It’s probably no surprise that one of the first things I’ve done in the weeks since I got back from my honeymoon is dive headfirst into writing again. I’m in the middle of the planning stages for a new story idea that I could not be more excited about, with a tentative goal of starting to write this November and finishing the manuscript before the end of the year.
I’ve blogged at length about re-vamping my plotting process and trying to plot with an eye on the story at large instead of on the individual story elements themselves. It remains an elusive goal of mine to—someday, maybe—finish a first draft that doesn’t need to be re-written in its entirety. But since chasing perfection only results in paralysis, or a ridiculous amount of staring at individual sentences when I should be focusing on bigger issues, I’m also hoping to set more reasonable expectations for myself before I start drafting. I’m at my best as a writer when my editor brain is OFF and I’m going full speed ahead, hands never leaving the keyboard, focused on finishing the scene instead of on crafting beautiful prose.
Because I’ve spent so much of the last few years rewriting and revising old manuscripts, I’m embarrassingly out of practice at turning brand new ideas into stories. That’s where I want to put my focus in the immediate future, and I’m hoping the deadline I’ve set for myself will help.
However.
I’ve developed any number of bad habits over the last few years that have facilitated and been facilitated by the lack of writing I’ve been doing. And the worst among them is continuing to put off writing in favor of much less important life stuff. Holding myself accountable has been an ongoing struggle for me, and although I’ve seen marked improvements in the last month—probably because I don’t have my upcoming wedding to distract me—I still need all the help I can get when it comes to actually sitting down and doing the work.
That’s one of the reasons why I signed up for the Breakthrough Writers Boot Camp. I first heard about the boot camp through Kate Brauning, who both founded and runs the program, and who I’ve been following on Twitter for a couple of years now. Its purpose is to provide career support, resources, and community for writers who are already somewhat informed about writing craft and the publishing industry, but who are looking to gain professional ground. Some of the participants are looking to find an agent, while some are on submission to publishers with their books. Others have books published with one of the Big 5 houses, with an indie house, or through a self-publishing platform, and are looking to sell additional books or increase their sales.
For a (reasonable, I think) monthly fee, you gain access to webinars and discussions about everything from writing craft to professional development, in addition to career coaching. I haven’t been able to make any webinars yet—damn you, busy schedule—but the opportunity to talk about where I see this story going and the work I still need to do was invaluable to me. I got a super detailed email from Kate at the beginning of October that outlined some actionable steps for me to take as far as plotting my manuscript and left me plenty of freedom to add a few steps of my own.
There are a lot of things to think about—character motivations and piecing my plots together and sorting through twenty pages of typed and handwritten story notes that have piled up over the last few months—but none of it feels overwhelming. Working off a list has eliminated a lot of the indecision that tends to plague me in the early stages of any writing project, where I’m less sure of what needs to be dealt with in terms of character questions, plot holes, and more. And knowing that someone else is going to check up on me at the end of the month and ask me how far I’ve gotten in the planning process has really forced me to prioritize my story.
I have no idea if I’ll make my end of year goal or not. The holidays tend to devour my free time in spite of how hard I try to create space for myself and my stories. This election season might destroy my mental health, depending upon how things go and how stressful it gets. There are plenty of variables in play around the end of the year, but I’m trying not to focus too hard or worry too much about any of them at this point.
Right now, it just feels good to be writing again.