After two months of nit-picking and questioning every word choice, every story beat, perspective shift and every other piece of The Medusa Coin, it is time to switch gears from editing to drafting. Editing is very much based in problem solving. Critically thinking through each and every facet of the narrative from the macro to the micro and back again.
Writing is so much more freaking fun, isn’t it?
Letting go of the old for the new.
It’s tough. Four months of work on The Medusa Coin, living with the story day and night, can be extremely difficult to walk away from for a new project. Hell, for a break in general. Every fiber of your being wants to look over the draft ONE MORE TIME. Does it make enough sense? Is it all there? Did something get lost in translation from thought to action to final edit?
Let someone else decide that for you. When the bell rings and the draft is there, as clean as it can get (no scimping on your end) then it is time to hand it off to another reader.
Put it out for your coveted beta readers to shred and give yourself time to discover new worlds or the next phase of your current epic.
Putting pen to paper again.
After finishing a full-length novel of 85,000 beautifully constructed words (one hopes) where the hell do you start for the next thing?
Sure, a vacation might sound nice at this point. Maybe you never want to look at your computer again after wrestling with your last project for months on end. A break is deserved but eventually it is time to get back to it.
It might be said quite often on my end, but it always holds true. Start small.
Write small notes. If the next novel isn’t there is there something in its place? Some itch to explore or thread to pull from a random thought or dream? Diversions can lead to great story moments or a great story to tell when you stumble on a completely new endeavor.
Write a short story. Or a poem. Or something different than a behemoth of a book. Not only does it feel like less of a climb to completion but it also stretches different muscles and allows you to practice your craft on a different level. When you only have 10,000 words to tell your tale how does that impact your thinking? What ends up on the cutting room floor? What works better and what doesn’t?
Experimentation leads to growth.
That, more than most anything, is why Greystone is formatted the way it is for the first cycle. Full-length novels are staggered with short story collections between them. It allows me to try new things and test the waters with new avenues of telling stories.
And why I am so looking forward to Pathways in the Dark. The seven stories within are plotted, scripted and ready to rock and roll.
But sometimes experimentation means heading out of your comfort zone completely. I have another project I am working on in the background. If everything works out you’ll hear more about it in about six months. If not there is always next year, but I know it is going to come through eventually.
Start small. Experiment.
But you damn well better get your work done too.
Thanks for reading.
