Today is September's contribution to Alex Cavanaugh's Insecure Writers Support Group.
Why am I an Insecure Writer this month?
Because I'm not sure what will happen when I finally type the words "The End" on my current manuscript.
It's not that I'm afraid I'll never finish the story. I make progress on it (almost) every day, so it's only a matter of time before it's done. What worries me is that after I finally reach the end, after I've revised it so many times I'm sick to death of it, after I run it past my crit partners so many times they're sick to death of it, that I still won't feel it's ready for prime time.
Ever.
Even now, I look back at some of my earlier chapters and think, "hmm.. that scene still needs work." But what if I always think my scenes still need work, no matter how long I've been tweaking them? What if I never get to the point where I feel my book is ready for prime time? Will it end up sitting unpublished on the shelf, waiting for my family to submit it posthumously?
Unfortunately, I won't know the answer until I type "The End."
ChemistKen
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This month's IWSG question: How do you find the time to write in your busy day?
By scratching and scrounging for every single second. Between work and family, I don't have a ton of time to write, so I squeeze it in whenever I can. During lunch at work, at night when everyone else is in bed. or during those rare times when the rest of the family is off doing something else and I'm not feeling guilty about some chore I should be doing. Some days I daydream of winning the lottery, just so I could write full time.
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And finally, to end my IWSG post on a positive note, I'm happy to be part of the cover reveal for Tara Tyler's latest book, Cradle Rock. So drop by Tara's blog and check out her IWSG post.
CRADLE ROCK
by Tara Tyler
Release Date: December 1, 2016
Welcome to the forest.
Gabe and his girlfriend Ona are headed in opposite directions for Spring Break. After finding out humans might be a real part of their history, Ona is determined to dig up evidence of them in the mysterious mountains at Camp Cradle Rock. Being a logical goblin, Gabe tries to talk her out of it, but there's just no reasoning with a stubborn ogress.
When Ona goes missing, Gabe and his friends fly to Cradle Rock to search for her and discover a village of trouble, igniting an age old war. His physical skills may be lacking, but Gabe won't give up. With the help of his diverse group of friends, he will find a way to save his girl and maybe all beastkind. Humans, bah!
And here's the book trailer! With sketches from my super fantastic inside illustrator, Laura Kramer.
From what I understand we will always feel that. Writer Maggie Shayne who has written for her living since 1993 said she worries every time. She also went Indie in the last 3 years and she was terrified, but no regrets. She says she makes more as an Indie then did as a traditional author. She writes romance and still has books with Harlequin.Anyway she just launch a new book and talked about how nervous she was and how she worried about how it would do despite having many devoted fans like me who have bought everything she writes since 1993.
ReplyDeleteYou are writer Ken. We are all insecure about all of it, but I do so get what you are saying. You'll do great and surprise yourself. I think you will just know.
Thanks for commenting on my post, I love the link you left of the ambient sounds. Check out Harry Potter and then went straight for Star Wars sounds. I have a new toy to play with thank you Love it.
Juneta @ Writer's Gambit
Glad you enjoyed the link. When I play that background noise, it's easy to imagine I'm sitting in a tower in Hogwarts, busy working on my story.
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ReplyDeleteI doubt you ever really feel like your book is so done, you don't need to finesse just a little more. You just have to decide to be done, rather than wait until you feel done.
ReplyDeleteAt least you keep on writing and writing. Before you know it, you WILL be done, or as "done" as you can be.
It just amazes me how many times I've revised a chapter and thought to myself that it's done, only to come back a couple of months later and think, OMG, this chapter really needs work. I guess I'm just afraid that cycle will never end. Thanks for the comment.
DeleteThe Cradle Rock cover is cool!
ReplyDeleteWe never feel it's ready. Trust me. In listening to my books on audio, I hear things I wish I could go back and change. You just have to know when to say when.
I just hope that when I say "when", the readers will agree with my decision.
DeleteLetting go is hard. Watching my kids get on the bus to school for the 1st time, I worried that I hadn't prepared them enough. You just have to do the best you can and then let go. Congrats on carving out time to write.
ReplyDeleteLOL. My kids are in high school and I still worry about the same thing. I guess it never ends. Thanks for stopping by.
DeleteYay for Tara!
ReplyDeleteYou can always look back at your writing and say, "I could improve that." Always. The key is when you get the right response from target readers or your publishing editor. Period. And after that, you don't go back and read it because it will drive you crazy. #insidernews =)
Right now, I;m depending on what my crit partners tell me. Trouble is, I may have to subject them to the rack for a while just to make sure they aren't just trying to be nice.
