Diana James: Writing and Editing Blog

The Magic Story Box

a guest post by author, Lynne Lumsden Green

One of the questions that plagues writers is ‘Where do you get your ideas from?’ Well, listen closely, for I am about to reveal the secret and give you the keys to the magic box. Most of my inspiration comes from … research and hard work.

Indeed. Stop rolling your eyes. Writers don’t have special brains that are open to messages sent from the Muses. What writers do is keep an open mind and read everything! And I do mean everything: the newspapers (your library or local coffee shop will have them), online articles, anthologies, biographies, novels, poetry, and textbooks.

This doesn’t have to be expensive. Your Aunty Janet is cleaning out her bookshelves? Ask if you can have her discards. Go to second-hand bookshops and buy up big. Join the library. At a pinch, watch television. Watch movies. Feed your subconscious with stories.

There is an old computer saying; Garbage in, garbage out. What it boils down to is that you can’t expect to get ideas in a mind with no input. Anyone who tells you that they can write a book without reading a book is deluded. How do they know what a three-act structure is compared to Freytag’s pyramid, if they haven’t read a book? How can they know what has already been done in their chosen genre? Do they even know what a genre is? The only way to get a feel for writing is by reading. It is also how you will get inspired with ideas.

So, say, while you are reading you come across a concept that captures your imagination. Write it down! Don’t think that it is so wonderful you will never forget it. Your brain will drop that shiny ball as soon as a something else catches its attention. I recommend carry a notebook and pen(s) everywhere. Over the course of a day, you might come across several of these pretty baubles.

The next time you sit down to write, read though your notebooks. You might see that two or more of your notes fit together like puzzle pieces. Just because you can see those links, don’t assume that everyone else can too. This is when the lighting is striking! Scribble down what you are thinking.

Look at that you have written. Does it make sense? Does it intrigue you? If it does, you have hit a seam of gold and go for it; write that story while it is still white hot in your brain.

However, most of the time, what you have is just the seed of a story. Don’t feel discouraged! You are already ahead of the game, with a starting point. You have the key, now it is up to you to turn it and open the magic box to a fully realised story. And like most things in real life, this means a bit of effort and persistence. Play with the idea. Have fun with it. No one ever has to see what you’ve put down.

Either way, you now have a first draft, and you’ve let the magic happen. There is now a story in the world that wasn’t there before you set it down. It will be rough and need some work to polish it, but you still have made something new under the sun. Revell in your god-like powers!

In summary, to tap into the magic story box you need to

Read;
Take notes;
Sit down and write.

You would be amazed at how many people forget about that third step. But you won’t, because you are a writer and have the keys to the magic story box.

A big thank you to Lynne for her wonderful article! You can learn more about Lynne or reach out to her at the below links.

Blog : https://cogpunksteamscribe.wordpress.com/

Facebook page: Steampunk Sunday, Brisbane Australia

She can also be contacted via https://springfieldwritersau.weebly.com

Interview with an author – Lynne Lumsden Green

Welcome to another interview! Lynne Lumsden Green is an author who also runs a blog called Cogpunk Steamscribe. She happens to be a steampunk enthusiast and quite a fun lady!

Diana: Let’s start with the basics – tell us a little bit about you!

Lynne: Words to strike fear into every introvert’s heart. I have two bachelor degrees, one in Science (Zoology) and one in Arts – for Creative Writing, surprise, surprise. Wear a t-shirt with a cat and/or Doctor Who reference and we can be instant friends. I am enjoying the aging process more than I expected to. My hair changes colour on a daily basis. My collection of books has well and truly outgrown my bookcases.

Diana: A woman after my own heart! Was there a defining moment in your life when you realized you wanted to pursue writing as a potential career, or was it gradual?

