One of the things I find hard about the entire novel writing process is how slow it is. It can take months for a first draft. Then months for revisions. More months while my critique group gives me their valuable opinions, chapter by chapter. More revisions. When it's finally ready for submitting, there's the waiting for responses to queries.
Sometimes I feel very impatient. I'm tempted to rush through my revisions (I'm only on Chapter 4 of about 20 chapters), because I wanted to finish them by the end of September.
But as I'm working, questioning what I've written as I go, I notice things I have to go back and add. Or sections I need to clarify. Places where my character's voice isn't right. So I won't rush. I'll change my goal to completing my revisions by the end of October. I want the novel to be the best that I can make it. But grr! Sometimes the slowness of it all is really frustrating.
This is exactly what happens to me! Thanks for stopping by my blog and commenting. I just became a follower. Great blog!
ReplyDeleteAndrea you have the right attitude.
ReplyDeleteMy day job has been crazy this year and I figured out in May that I wouldn't finish my novel this year. I accepted it because I want it to be the best it can be.
Good luck on your revisions!
P.S. Catherine: Glad that you found Andrea's blog. It's awesome. :)
Yep - I am living this right now! I plannd to have my current WiP finished this month...NOT EVEN CLOSE! So, yep, I am going with the flow - it'll get done when it gets done.
ReplyDeleteRushing through a revision serves no purpose at all. I agree, Andrea, it needs to be the best it can be. But it is frustrating. I'm having the same grrr moments with my revision. Bird by bird as Anne Lamont says...
ReplyDeleteThanks Catherine!
ReplyDeleteKaren, you're exactly right. September turned out to be a little busier than I thought, with all the activities my daughters are doing now (I need to add chauffeur to the list of jobs I do).
Christine, I'm saying end of October because I need a timeline for myself but of course, we all know how flexible my self-imposed deadlines are.
Andrea V. I like the phrase "grr moment". So descriptive!
Oh, I hear you. I'm right in the thick of trying to be patient with myself too.
ReplyDeleteI feel this way too, and I think it's worse for me since getting my agent. I always feel like I need to do more, be faster (all me, no agent pressure tho). Frustrating is the exact word, because it takes time to bake a novel.
ReplyDeleteAngela @ The Bookshelf Muse
I never meet my personal deadlines. I realize I need to give myself more time to make the manuscript better.
ReplyDeleteMedeia, I try to be realistic about my deadlines. But sometimes the writing project changes my plans.
ReplyDeleteAngela, I would probably feel the same way. It sounds like your agent is understanding and very clued into what it takes to be a writer.
It's def. better to wait! But I also think we learn what to spend extra time on and what we shouldn't. And one month isn't going to make a difference!
ReplyDeleteI'm right there with you! I know the revisions are helping my WIP tremendously, but boy would it be nice to be done already! Good luck!
ReplyDeleteThat's a good point, Laura. I definitely could spend less time on obsessing over exact wording before I've finished my first draft, and more time working getting it right later.
ReplyDeleteAnna, I just keep focussing on how much better my book will be. But it's hard when some days I don't even get through a chapter.
Yes, it does feel like forever. Although now that I've been so busy, I want to slow it all down because I jsut don't seem to have time as I'd like to have with writing. I hope it will get better soon.
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