So, how is everyone feeling today? We all know Monday is the pits. At least this one was. Cold and rainy. I'm dragging my tail from staying up too late all last week writing and blogging.
This is the Writer's Hole, so it's important to know that you can complain if you want. Go ahead. Get it all out.
I was feeling a little better about my manuscript, ready to stop re-re-re-re-revising my first chapter and move onward, until I got a new writing book in the mail. It's called Flogging the Quill: Crafting a Novel that Sells by Ray Rhamey, who has a fantastic blog by the same name. I came home, opened the box from Amazon before I'd even taken my coat off, made a cup of tea and read the first 38 pages right there at the dining room table.
Rhamey's book is excellent. He has a totally readable and yet razor-sharp analysis of how to craft compelling fiction. It's unlike any other book on writing fiction that I've seen. As I read, I realized that I have a lot farther to go than I thought (well, to be more accurate, than I hoped) before my manuscript is ready to send out. And that I have to revise the first chapter again, especially the first page. It's still not compelling enough to make a reader - let alone an agent - want to know more about my story. The story is there... just not right on the first page.
Two steps forward and one step back. That's the writing life. Thoughts, anyone?
FTC Disclaimer (not) - I didn't get anything from Mr. Rhamey for talking about his book on my blog. I bought it from Amazon.com.
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5 comments:
What is Monday when you've had to work 20 hours over the weekend? Does that make the weekend "hump day?"
I'm just glad that this is a short week, and I'm hoping to get some writing done. It's hard to write after a ten hour day at work.
No, Douglas, it's definitely not Monday. It is actually next Wednesday!
the one thing i hate about writing is that you write and write and write - and then discover it's not what you wanted to say, so you write it all again. pouring your heart into words that no one will ever see. sigh.
I hear you Michelle,
Also just the length of time it takes from start to finish. My WIP is nearing a year and I'm hoping to have the first draft finished this Christmas. I wanted to start sharing my story after the first month, and realistically I'm still a year from getting published - if ever.
So in June I started blogging. It has slowed the pace of my writing of the novel, but it has given me a sense of connecting with other people that I need at this point in my life.
Doug, I've been working on mine for nearly three years! *sigh*
The comfort is that each draft is a little better. I don't actually have more than one *complete* draft, however, because I keep going back to the beginning and starting over.
I must say that blogging has definitely improved the quality of my work (in terms of learning from and sharing with others), as well as keeping me motivated. Because if I didn't have all of you out there encouraging me, I would probably have given it up in frustration long ago.
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