Lynne: As soon as I was able to write, I started writing. I was seven. However, I was told that writing couldn’t be a career, and studied science at university. Still, I was writing ALL THE TIME. My second husband was the one who told me to stop ‘waiting’ for the right time to concentrate on writing, and supported me through my second degree (yes, I know I am very lucky).

Diana: So many writers struggle with getting the support they need from loved ones. It’s wonderful that your husband was so supportive! What was the first work you published? What were the easiest and hardest parts about it?

Lynne: My very first published piece was a short story for Semper, the University of Queensland student magazine. It was about the world running out of ‘souls’, and so no more babies were being born. It was inspired by my studies in Zoology and the extinction crisis looming in the future – and which we are now in the middle of. The hardest part was getting the courage up to submit it.

Diana: Making that first major submission is a huge step in every writer’s life. It took me too many years to build up the courage to pursue this life.

Do you have a favorite author? If it’s too hard to choose, who were some of the biggest influences to your writing?

Lynne: My favourite author is Terry Pratchett, hands down. However, I am not anywhere near as clever or witty. I love Angela Slatter, Neil Gaiman, Diana Wynne Jones, and Anne McCaffrey, and have all they inspired me to find my own voice. But Isaac Asimov was the person who caught my attention when I was eight, and made me the huge fan of Science Fiction and Fantasy that I am today.

Diana: The Foundation series helped me to discover my love of Sci-Fi. My father told me for years that I should read it – I wish I had sooner!

Do you like to write in the same genres that you read?

Lynne: I read everything! We are living in a time when genre classifications are all over the place, changing, growing, conflating, so limiting your reading would limit your ability to find the stuff you love. I love reading graphic novels, textbooks, novels, anthologies … in every genre, including big ‘L’ literature. I write creative nonfiction, adult fairy tales, a little horror, and science fiction. So, I guess the short answer is ‘No!’, I don’t write in all the genres I read.

Diana: I feel that in order to write in a genre, you should certainly have read in that genre. But there are plenty of genres I’ve read that I have yet to touch upon in my writing. I may love to read one thing, but not be all that good at writing it. Plus, like you, my interests are way too varied to stick with any one genre alone.

What is the best and the worst advice you’ve received about the writing process?

Lynnne: The best advice I ever got was to never give up. Just keep writing, even if only for yourself. I go screwy if I don’t write. However, it has taken me a while to get the confidence up to send more than one piece off at a time. Now I submit work weekly, to a dozen different markets.

The worst advice? That you have to write in a certain way, or you will fail. Every writer has a different method. If you try to fit every writer into a standard box, you will make the writers unhappy and produce a hecken pile of shoddy writing.

Diana: Agreed! New writers looking for advice would do well to take everything they hear with a grain of salt. Trial and error is the best way to find what works for each individual.

Do you have any writing rituals or are you comfortable writing anytime and anywhere?

Lynne: I tend to write at my desk in my office. I try to write every day. But I also take a notebook and pen with me everywhere, because you just never know when a good idea will hit.

Diana: But you can practically guarantee that if you DON’T have something to write your ideas on or in, inspiration will certainly strike.

Now then, if you could choose any other profession outside of the writing world, what would it be?

Lynne – Astronaut! And while I am fantasizing, can I have a horse stud as well?

Diana: Of course! It’s a writer’s prerogative! So, how do you find balance between your writing time and your job / personal life?

Lynne: I always put my family first, since they are so supportive of my writing career. When I am in a job, I still find the time to write a couple of hours a day. Currently, I am between jobs, so I’m doing volunteer work in the writing community.

Diana: It’s so important to have either a solid writing schedule, or if unable to for whatever reason, to at least have goals to work towards daily or weekly.

When it comes to research – are you a lover or a hater?

Lynne: Lover! I find researching details for my stories often leads me to discover information I never knew before, and will make my writing so much more interesting. I know most people research for verisimilitude, which is where I start, but I tend to get distracted and will have fifteen tabs open before I realize it. Sometimes you just can’t make this stuff up, it’s so good.

