This is normal, right?
26 October 2009
We’re fortunate enough to have four huge trees in our yard, and it means this time of year I often spend a chunk of my weekend raking. I actually don’t mind this. I wouldn’t want to do it alone, but with Ben and McKenna out there, it’s a lot of fun. Especially this year when McKenna has her own little rake and likes to “help.” On Saturday, as I organized the gorgeous golden leaves of our Maple tree into neat piles, I found myself wishing that writing could be more like yard work. For one thing, I’d have killer arms.
I’m in the middle of editing a manuscript that’s basically kicking my butt. I think there’s a lot of reasons for this. One is that I rushed to finish the first draft before Me, Just Different released. Another is that I’ve never edited a manuscript while also doing book promotion. I sometimes only get to edit for 20 or so minutes a day, and it’s tough to make good progress. But a lot of it, I think, is that I flat-out adore this story, and I’m afraid of screwing it up. I don’t want my characters to fall flat or my storyline to seem predictable. I want the point to come across clearly. I want the dialogue to sing. Those are tough things to do. They take a lot of time and energy, and frankly those are luxuries these days.
This struggle is normal, right? It’s what I keep telling myself anyway. Just because the words aren’t flowing out of me, just because I spend a decent amount of my editing time staring at my computer thinking, “Is that right? Is this right? This makes sense to me, will it make sense to my readers?” it doesn’t mean that it’s bad. Right??? I think (hope) every writer goes through those moments of, “This is so stinkin’ hard!” And in my case, I look out the window and think, “Maybe I should go rake instead…”
Hope everyone enjoyed their weekend!
Comments
I know exactly how you feel! I’m in my last of year of creative writing at KU, and knowing that I have to present my story to a class of twenty people who have completely different perspectives on what good fiction is makes me antsy sometimes. And then they will spend 45 minutes discussing why or why not my story lives up to those standards!
And I know all about the big trees. I live in Mission and it’s just like a carpet of leaves everywhere.
Posted by Bethany Taylor on 26 October 2009
Yikes, Bethany, that’s a lot of pressure! At least I rarely have to FACE my critics. Good luck!
And I LOVE Mission!
Posted by Stephanie on 27 October 2009
I sure hope this is normal because I’m feeling it too!
Posted by Erica Vetsch on 26 October 2009