How’s the Book?

How’s the book? That simple question draws out a full range of emotion. Yes, I started writing a novel in November 2015. I have wanted to write a novel all my life, so it was only natural that I’d make that one of my activities during my career break/freelance period. I participated in the NaNoWriMo novel writing competition in November which just requires writing 50,000 words in a month in order to win. Quality is not a concern for those 50,000 words, just quantity. I finished a week early with just over 50,000 words, and I have continued to work on that novel off and on ever since then. The problem is that I told several people what I was doing back when I started, and ever since then people ask me, “How’s the book?” I smile and say that it’s x-number of words, and of course they ask if I have worked on it lately. The truth is that I wrote 3,000 words last month, and I wrote over 2,000 words just the other day. Yes, I have the opportunity to be more disciplined, and I’m not. Now that I have started writing a novel, I want my loved ones to understand some things.

This is a testing ground

For me, working on a novel allows me to test my abilities as a writer. The novel might not ever see the light of day, and that is okay. I have never attempted writing a novel previously. I’m allowing myself to dabble and think and feel my way through this. Along the way I worked on a non-fiction piece which is now just over 30,000 words, and I contributed to this blog. I also wrote several short pieces as a way to sort through emotional topics. It’s a time for testing the waters and figuring out if novel writing is something within my realm of abilities and interest.

My first draft is near completion

I expect I’ll need 15,000 to 20,000 words to finish my first draft. I’m not stopping to edit anything, so when I do write I’m only moving forward. About three months ago I decided to make a major story shift which will require a virtual tear-down of everything I have written so far. I’m okay with that because the second draft will emerge with a better story. My goal at this point requires me to push through these last 15,000 to 20,000 words so that I can get to the rewriting phase. In the end my second draft will resemble a lot of people’s first drafts, but I’m okay with that. After the second draft I plan to write a third draft that I might consider somewhat readable, but I know that additional drafts will be needed to hone the storyline, remove unnecessary characters, tighten up narrative structure, etc. This could take years, and that’s okay. Will I abandon the story somewhere along the line? I don’t know, and that’s okay too. The effort itself garners a sense of personal accomplishment.

I’m not self-publishing

I appreciate well-crafted and well-edited fiction. Books with too much fluff and useless storylines bore me, and I refuse to do that to others. Some people do really well in the self-publishing world. Some authors have a knack for a well-written story without the need for the traditional publishing vetting and hierarchy. I admire those authors, but I’m not one of them. With my own writing I either view it too negatively or too optimistically. I want someone to tell me that I suck if I truly do. I want real, constructive criticism. I also don’t want to spend money to self-publish and market my book. I’d much rather have a publishing house take on that burden. I want a publishing house to think I’m worth the risk. Plus if what I write is honestly good, I want the book to be visible enough for book awards, and traditional publishers can help with that. Due to my desire to go with traditional publishing, which will require my finding an agent if my book is anything worthy after all the rewrites and restructuring, I fully expect to spend several more years trying to go the traditional publishing route.

Life happens

While I haven’t been working in a regular, full-time job, I’ve been doing other things. I decided to offer website consulting, and I’ve been making some income doing it. I have been volunteering at our local museum as a docent. I have been getting my paperwork in order for my DAR application. I’ve been digging into myself and considering what I want out of life and work, how I want to be treated by friends and employers, and who I am now as an adult. I’ve been grappling with the terminal illness of a close, long-time friend. Last month I started looking for a full-time job, and I applied to a few. I spend time cooking, cleaning, running errands, caring for our elderly cat, and handling little house projects here and there. I also take time to enjoy life. I don’t write everyday though I should, but I’ve had several great writing spells spanning weeks at a time, and that’s way more than I ever did prior to this break.

So how’s the book?

The answer is simple. It’s a work-in-progress just like I am. Will you get to read it? I don’t know. Will I ever finish? Again, I don’t know. Is it worth working on a novel that might never see the light of day? Absolutely!