Diana: I have come up with so many ideas while researching for other stories! Sometimes I can even tweak the story I’m working on to squeeze in fun new things I discover. I’m not a stickler for adhering to outlines.

What about you? Are you a plotter or a pantser?

Lynne: Plotter, with Pantser tendencies once I am well into the story. I start with a timeline for most of my Steampunk stories, to get the characters and the science right. But I’m open to following the story when it leads me down a different path. As an example, in my current work-in-progress of my short stories, one of my protagonists evolved from ambiguous character into a solid team player.

Diana: I love when that happens! Now, the question most people hate….. have you read all of the books you own?

Lynne: Yes, except for my too-be-read pile, which isn’t too out of control. I might not have read the entire book in some cases, particularly with some of the more obscure textbooks. I have read every grammar book I own, and all the fiction books.

Diana: I am thoroughly impressed….and a bit envious. What do you do for fun?

Lynne: Does reading count as fun? Apart from that, I like to draw, bead jewelry, and make my own Steampunk cosplay clothes and gadgets. I also enjoy gardening.

Diana: I used to bead jewelry as well and have always loved to draw. Reading shall ALWAYS count as fun and anyone who disagrees is just plain wrong! Speaking of reading, what were your favorite books as a child?

Lynne: As a toddler, it was the Disney version of ‘Peter Pan’. I loved all the Narnia books, ‘The Five Children and It’, ‘The Wind in the Willows’ and all the Silver Brumby books. But the stand-out would have to be ‘I Robot’ by Isaac Asimov; I read that when I was eight and became enraptured with Science Fiction.

Diana: I still haven’t read the original Peter Pan, which is obviously quite different from the Disney version, but it’s on my list!

What main project or projects are you currently working on?

Lynne: I have two goals for 2019. One is my yearly goal of achieving 100 rejections, which is getting harder as more of my stuff is accepted. My second goal is to finish a draft of my current novel, a Steampunk adventure set in the Regency era.

Diana: That’s exciting – on both sides! I saw your article providing tips on submitting fiction works on the Well-Storied blog and it was certainly inspiring. Aiming for rejections is a wonderful and unique way to look at the process!

Do you have any projects already planned for the near future?

Lynne: Always! I am in the process of drafting several short stories for future anthologies. And after the Steampunk novel, I will be working on a novel set in Brisbane, with evil entities inhabiting trains.

Diana: I can’t wait! Before we wrap up, what is something readers may not know about you?

Lynne: I am a diehard Doctor Who fan, and I like both Star Wars and Star Trek. I (not so) secretly would love a gig writing Doctor Who novels. I want to meet Peter Capaldi, but I can’t promise I’d give him back.

I am a member of the Springfield Writers Group, and we just released our second anthology, Elemental. It went to number one on Amazon!

I hope to have a pet alpaca at some point.

Diana: After reading Strange Topaz Sheep from Elemental, I wouldn’t mind having one for myself! How can people learn more about you and your work?

Lynne: My blog is : https://cogpunksteamscribe.wordpress.com/

I run Steampunk Sunday, Brisbane Australia on Facebook.

I can also be contacted via https://springfieldwritersau.weebly.com

A huge thanks to Lynne for her time with this interview! Be sure to subscribe so you can get notifications when future articles, interviews and even reviews (coming soon) get posted!

Interview with an Editor – Tina Morlock

Welcome to my first interview article! I plan to do these from time to time, so keep an eye out for more interviews in the future. Tina Morlock is a writer and editor with whom I have been working recently. Be sure to check out her website!

Diana: Let’s start with the basics – tell us a little bit about you!

Tina: I am someone who was built on a dream. The best assets I have in life are all inside my mind, even though it drives me crazy sometimes. So, first and foremost, I’ve always believed that if you have a passion for your dream, there’s nothing anybody can do to stop you from achieving it. But other than that, I’m a freelance editor who loves to work with new fiction authors in any way I can. I just became a published author this year, but I have so much more planned for the years to come.

