A foggy evening 01 (Photo credit: AnneCN)
This was meant to be my first attempt at an Insecure blog having failed to do one on the first Wednesday in October or November – sorry IWSG.
Damn those curve balls, whether they be my health (MS), stress, or moving plans. They keep on coming, so I keep trying to knock them away. This is another attempt, although I should be doing my tax return.
Starting on a positive note, I managed to write 50,000 words for NaNoWriMo in November, and a week later I had typed the last word ~ ‘forever’. This was only a 60k rough first draft of ‘Tortuous Terrain’, but at least it’s something to work on. With a lot of revision, editing, and critique, I should be able to produce a fitting sequel to ‘Spiral of Hooves’, my first published novel, coming shortly from Spectacle Publishing Media Group.
However, my 2013 NaNo effort will have to join the queue behind four other novels needing revision, although it might jump the queue a bit if the demand is there, and if other efforts are deemed unworthy of revision. And that is where I am in a quandary, and where I am Insecure. Where do I go from here? What do I tackle next? How can I improve my editing process, which with ‘Spiral of Hooves’ took at least a decade?
I look at the speed of others when it comes to producing finished books, and I marvel… and I shudder. Most of my Facebook writing friends are completing a book a year, sometimes as many as five. Some are even producing short stories as well. Although my health is a drawback, I am retired with more time, supposedly, than many of my colleagues.
What do I give up doing? Linking with the digital world, by checking emails and social media? Learning my craft, by reading other blogs? My only escape, gaming?
Or do I set tighter deadlines? Or do I chill out and tell myself that at sixty I still have time? Or maybe I must accept that in the next life I will start trying to be a writer earlier.
It’s not straightforward when I find it easier plotting a new novel, even writing that first draft, than editing. I even have a sequel to the sequel churning around in my head… ever since I read a blog about writing a series, which suggested that one write the first and have the synopsis of Book 2 and of 3 in the wings. Great when I have two series in the pipeline ~ the Chasseur series (Spiral of Hooves++) and the Gossamer Steel series (Wyrm Bait++).
The solution is out there somewhere, but for now I will stop being a lone wolf howling at the moon, and stop baring my soul here so I can go edit ‘Wyrm Bait’, the next novel crying out for an audience. It’s already had at least two drafts, several critiques, and a professional edit.
Time to get the red pens out.
Is that the best solution? Or have I dismissed a better one above?
November (Photo credit: Cape Cod Cyclist)
Related articles
- IWSG – NaNoWriMo Junk or Diamond In The Rough? (awriterinspired.wordpress.com)
- #IWSG: 20,000 Wrong Words (writingreadingandlife.com)
- IWSG Day in December (readfaced.wordpress.com)
- Winning NaNoWriMo (traceybaptiste.wordpress.com)
Writing Wings 
I’m in awe of those who write more than three books a year! Of course we all have our own process and do what we can when we can, but still. I have no advice on you tackling all of those revisions, but best of luck! I know, I’m no help but I can cheer: Yay for finishing NaNo! And: You can do it! 😀
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Cheering is good for my soul and my editing. Thanks SK 🙂
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Congrats on winning NaNo! That is a HUGE accomplishment when life’s thrown all the curves! I write fast, but the editing lags a LOT… I actually have 13 in my queue of ‘not yet ready’–(2 published, one coming in March and one coming out now serially)… but i REALLY need to focus and get some editing done.
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Thanks for the congrats. Seems like you have the publication aspect sorted, which means the editing was getting done. Good luck with the next lot.
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Congrats on succeeding at NaNo! I stopped at approx 24k.
Suzanne @ Suzannes Tribe
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Thanks for the Congrats. 24k is still a massive total, especially in the midst of everything else. Think only way to succeed is to plan out the writing and find a way to eliminate the distractions. Only works for a short time though.
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Those who can churn books out at the rate you mentioned make me marvel too. Like you, I’m slow because there are so many ideas and projects going at once. I don’t think this is a bad thing, but I think we need to learn more discipline. That’s what I’m trying at the moment. With Nano I focused on one project and I’m close to reaching the end of the draft. Now that Nov is over I want to pick up the second top story idea, but every day I tell myself no. I MUST reach the end before I can move back to the next story.
It’s hard.
Good luck with your efforts!
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Think you are wise to reach the end before moving on charitybradford. That’s where having a notebook for other ideas helps ~ scribble them down, then focus on the main project. Focus and move at our own pace.
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Congrats on winning NaNo.
As to your writing life, there will always be someone faster or slower than you and the only pace you can go at is yours. Hope you reach a decision soon.
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Thanks J.L ~ have decided to revise my cyber-mystery ‘Wyrm Bait’ next. Although have to deal with release of first book on Monday. Pace is being decided for me in this instance.
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You know, I’m right there with you. Watching the books my fellow authors produce sort of boggles the mind. I do know most of them are good writers, but the others… I think they rush it for the cash. Is that bad to say? Well, too late now. As for me, I’m wondering the same. I have several ideas I want to work on. Things waiting in the wings while I adamantly pursue finishing book two of my series. I keep telling myself I’ll get those done when book two is done, but I think I’ve hi-jacked myself and now I’m stuck in a writer’s funk. Meh. And I won’t cut back on gaming. Sorry! lol!
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We have to work at our pace Mel, and juggle the priorities. And if gaming helps, maybe as a reward, or even inspiration, is it bad. And I feel that it’s best to get what is started, like your Book Two, finished before the other ideas distract us. If I get random ideas, then they go into my notebook.
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Congrats on NaNo. Never compare yourself to others. We each write at our own pace.
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Thanks for the encouragement Diane. It’s tempting to make the comparison as that seems to be the way some people want us to think. But as you rightly say, it’s a non starter.
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