I guess it’s time to just put it out there. Because I’m doing it. I’m writing a novel. And this time, I’m going to finish it, damn it.
But here’s the thing I’ve learned over the 17 months: writing a book is super hard! Did you know? I did. Of course I did! People get whole master’s degrees on it for a reason, obviously. This is hard stuff! And yet so many of us try. We can’t help it. Even without the advanced degree.
It starts with this great idea, and these amazing characters that come to life from nowhere. You see it all in your mind’s eye, playing out like a movie, and it’s perfection. But when you sit down to write it, you realize just how much you don’t have. How much of what you do have is crap, unusable backstory and character development. All scene setting, no conflict. Witty banter out’da whazoo, but very little second act to speak of. And then the difference hits you. All you had was an idea. But that’s a long way off from having a book.
And that’s when the real work begins.
Every day I make progress. Some days it’s just getting one sentence right. It doesn’t always seem like enough, but it’s progress. I’ll keep you posted as we go.
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