Diana: Was there a defining moment in your life when you realized you wanted to pursue writing as a potential career, or was it gradual?

Tina: Um … yes! I’ve been writing since I was in my pre-teen years, but I didn’t realize that I could actually have it as a job until I landed on my high school’s newspaper staff by coincidence. Back then, I wrote mostly poetry for therapeutic reasons.

Diana: I bet many poets have started out that way. What was the first work you published? What were the easiest and hardest parts about it?

Tina: The first book I published was actually only published this year. It’s called Isolation Has a Dress Code: Poetry Misdiagnosed as Therapy. When I first decided to publish the manuscript, the easiest part about it was that the material had already been written. Some of it was written in poetry workshops in college, and others had been written years ago and were sitting on my hard drive, waiting for me to do something with them. The hardest part was figuring out how they all fit in together. Because I’d spent so much of my life in depression and anxiety, it seemed like a natural focus for the things I’d written.

Diana: I think it’s great that you can share that side of you with others who may share many of the same feelings. You have published a little more recently as well. I loved your book, “Editing Survival Guide for Writers”! How long did it take you to put together?

Tina: Thank you so much! Writing that book was really a spur of the moment thing. It came out of a frustration of dealing with writers who claimed to know more than their editor about editing, and some writers even go so far to tell them/us exactly what our job should be—even though they may be sometimes really far from the truth. It was a shorter book, so it didn’t take that long to write, and luckily, the excitement of the project carried me through to the end. The really challenging part was working with Amazon’s interface when I self-published it. Because the book was smaller, the spine always seemed to be off somehow. The idea of having to deal with that again still makes me cringe. It was sort of a nightmare, especially considering I had such a beautifully-designed cover and couldn’t get any assistance from that designer. But the short answer is—less than a month. Sorry, I got off track there.

Diana: That’s ok! This survival guide has already been extremely useful to me and I’ve barely scratched the surface of taking advantage of all the information included. When and why did you get into the editing business?

Tina: I’ve been editing for about a year and a half, but I’m not really one of these people who have dreamed of doing this for my entire life. Though I am passionate about it as much as I am writing, it seemed to happen by a chance connection with a publishing company that was hosting a course for editing and ghostwriting. I feel like for as long as I can remember, I’ve been a writer. My grandmother before me was a poet as well, so maybe it’s in the DNA. But editing was a way for me to make a living while helping writers put forward their best work. I do it out of a love for the written word and a desire to show other writers that it doesn’t have to break the bank to get a quality edit. We all deserve a chance to improve.

Diana: Do you have a favorite author? If it’s too hard to choose, who were some of the biggest influences to your writing?

Tina: More than anyone else, Charlotte Perkins Gilman is my ultimate influence—not only for writing but also for living. She was so independent and fearless in everything she did, publishing her own magazine by herself back in the late 1800s (or early 1900s). She also wrote about things that I think are important to write about today—things that advocate for anyone suffering from a mental illness. As far as poetry goes, I’m also heavily influenced by Karen Finley, e.e. cummings, and Charles Bukowski. Finley for her authentic shock value, cummings for his experimentation with the page, and Bukowski for the sheer brutal truth of life. Some of my other favorites are Dean Koontz, Clive Barker, Stephen King, Chuck Palahniuk, George Orwell, and Margaret Atwood.

Diana: You definitely cover a wide variety! Do you like to write in the same genre that you read?

Tina: Yes, absolutely. I think that’s the only way a writer can learn the ins and outs of the genre.

Diana: I agree! On the reverse, there are some genres I read that I haven’t attempted to write in yet. Speaking of writing and opinions, what is the best and the worst advice you’ve received about the writing process?

