—it’s okay to set some ideals in stone. Don’t compromise the uncompromisable.
