New Year is coming and each member of our family 1) reviews and “grades” each of last year’s resolutions, and 2) makes resolutions for the coming year. Last year my top resolution was to finish drafts 2 and 3 of The Next Novel in 2010, “without going crazy.”
So: how did I do?
I’m still working on draft 3, and I did go a little bit crazy this summer (that is: anxious, overwhelmed, insecure), so I’ll likely give myself a C+, or maybe a B-, because, after all, I worked hard.
I aim to finish the novel next year … but in truth, that’s hard to imagine, so I think I’ll revise my resolution to “finish drafts 3 and 4.” That’s safer because there could well be 6 drafts.
Perhaps I won’t even say anything about crazy, because that’s just part of the process.
Writing a novel is a glacial process, and, as with glaciers, there is a lot unseen under the water.
[Image: Fire Down on The Labrador, 1980, by David Blackwood. Awesome, isn’t it?]
Thanks!
Thanks to YOU. I love your book and blog.
Don’t stress yourself. Everyone who has read your books knows your commitment to excellence, and that, resolutions be damned, you’re working hard to make the Next Novel wonderful.
Has your publisher been on your case to hurry the thing along? Or do they realize that genius cannot be rushed?! (Chuckle.)
As an avid reader with absolutely no knowledge of the publishing world, I’d love to know more about how the deadline process works…
Best,
Jordan
Hi Jordan. Thank you so much. Nobody is pressuring me but myself. I do have deadlines, and my professional pride would suffer if I didn’t come in on time. Personally, I think that “genius” (read: inspiration) can respond well under pressure.
How the deadline process works: I’ll answer that more fully in a blog post. Perhaps after I’ve recovered from meeting a deadline!