Tina: The best advice that I ever received came by way of a compliment. Many years ago, some random person on the Internet told me I had great potential as a writer, but that I needed to find out what kind of writer I was. Worst? Anyone who says you can’t make a living as a writer. While I’m not quite there yet, I know of way too many indie authors who make more than six-figures writing because they refuse to give up. That gives me—and the rest of the writing world—so much hope.

Diana: Do you have any writing rituals or are you comfortable writing anytime and anywhere?

Tina: My life has always been busy, with school, business, kids, and pets, so I had to be comfortable being ready to write anytime anywhere. I started using OneDrive (Microsoft) so that I’d have access to my work no matter where I was writing from. Now that I work from home, I typically sit on the couch with my laptop and write. I’d like to someday build a large office with a library, but that’s a ways off.

Diana: A woman after my own heart! I have known since I was in school that I wanted to be a writer, but so many people warned me about the difficulties of a sustainable income that I had other grand ideas of professions as well. If you could choose any other profession outside of the writing world, what would it be?

Tina: It would be something in online marketing—like an SEO strategist or something similar. I love the creative process and I especially love brainstorming unique ideas, so I think that’s something that allows you to do both. I’ve been a computer nerd every since I was a teenager, so if it wasn’t something like that, I probably would have gotten into web development.

Diana: How do you balance your writing time with your job and personal life? Having often seen the timing of your Facebook and Twitter posts, you would be hard-pressed to convince me that you sleep more than a dozen hours a week……

Tina: I get it done before I do anything else. First thing in the morning, I write on the project I planned to write on for that day, and then I can continue with my editing duties or work on planning out my social media posts.

Diana: I love planning! When it comes to research – are you a lover or a hater?

Tina: Love! SO MUCH. I always have something I want to learn about, so Google is probably my most widely-used website. I also make great use of the databases at my university’s library. With that said, though, I prefer writing projects that don’t require a sizable amount of research. They are much easier to write, obviously.

Diana: I love researching too, but I really have to stay on track. It’s too easy to slip down that search engine black hole! Ready for one of the big questions? Are you a plotter or a pantser?

Tina: A bit of both. I like to have enough figured out to be able to stumble through that first draft with very little confidence, yet enough confidence (somehow) to make a little sense. Screw perfection. That’s what revisions are for.

Diana: I recently heard of someone who writes outlines that are 15k-20k words long and I think I had a mild aneurysm. I hold value in outlines a good chunk of the time, but they never run the length of a long short story or novella. Now that we are talking about books, have you read all of the books you own?

Tina: Hah! Hell no! If books were cockroaches, you’d run screaming from my bedroom. I try to read a little bit from a different book every day of the week, but I don’t always have a ton of time to do that.

Diana: It got to the point where I had almost 600 books. I sold some and gave some away that I knew I would not read again, or suddenly wondered why I had purchased it in the first place. I still have hundreds and have read a very small portion of them for the same reason as you – lack of time! What else do you do for fun?

Tina: When I make the time, I like to play pinball.

Diana: I haven’t touched a pinball machine since I was a kid! Or possibly a young adult. So what were your favorite books as a child?

Tina: I don’t remember what my favorite books were back then, but I did fall in love with Clive Barker’s Weaveworld when I was a teenager. As an adult, I’ve really got into Dr. Seuss, and probably own at least twenty to thirty of his characters in stuffed animals. I even have some Spanish Dr. Seuss dictionary around here somewhere.

Diana: Now I’m wondering how well Seuss rhymes can be pulled off in other languages, but I digress. What main project or projects are you currently working on?

Tina: I probably have close to fifteen I wish I had time to work on regularly, but I am unfortunately only a human being. I have four that I’m actively working on currently:

* The War of Pages—first book in a young adult science-fiction/dystopian/horror book series
* The Road to Hell Is Paved with Journal Entries—first book in a serial killer mystery book series
* Waking the Hollow—first book in a paranormal romance series
* The Broke-Ass Writer’s Guide—nonfiction book for self-publishing writers who don’t have any money to spend on services/products that will (of course) be offered for free on Amazon

Diana: I’ve been trying to keep up with your Wattpad output! And I’ve had the privilege of a sneak peek at the first few chapters of The Broke-Ass Writer’s Guide – it’s going to be amazing! Do you have any projects already planned for the near future?

