Agh! Let's finish that novel!
Hints for that last step in our bare bones approach to writing a book.
Last week, I talked about how I was going to do a mini series, bare-bones review of the three stages of how to write a book.
So, I split this approach into three groupings just like the three acts of a play.
The first is fittingly called THE STARTING. This is where you begin. I know! I know! So obvious.
The second will be SURVIVING THE MUCKY MIDDLE. This is where you try not to stop or get bogged down by doubt.
The third will be called HOLY CRAP IS IT ALMOST DONE? IT IS! IT IS FINISHED! These are the finishing up steps.
That’s what I’m talking about today: the finishing up steps.
THE HOLY CRAP! IT IS ALMOST DONE! STAGE
FIRST GET FEEDBACK!
The first part of this step is to get some feedback from someone who is not your mom, significant other, puppy, or child. Have them read it. Ask them some questions.
The Book Foundry has some great questions to ask those readers for feedback. Remember this is to make your book amazing, right? So, you have to listen to the feedback and see what resonates.
This can be hard.
They have some great ideas about questions to ask to make your book stronger. Stuff like:
“Overall Impressions
1. What was your favorite part of the book? What grabbed your attention?
2. Was there anything you greatly disliked?
Opening and Ending Scenes
3. Did the story grab you from the beginning?
4. Did you understand quickly who the main character was? Where the story was taking place?
5. Did the ending feel satisfying?
Characters and Motivations
6. Did you like the main character? Could you relate to his/her pain or joy?”
Great questions, right? There are more of them at their site.
NOW YOU WANT TO REVISE
I have a ton of posts on revision here (just look up revision in the search bar).
But the Fussy Librarian has some great words about this:
Here are a couple of resources I wrote a couple of years ago:
SET A DATE TO STOP REVISING AND EDITING
You want to finish and not tweak forever. Set a end date where you will send your book to an agent or release it on Amazon or somewhere similar.
Some of us never stop revising if we don’t have this end date.
BE OKAY WITH PEOPLE NOT GETTING YOUR BOOK OR THINKING IT IS THE NEXT BEST THING AFTER PUPPIES
Failure happens all the time. It especially happens to us authors. Rejection is normal and okay.
Think of your favorite book.
Think of your favorite show.
Think of your favorite song.
Not everybody likes those brilliant favorites of yours, right? That’s what it is like for your writing, too. And that’s okay. It’s weird when everyone loves the same thing. Weird and kind of creepy.
WRITE AGAIN!
Jeff Goins writes, “Most authors are embarrassed by their first book. I certainly was. But without that first book, you will never learn the lessons you might otherwise miss out on. So, put your work out there, fail early, and try again. This is the only way you get better. You have to practice, which means you have to keep writing.
“Every writer started somewhere, and most of them started by squeezing their writing into the cracks of their daily lives. That’s how I began, and it may be where you begin, as well. The ones who make it are the ones who show up day after day. You can do the same.”
But this is a big truth. If you want to be a writer, you have to keep writing, keep thinking, keep creating. It’s our actions that determine who we are.
EXTRA TIPS
Try not to revise as you go (during that murky middle part). Just keep writing.
Focus on one chapter at a time.
If it’s your first book, maybe have it be 50,000 words instead of 500,000.
You can blog your book one scene or chapter at a time if you are brave. It’s quick feedback.
Keep a list of characters (what they look like, their quirks) as you go.
Try to vary the settings and not have everything happen at the coffee shop or hamster cage or YMCA or deep dark forest.
Try to write and/or dedicate time to writing every day.
Try to avoid social media, texts, and emails while writing.
Celebrate your wins. Wrote five days in a row. Celebrate! Hit 10,000 words? Celebrate.
Remember in a novel there is cause and effect. This is truly a big one for a lot of us.
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