1/25/11

Etc. – End of Thinking Capacity


Well, I’ve done it.  I’ve finished writing my second novel (or shall I say manuscript, seeing as I have yet to be published?).  Let me rephrase: I have completed this version of my book as much as I can without getting a second opinion.  It may be utter garbage (I hope not; I kind of love it), but if I read it again I will go crazy.  So it’s off to the editor with you, brain-child.




And now for a little re-cap:

I began writing this book over two years ago, but it took me less than a year to write all told (I neglected it for a few solid months).  

In the process, I spent quite a bit of time doing what a writer does best: staring at the wall.  I excuse myself by quoting James Norman Hall: “Loafing is the most productive part of a writer’s life.”

Naturally I struggled with insecurity.  After all, “the worst enemy to creativity is self-doubt.”  Thank you, Sylvia Plath.

Also writer’s block.  As Terri Guillemets says, “writer's block is a disease for which there is no cure, only respite.

So I stared at the wall some more.

And then I realized I must write, despite it all.  According to Sinclair Lewis, “it is impossible to discourage the real writers – they don’t give a damn what you say.  They are going to write.”  After all, there’s nothing to it.  You just “sit down at a typewriter and open a vein” (Walter Smith).

Once finished (writing, not bleeding to death), I reread the thing over again and the process of review just about killed me.


How to Write: Pinned from Here

 And now I’m going to print it, bind it, and give it to my lovely editor.  Who I know will be kind, even if she must tell me that my novel is a poorly-written first draft with a sorry plot, a pathetic cast, and a pitiful ending.  Thereby saving me from the embarrassment of trying to find an agent for my sorry little mess.

At which point I will begin writing a new book.   It will be “a novel about a beautiful yet sensitive author whose spirit is crushed by her domineering editor.  Do you like it?”   (Shaffer and Barrows.)



Le Sigh.

14 comments:

  1. I think it is pretty cool you have an editor to send your work to. :)

    Congrats on finishing your 2nd novel.

    Have you thought of self publishing (not that I know anything about it :)

    I like that you are keeping your sense of humour about it, 3rd novel sounds good :) T.

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  2. yeah! Im so proud of you.
    Im sure your editor will love it and think you did a great job.
    Be proud of yourself.

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  3. I use to think that when I finished it would credit a standing ovation, a parade, at the very least a chest bump with some energetic fan. I was so sad it just meant I would get to edit it and revise..only to edit and revise. Then to send it to a harsh cold agent.

    Pretty sure I am leaning toward self publishing these days. I like the control.

    I wish you the best with the your book! Number three...haaa.

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  4. Actually it's number two. Number one is on a shelf, waiting to resurface. Number one and a half never made it to the second draft. So this is number two.

    Yes. . . it feels like there should be a standing ovation - it was a lot of work! I'm exhausted.

    Now the truly exhausting part begins.

    I am open to self publishing, for sure.

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  5. Oh, I forgot what I wrote about Book Number Three. I just wrote the post and I've already forgotten what I said (a true testament to my exhaustion).

    The quote about the crushed author is from The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society. One of my favorite books, by far.

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  6. This is such exciting news! I love it, and I hope that you keep us all posted :).

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  7. Have I told you lately that I'm proud of you? (I meant to, but it may have landed somewhere between Ross' whining, and the glass of mixed-success wine, so it bears repeating)

    And I'm fairly sure your editor will love it.

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  8. I'll bribe her! I'll send her the rest of the wine.

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  9. Ahhh, the quotes are so good!
    Open a vein...oh boy... :)

    I think you're kind of awesome for writing books. Actually finishing them.
    Wow.
    :)

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  10. AAAAaaahhh! You finished your novel! Congratulations/I'm jealous! I took a break from staring at the wall for about twenty minutes, and wrote a crappy poem about spotted owls just avoid my novel yesterday. Then I went back to staring at the wall.

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  11. Oh. And I love that you titled the post about finishing your magnum opus "Etc. End of thinking Capacity." You're adorable!

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  12. i can't even finish reading a book lately, no less write one.

    you're so ahead of the game. :]

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  13. Congrats and good luck with it all
    I recently took part in a meme whatever one of those is and wrote 7 things about myself in a blog post at http://gigglingatitall.blogspot.com
    Apparently the "rule" is that I must then tag whatever that means 15 bloggers and ask them to blog post 7 random facts about themselves that readers do not know. So consider yourself tagged and thank you so much for all the lovely comments you leave

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  14. Congratulations! And i'm so jealous that you have an editor.

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( hippies always welcome )