The other day I was talking to a client about fantasy.
How easy it is to write the first sentence of a story, that beginning scene, then sit back, dream the whole thing, and watch it fizzle when you don’t do the work to get it finished.
Years can go by like that, even decades.
I know, because before I completed Swarm (and subsequent books that will eventually be published) that was me.
Partial drafts, even nearly completed ones, of four – no, five – novels still clutter up my filing cabinet, the basement boxes.
Of course we talked about how independent creative projects of any kind demand engaging in the daily grind, but really both are important – the energy-producing flight of fancy and the work required to get the thing off the ground: fire the engines, achieve lift off, soar.
These days I’ve returned to a fantasy I’ve had for awhile, about an online course that I think will really serve people. Apart from my daydreams of what it will be, I’m also currently in the key-in-the-ignition stage and in order to move forward, I want to hear what you think.
If you’re a writer, I’m sure you’ve had plenty of experience with a stalled practice, impediments, challenges and successes (haven’t we all…) and I’d love to talk to you about all of this, in order to create a course that will make a difference.
What I currently have in mind – an online workshop that will move writers through the first draft they’ve been longing to write – is pretty powerful, I think, and could really assist people in jumping over some long-standing hurdles.
But I also want to find out what others think would be most useful for them, so over the next couple weeks, I’ll be engaging in brief phone, FaceTime and Skype chats to inform the creation of this course.
What do you think?
Are you a writer? Are you game?
Do you know someone else who might be?
If yes, please drop me a line or visit my scheduler to choose a time (they’re 30 minute slots but need only take about 15) when we can chat.
I’ll put the kettle on; let’s make stuff happen!
Wow. this is a great topic. I am currently working on my second draft of my fifth book. This book was partially done last year. I put it aside thinking, no one is going to read this crap, and after finishing another book, I went back to it. What can I say. My friend compares a first draft to giving birth to a 500 lb baby. I think of it as hacking your way through a jungle with a butter knife. You have a vague idea where you are going, but it is hard work all the way. The 2nd draft gets better, it is almost a joy as you figure out ways to make the book more fun and have cleverer clues. The second draft is like cleaning up the path, cutting away deadwood (even characters that you love that don’t add anything), trying to clean up typos and continuity errors (did I call the dog Spot or Fido?) that sort of thing. By the second draft you can feel that you have something real that can stand on its own. I still wake in the night worrying that my book is a POS, but I have more confidence in its ability to shine.
Thanks for commenting! I’ve always appreciated that E. L. Doctorow quote: “Writing a novel is like driving a car at night. You can see only as far as your headlights, but you can make the whole trip that way” although I also like your image of hacking through a jungle with a butter knife 🙂 Glad that you are making progress, and enjoying that blessing of confidence in the midst of the hard work and night-waking!