Tina: Too many. If I had to add them all up, my works in progress list would probably be a list of 10 to 15 defined story or book ideas. Three that I’ll be working on finishing in the near future are:

* Red Flag Conversations—a creative journaling experience for survivors of domestic violence
* Sins of Story: Memoirs of an Angel—a stand-alone fantasy novel that focuses on a fictional afterlife where suicide victims go when they die
* Sad Girls’ Poetry Club—a young adult narrative poem about a group of lonely teenage girls who get together and write/perform poetry

Diana: How exciting! Before we wrap up, what is something readers may not know about you?

Tina: That I really don’t think I’m that great of a writer!

Diana: I think we all feel that way some days….or even most days! But how can people learn more about you and your work?

Tina: For editing, my website is tinamorlock.com

Or, to read some of my novels-in-progress, my wattpad is: www.wattpad.com/user/tmorlock

A huge thanks to Tina for her time with this interview! Be sure to subscribe so you can get notifications when future articles, interviews and even reviews (coming soon) get posted!

Proofreaders, Editors, and Betas, Oh My!

Some writers are surrounded by people who are willing and able to read their works. Others are not as fortunate. For anyone striving to publish their story, or those just looking to build their best work, Alpha and Beta readers are the first invaluable resources in a writer’s journey.

In addition, there are Sensitivity Readers, Critique Partners, ARC Readers, Proofreaders and multiple types of Editors. People often use these terms interchangeably, but there are definite differences between them. Let’s get into what each of these groups of people do.

Alpha readers are generally first draft readers. Once you complete a rough draft, be it a chapter, a short story, a poem, a full-length novel or anything else, an Alpha can check for major story elements. This includes, but is not necessarily limited to, overall structure, plot holes, and character arcs. They can also tell you what they loved, what they didn’t understand, and so on.

Alphas can look for a specific blind spot or weakness the writer knows they
have. Taking advantage of this service can dramatically reduce future efforts required to fix major elements in your story that can take much longer to fully repair if you are further along in the process.

A Beta reader reviews all of the same things as an Alpha, but they will be reading a draft that is much closer to a finished product – sometimes even reading a copy shortly before publication. This means you should be providing a work that is already self-edited and clean, though it need not
have gone through a detailed line or copy edit process.

Betas may also single out glaring grammatical errors like spelling or
punctuation, but there are no hard rules set on the matter, so you will need to confirm with your Beta reader first.

If you are looking for specific feedback from either an Alpha or a Beta that
is on the blurry outside lining of their role, be sure you are clear about
these requests upfront.

Every writer deserves to receive genuine feedback on their work. Many Alphas are close friends and family of the writer, but not everyone has a person or persons close to them who take interest in their preferred genre. This is what spurred me to begin reading for others.

The goal of both of these reader types is to provide encouragement, while giving honest and constructive criticism. While criticism can be hard to swallow, receiving it in a loving way is critical to producing your best work, providing you are open to it.

Sensitivity Readers review your work for sensitive issues to ensure there were no unintentional derogatory remarks or unrealistic circumstances involving a specific group of people. For example, situations or characters of a different race, nationality, handicap, etc from your personal experiences. If you cover any of these topics, or one of your characters fits into a group of people you have limited knowledge on, a Sensitivity Reader might be a good choice.

Critique Partners are usually fellow writers with whom you regularly exchange works for critique. Sometimes it could be a few sentences or a few chapters. This partner would provide feedback throughout your process instead of waiting until the work is completed.

