Six Essentials To Pack On Your Novel Writing Journey – Marlene Adelstein
Have you ever gone on a trip and discovered you hadn’t packed all the right items? You didn’t have a sweater when the weather turned unexpectedly cold or an umbrella for that sudden rain storm. It’s uncomfortable to be away from home without the right gear. It can put a real damper on your trip.
The same can be said of your novel writing journey. Sure you need to have the writing craft down: a great premise, strong plot, well-written prose, original characters, good pacing, satisfying resolution. All that goes without saying. But if you bring along my suggested six essentials, you’ll be better prepared for the long, sometimes challenging journey ahead.
1. Drive/Persistence/Stamina – that passion that makes you want to tell your story, craft it, revise and revise it some more. That determination may waver but without it to start, you won’t stick with the process. There may be periods where you slow down, have to take deep breaths, regroup, but if you’re in it for the long haul, you’ll need this cocktail-like combo. Mix the three ingredients, stir, sip and start your journey.
2. Time – I crave chunks of quiet time from the start when my story is just percolating all through the plotting, writing, and editing stages. And like so many writers, I find it hard to carve out writing time from my normal work days.
For some people leaving home and going on a writing retreat is impossible. For me, it’s crucial to my process to get away from real life and all its distractions. I’ve gone to numerous artist colonies over the years. At each one I’ve written more in a few weeks than what I could have accomplished in a year at home. The locations are inspiring, the other artists can be supportive and stimulating. But I know a month away from jobs, spouses, kids and pets is impossible for many writers. So if a colony isn’t in your future, you can also create your own shorter retreat by booking a stay at an Air B&B or even a few hours in a co-working space.
And if money is the stumbling block, you can always take a day off, or at the least, a few hours for a quiet, nurturing woods walks. Put your writing first when you can.
3. Freelance Editor – my secret weapon. Okay, yes, I am a freelance book editor but that’s not why I’m putting this on the list. Getting an objective, professional outside read, one that you pay for from a pro is invaluable. I have paid for editors for my work and I’d do it again in a heartbeat. Yes, you need to save money for this. You get what you pay for! An edit from someone who does it for a living is not the same as having your mother or uncle read your book. Trust me on this.
4. Beta Readers – This is the term everyone uses these days for objective test readers (and again I don’t mean your well-meaning relatives). I simply call them great outside readers. I have collected a batch of smart readers, many of whom are published authors willing to read my whole manuscript and critique it. And I’ll do the same for them in return. I like to use a freelance editor first and once the book is in better shape I turn to beta readers.
5. Writers Group – if you don’t have room in your suitcase for more than one or two essentials, I’d take this item and the next. A writers group with members you respect will talk you off the cliff when you hate your writing and are about to toss it. They will give you cookies and wine and feed your insecure writer ego when you need it. They will read and reread draft after draft of your manuscript and not complain about it (well maybe just a little). They will give you smart, objective feedback that is worth the moon. You will thank the gods for these people. Mine are three great women and we’ve been together for eight years. Sometimes months go by when no one brings in pages, but we still meet and talk about writing, knowing we will have pages to share again. If you don’t have your own group…start one!
6. Patience, Trust, Faith – like the earlier cocktail Drive/Persistence/Stamina, this is another blend that might be the most important essential of all. I’m tortoise-like so my novel writing trip was long and slow. I don’t write everyday although I may think about it every day. I may jot down notes, mull over my characters and their predicaments. I may long to write and worry and wonder when I’ll have time to write. There may be periods when I lose faith. Maybe I’ve run out of steam. I hang in there, knowing this writing business is a commitment. From years of experience, I trust I will get back to it when I can. And I always do.
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Bio
Formerly a feature film executive working for Hollywood producers, Marlene now earns her living as a freelance book editor. In her spare time she works on her own writing. She has been awarded residencies to many artist colonies including The Macdowell Colony, Yaddo, The Wurlitzer Foundation, Fundacion Valpairiso, and MacNamara Foundation. Her short stories and personal essays have appeared in a number of literary journals and blogs.
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Websites:
author site: www.marleneadelstein.com
editing site: www.fixyourbook.com
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Six years ago, ten-year-old Sophie Albright disappeared from a shopping mall. Her mother, Jesse, is left in a self-destructive limbo, haunted by memories of her intense and difficult child, who was obsessed with birds. Trapped in her grief and guilt, Jesse stumbles through her workdays at a bookstore and spends her off hours poring over Sophie’s bird journals or haunting the mall to search for the face of her missing child.
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Category: Contemporary Women Writers, How To and Tips
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