Write All These Things

Taking the advice of all the writers I have read, watched and listened to, I am taking a step back from the first draft before beginning the editing process. So this week, I haven’t let myself touch Spiralling, except to make a list of things I will either add or expand on once I return to it.

To distract myself, I finished the short story for Wednesday – and loved it – with great editing assistance from my friend Ed who helps my vocabulary sound much better than it is! I’ve also started working on Parker’s outline, and that is even more thrilling. I’ve started to think of the changes that need to be made in order to turn what was originally a “Part One” of a three-part novel, into one whole novel; the first of a trilogy.

Going back into Parker’s head has been so good, and I’ve already started putting the outline up on the cork-board. Only a few note cards so far, but every journey starts with a single step, right? And I am so happy to be starting this journey all over again.

I have, however, started panicking just a little bit about Spiralling. Mainly because of all the changes that need to happen in order to make the novel good, and because I’m terrified I won’t be able to make those changes as good as they need to be. I’ve written a skeleton, and a poorly constructed one at that, and this next part is when I actually need to be good. That thought is terrifying.

In other news, I’m going back to work next week (for like two days before going on vacation to Denmark, but then full time), and once I go back, my days will have a set structure again. I need to fit writing into it in a big way, it needs to be the number one priority of my after-work life. I have to be able to tell people “sorry, I can’t go out tonight; I’m writing.”

If you’re a writer, you know that not everyone is able to take this reason seriously, and you tend to be met with a lot of “just write tomorrow” and “do it later” comments. I have to learn to be strong and ignore those, because yes, friendships are very important to me, but so is my writing, and I’ve put friendships first for many years now. It’s writing’s turn.

I have to make a plan and stick to it, especially since I now have quite a lot of things on my plate. There’s re-doing Spiralling and outlining Parker (I really need to get a working title for that one, by the way), but there’s also my short stories and online series, and those don’t write themselves. I need a schedule, need to know what days to work on what, and then I need to really follow it.

If I don’t treat writing like it’s my real job, then it never will be. Fake it till you make it! Nobody’s going to take me seriously if I don’t start doing it first. So that’s where I’m at. Writing is water, and I need to drink a certain amount every day to survive – remind me to get that tattooed somewhere! I’ve really got to map out everywhere I’m going from here, and how to get there. I’ve done this before, but with so many things on my plate, I think it’s time I do it again.

And that’s all I have time for today; I want to get the long-overdue next part of Valentine & Maxwell up on Wednesday, so I better get working on it!

Happy writing, or whatever else you do with your life!

Rain S.

 

OH, and PS; Happy Easter if you’re into that kind of thing – happy Easter holiday if you’re not 😉