It's All About Follow-Through

I'm coming to the end of a significant revision of my manuscript--the last one, I hope, until I have a book contract. If you're a regular reader of this blog you'll know the first draft took me close to ten years to finish (not because it's a work of epic genius but because of family commitments) and I've spent the past year going through multiple revisions. I am more than ready to move on.

I already know what my next project will be and I'm really itching to get started on the research. I have a couple of books on the subject and every now and then I look at them with longing and think,  "I could just do a little reading--what's the harm in that?"

But I know better.

The minute I start dipping into the research for the new idea I'm going to stop being interested in the project I'm currently working on. Odds are the new idea is so seductive because I'm approaching the final act of my current novel and it terrifies me. On a subconscious level, I want to be distracted. If I get distracted, I won't finish; if I don't finish, I don't have to face the possibility that no one will publish it.

This is a problem that all writers fall prey to now and then. Just when one story starts getting tough, a new and more exciting idea pops up that suddenly begs for attention. It's no coincidence. Your subconscious is protecting you from failure. It's also keeping you from success.

There comes a point when, in order to progress, a writer must stop beginning projects and start finishing them. This is the true test of a writer's mettle. This is what separates the amateurs from the pros. Anyone can start a story and call themselves a writer--but how many actually see it through to the end of the first draft? Not many. How many know when they've finished enough revisions to take the leap and send it out to an agent or publisher? Fewer still. It's much easier to let a half-finished piece sit in the drawer or start something new than to risk rejection.

When you start to have the itch to begin a new project--pay attention. Instead of giving in to the urge, use that desire to finish your current project. Make it a reward. Tell yourself you can start that next story as soon as you finish the one you're working on. Follow-through is one of the most important parts of the process.

Do you use new projects as a way to avoid finishing a piece? Do you revise a piece over and over and never send it out? What are the ways you keep yourself from taking the next step?

5 Goals and 1 Wish For 2015

I'm not a fan of New Year's Resolutions. They are usually framed as promises we make to ourselves that rely on frequency of action (I will go to yoga 3x a week) or rigid discipline (I will never eat sugar again) that are too difficult to maintain. Instead, I'm more of a fan of setting yearly goals--it keeps me  focused but allows me a little flexibility in how I achieve those goals. At the end of every year, I like to review my list to see how I did.

Here are the professional goals I reached in 2014:

1) READ MORE. I nailed this one, mostly because I was purposely vague. I'm a slow reader and it's hard for me to commit to specific numbers. Still, I upped my game on this one and it felt good.

2) GET 100 TWITTER FOLLOWERS. Again--I totally hit this one out of the park, mostly out of ignorance. I had joined Twitter and didn't realize I had to reach out to get followers. I was hopelessly stuck at 40 followers for a month or two, so 100 seemed like a reasonable stretch. Then my friend clued me in and now I'm up to 1,200 followers--still a modest number. By the way, if you'd like to follow me, I'm @stephdoyon. Thank you!

3) FINISH FIRST DRAFT OF MANUSCRIPT. I did this and it felt beyond great. No tricks here, just a lot of focus and hard work.

4) START BLOGGING AGAIN. Finishing my manuscript allowed me to return from blogging hiatus and I've really enjoyed it, though generating content isn't always easy.


Goals I didn't reach:

1) SELL MY MANUSCRIPT TO A PUBLISHER. For the past five years, every time I see my accountant for tax prep I tell him, "I didn't make any money this year, but I will next year." And every year I'm wrong. It looks like I'll have to say it again in February. I'm sure my accountant stopped believing me a long time ago, anyway. This was a painful goal not to achieve, but Mr. Agent says the manuscript isn't ready yet and he's so brilliant I tend to believe him. 


But that's all in the past...Let's look toward the big, bright future, shall we?

Here's my list of 5 professional goals for 2015:

1) READ 52 BOOKS. I'm now ready to commit to a number! Look at me, being all brave and stuff. I might have to stock up on slim novels to accomplish this goal. Among the books on my list--Middlemarch by George Eliot (never finished it in college--I read too slowly to keep up) and re-reading Kent Haruf's Plainsong trilogy. RIP, Mr. Haruf. You were inspiring.

2) POST MORE OFTEN. This one's dicey. Right now, I'm averaging 2 posts a month. I would love to post once a week, but I find it often intrudes on my limited writing time. More is all I can strive for this year, whatever that may turn out to be.

3) CONTINUE TO BUILD PLATFORM ON SOCIAL MEDIA. In addition to the blog and Twitter, I've been dabbling in Goodreads and Pinterest. I've also tried to be more active on trade-related Facebook sites. It's been fun to see how all these platforms work together. My goal is to slowly raise my profile through social media, so I'll have an audience in place when (fingers crossed) my next book is published. The trick though, is not to waste too much time on it.

4) FINISH SHORT STORY. I'm not a short story writer. I have a tendency to e-x-p-a-n-d. Still, short story writing is a great discipline. I have an old story that's been kicking around in the drawer for a while that I really want to finish. To this end, I have joined a writing group.  

5) FINISH MY MANUSCRIPT. This is my top goal of the year--whip this damn manuscript into fighting shape. I. WILL. DO. IT.  And if all goes well...

