Get it all out!
I have had people amazed that I was actually able to finish writing a novel. they've asked questions like: "How did you ever write that much?" "How long did it take you?" "Did you have the whole thing plotted out before you started?" "What kind of outlines, diagrams, etc. did you create to keep you on track?"
Well to be honest, my first draft took me about 9 weeks because I wrote every moment that I wasn't at work. My family was extremely patient and supportive. My husband took on more of the evening activities because my book was essentially writing itself at a frantic pace. My characters took control and I was their medium.
Now my family will tell you that I have no shortage of words and am a very capable conversationalists. However, nothing prepared me for the re-reads and re-writes where I over-analyzed every comment my Beta readers made and words sometimes escaped me. I think I overdid that process most likely. It brought me to an epiphany... is there really a right or wrong way to write?
I'd like to think that there are no guidelines or rules around how you write a novel. In my humble opinion, it should be a process of trial and error to discover what works for you. What works for me is sitting down and free thought writing to get it all out of my head and heart and onto the paper. Sometimes that process is feverish and fast to ensure that I don't forget anything. Other times it's a slow burn that slowly grows as the pages fly by. Then there are those painful moments when it just isn't working and I can't craft my words to suit what I am visualizing...those are the moments when I have to walk away and grab a cup of coffee and a pep talk.
What I have discovered through this process is that the things you do to get yourself to the final goal don't matter once you see your name on a cover. You forget all about the sleepless nights, hair pulling, gnashing of teeth... well you get the picture. That feeling of lighting up from the inside out with a grin that you can't suppress is the only way I can think of to describe it. So no matter how long it takes or how you get there, it's really up to you to decide to just do it.
True Beginnings by Jennifer Peer
Well to be honest, my first draft took me about 9 weeks because I wrote every moment that I wasn't at work. My family was extremely patient and supportive. My husband took on more of the evening activities because my book was essentially writing itself at a frantic pace. My characters took control and I was their medium.
Now my family will tell you that I have no shortage of words and am a very capable conversationalists. However, nothing prepared me for the re-reads and re-writes where I over-analyzed every comment my Beta readers made and words sometimes escaped me. I think I overdid that process most likely. It brought me to an epiphany... is there really a right or wrong way to write?
I'd like to think that there are no guidelines or rules around how you write a novel. In my humble opinion, it should be a process of trial and error to discover what works for you. What works for me is sitting down and free thought writing to get it all out of my head and heart and onto the paper. Sometimes that process is feverish and fast to ensure that I don't forget anything. Other times it's a slow burn that slowly grows as the pages fly by. Then there are those painful moments when it just isn't working and I can't craft my words to suit what I am visualizing...those are the moments when I have to walk away and grab a cup of coffee and a pep talk.
What I have discovered through this process is that the things you do to get yourself to the final goal don't matter once you see your name on a cover. You forget all about the sleepless nights, hair pulling, gnashing of teeth... well you get the picture. That feeling of lighting up from the inside out with a grin that you can't suppress is the only way I can think of to describe it. So no matter how long it takes or how you get there, it's really up to you to decide to just do it.
True Beginnings by Jennifer Peer
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