Most Critique Partners have a set schedule, perhaps meeting up in person or online on a weekly or bi-monthly basis. Others may set a schedule based around specific goals (perhaps after ever three chapters) instead of time frames. There are no set rules, but you and your partner need to be on the same page. For more information on finding a Critique Partner who is right for you, check out this article by Kristen Kieffer on Well-Storied.

Editors come in many styles and you may not necessarily need each type. Below is a general overview of the differences between each type.

Developmental Editors review the overall content and structure of your story, looking for lack of clarity in focus or audience. They also check for issues with pacing, plot holes, inconsistent tone, and issues with setting or characters.

A Line Editor runs a more fine-toothed comb through your story. These editors break down each paragraph by verifying consistent style and voice, as well as overall style and even paragraph length. They also check vocabulary for potential substitutions, accuracy, and for filler words or terms you may overuse.

Copy Editors take care of what most people initially think of when hearing the term “editor”. They go a step further by checking for the same types of issues as Line Editors, but at the sentence level. Copy Editors also focus heavily on quotations, citations, punctuation and spelling. They change what is needed to improve overall flow without stifling the author’s voice.

Proofreaders are different from Copy Editors, but they are very closely related. A Proofreader also examines the document for grammatical and punctuation errors, as well as formatting, sentence structure, consistency and other typographical errors. However, Proofreaders do not mark up the document as an Editor would. Instead, they advise by page number where errors were located. This should be the very last step before publishing as the document should be thoroughly edited prior to proofreading.

An ARC reader (or Advanced Review Copy) is also referred to as an Early Reviewer. This person would get a fully-edited version of your work that should have no significant changes and is likely going to be published very soon.

The ARC reader gets a free copy of your book in exchange for leaving an honest review of your work once published. The key word is honest, meaning not necessarily favorable. Be sure you are reaching out to readers who especially enjoy your genre so that they can leave a thorough and knowledgeable review!

I hope this compilation has helped you to have a better understanding of the differences between these professions. You may or may not need all of these people, and you may not need them for every project. But their jobs are to help you to be the best writer you can be.

I discovered a passion for reading works to help others through the difficulties they are experiencing in bringing their dreams to the written or typed page. If you are interested in any of these services, please check out my Services page for more information.

How Long Should it Take to Write Your Novel?

Have you ever heard of NaNoWriMo? November is National Novel Writing Month. When one participates in NaNoWriMo, the goal is this: “On November 1, participants begin working towards the goal of writing a 50,000-word novel by 11:59 PM on November 30”.

The goal is not necessarily to complete a polished masterpiece in 30 days, but to serve as a launching point and to give you a public goal of getting your first draft, or at least the first 50k words of one, down on paper. Seem a little too daunting?

Maybe you feel more comfortable tackling one of the dozens of “write a novel in 90 days” programs? Many of these challenges get your idea all the way from brain to market in just three short months. Does this time frame still seem a little too rushed for you?

There are authors out there who can crank out a novel every six months or so. So if you can’t even get one measly novel written over the course of a full year, what good are you as a writer?

PLENTY.

Your worth as a writer and value as an author are NOT determined by how quickly you can crap out a book. There is no defined timeline you are required to follow in order to qualify as an author, no matter what anyone says.

If these fast-track programs work for you, that’s fantastic! Or maybe it works for one of your novels, but not the next. I’m not knocking these challenges in the least. But they won’t work for EVERYONE and they won’t necessarily work ALL OF THE TIME. The issue arises when writers, especially first-time novelists, feel they have to finish their book within a specific time frame. If they don’t, they often become discouraged. Has that ever happened to you?

Guess what? I have a life outside of my writing. I’ll give you a moment to compose yourselves after the shock……

I’m sorry for putting you through that emotional distress. Unless, of course, you have a life too. Writing is my passion and I do it as often as I can. But I also have a day-job. And a child. And, dare I say it, other interests!

