The number of times I’ve read this book is ridiculous, but when in doubt turn to the king of writing. (I can’t resist a bad pun.) But each time, I take something different away. ✍🏻 This time, it was the Rewrite Formula. While I’m nowhere near finished with the first draft of my #nanowrimo novel, this was a great moment of perspective: “‘Formula: 2nd draft = 1st draft - 10%.’” So, in other words, write what you want/need to write and don’t worry about it until it’s time to focus on the next draft. Ever since thesis, I’ve gotten caught up in perfecting each scene, each detail, each line, each word before moving on. Hence part of the reason it took 9+ months to write the first draft of my last novel. ✍🏻 All of this is to say is that the first draft should be fun. The story you want to tell. Let the characters do what they want, pile on the backstory and dialogue that goes on for far too long. Explore the setting, write lengthy descriptions or none at all. That’s the fun in a first draft. ✍🏻 #onwriting #stephenking #firstdrafts #amwriting #writinginspiration #writingadvice #amwritingfiction #yalit #aspiringauthor #nanowrimo2018 #writing #writers #writerproblems #writersofinstagram #writergram #writerscommunity #novelwriting
Okay, real talk: there’s this conception out there that writers often don’t take care of themselves during long periods of drafting. 🍁
And for me, it’s true. I’m a bit salty about having to cancel my Charleston trip due to my cold, but I also realized that I’ve been slacking a lot on the self-care/love lately. My anxiety forces me to worry so much about the future and the ever-present fear that this will all end in failure that I often forget to take care of present me. 🍁
The other day, I read a book in a few hours. It was the first time in a long time that I didn’t find myself noting structure or comparing it to my finished manuscript or checking the author’s agent and then looking them up and then researching other agents and checking MSWL for agents looking for my kind of book and doubting my writing ability and worrying about no agent ever wanting it and then going back to my current WIP and then looking up debuts and new releases to stay on top of the market while querying and reading outside of my genre so when my writer friends ask for critiques I can help them the best I can and then starting the process all over again. Writing with anxiety is no easy feat. 🍁
And I forget to take breaks and forgive myself for getting caught up in a whirlwind of anxiety. So, these past few days and the rest of this weekend are a breather. For me, for the novel I’m querying, for my WIP. 🍁
It’s okay to take a break. And it’s important to take care of yourself while writing. Your characters can wait. The story can wait. 🍁
#writingprocess #nanowrimo2018 #nanowrimo #nationalwritingmonth #writerproblems #amreading #drafting #writer #bookworm #yalit #bookworm #reader #writing
