Fletcher Marron: What are you afraid of?
Frank: I'm afraid of not being there.
Welcome
to another Insecure Writer’s Support Group post.
My offering
last month was
a light hearted approach to a very dark subject. Writers are overly
sensitive--about almost everything and anything. Those who say otherwise are
lying, but then, that’s what we do, isn’t it? We write fiction. We lie, make up
stories, and share them as gospel.
We
refuse to accept the truth. Even when it’s our own.
Take
my latest WIP (work in progress), for example. A romantic suspense, book two of
the Piedmont Island Trilogy series, Protecting Hope should have been released
six months ago. All that’s required to make it complete and send it off to my
editor’s desk is a measly four or five thousand words.
Easy, right?
Well,
yes, and no.
The
truth is I’ve spent months doing everything possible to avoid
this book. I’ve blamed the delay on family obligations, health issues, lack of
time, promotion and marketing of my previous two books, blog tours, blogging, blah, blah,
blah.
The
reality is that deep down this story felt wrong. The plot felt forced. The
words sounded stilted. There was no spark. I dreaded the damn book.
What am I afraid of?
Like
Frank, I’m afraid of not being there.
I
want my story to engage the reader. I want them to feel the excitement, angst
and joy of my characters. I want to be there for the reader.
I want to be there. With. My. Words.
My
heart knew months ago my current WIP would never be the next installment of the Piedmont Island Trilogy series. My brain finally caught up and accepted that truth last week.
And
so, I began again. The words are flowing. Fast and furious. The story excites. The joy of writing is
back.
I'M THERE!
Protecting
Hope will be released this spring.
What are you afraid of?
* * *
Wonderful. It's so nice to hear that. You listened to your gut and now you're on the right path. Best of luck.
ReplyDeleteHMG
Thank you, Heather. For the first time in months I'm happy. I'd rather delay the release than put out something I'm not proud of calling mine.
ReplyDeleteGreat to hear that there is a way to get back on track. Great post - good luck! New follower :)
ReplyDeleteThanks for dropping by, Tasha. Following you back!
ReplyDeleteExcellent post! I think we meander a bit and then return to our centre, and voila! All the best! :)
ReplyDeleteThat's awesome! Way to work through it! It's that whole thing Heather Gardner was saying about listening to your instincts.
ReplyDeleteIt's so hard to get to that point -- so relatively close to the finish line -- and realize you really just need to scrap it and start over again.
ReplyDeleteI think the trick is to not think of it as starting over again :) I figure, ok, I got all that bad writing out of the way, now onward and upward!
That took a lot of courage to be able to say 'this isn't right, I'm starting over' and toss out all those hours. I think that kind of commitment is what earns loyal readers. btw, my husband LOVES that movie and always wans to watch it when it comes on.
ReplyDeleteMeander is a great word, acertainbook. Although I begin writing on page 1 and work toward the end, I do wander and meander on occasion.
ReplyDeleteHi Nancy, instinct or gut feeling or whatever it's called does steer us in the right direction. Part of my problem was I refused to listen even though I heard its voice. Only after it began screaming did I sit up and take notice!
I love a positive spin on things, Callie, and you're correct. I'm telling a version of the original story, one I hope is far better!
Hi Nancy, I find solace in writing, yet I couldn't bring myself to finish that book. I realized I either had to begin again, or admit my first two books were flukes. After working so hard for so many years to get published, that wasn't going to happen! I'd rather a late release than none at all.
"Shitty First Drafts" by Anne Lamott always perks me up in times like these. If you don't have your own copy of "bird by bird" check out "Shitty First Drafts" here: http://buddha-rat.squarespace.com/shitty-first-drafts/
ReplyDeleteAnne Lamont is one of my fav authors, too, Callie. She should be on every writer's bookshelf or e-reader!
ReplyDeleteYay for you!!! That is wonderful to hear. I love being on the writing high. What do I fear? My novels never being published; that I'll never hold my book in my hands.
ReplyDeleteNever getting published is a real fear, not just for the unpubbed author. It's every writers fear that the last one was a fluke! Thanks for sharing, Candy.
ReplyDeleteSometimes it doesn't happen right away. I can certainly relate!
ReplyDelete