Last summer, after surviving a mental health crisis and quitting a 20-year marketing career, I decided that the most reasonable course of action would be to write a novel. I’d never written one before (though I had made a couple minor attempts), and it had always been a goal. Since I was unemployed, I set about making writing my “job”.
I worked for three months on one story before I decided I couldn’t keep going. It’s a great idea, and I may revisit it in the future, but it was too emotionally heavy for where I was at the time. I wasn’t willing to give up on the idea of writing a book, though, just that book. So I gave myself permission to open up to a story that was nothing but fun. Something light, easy and enjoyable to write (and read).
Later that week, the idea for my current work-in-progress came to me in a flash. I knew in an instant what I wanted to write, who the characters would be, and how I wanted it to end. So, in September, I began work on what will be my debut novel: a quirky story about a young woman living in Austin, Texas in 1998, who finds the meaning and connection she’s always craved, with the help of an injured space alien and a road trip to Marfa.
I spit out the first (extremely shitty) draft very quickly, then went through it a second time to sort out details and try to make sense of it all. By the beginning of this year, I was ready to begin the third version. At the same time, I started working with a handful of other writers as alpha readers. We’d meet weekly, exchange pages, offer feedback, and discuss our projects in detail as they were evolving.
As of August 1, I’m finished with v3. Hooray! I feel like I’ve accomplished something pretty cool. That said, this thing isn’t nearly finished. Right now, I’m on a five-week break because I need to clear my head and get perspective before I begin v4. I have a lot to do on this manuscript, but the good news is, I know what needs to be done. It’s just a matter of doing the work, and I’ve never been afraid of work.
The first thing I learned trying to write this novel is to put some respeck on my opinions of other writers’ work. Anyone who writes fiction, particularly long-form, is equal parts badass and lunatic. This shit is hard. Really hard. Maybe the hardest thing I’ve ever done with my brain. It’s also incredibly fulfilling. Watching this thing take shape from an initial flash of inspiration, seeing the responses from my writing partners, discovering new skills and watching myself improve with them as the months passed – it’s all so exciting.
In addition to consistent writing and journaling over the past eleven months, I’ve been reading some great books to help me learn how to be a better writer. I’ve been a blogger and a digital marketer for years, so I feel comfortable with rhetorical writing. But fiction is a whole different ballgame. Writing Down the Bones by Natalie Goldberg, On Revision by William Germano, and On Writing by Stephen King have all been useful and inspiring. I feel confident that I’m growing as a writer, and that is perhaps the most exciting part of all.
The plan is to have this next revision in the hands of beta readers by the end of this year. I’m taking a month off this fall because I’ll be traveling internationally, so this end-of-year goal pushes me without being too ambitious. I’m moving into a different mode of revision with v4. The story is done, and it’s time for crafting. The structure will change, employing more, shorter chapters. I’m adding more internal dialogue for the main character, refining the voice of another important character, adding important details to draw the reader in, and smoothing out the story so that it flows more easily.
A friend of mine, author Roanna Flowers, says that for her ‘finishing is the most important thing’. Not worrying about getting published, promotion, or any of that other stuff. Finishing it, and making it the best it can possibly be is her aim, and I tend to agree. Whatever becomes of this manuscript, how ever I’m able to get it out into the world, it’ll be the best thing I can produce right now. That’s my pledge to myself, and to you.
I always wanted to write… I’m a great writer of stuff….Ive taken creative writing workshops, proprioceptive writing workshops – but nothing has clicked.. I realized I wanted to write a memoir, to make my life make sense to me… ,
Alas, I’ve waited too long… my brain is foggy, my ability to find the words I used to use is difficult.
The fact that you stopped your life as it was, and made room for a new one, that has been so rewarding is amazing to me.. that you DARED to open up that part of you that you were working hard to keep closed … is so admirable… I’m envious of your constant ability to be witty (I am too!)
Keep going Q, don’t give up no matter what.. you’ll be so amazing., I can’t wait to read you. ❤️