One of my favorite authors gave some great advice for NaNo-ites last year (thanks to Margo Berendsen for the link), but there’s one point that jumped out at me:
Holly Black:
There aren’t good books and bad books. There are finished books and books that still need more work. Please don’t let wondering if there’s a market for your book or wondering if the book you’re writing is genius or evidence that you should be heavily medicated get in the way of the writing. Remember, right now you are not writing a good book, you are writing a good draft. Later, you will have lots of time to kill your darlings, make the suspense more suspenseful, to add foreshadowing and subplots. Later you will have time to change the beginning or change the ending or change the middle. Later, you will have time to cut and polish and engooden. For now, trust the process and write (that said, if you suddenly wake up in the middle of the night and realize what’s wrong with Chapter 7, then by all means, jot that down for later).
Considering the talent that Holly Black has (and her finished books rock!) it’s reassuring to me to hear this!
Holly has spent years (and years) on her craft, because writing takes time. In that spirit, I’ve decided to move Ink Spells to a M-W-F format. Because my books still need more work, and I want to make sure I spend time writing them. So this is a nip (Tue!) and a tuck (Thur!), but not a retreat. I love you guys too much to stay away!
It's fun writing a scene and thinking okay, that's going to need to work but the main idea is there – onward! Great advice.
@Laura Exactly! I think a lot of writers struggle with their internal editor. I shot mine last fall, but no one's discovered the body yet, so I'm good. 🙂
I was very young when my internal editor accidentally fell of a cliff.
Why are you all looking at me like that? You don't think I'd be telling you a story, do you? It happened just like I said. The cliff was very slippery. The internal editor wasn't paying enough attention. I warned him, really I did. "That's a bad spot. You should step there. No, right there! There! A bit to the left."
I did everything I could.
"There aren't good books and bad books. There are finished books and books that still need more work."
I love this. Love it.
@Bryan LOL! Ok, I may have to run a "How'd your Internal Editor die?" contest here in the future…maybe if I reach 300 followers. 🙂
@Lindsay Holly nailed it with that, didn't she? One of the reasons I love her writing is its directness.
That's exactly why I cut back my blogging to MWF. I really appreciate using my TR mornings, before the kids get up, to work on my wip.
@Stina I'll have to see if I can stick to it! 🙂 I blog 5 days a week, because I enjoy it so much, so this is me being disciplined and saying "No, you need to be working on your WiP." Thanks for the encouragement! 🙂
"engooden" I think that's my new revising mantra. 😀
We post 5-6 times a week, but there's two of us – I don't know how some of you do it alone every day! Good luck with your discipline and your writing/revising!!
erica
I'm with Tricia. Engooden is my favorite new verb.
"Less is more," as the old saying goes. You go, Susan!
@Tricia I know, right?
@E&C Thanks! I hope I can stick to it!
@Kai I know, I love that word! Thanks for stopping by!
@Darby You are so right about that. 😉
Love that excerpt! Very encouraging during those times all authors go through when self-doubt creeps in.
@moonlight I'm glad you liked it! 🙂
That's such good advice! Taking time to really make the book as strong as it can be is so important – and sometimes hard to do!
@Jemi REALLY hard to do. But so important. 🙂 Thanks for stopping by!
hi miss susan! im glad youre gonna take more time on youre writing. miss hilary wagner just did a real good post on just that. you could see it at her blog if you want. it at http://hilarywagner.blogspot.com/
for sure im gonna miss you but im just real happy youre still gonna be here sometimes.
…hugs from lenny
@Lenny Thanks for the link! I will hop over and check it out. 🙂
Great quote from Holly Black — thanks for that!
@Sherrie You are most welcome. 🙂
Love that quote from Holly Black and have it saved in my encouragement file. I'm proud of you for cutting back to spend more time on your writing. I'm going to have cut back to two times a week for that very reason.
Press on friend!