It's been a weird few weeks since I've written anything here. In fact, I haven't written much of anything. As you know if you've kept up with me, I finished my first novel a couple of months ago. I had two of my favorite people read it and give my their thoughts. Everything was positive and I was gung ho to make some revisions and send it on to more readers. In the meantime, something happened that brought it all to a grinding halt. I lost my confidence. Suddenly it all seemed so juvenile and I wondered what to do with it.
I've been told that the revisions process can be exciting and isn't as hard as the actual writing of the first draft. I'm finding the opposite to be true, but there may be a reason for that. The little critic who lives inside of me is also a perfectionist. When I wrote the first draft I gave myself permission to let it go where the story needed to take me. Now with the revisions, we find out if I'm a real writer. This scares me.
I tell myself that anyone can write, but it takes a real writer to make something worthy of publishing. Do I have what it takes? I thought so. Now, I'm feeling less sure. I guess the only way to find out is to keep going at it and see what happens.
Arrrggghhh!
I've been feeling the same way lateley. Finished- then what? If I gave up now no one would even notice because, well, I'm not published. I'm not a writer. I blame the weather. And lack of pervy writers- I'm really looking forward to May 9th. Let me know if you want to meet before then and wallow in our uselessness- or inspire each other to keep going! :)
ReplyDeleteWow...have you been bobbing along on the same boat as me the last couple weeks?? I have revised my rough draft two times and I'm not even ready to share it for feedback. I have another character beckoning for my attention and I fear it could just be my ADD...or the part of me that believes I will never REALLY finish anything. Your novel is already so wonderful! I just couldn't believe how well it flowed and how fabulously distinct each character was...you have a gift my friend, now you only need to turn down fear's volume! You know I'm not much for labels (i.e "real writer")...even ones we want to call ourselves...remember WRITING is a verb;) <3
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