A Novel Beginning, Weeks 14 & 15
These weeks of my writing journal involved some time management issues due to the holidays but I was writing whenever I could find the time. I was also researching more about writing advice, building a platform and how I would eventually make contact with agents. The first thoughts of finally starting a blog came into play, as did the fear of making my writing life so public. It was also during these two weeks when I realized I was closer to the end of the book rather than the beginning.
I found a terrific new blog with some very useful information and the best part is he regularly writes so there are always new and useful tips. My Name is Not Bob is the name of the blog, written by Robert Lee Brewer. I have found many useful entries on his blog. There are other blogs I have checked out and some I still visit but overall his is my favorite right now. At some point it is apparent I will have to start a blog, rather than write privately here in my Word document but the whole concept makes me anxious. Who would want to read what I have to say? What do I have to offer? How will I keep people interested? All valid questions and what I will soon be researching before I decide to jump in feet first.
Tuesday:
Wednesday:
Friday:
I decided to purchase some additional writing books today. I have a number of them but these two books will apparently provide more information on building my platform, which is something I have put off due to fear of the unknown. It’s also something I’ve put off because I haven’t yet gotten used to the idea of telling everyone I’m a writer and I hope to someday be published. Some people will be surprised, others will not. Eventually, I’ll have to let the secret out…I want to publish a book someday but until then, I will continue to write and write and write. I think it’s the fear of failure that possibly stops me from telling everyone I know that I’m writing a book. If you tell everyone and you don’t finish or accomplish your goals, you feel like a failure or maybe, you’ll just jinx the whole idea by letting the cat out of the bag. I’ll have to trust some individuals who are close to me because I will need an honest opinion of my book. Oh, the thought of letting anyone read it is…terrifying! Do I doubt myself? No, I believe I have a good story with likeable characters and an interesting plot but opinions about books and writing are very subjective and while I should take criticism seriously, I also fear that I’ll receive various opinions that may not only confuse me but make my head spin.
I have one more month to finish my book if I want to edit it before entering some book contests. I’m up to 266 pages and the word count (according to Word) is over 75,000. I also hope that I’ll be able to submit my work to some potential agents but I’m not yet sure how I’ll go about that. I’ve been researching and reading on that part of the writing process and I hope to come up with a list of potential agents I might possibly be able to send my work off to for review. For now, I need to continue with a regular writing schedule because the holidays, winter break for my boys, Christmas shopping, my youngest son’s birthday, a funeral for my great aunt and who knows what else might come up, will certainly cause this month to be limited when it comes to the amount of time I’ll be able to write. Life gets busy but should not completely dictate whether or not you have the ability to write. It is, after all, life’s experiences that should give a writer motivation and inspiration to write.