Confronting the Post-NaNoWriMo Temptation To Publish

by Deren Hansen

If you're too impatient to take Bruce's excellent suggestion that you should work through your NaNoWriMo manuscript and prepare to workshop it at WIFYR next summer, then you should at least consider the six questions Laekan Zea Kemp poses, in a guest post on The Read Room, for anyone who wants to self-publish. Here's a sample:

"Despite the fact that every person and their dog thinks that they can write a book, living the life of a writer is not for the faint of heart. And whether you choose to publish through a traditional route or independently, the road to success isn’t an easy one.

"There’s a misconception about self-publishing that it’s somehow easier. And the draw for a lot of people is this ignorant idea that going indie means you get to skip all of the hard parts. But I’m here to tell you that, not only do you still have to suffer through all of the revisions and rejections and self-doubt, but you have to go through these things alone.

...

"2.  What are your intentions? ... If building a career is truly your intention, don’t rush into self-publishing. And more importantly don’t rush your story for the sake of putting it on sale as fast as possible.

"3.  Do you have the stamina? If you’ve only written one book in your entire life, you’re not ready to self-publish. Now, remember, this is just my opinion and I’m only speaking to self-publishers looking to become career authors, BUT knowing that you have the will-power and the desire to FINISH is extremely important. And when I say finish, I don’t mean one book. I mean finish what you start, each and every time. I didn’t self-publish my first book until I was halfway through the first draft of my third. Why? Because I wanted to be strategic about when I published and I wanted to prove to my readers that I was in this for the long haul. Careers aren’t built on just one book (and don’t give me some one in a million example of an author who did just that *cough* Harper Lee *cough*) they’re built on hard work and consistency. So before you even think about self-publishing, focus on building a backlist that will prove to you and readers out there that you’ve got what it takes to be a career author."

Read the entire article here. And then come back and tell us what you're going to do with your NaNoWriMo manuscript.

Deren Hansen is the author of the Dunlith Hill Writers Guides. This article is from Sustainable Creativity: How to Enjoy a Committed, Long-term Relationship with your Muse. Learn more at dunlithhill.com.

Quiet Your Inner Editor

by Deren Hansen

Several years ago I listened to Jeanette Ingold's suggestions for quieting your inner editor. I recently came across my notes and decided to share the highlights.

Jeanette began with the observation that editors are a critical part of the writing process because they "help bring out the power of well chosen details." Indeed, it is in the details where editors shine.

All of us who put pen to paper (if only metaphorically), have an inner editor--the writer's equivalent of a conscience. "Your internal editor is no-nonsense, wants to keep you out of trouble, and doesn't want you to make a fool of yourself."

The problem with the inner editor is that "when you're trying to do something new, you don't need your internal editor looking over your shoulder. You certainly don't need your internal editor when you're working on your first draft. At that point, you're still playing with the basic ideas of your characters, what they want, and who stands in their way."

Inner Editor

So, how do you get rid of your internal editor?

Well, you can't. But you can do the next best thing: put them to work.

Remember, your inner editor is all about details. So send them of to:

• Make a map of where the story takes place
• Create calendars and time-lines of events critical to the story
• Keep notes about character decisions

You can also keep your inner editor busy reading books. [Every writer knows, of course, that when you're not writing you should be reading.] Turn your inner editor loose on current books in your genre to see what works and what doesn't.

Process

Process is also a good way to calm your inner editor. If you work systematically, it's much easier to convince your inner editor that you'll come back and correct the details that may be amiss in the early drafts.

Jeanette offered the following suggestions about process:

• Don't be a binge writer; make a plan to write every day
• Take advantage of forward momentum. Just keep going forward even if you realize something needs a major change.
• Don't worry about getting the writing perfect. Worry about getting your story on paper. There will be plenty of time with subsequent drafts to polish the text.
• First drafts should be written chronologically
• Let your first draft season for a month or so after you finish, then read it straight through to the end ("for pleasure") to get a gut feeling for the pacing.
• After that first read-through, you can unleash your internal editor.
• Now the editor will cut out everything that doesn't belong in the story.
• Have some fun and write a jacket blurb before you turn your editor lose: it will give your internal editor an editorial framework.

Editing

Finally, when you start editing, remember, "The strength of your antagonist determines the strength of your protagonist." Look for ways to:

• Make your villains more villainous
• Pump up the stakes
• Make sure your hero really is the hero--the one who makes things happen

Deren blogs daily at The Laws of Making.