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That's where I am right now in my WIP. I only have a few chapters to go.
This weekend, I was helping my neighbor take down her swing set and we were talking about it. I told her that when I finish this book, I feel like it'll be the biggest accomplishment of my entire life. And it really means a lot to me, because I'm not sure if I've ever finished a story I started that wasn't for an assignment of some sort. And even then, I'm never happy with my endings. But I'm proud of this story. I'm proud of this book. And I want to get it out there and share it, because I think other people will enjoy it. Now here's the scary part - the pressure I put on myself by saying that. I've been delaying finishing it for whatever reason for the past few years. I try NaNoWriMo every single year in order to just finish what little I have left and it never seems to happen. I give myself a goal for December, by the end of the year. It doesn't happen. I wanted to finish by the end of January. Part of this is because I do work a full time job on top of owning an editing business, so I don't get as much time to write as I'd like (who does?). But I think part of it might be a fear of actually finishing it. I keep telling myself that writing the first draft is the hard part. And in some regard, I know that's the truth. Once I finalize the story and finish tying up the plot, the rest is a combination of editing and pitching with a little bit of luck. But I'm not looking forward to the rejection that I know will inevitably come, though I'm confident that SOMEONE will enjoy my story enough to give that first five-star review or maybe a publisher will pick it up. It's the unknown that I'm nervous about - is that what's holding me back? I haven't really thought about it like that before, but I'm sure it's there in the back of my mind somewhere along with the fear of failure, and, honestly, the fear of success. Something new. I'm sure I'll get over it in time, once I actually do finish and start the next steps. I just wanted to put this out there today because I've been kind of impersonal with my previous blog posts and I wanted to give a little insight into what I'm feeling right now in case anyone else is in the same boat and doesn't feel like anyone else will know what's going on. Finishing a book is a HUGE accomplishment, no matter who you are. So be proud of that. Be proud of your books. Be proud of your stories. Let it become a part of you. You're a writer, whether you take that on as an official job title or not. That's what we do. We're creators. Making something that lets people escape into our worlds when they're having a tough time on their own. So just jump in. The deep end may not be as scary as it looks from the surface.
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This week's prompt was provided by Reedsy's random prompt generator!
Your characters are a photographer who is far from home and a student who grows carnivorous plants. Write a story about a fear of failure. It kicks off in a hookah lounge with a bachelor party gone wrong. Note that someone in the story is just emerging from an unhealthy relationship. But there's a twist! The story takes place in multiple timelines. Have fun! That's right. I said it.
I know some people knock fanfiction because it seems silly. And it is. Believe me, I've read my fair share of terrible, completely out-of-character, poorly written fanfictions. But that's the nature of writing, isn't it? I don't know a single person who hasn't read a bad book. The problem is that these stories are unedited and self-uploaded to free sites, so... where's the quality control? It may be that I have a soft spot for it because my real writing journey (aside from school projects and stories I wrote when I was under twelve) began with fanfiction. For me, it was a great exercise because the characters had already been created for me! And, if there was something I didn't like about the way the author handled a situation or relationship between two characters, I could change it while still staying true to the world and the story they originated from. Now, don't get me wrong. Fanfictions can go very wrong very quickly, and they're not always a good base to get started for reading them. However, as a writer, writing one provides nearly limitless possibilities. If you're looking for a writing exercise, think about your favorite character from your favorite TV show, whatever it is. Throw them on a deserted island. How would they react? What would they do first? For me, the hardest part of writing is character creation. You have to think about every aspect of this fictional person's life, as in reality, every aspect of someone is what determines their personality, down to their favorite color. With fanfiction, this is already done for you! Your only job is to create a story. Maybe something great will come out of it, either an idea for your current WIP or an idea for a brand new one! Let's not forget that Fifty Shades of Grey began as a Twilight fanfiction story. Hey everyone! Here's the prompt for this week! Feel free to leave your stories as comments! I'd love to read them all!
You were born with the ability to make people blurt out whatever's currently on their minds. One night, as you sleepily make your way to your bedroom, you accidentally trigger your ability. From the closet door, you hear a muffled yell: "That's the one I'm supposed to kill, right?" Taken from www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts |
AuthorI'm an editor, yes, but I'm also on a writing journey of my own. In writing about my own struggles, maybe it'll help you out, too. Archives
March 2021
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