The Unmentioned

A couple of weeks ago, I made an important commitment to myself: I started writing my first full-length novel.

I've tried doing it before, but I usually end up getting frustrated due to my own perfectionism -- I tend to write and then rewrite over and over again until everything I've done meets my complete satisfaction. Eventually, boredom sets in as my focus narrows to the littlest details, and the frustration starts to flare out of control as I realize that I've only made about a page or two of progress each day.

This time, though, things are a little different. I got an extensive, detailed book that's meant to help writers keep themselves motivated, and eventually even get their works published. It has helped tremendously, and I'm finding the writing experience to be a much more rewarding one this time around. Sure, I still get annoyed with it sometimes, but now I'm either using strategies from the book or my own personal ones in order to ensure that I don't just give up like I have in the past.

I've found that one of the most helpful strategies is to create a special place in my home that is meant solely for the purpose of writing, and then go to that place each day when I'm ready to begin (this one I picked up from the book). I've equipped it with a dictionary, thesaurus, computer, electronic encylopedia, the book I just mentioned, and plenty of other helpful tools -- even some drawing pads, in case I get the itch to doodle or to try to draw some concept art. Oh, and of course, it has a stereo at the ready, with plenty of soothing music that helps me relax without interfering with my concentration. If you're a writer, and you're having trouble focusing, I definitely suggest trying this out for yourself, if you haven't already. It's a real treat -- like your own little corner of the world. The best part is, if you choose the place wisely, you can leave all of your writing stuff right where it is when you're ready for a break, and you'll be ready to pick up right where you left off when you come back.

Another one of the most helpful strategies I've discovered is to try rewriting the last paragraph I wrote each time I sit down to start writing again. This helps me get back into the rhythm and flow of my ideas, and usually reminds me of what I wanted to write about next. This one, especially, is a good one to try if you're having trouble continuing your writing from one day to the next.

Moving on, to my actual writing...

It's hard to describe the feelings I get while I'm working. Sometimes, things are running so smoothly that I can write for two hours straight without lifting my fingers from the keyboard; it's like I'm not writing new stuff at all, but rather, talking about something that happened to me personally, as if it happened yesterday. Other times, writing even one paragraph is like trying to pull my own teeth. When that happens, I usually take a break, but there have been a few occasions when I've trudged onward, pushing myself to try harder and not give up until I feel I've made some real progress. Sometimes, that decision is rewarding, and leads to some great, stress-relieving breakthroughs; other times, it just leads to misery. That's okay, though; I'm learning, and I'm steadily approaching my goal, at my own pace.

As for the story itself -- I've completed the rough drafts of the first two chapters, and I'm on my way to completing the rough draft of the third.

It was extremely slow going in the beginning, mostly because I couldn't decide how to open the story up; I completely rewrote the first chapter at least four or five times. Then, one afternoon, just before lunch, it hit me -- I knew exactly what needed to happen to speed up the pace of the plot, how to introduce the main character, and how to describe the initial setting. I typed for around 2 1/2 hours, and when I finally took a break, I read through what I had written. It wasn't perfect -- I fully intend to continue to revise every chapter that I write, even as I go further into the novel -- but it was a good enough foundation to build upon for the next chapter.

Since then, I've continued to revise and rewrite sections of the first and second chapters; I reread them every time I sit down to start writing, and make a few minor adjustments here or there. Then, I press on, jumping forward to the place where I had last stopped writing -- usually with a refreshed sense of how to connect what I am going to write with what I have already written. Obviously, I can't keep this up for the entire length of the novel -- but nonetheless, it's helping out a lot right now.

I can't begin to describe how excited I am about this story -- forget all the technical stuff. I've been formulating ideas for it for over a year now, doing some drawings and making lists and descriptions of characters, settings, and other plot elements.

I've even been acting out some portions of the novel, by myself, in order to get a feel for how a realistic character should really move, act, react, and look in different situations (I feel like a movie stuntman sometimes, because the story involves swordfighting and some light acrobatics -- I mess around with stuff I find around the house, too, in order to create special effects or sounds, so I can describe them better in the book). I've been thinking about possibly asking someone else I trust to help me out with a few of the acting or effects bits, but I'm not sure yet; I tend to get shy around others too quickly.

Perhaps most importantly, I've kept my eyes and ears open whenever I'm not writing, for things that could spark more ideas -- the appearances or demeanor of people I see in public, names on billboards and in magazines, etc. I have always been an observant person, and that skill is certainly finding plenty of use now.

Oh, and I am NEVER bored now. Every moment that I don't spend doing something else is a moment I spend thinking about how the ideas are all interrelated and interconnected. For instance, the main character has a special kind of magic power that enables him to "collect things" (trying not to spoil a surprise from the book, here). I've spent hours deliberating on how powerful it should be, how it could relate to the magical talents of other characters in the story, how other characters should feel about his talent (it raises some important moral questions), how he himself should feel about it, how he might use it for his own purposes, how he might use it to help others, how he might cause horrible accidents with it, whether he should try to hide it from other people, how it might be the key to solving the biggest conflict in the book (and at the same time, require a sacrifice that he might not be willing to make), etc. I really wish I could be more specific, but I'd like to keep it all a secret until I'm sure how certain things will work out.

I would love to reveal some specific information about the plot, too, but I'm a little wary about posting ideas that will probably shift and change as I continue to write, so I think I'll hold off on that, too, until I get closer to my goal. I think I might take a break from the novel long enough to write a short story that explains some of the finer points, and if I do, I'll be sure to post it here.

Thank God for the inspiration -- I don't think I've ever been this excited about anything in my life. I only hope I continue to meet with success.