My 1 Wish:

1) SELL MY MANUSCRIPT TO A PUBLISHER. I've realized that this is more of a wish than a goal, because goals are things in your power and getting published is largely out of my control. All I can do is create my best work and the rest is out of my hands. I really hope this happens. If not, I may need to find a new accountant.

What are your writing goals and wishes for 2015?

Stories Are Fragile--Handle With Care

So, I've finally finished the first draft of my next novel. I call it a first draft because it's finally a complete piece, but the reality is that I revise many times as I go along so this is probably my tenth, twentieth, thirtieth draft--who knows? I've lost count. For publishing purposes, though, this is called the first draft. And there will be many, many more to come. 

Still, there is much reason to celebrate. After nine years of trying to write this book while raising twins, I've finally manage to finish it. As a reward I gave myself a week off from writing and turned my attention to friends and household projects I've been neglecting. Now my break is over and it's time to start writing something new while I wait to hear back from my agent. 

Waiting is so painful, but it's a fact of life in the publishing business. Publishing is one of the slowest, most archaic industries around. It takes a lot of time for an agent or an editor read a 400+ page manuscript while handling all the other urgent business that's always cropping up--phone calls, deadlines, meetings. If only agents and editors had USB ports connected to their heads, we could download our manuscripts directly to their brains and the whole process would move along a lot faster. Until that day comes, we writers will just have to learn to have a little patience. 

One of the reasons I find it so hard to wait is that basically my agent is my first reader. I've shared a few scenes here and there when I needed a little boost, but basically no one has seen it or heard much about it for nearly ten years. I feel like I've been holding a burning secret and finally, finally, I can tell someone. 

During my little celebratory vacation, I had a few lunches with fellow writing friends and the topic of sharing vs. not sharing came up. Writers, I think, are given mixed-messages regarding sharing. We often encourage writers to join writers' groups and workshops to get feedback. On the whole, it's pretty good advice. Appreciating and critiquing the work of others strengthens our own work; receiving criticism opens our minds and prepares us for working with editors and handling reviews. There is a point, however, when sharing becomes counter-productive. 

For example, one of my friends joined a writers' group and found that the group wasn't a good fit for her. The members of the group seemed to be on one wavelength and she on another. Thankfully, she had enough belief in herself and her work to recognize that it was best to leave the group instead of becoming discouraged and giving up writing altogether.

Another friend is in the early stages of a novel and has been tempted to show her pages to her spouse. Alarm bells rang in my head when I heard this for two reasons: 1) The most dangerous time to share your work is early on. You're excited about your idea and it's so tempting to tell someone, but in doing so you lose steam. Even simply talking about it relieves some of that built-up urgency that compels us to write, and  2) Sharing a story with a loved one (especially a spouse) is a recipe for hurt feelings. Think about it--who in our lives is capable of hurting us the most? The ones we love. Asking for their approval puts them in a bind. What if they don't react exactly the way you want them to? Even an enthusiastic response might have you questioning their sincerity. Spare yourself the trauma and wait until you're finished the piece and a more objective third party has given you the thumbs-up first. 

Even seasoned writers fall into the "show too soon" trap. A friend of mine who is a published author warned me against the need for early approval from one's agent and editor. He sent a few early drafts to them thinking they would share in his excitement--only to find out they weren't enthusiastic at all. How could they be, when all he showed them was a partial rough draft? Unfortunately, early sharing is often the start of a downward spiral--what you want is encouragement, but what you end up with is indifference. Or worse, disapproval. What a confidence killer. It's hard to finish a piece when you've been crushed by an unfavorable response. 

Do yourself a favor--protect your work at least until the first draft is finished. Avoid even talking about your work if you can bear it. Treat your stories like the fragile things they are. Wait until they're polished and complete and beautiful and then--and only then--show them to the world.

National Novel Writing Month

It's almost November--also known as National Novel Writing Month or, more awkwardly, as NaNoWriMo. Writers from all over the globe are challenging themselves to produce 50,000 manuscript pages by the end of the month, which roughly translates into about 175 book pages. That's a slim novel, just a hair past novella territory, but novel length nonetheless. I'm reading Neil Gaiman's The Ocean at the End of the Lane and it comes in at 178 pages. The cover says it's a novel. I'm not about to argue with Neil Gaiman.

Do I think you can write a novel in a month? No. Not really.

There are always notable exceptions, of course, but they're rare. A great novel is more than just a word count--it's well-developed characters, an absorbing story, precise language.  In my experience, plots and characters never behave as you want them to and despite your best intentions, the story will take on a life of its own. This is a good thing. This also means there will be a lot of decision-making and problem-solving along the way that can take a lot of time to sort out. If you want to create depth to your storytelling, you need time. Pacing, rhythm, good dialogue--all take time. Quality can't be rushed.

If nothing else, NaNoWriMo is a great opportunity to kick-start your novel idea or to develop the discipline of writing every day, toward a goal. A deadline can help you ignore your inner censor and keep pushing through--a problem for anyone working on a first draft. I plan on participating by keeping up with a daily 2,000-word count, even though I'm in the middle of a novel I've been working on for several years. Will it be finished by the end of November? Absolutely not.

Need some inspiration? Here are some of my favorite writing books:

How Fiction Works by James Wood

The Forest for the Trees: An Editor's Advice to Writers by Betsy Lerner

Writing the Breakout Novel by Donald Maass

The 90-Day Novel: Unlock the Story Within by Alan Watt