Another Draft Bites the Dust

This draft taught me the importance of not rushing.

I did it! I finished another draft of my novel. It feels like a monumental feat because this draft feels different. I think (fingers crossed🤞) that I resolved most of the significant structural issues. But she’s a beasty! Ideally, the finished version will be around 80k words, so I must cut around 30k. I got my work cut out for me!

Of course, my initial thought upon finishing the draft was, how can I hurry up and polish it so I can query this fall? While that’s a possibility, it’s also kinda hilarious because my primary focus with this draft was not rushing the plot.

I often rush through my scenes and don’t give them space to breathe. I do all this good work to build tension, and then I rush through it, defeating all the work I’ve done. So I slowed my scenes down and expanded the parts I glossed over. This is partially why the draft is so long. 

Lessons My Manuscript Is Teaching Me:

To catch myself rushing in my writing, I’ve been practicing catching myself rushing in real life. I’m much more conscious of how I go about everyday activities and aware when I’m rushing. Usually, in the mornings or evenings, when I’m racing through the list of things that need to get done, like making tea, emptying the dishwasher, cleaning the dishes, refilling the dishwasher, making breakfast, filling the water purifier, doing the laundry, etc, I’ll feel a churning in my belly. When I notice that squirrelly energy, I pause and feel the sensation. I slow down because whether I finish the chores a few minutes faster doesn’t really matter. 

Because I know what rushing feels like in my body, I can identify when I'm rushing in my writing. Before, I didn’t even notice that I was doing this, but now, when I sense I've rushed through a scene, I can make the necessary changes.

Reflections on This Draft:

What worked, but took quite a bit more time, was spending multiple days on a chapter. On Day One, I would do a light revision, then sleep on it. On Day Two, I would dig into the chapter, then go for a walk. During the walk, I would reflect on the chapter to ensure I addressed all the holes and issues. Once I made the necessary updates, I'd move to the next chapter. If a chapter felt sticky, I would spend more time with it to resolve what wasn’t working.

I’m happy we canceled our trip to NZ! While my husband is recovering from his neck injury, I spent the time we would have been on vacation finishing my draft. I would have struggled stopping in the middle of it because I had such good momentum. I'm glad I got to ride the creativity wave to the end. (Read my previous fairy dusting for more details if you haven’t already.)

Next Steps:

I’m having my husband read it, which is kinda a no-no because family members don’t necessarily give honest feedback. But my husband is also an author. He’s an AI guy and has a Substack if you’re interested. Although he writes in a different genre, he’s an avid fantasy reader. Plus, he’s German. Let’s just say he doesn’t sugarcoat things.

After reading the beginning chapters, his first comment was: “It’s better than I thought. I thought I’d have to force myself to read it, but I actually want to read it.” I’ll take it!

My husband has never read my manuscript in the four years I’ve worked on it. I’m excited to be able to talk to him about it. It’s also exhilarating because I’ve no idea how he will react. 

While he’s reading it, I’m reading the printed version, which I’ve never done before. I love the story, so it will be tough to trim. And I’ve cut so many ideas already. It’s common for debut authors to throw all their ideas into one book. While I haven’t thrown all my ideas into Book 1 because eleven more stories are floating in my head, I funneled a lot into it.

When I recently reread The Giver by Lois Lowry, I was shocked at how almost nothing happens. My book is pretty much non-stop action. The next draft might be more challenging than anticipated!

Book Talk:

I Got Abducted by Aliens and Now I’m Trapped in a Rom-Com by Kimberly Lemming is exactly the book I needed. After I finished my draft, I wanted to read something light and funny. This book is delivering! The magic system is wild. It has everything from dinosaurs to talking lions to super spicy love triangles. It’s so much fun. I never know what to expect. I’m here for it.

Conclusions:

I’m not going to rush to get my manuscript out the door! I often feel frustrated that things aren’t happening as fast as I thought. But I trust things will happen when they’re supposed to happen.

It’s been such a lovely time in the safety of my creativity cocoon. But I feel the energy shifting with this novel, like I’ve finally turned the corner and can see the light at the end of the tunnel. I’m looking at what other pieces I need to get in order so the book can get out the door. It’s not just a finished manuscript that’s required to query!

As I move into the next phase with my manuscript, I’m thinking about where I am rushing and how to slow down and enjoy the process. Giving myself space to do that has been such a gift. I never knew what a great teacher my manuscript would be.

Sending you sparkling sunshine and fairy dust,

Liza