I have a few novel ideas (get it? NOVEL cuz they are good ideas, but cuz they are also concepts for NOVELS! I’ll stop now. Please forgive me.), but there is one that I have been focusing on first. I also have other writing-related projects I’m working on, along with other interests that I work into my days as time permits.

For a long time I would guilt myself for working on anything but my novel. And you may have realized already that guilt is not the best motivator. It often turns into a vicious cycle where you feel guilty for not producing, but then can’t produce because you are depressed from the guilt trip you are subjecting yourself to.

Personally, I prefer to have multiple writing projects going simultaneously. If I hit a snag on one piece, I can switch to another. I like to write in various styles as well – short stories, flash fiction, poems (not nearly as often), etc. I also enjoy entering contests, responding to Twitter prompts, and working on my blog and author platform across social media.

I recently started Alpha and Beta reading for others and discovered a true passion for it. I intend on offering these services soon to a broader audience, so stay tuned!

In addition to simply enjoying various styles and genres, I’ve found that shorter pieces of writing keep me motivated while working on my long-term novel goals. Not only are contests and shorter stories excellent practice, but I get quick gratification. The consistent sense of accomplishment goes a long way in pushing me ever forward.

Aside from reading and writing, I like to play games. Video games, apps on my phone, board games and so on. I like all things artsy, so do many crafting and design projects. Most of these take a backseat to my writing as it is my favorite thing to do, but it’s not the ONLY thing I like to do.

I know that all of these other projects are slowing down my novel’s progress, but THAT IS OK! I was pushing myself to finish the book quickly, not only for myself, but because I felt pressured by the internet to do so. I would find myself wondering things like, “What will people say two years from now if I STILL haven’t finished that novel I keep talking about?”

It took a lot of self-reflection before I finally came to the conclusion that I don’t care anymore. It’s MY book and I can finish it whenever I see fit and it’s no one else’s business how long it takes. I’ll never turn down reminders and encouragement from friends and family, but to let myself be pressured by invisible internet entities is just stupid.

Again, I know the fast-track programs have good intentions and that they work for a lot of people. But I have a lot going on personally and professionally right now, so to push myself too hard will do nothing to ease my stress. Life happens and you gotta go with the flow.

It’s ok to go at your own pace. I am no less dedicated and no less of a writer because my novel is not always my number one priority. I’m just as serious about my writing as others – my perseverance is simply spread over many works.

“Life is a journey, not a destination.”
– Ralph Waldo Emerson

Now don’t go running back to your friends or family or other supporters and say, “Diana said I don’t have to work hard on my novel, so quit pushing me.” You need to spend time thinking about WHY your progress is slow.

Life shouldn’t be an excuse to not write if writing is your passion. You still need to make time and you still need to actually write, even when you don’t feel like it. If you are procrastinating, you need to find out why (check out my article, “Top 5 Fears of Writers and How to Vanquish Them”) so that you can do something about it.

Once I gave myself permission to be ok with taking longer to finish my novel than what others may feel is an appropriate length of time, I felt a huge weight lifted. Working on what I want, when I want, has been so liberating!

I still have deadlines, whether self-imposed or not. And I do my best to get as much writing time in that I can. But if I miss a day, or if it takes years to finish my novel, I refuse to beat myself up about it.

Writing any poem, story, novel or anything else is only a race if you make it one. You are the Main Character in your own writing adventure. Make the most of it!

Most people have dreams – that’s plural. I’m not chasing after just one target. Setting multiple goals is both healthy and rewarding.

I have grown so much over my writing journey thus far and my goals have expanded throughout the process. I’ve discovered more interests and have met some amazing people. I’d rather have a lot of smaller victories over time to keep me going along the slower more scenic route to each goal. If I exhaust myself by racing to the finish line, the accomplishment may be less satisfying and I’d risk missing all the joys and opportunities along the way.

I’m in it for the long haul. If you are too, I encourage you to enjoy the ride, no matter which road it takes you down.