Friday, September 11, 2009

Listening to the twinges of doubt

Tip of the day: "In the eyes of a child, you will see the world how it should be." American Proverb

So, I hope to have a new manuscript to send to my agent by the end of the month! This both excites me and terrifies me.

You'd think it would get easier over time, but I don't think it ever does.

I'm so afraid I've failed miserably with this story. I think I have a good hook. And these days, that's certainly an important thing to have.

But I ask questions like - have I done the story justice? Are my characters well enough developed? Are the fantasy elements too far "out there?" Do I need more description in places?

And as I write these questions out, I think by the very fact that I'm writing them, thinking about them, I probably still have work to do. Granted, some of these concerns, like whether certain elements are even working, will have to wait until I get some reader feedback. I'm sending it to a critique partner next week, and it'll be interesting to see what she has to say.

But some of the other things, I know I just need to dig in and do some work.

Have you ever read over a manuscript and felt a little twinge of something as you read, but you said, oh no, it's fine, and just kept going? I call those twinges of doubt. I believe most of the time, our instincts know what needs to be done. We just need to listen. The problem is that listening means more work.

But writing IS work. Anyone who thinks otherwise is wrong. For those of you who have written a novel, published or unpublished, I applaud you. It's a lot of work, as I have recently discovered yet again. And revising is work. And revising again is work. And... well, you get the idea.

~Lisa, Miss Crafting a Career

5 comments:

Kristina Springer said...

Oh, I get those twinges but I'm totally stubborn about them. I refuse to change them until at least two or three critique partners say something. Then I finally cave and change whatever it is.

Christina Farley said...

Yes, it is so much work. And I think for myself with every draft or every project I push myself harder and expect more so it doesn't seen to get easier. Hang in there!

Emily Marshall said...

Yes, I get those twinges too. And it usually means more work. But sometimes I have to really ask myself if changing it will make it better or just different. Because I tend to want to change too much, and that's a vicious cycle to get out of too.

Kate Fall said...

I think Christy's right. We do expect more of ourselves every year. So much for writing getting easier.

I almost always get busted on those twinges of doubt. I don't know why I don't listen to them. Sometimes I just want to see what I can get away with, I guess!

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