In
my Plotting in Fiction class at Hamline University this semester we’ve had a
series of guest authors who have come in to discuss their books. Most are
somehow affiliated with the University; all of them have had interesting things
to say. One of our recent guests was mystery author Mary Logue. She asked
everyone in class to say if they were working on a short story or novel—and to
say a few words about their work. One of my fellow students (I’ll keep his
identity confidential) had an awesome answer that went something like this:
“I
have a novel. I wouldn’t say I’m working on it. There’s school, there’s work,
there’s life. But my book is always on my mind. It’s always there.”
I
feel that way about my novels. They are there, too, always with me. I think
about them in odd moments, dream about them at times when I’m not just sitting
down to write. I suspect most writers feel the same way. Novels aren’t written
in a day, a month, or just several months. Often they take many months, many
revisions, and maybe years’ worth of time. And they don’t just happen during
your “writing time.”
Also,
then there is life. I have writer friends who have gone through recent job
transitions (new job/lost a job), writer friends with relationship changes
(fell in love/got divorced. My own writing challenge has been my health—recovering
from cancer. Some days when the pain is there, I’m exhausted, the last thing
that’s going to happen is writing. Often life comes first before writing.
Sometimes it insists.
My
second novel Sunlight just turned
three years old. How long will it be until it’s completed? I just don’t know. My
intent is to get back to its second revision (I’m about ½ way there) and share
it with my critique group for their awesome insights. My first novel Blackheart is over ten years old now,
stuck somewhere between a third and fourth revision. I got out Chapter One
recently and worked on it, got some feedback from some new readers who had
positive things to say. It’s still my book. It also longs for completion. It
will happen. I just don’t know exactly when. (I also know I don’t have
forever.)
So
what’s my point? Besides maybe I’m crazy spending all this time in front of a
keyboard and monitor making up imaginary people, places and things, telling a
story that for the time being is entertaining only to mostly just me.
No.
That like most good things in life, good writing takes time, and it takes more
than that. It takes tenacity.
Best-selling
author Tom
Clancy died in October of this year. He once said this of writing: “Success
is a finished book, a stack of pages each of which is filled with words. If you
reach that point, you have won a victory over yourself no less impressive than
sailing single-handed around the world.”
I
feel that way about my writing. I’ve written two books. They’re not published yet. But I’ve succeeded in reaching my
goal. I wanted to write a book (two) and I have. I’ve leaned a lot over the
years from the process. Like many writers I stay tenacious. (I think of some of
my favorite authors like Stephen King and Dean Koontz who’ve each written 50+
books! Talk about tenacity and dedication to craft!) I have put in my time and
I keep fighting the good fight. I keep on keeping on. I keep on writing.
And
don’t even get my started on rejection. I think about the author Robert Pirsig and his great
book, Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance.
Supposedly rejected 121
times before it became published and sold millions of copies. Tenacity again,
in spades.
Most
importantly I’m just reminded you (and me) to stay at it. Writing can be a
lonely business, but when it comes to spending time to create your work of art,
you’re not alone. You have lots of other good company out there in all the
other writers who are taking their time, figuring out who their characters are,
where the story is really going, trying to build stories and worlds worth
reading about. Hang in there.
Mark
Teats
@ManOWords
How
old is your writing project? What keeps you writing?
