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Post-novel wrap up/thoughts
1. I need about two or three trusty people to read over my novel and give me comments. Sort of like a beta-read. I realize this is a big thing to ask, and I realize that people have lives. But I would really appreciate it. I'm not looking for anything fancy. I'm just looking for someone who can read it and tell me where things are boring or slow or don't make sense and the like.
In essence, I just need to see this thing from the reader's eyes - and I can't think of any other way besides just asking a couple of people to be readers and tell me what they see.
If anyone else has a better suggestion, let me know. But I do need someone else to look at the novel and tell me what's going on. Because being the writer, I have big honkin' blindspots.
2.
Things I Learned From Writing a Novel
- Outlines are like training bras. The more things develop, the less useful they become.
- Music can be your friend and your enemy. The right song can put you in the perfect mood for a scene, or you can spend hours trying to find a song that doesn't distract you.
- Sometimes you have to just say what you're trying to say instead of trying to say it in a very cool, literary way.
- The word "said" can get repetitive at the end of dialogue. But it's still better than anything else. Blame the English language.
- No, you do not use that word as much as you think you do. Unless you do.
- Sometimes the best motivator is just pure out-and-out jealousy. Look at the books you own by authors you love and use that envy, that desire, to make you sit in front of the keyboard and get it done. Nothing will make you start typing up a storm like the desperate desire to be recognized.
- You will never understand the expression "this is gonna hurt me more than it's gonna hurt you" until you've had to brutally cut out pages of what you thought was brilliant work because they're clogging your novel.
- Yes, taking out parts you really liked it like stripping off skin with a whip - but remember: skin and stories will grow back.
- The save button is your friend. Auto-save can keep you from shooting people from a clock tower. Nothing makes a writer go homicidal like losing a day's worth of work when the power goes out.
- At no time will you ever feel like you know what the hell you're doing. Writing is not for people who like to feel confident, in control, or otherwise comfortable.
- Breaks. It's sort of a "learn when to hold 'em and when to fold 'em" situation there. Sometimes you need to get up and go. Sometimes you need to stay.
- It's called slogging. It is the weary, determined act of a writer who's out of ideas. Out of time. Out of inspiration. Out of energy. Out of everything but desperation. But desperation, determination, and desire can eventually morph into creativity. You will do this. It's not a sign of being a bad writer. It's a sign of being a PERSON.
- Creativity doesn't always feel creative.
- Don't get too attached to sleep.
- Just because you're working on a big thing, doesn't mean that you're doing thinking up raw ideas. You have to keep the oven *and* the stove top going if you want to cook this stuff up. Also, you may need to use the microwave. Both in a literal and metaphorical sense.
- Speaking of, make sure to turn off all non-necessary appliances when you get hit with a big burst of "I have to write it THIS INSTANT!" inspiration. Nothing interrupts a writing jag like a smoke detector.
- Dogs do not understand what "just let me finish this scene" means. They do however understand that any standing objects in the house can double as trees when they need to go.
- Procrastination gets a bad name. Sometimes you really DO have to let things be an editing problem or tomorrow's problem or next chapter's problem. If you try to get everything done *now*, then you end up with nothing.
- For all the writing advice and tricks and tools and nifty ideas in the world, in the end there is only one thing that holds true: You have to sit down and get it done. There's no way around sitting down and just doing it.
In essence, I just need to see this thing from the reader's eyes - and I can't think of any other way besides just asking a couple of people to be readers and tell me what they see.
If anyone else has a better suggestion, let me know. But I do need someone else to look at the novel and tell me what's going on. Because being the writer, I have big honkin' blindspots.
2.
Things I Learned From Writing a Novel
- Outlines are like training bras. The more things develop, the less useful they become.
- Music can be your friend and your enemy. The right song can put you in the perfect mood for a scene, or you can spend hours trying to find a song that doesn't distract you.
- Sometimes you have to just say what you're trying to say instead of trying to say it in a very cool, literary way.
- The word "said" can get repetitive at the end of dialogue. But it's still better than anything else. Blame the English language.
- No, you do not use that word as much as you think you do. Unless you do.
- Sometimes the best motivator is just pure out-and-out jealousy. Look at the books you own by authors you love and use that envy, that desire, to make you sit in front of the keyboard and get it done. Nothing will make you start typing up a storm like the desperate desire to be recognized.
- You will never understand the expression "this is gonna hurt me more than it's gonna hurt you" until you've had to brutally cut out pages of what you thought was brilliant work because they're clogging your novel.
- Yes, taking out parts you really liked it like stripping off skin with a whip - but remember: skin and stories will grow back.
- The save button is your friend. Auto-save can keep you from shooting people from a clock tower. Nothing makes a writer go homicidal like losing a day's worth of work when the power goes out.
- At no time will you ever feel like you know what the hell you're doing. Writing is not for people who like to feel confident, in control, or otherwise comfortable.
- Breaks. It's sort of a "learn when to hold 'em and when to fold 'em" situation there. Sometimes you need to get up and go. Sometimes you need to stay.
- It's called slogging. It is the weary, determined act of a writer who's out of ideas. Out of time. Out of inspiration. Out of energy. Out of everything but desperation. But desperation, determination, and desire can eventually morph into creativity. You will do this. It's not a sign of being a bad writer. It's a sign of being a PERSON.
- Creativity doesn't always feel creative.
- Don't get too attached to sleep.
- Just because you're working on a big thing, doesn't mean that you're doing thinking up raw ideas. You have to keep the oven *and* the stove top going if you want to cook this stuff up. Also, you may need to use the microwave. Both in a literal and metaphorical sense.
- Speaking of, make sure to turn off all non-necessary appliances when you get hit with a big burst of "I have to write it THIS INSTANT!" inspiration. Nothing interrupts a writing jag like a smoke detector.
- Dogs do not understand what "just let me finish this scene" means. They do however understand that any standing objects in the house can double as trees when they need to go.
- Procrastination gets a bad name. Sometimes you really DO have to let things be an editing problem or tomorrow's problem or next chapter's problem. If you try to get everything done *now*, then you end up with nothing.
- For all the writing advice and tricks and tools and nifty ideas in the world, in the end there is only one thing that holds true: You have to sit down and get it done. There's no way around sitting down and just doing it.
no subject
But congratulations on finishing! WOO and HOO! Go you!
hearts!
no subject
And thanks for the congrats!