Thank you for sharing your process. I find that I fixate too much on the end goal, when it should really be about the pleasure of writing. Most of writing is the process, so we better enjoy it! You've put so much into this book and it's going to be the best book you can possibly write :)
I wrote an entire novel during my undergraduate and MFA that never, ever got published, and likely never will. That has helped me let go of worrying about writing to an end, or the idea that my writing has to be something published. Writing that book taught me so much. I worked so hard on it! Everything I learned is part of my process now, so it wasn't a waste. And thank you so so much!! It really will be the best I can write, no doubt about that.
That's a great point, Carmella, about finding ways to enjoy the process! If I put so much time into one project, hopefully, at least some of the work should feel worthwhile.
I always find so much to relate to in your posts. A few months ago, I set upon my novel revision by writing down each scene onto index cards (let me email you a pic.), encouraged by Emme in her workshop (https://femalegaze.substack.com). It was a painful, revealing exercise.
B, I'm nearly the same age as you (42 in a few months).
C, so much relate to feeling that writing is an end in itself. Publication feels like only the last milestone, the signal that this is over now, I don't need to work on it anymore. Someday I'll get there, but it's not the point of the journey.
also, this is what I wrote to a friend this morning, about my revision: writing is so hard, how does anyone do it? you keep it at for so long all by yourself, page by page, chapter by chapter. Two more weeks of this feels like forever.
I'm very much looking forward to reading your book. A good friend of mine (a woman) was a firefighter in CO in college and it seems to me to be an under-discussed occupation. Everyone has their reasons for getting into that kind of work, like everyone has their reasons for hiking the PCT or running a marathon. I'm eager to read more about your journey!
Thank you so much, TaraShea!! It really is a profession that brings together so many different types of people. I still miss it sometimes (I mean, kind of...). It's wonderful to know that you're looking forward to the book. Meeee tooo lol.
I love the index cards as an in-real-life way to visualize a whole book. I remember Lilly Dancyger posted on social media about printing out her whole memoir manuscript and taping it up on the walls of her apartment as part of the final revision. I'm fascinated by all these ways to make the book feel more real than a long Word doc on the computer.
Thank you for sharing your process. I find that I fixate too much on the end goal, when it should really be about the pleasure of writing. Most of writing is the process, so we better enjoy it! You've put so much into this book and it's going to be the best book you can possibly write :)
I wrote an entire novel during my undergraduate and MFA that never, ever got published, and likely never will. That has helped me let go of worrying about writing to an end, or the idea that my writing has to be something published. Writing that book taught me so much. I worked so hard on it! Everything I learned is part of my process now, so it wasn't a waste. And thank you so so much!! It really will be the best I can write, no doubt about that.
That's a great point, Carmella, about finding ways to enjoy the process! If I put so much time into one project, hopefully, at least some of the work should feel worthwhile.
I always find so much to relate to in your posts. A few months ago, I set upon my novel revision by writing down each scene onto index cards (let me email you a pic.), encouraged by Emme in her workshop (https://femalegaze.substack.com). It was a painful, revealing exercise.
B, I'm nearly the same age as you (42 in a few months).
C, so much relate to feeling that writing is an end in itself. Publication feels like only the last milestone, the signal that this is over now, I don't need to work on it anymore. Someday I'll get there, but it's not the point of the journey.
Good luck with your revision. See you Friday :)
also, this is what I wrote to a friend this morning, about my revision: writing is so hard, how does anyone do it? you keep it at for so long all by yourself, page by page, chapter by chapter. Two more weeks of this feels like forever.
please email me a pic!!
I'm very much looking forward to reading your book. A good friend of mine (a woman) was a firefighter in CO in college and it seems to me to be an under-discussed occupation. Everyone has their reasons for getting into that kind of work, like everyone has their reasons for hiking the PCT or running a marathon. I'm eager to read more about your journey!
Thank you so much, TaraShea!! It really is a profession that brings together so many different types of people. I still miss it sometimes (I mean, kind of...). It's wonderful to know that you're looking forward to the book. Meeee tooo lol.
I love the index cards as an in-real-life way to visualize a whole book. I remember Lilly Dancyger posted on social media about printing out her whole memoir manuscript and taping it up on the walls of her apartment as part of the final revision. I'm fascinated by all these ways to make the book feel more real than a long Word doc on the computer.