Objective: Write the Best Book I Am Capable of Right Now

Stop making excuses and just write.

The words reverberate in my head – just like earworms, only there is no music.  Just a voice, mocking me throughout each day:  when I check Facebook it whispers “You’re making excuses…”  When I check email, it gets a little louder.  “STOP making excuses!”  When I try to relax by reading, it practically shouts at me.  “STOP MAKING EXCUSES AND JUST WRITE!”

My manuscript IS written.  The first three chapters have been revised and polished because I’ve entered a couple of contests.  The middle chapters have a little sag that I’m editing out, and the last few chapters need more work.  But the manuscript is not finished – not like it should be for submission.  Right or wrong, I want to have a “finished” product before I send it out.

Working toward that goal, I have a printed copy of my manuscript that I'm busy marking up.  I selected a different font for each POV character, so I can easily see if I’m head-hopping.  I have red and blue pens, and highlighters in assorted colors to mark things that jump out at me as I edit.  I have a spiral notebook handy to jot down more detailed notes about facts that need checked, loose ends to tie up, and plot problems to resolve.

The contests have been a great learning tool.  As an entrant and a judge, I’ve seen a variety of scoresheets. I’ve compiled my own list of questions to use as a guideline while editing.  I also have a checklist of words to search, and replace.

But how do I know when to stop?  How do I know when it’s ready to submit?  

I regularly peruse writing websites.  Another excuse?  Maybe, but one I hope will pay off because I learn so much from experiences other authors share.  For example, Holly Lisle (http://hollylisle.com/how-to-revise-a-novel/) suggests setting a completion date for revisions.  “You need to keep yourself going with deadlines. It’s easy to fall into a nasty cycle of second-guessing yourself, revising your revisions, and never getting to the point of actually sending the manuscript out.”

Great advice I need to take.

But more importantly for me, on Holly’s site I found a clue to knowing when my book is finished.

Your objective is to make it the best book that you are capable of writing right now.

No, my manuscript won’t be perfect. But if I make it the best book I can right now, then I can move on to writing the next book and use everything I’ve learned to make it even better than the first!

How do you know when your manuscript is ready for submission?  Is there one thing that is a deciding factor?  Please share.

Stop Making Excuses

Fear.  A four letter word that writers know well.  It’s a facet of our lives that sometimes gets the better of us.

Sending our children out into the cruel world has nothing on submitting our writing for consideration.  At least our children can fight back, hopefully with the tools of experience we have provided them. But there’s no one to protect our words, except our words themselves.

What if we aren’t good enough?  What if nobody likes what we have written?  What if our work is rejected?

I’ve been writing since I was young.  By no means does that make me an expert.  But I must be on the right track because I’ve gotten positive feedback from people who have read my work.  I know I still have a lot to learn.  And yes, maybe I am just a little bit afraid of having my work rejected.

But I’m equally afraid of being successful. What if I’ve done my homework well enough that my writing is accepted? What are the consequences of success?  Will I be ready for it?  How will success change me, and how will it change my life?

The road to becoming a successful writer is paved with good intentions.  It also has scenic pull-outs that are valid distractions – distractions that enable us to  ignore the fear. Distractions that fuel the fear, too.

Family – I haven’t been very successful at putting my family after my writing.  With my oldest moved out, and my youngest wanting nothing to do with me (he’s a teenager, what can I say?), I plan to spend more time writing. But I also need to nurture my relationship with my husband. Will my family relationships suffer if I reach my goal of being published?

Exercise – I haven’t been very successful at exercising, either.  My day job is a desk job, and although I do a fair amount of getting up and down, sitting all day has definitely contributed to this secretary’s spread! In order to combat the spread, hubby and I often walk in the evenings after dinner.  On weekends, we regularly make trips to one of our local state parks and spend the day hiking. It's good for the hips, and photographing nature while I'm there feeds my creative juices.

Appetite – Unfortunately, I have one.  Especially for chocolate. Therefore I need my family to make me get out and do things, rather than coming home and sitting all evening.  Or, maybe I should invest in a treadmill desk.

Reading – Some of the best adventures a body can have!  Escape into another world and live vicariously through those characters.  Travel the world, and experience places and situations that you might not have the opportunity for in your daily life.

These topics were part of a recent discussion with a writer friend who ultimately told me I was making excuses and that I need to stop making excuses and just write.  Her comments made me think.  I need to find balance in my life.  I can have every intention of becoming a published author, but if I spend all my time on the scenic pull-outs of life, I’ll never travel that road to publication.

Do you allow your fears to be a distraction?  How do you balance life and writing?  I'd love to hear your thoughts.