This marathon called writing...
We do word sprints, often. But the whole thing is a test of endurance
If you follow me on Instagram, you might’ve seen my reel about writing if our algorithms aligned. (Geez, when did it stop being about the stars!?)
I started my novel last July and typed “The End” just before Christmas. I gave the work three months to breathe and then did my first read-through. It wasn’t awful, but I knew it needed work. The middle somehow felt like the end, but there was still a bunch of stuff that happened, so I decided it was probably a two-part book. Simple enough, right?
This is my first book, and I really felt like I didn’t know what I didn’t know, where exactly to begin, or even how to begin. It quickly became clear to me that “The End” was a lie; it’s more like the beginning, really. I had sticky notes everywhere, written notes, typed notes, and even notes on serviettes.
I heard book coach, Monica Cox, speak about the inside outline at the Broadleaf Writer’s Conference last year, so when I saw her post offering a Revision Roadmap session, I signed up immediately. And that decision started me on what feels like a more sustainable journey at this point.
I worked with Monica for over 8 weeks, and when I say the woman made me think, it is an understatement. I had to think about each character: who they were, what they were doing, what they wanted, why they wanted it, why they couldn’t have it, and why they mattered. Half the time I walk around not even knowing what I’m doing - much less anyone else! But honestly, it’s easier to figure out when they’re characters and not you!
Monica also asked me questions about my “ideal reader” - well, that had me reeling! You think it’s an easy answer, right? Sure, if you don’t dig deep, it is. At some point, I told Monica, there’s nothing that she’s said or asked that I haven’t really (fleetingly) thought about or considered; the difference is, I can ignore myself, but I couldn’t ignore her.
So, needless to say, after I finished an inside outline spreadsheet and Monica commented around the midpoint of the outline: This feels like the end. I was like - well, damn, call me out, why don’t ya? Honestly, I had to giggle because all that meant was now I had to face it and figure it out.
What happened after is where I think the “magic” might be. We talked about it, focused on two main storylines, and bam! There was my problem… my protagonist was not really my protagonist, at least not in the version I had written. Her story pretty much ended at the midpoint. Sure, she was present in the rest of the book, but not with the weight she had in the first half.
And here is where I get a little emotional…. this poor character (Olivia), her main want is to be seen as herself. “She wants to know she is enough, because she’s had enough.” And what did I do? I let her fade into the shadows for part two, and never saw her “become”. (Sorry, Olivia) Well, now I have the opportunity to fix it.
Thank you, Monica, for helping me see the things I couldn’t see through the “fog”, and for “illuminating” my path to a better version of my story.
I heard a timely and interesting thing this week: You can’t have a novel without first having a story. Write the story and then make the novel.
After working with Monica and wrestling with all these ideas, words, and scenes in my head, I finally built a better inside outline. I cut some stuff (of course, it’s saved in a folder for a future project), but this has given me room to go deeper, and to layer the important things… and above all, Olivia will be seen, and I will be able to breathe.