DeleteEnding a book is very tough! Maybe you can hop into a new project soon after (the best distraction of all!) :)
ReplyDeleteOh, I already have new projects that are calling to me, but until I finish at least one book, I'm not going to let myself become distracted.
DeleteI always think things can be improved too, but that's why I rely on my critique partners to say it's good and to stop picking! Hooray for Tara! :)
ReplyDeleteSome seven books later, and I still feel that way... When I submit a book, when a book is published, I'm still thinking, "I should have done this, tweaked that." That's why I seldom go back and read it once it's published!
ReplyDeleteI write full time but I still want to win the lottery. LOL I used to work full time and write late into the night. I know it's difficult to squeeze in your dream.
ReplyDeleteYou can't look back until you hit the end. You'll only be frustrated.
ReplyDeleteIt's not done until you say it's done. 'nuff said. ;-)
ReplyDeleteAnna from elements of emaginette
I'm having much the same problem. I keep going through my current WIP and seeing things to improve. But there's also a big, new project I want to start. That is putting pressure on me to start saying "it's good enough."
ReplyDeleteI definitely know my chapters aren't ready for prime time, so it's easy for me to ignore that kind of pressure. I won't release it until it's done. Period. I just don't know if that will ever happen.
DeleteGood grief do I feel this one, Ken. I finally just had to publish because I realized I'd never say Uncle. Good luck with yours!
ReplyDeleteI feel that way all the time. I guess I reach a point in a project when I say . . . that's it. I know all of my novels could be beefier with more descriptions, but they are out there anyway because with all of them I reached an "end" point. I had them proofed and edited, and then I was done. I think we all reach a point when we know we're finished, or when our editor/proofreader/friend yanks it from our fingers and says - it's done! :)
ReplyDeleteRight now I feel like I'm not finding time to write at all, and that worries me. I'll have to follow all the suggestions I read here.
ReplyDeleteIf it were up to authors, they'd never stop revising. It would go on forever... But if we keep revising the same thing, we can't move onto new projects.
ReplyDeleteKnow the feeling, Ken. Sometimes stopping on those revisions is one of the hardest tasks as a writer.
ReplyDeleteYou will always feel like there is something else you can do with a book, but when you are at that nitpicking stage, that's when it's done and ready for the next part in the publishing process.
ReplyDeleteIf you never finish, then you will never be able to go into all the other wonderful projects and ideas you surely have roiling around in your head. Get it out there, so you can get even more out!
ReplyDeleteIWSG September
We have to be careful to not edit the life out of a project. I love Neil Gaiman's advice on this:
ReplyDeleteFix it. Remember that, sooner or later, before it ever reaches perfection, you will have to let it go and move on and start to write the next thing. Perfection is like chasing the horizon. Keep moving.
Congrats to Tara Tyler.
ReplyDeleteI felt the same as you when penning my first series. It and the second have yet to see any public eyes. I did pitch the first to 4 agents and had a lot of interest. So there is something there. I just had a lot to learn. In your heart, you'll know when your ready to move forward.
Congratulations, Tara!
ReplyDeleteI can relate so much to what you're saying, Ken. My husband had to say, "Hit publish. It's done," before I finally took the plunge. I was procrastinating, I think. Probably because I was petrified! Honestly, I still am and the darn thing is published :)
Good luck. You'll get there. I know it, and so do you!
Elsie
co-host IWSG
Congratulations, Tara, awesome trailer! All the best with Cradle Rock!
ReplyDeleteBoy, finally typing the words 'The End' is daunting, and sorry to say it's seldom that, and even after the book is published you find reason and places you want to change. But you just have to trust and let go. The next one will be even better!
I love the quiet of night for writing, have for years. Everyone else is asleep and the darkness is a comfort!
Full time writing isn't what you'd expect. I've come to learn that the more time you have to write, the more time you waste.
ReplyDeleteCongrats to Tara!
I couldn't agree more...
DeleteCongrats, Tara! I don't think a MS is ever really done. Even after they've been printed, I find myself cringing in places. But if we don't send them out, they'll never have the chance to see the light of day.
ReplyDeleteI don't think we ever think the book is done. That's why I don't like to read my work after it's published. I see all kinds of things that drive me crazy, and I can't change them!
ReplyDeleteLOVE Tara's cover!
ReplyDeleteI worry about the same thing. I've delayed putting my work out there because I know it's not ready... will I ever believe it's ready????
How is it that I didn't comment on this? I know I read it last Wednesday. Hmmm.
ReplyDeleteYou know, a friend sent me Heinlein's Rules for writing, pointing out #3 in particular. It seems to match your situation and insecurities too. I've found I still endless tweak stories I'm happy with. It helps when there's a deadline, because you know you have to stop somewhere!