Friday, September 28, 2012

Write, Polish, Submit, and Write Something New

I'm finally feeling a little better this morning.  For the first time in a week, I felt like writing when I woke up.

Once I got my kids to school (after several dreams where I sent them to school but they kept coming back home), I picked up my previous WIP and read the first chapter.  And I was really happy with it.  I can see exactly what I need to change to make it done.  Done.  As in completely done.  Final revision done. 

Or maybe I still have a fever and am completely delusional. 

I've already done two rounds of revisions to the first twenty-nine chapters.  (I only know that because of my little graph in my sidebar.)  The last chapters are with my CP.  I don't want to make any changes to those chapters until I get her feedback, so the novel has been at a standstill.  That's actually not a bad thing because I've been researching and documenting my plan for my next one (actually my next five).

My next few stories require a lot of research.  I don't want to write the first word (although I already have about 10K written) until I finish the research and plot out the stories a little more.  It's not procrastination - it's for my sanity.  I know a lot of you will say I will stifle my creativity with all the planning - but I won't.  I need structure around it, or it will be a hot mess.

What I have been procrastinating over is finishing and submitting my last three novels.  They are sitting here (somewhere in the mess on my desk) done but not completely done - just short of completed.  They are like cakes without icing - yummy but not as delicious and appealing as they could be.  They are not quite ready to be served up to a crowd.  (I skipped breakfast and am really hungry.) 

I clearly see that my new five-novel monster project is an easy way to put off attempting to get anything published.  It gives me an excuse to submit nothing for the next five years.  Awesome, right?  I'm off the hook.

But if I had a friend in the same position, I would tell them to finish their almost-done novel and then write something new.  Why write it if you aren't going to finish it?  I tell people that all the time. 


Write, polish, submit, and write something new. 


It's very sensible.  And yet my inclination is to write, polish, set it aside, and repeat until I have an amazing stack of very nearly done novels on my desk.

Today I will be brave.  I will begin putting the icing on one of my creations one chapter at a time with the intention of sharing it.  Clearly I need to give myself a deadline.  It's December 31.  Eeek.  I should probably put that on my sidebar so I don't forget.

15 comments:

  1. I have a bunch of stuff to do over the next few weeks. It's so hard to get motivated, especially when you don't feel great.

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    1. I need date-specific goals to get motivated. Realistic ones too - the big ones are paralyzing.

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  2. Good for you. I dusted off a completed manuscript in May and gave myself until Sept 1st to get it done and submitted. I did it and setting the goal kept me on task. Now, just waiting to hear while I work on something else.

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  3. That's awesome, Tonja. How you juggle so much is extremely impressive, and inspiring!

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    1. Seriously, all the balls are on the floor, lost in the laundry that's also on the floor. I'm desperately trying to find a way to pull it together. :/

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  4. I'm glad you are feeling better. You are a writing machine! Before we know it, you will be a querying machine.

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    1. LOL. I have a real hang-up about writing queries. Same anxiety I have about interviewing for jobs.

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  5. I usually work on multiple projects so that I can work on new and finish old at the same time.

    Glad you're feeling better and are making progress.

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    1. Thanks - finally went to the doctor this morning. Got meds.

      I worked on multiple projects in my former job, so I'm comfortable with that and kind of uncomfortable with only one thing to do.

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  6. Icing the cake is always fun.

    It all seems daunting if you think about everything for too long. Just make a list. That's what I've been doing so I don't have too many panic attacks.

    Hugs and chocolate,
    Shelly

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    1. I have a good plan until the end of the year. A three month plan is perfect, I think. And I have enough novels planned out to keep me busy for five years.

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  7. Tonja, December 31st is a great completion date. Do it! Then the next one, then the next one - until you're all submitted out. You can do it, I have faith:)

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  8. I'm definitely not young - more like upper end of the middle.

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