…my first draft, that is.
Still, compared to the first drafts I finished for my other two novels, this one feels much more complete. I still have a long way to go before you, dear reader, can pick up this book in a local bookstore, but I feel, for the first time, like I’m on the right path–not trying to guess what the right path is.
Here’s why:
- I’m not doing it alone. Working with Jennie, my book coach, helped me appreciate the value of a professional, someone who can guide you, critique you, and help you when you get stuck. It’s true there are a lot of DIY (Do-It-Yourself) writers out there who succeed and succeed admirable, but truth be told, I’ve never been a DIY-er for anything. I consider this writing process like building a house. I’d been trying to do it on my own, and it turns out I’m an excellent carpenter who can craft the nicest furniture for my house, and I’m pretty good at splashing the right colour paint on the walls. In other words, I’d learned how to complete the finishing touches very well. What I’d never been taught was how to build the foundation and structure and that, if you’re talking about houses, is a very dangerous thing. For books, obviously, there’s no critical damage, except wasted time, energy and a vicious blow to the ego when the rejections keep piling up. Still, learning how to build solidly from the ground up (and do all the invisible work, like plumbing and electricity) has been key to my increased confidence.
- Start with story.That seems obvious, doesn’t it? You have to know your characters and what happens to them, but I never appreciated the meaning of “story” before. It’s not about what happens to your characters, it’s about what life means to your characters. Story isn’t about action; it’s about reaction. And every time your characters react to situations they find themselves in, we, as the reader, learn a little about ourselves and our world. Would I do that? What is that guy thinking? How could she say that? I’d never be so stupid. Ah, that’s what I want my friends to say about me.The funny thing is, I teach that kind of stuff every day–how we can learn about our world from the characters–but I never knew how to write it. Now that I know to start with what the character wants internally–his or her greatest desire–and why he or she wants it, plus what’s stopping him or her from getting it, this whole book-writing thing is a lot easier.
So, next steps: I revise my novel based on all of Jennie’s suggestions, as well as adding in details I couldn’t possibly see when I first wrote my opening chapter.
Example: Early in the story, Lyra gets into a confrontation with the bad guys. In later chapters, I decided to write that another character actually witnessed this altercation. That has a huge impact on the motivation of both characters, but since I didn’t figure out that connection until later in the story, I now have to revise that earlier scene to make sure there’s continuity. The thing is, it’s not going to be hard to do (ok, ok, I say that now). But because I now have the whole story on paper, I now know what needs to be strengthened. I’ve never had that much confidence going into a second draft before. 🙂
Then there are beta readers and query letters and agent submissions and well, a whole long road beyond that, but now I’m getting ahead of myself.
So, I’ll take a few days off, wait for feedback on my final scenes from Jennie and then dive back in. ‘Cause it ain’t over till it’s over.
Yeah, you’re right. It means I’m not really done…