What Writing a Novel Has Taught Me
As you can see from the title, I have some very exciting news! As of the first of this month, I’ve officially finished the first draft of my debut novel: REVELATIONS!
cue appropriate fanfare
While this is only the first of many steps I’ve completed in this process (currently doing my best to wait two weeks until going back for revisions with fresh eyes), this one step has been an education in of itself. Here are five lessons this project has taught me.
You can’t edit a blank page.
I know people say this fairly often in the generic writing advice spaces, but they’re important words to remember. Through the harder chapters, where the next point was clear but the path to was foggy, these words served as a mantra. The goal when writing a first draft is to tackle the blank page, any substantial strengthening is later. It’s hard to turn off that critical part of one’s brain, but it’s important to learn how to do… at least, that is, until you need it for later.
Even with everything under the sun planned, it’s okay to change things. The first draft is where you get to play!
REVELATIONS is a story I’ve told myself off and on for as long as I can remember. I’ve tried getting it down on paper since middle school, when I first started writing down my stories. It was a bedtime story I’d tell myself at night, it was a story I’d play through my head during long, quiet car rides. It’s a part of me—for better or worse. But, even with it being almost as old as I am, it’s gone through countless changes. There were versions with different relationships between the main characters (ie, cousins instead of sisters), the characters have had different names, backstories… But, the motivations, the cores of these characters, have stayed the same.
The first draft is where you get to play with whatever you want, the “spaghetti draft,” in a sense. Just throw something at the screen and see how well it sticks! It’s okay to experiment and deviate from the series bible, because sometimes you’ll have a breakthrough that’s worth the rewrites it’ll require later!
Being a plantser is valid.
Yes, I know! What a revelation! When I first became privy to the pantser v. plotter argument, I came down hard on the side of pantser. I thought the only way to truly, veritably know your story and characters was for them to show you who they are. I romanticized the concept of punching out a 60,000 word novel without a single syllable of a plan going into it. But, I would keep hitting the same roadblocks in the middle.
I tried to be a staunch plotter for a time to counteract that struggle, but it was too constricting. I had no room to breathe or play in the world I was creating. If I deviated form the all-knowing outline, it would fill me with such self-inflicted defeat for being a “bad plotter,” that I’d abandon the project altogether. This manuscript, finally, has shown me a balance of both paths that works for me. Make an outline, follow it until the pacing needs adjusting, then redo the outline. Does REVELATIONS, therefore, have 4-5 outlines? Perhaps, but that’s okay! It’s what works for me, and that’s what matters.
Not writing every day is valid.
Another bit of advice I’ve come across throughout these last few months is to “write a little bit every day, even if it’s only five words.” I’m sorry, but forcing myself to sit down and write even just a sentence when my brain is fried from life and work is not it. It makes me resent writing, the thing that should always bring me (ultimately) joy. Writing is my art, it’s how I use my voice. Resenting my voice is something that would require therapy to work through, and no one has funds for that in this economy! By not trying to force the words throughout this manuscript, I was able to be more productive than I have in the past.
By not writing every day, I was able to write over 15,000 words in one week. That’s a quarter of my projected word count! Skipping days when I didn’t have the spoons for writing not only helped my overall mental health in the long run, but it allowed me to have a healthy relationship with my project. Otherwise, one could start to view the manuscript as an oppressive force in their life, and—again—that sounds like something that would need therapy to work through.
Somtimes it’s okay to sprint in a marathon.
Lastly, there’s a saying on writertok (you can find me @rhiannon.lee.writes). It goes “Writing isn’t a sprint, it’s a marathon.” I recognize that a marathon is about endurance and not speed, but are there not runners who see that last ever so many miles till the finish line and just run like their life depends on it? Is summit fever not a thing, or are we supposed to ignore it? Yes, by all means, please finish your project in your own timeline.
As with most sayings and pieces of advice on the internet, it should be taken with a grain of salt. Some people write faster than others, and that’s okay! It doesn’t mean what’s coming out onto the page is garbage, it just means you’ve reached a flow state! Your story is essentially writing itself, just sit back and enjoy it. There will be plenty of days where that isn’t the case!
So… what now?
Ah yes, the big question. Where do we go from here? Well, as I said before, I’m taking a break from the project (though I am thinking of some fun side stories I could do to keep my brain in the universe). I need to go at it with fresh eyes so I can start revisions. I’ve already developed a somewhat-method of self-editing for structure. I’ve also begun to work on my query letter, because I’ve decided to try and traditionally publish this work first! I believe in the marketability of REVELATIONS, and I think it could do really well in the trad spaces. However, I am still very open to doing self-publishing if the query trenches get too steep.
If we go down that road, I do have some ideas already for that, as well…
For now, though, a much deserved break. I’m freshening the palette with a completely different project, with vibes similar to Supernatural, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, and Jennifer’s Body. (You can catch a preview on my TikTok!) Then, after another week away from it, I’ll return to the initial manuscript and start making some changes! While it feels daunting, it’s mostly exciting to take the next step with this project and strengthen the prose as much as possible.
Thank you for checking in, and for continuing to be with me on this—albeit sparse—journey. I appreciate y’all!
Sincerely,
Me
