A Note: Though this post is scheduled to go live on May 6th I’m actually writing it in the end of April. I’d share it today but I’m in the midst of the Blogging from A to Z Challenge and I don’t want to interrupt that. I’d share it earlier in the month but I have the post for The Hedge Witch launch party and a sales announcement both scheduled… so May 6th it is LOL
I’m struggling with my novel (currently entitled Hollow). I began this book in November as a NaNoWriMo novel, then my productivity quickly fell off as soon as November was over. I really had a tough time getting myself to work on it, and even once I finished the first draft I kept thinking of things to add or change before I began revising it with sincerity. I’ve had a good long look at myself, and the book, and why it’s not getting finished and I’m pretty sure that the truth is… I’m afraid to finish it.
Because it’s good. It’s the best thing I’ve written. And while it’s unfinished it is still full of limitless potential but as soon as I finish it that all ends. It will be written, done, and flawed (because let’s face it, no novel is perfect… except perhaps The Last Unicorn
But I need to get over that. I know in reality the book will be imperfect, but I believe it will also be awesome, and the only way to find out if I’m right is to suck it up and get it done.
So that’s what I’m doing this month.
For May my goal is to keep my butt in the chair and revise this novel. I can’t put everything else on the back burner (we have a cover reveal for A is for Apocalypse next week, for example) but everything that can be put on hold has been. By June 1st, when we release the next issue of Niteblade, I want to have a revised version of Hollow in the hands of my beta readers. I expect that will mean I’ll be spending less time on social media or watching television in the evenings, but that’s a trade I’m willing to make.
Wish me luck. And come June if I don’t blog to announce the book is being read by beta readers, please feel free to pelt me with virtual tomatoes and hold my feet to the fire. And don’t accept any lame-ass excuses from me either 😉
You can do it! I have faith in you. It is quite the accomplishment to be able to write novels. My attention span for my own writing never runs past poetry or short stories I just can’t keep with it long enough. Good luck and keep plugging away! 🙂
So far I’ve never really written a novel. I’ve done novella/novelettes but novels evade me. Hopefully that will change with this one LOL *fingers crossed*
Know exactly how you feel. Doing the same thing myself, but with a lot less creds under my belt. Excited and scared and struggling on the last leg of a journey that’s the best I’ve done so far.
I’m betting next year, you’ll be blogging about a ‘Hollow’ launch.
JUST
DO
IT. 🙂
I don’t have any novel-writing cred under my belt (yet) lol but thank you, I really appreciate your confidence in me. I hope you kick your novel’s ass too! 🙂
The bad news: fears like this are natural and they suck. The good news: you can do this, scary as it is. Word by word, keep the momentum.
It’s going very slowly, but it’s going.
It’s funny to me that most people I know revise their first drafts with the intention of trimming the word count… I fully expect to increase my word count by the time I’m done. And I think this is a good thing LoL
There’s nothing better than when things are flowing. However, I think the best work doesn’t quite come that easily. It’s a sign you’re pushing yourself and the result is almost always phenomenal!
Stephanie
http://stephie5741.blogspot.com
Dude, I totally hope you’re right because at the moment this is like pulling teeth with pliers.
You know, I typically rewrite half or more of my book in the second and third draft. Some of the best advice I’ve heard is, “Give you permission to write crap.” As in, your first draft is supposed to awful and subsequent drafts are meant to make it better.
My first draft is definitely full of crap LOL So I’ve got that part down 🙂