Last week I ran away with my family for a cruise. Getting away--no phones, no internet, no one needing anything from me, and sadly no writing either--was exactly what I needed. I didn't even get to read that much. The experience helped me get my perspective back though.
I had been creating my own emotional turmoil because I was falling behind my goals. For some reason, I'd forgotten I was in charge of MY GOALS! Timelines can change if they need to. Especially when there hasn't been adequate time to work on a project and no one else is demanding it be finished. No matter how much I want to release it by Christmas, it will be much better to wait and put the time in that it needs to solve the problems with the plot and some major pacing issues.
This was confirmed by a few comments from a beta reader Sunday. I was lucky enough to have another author agree to read for me. Better yet, he'll be the first man to read this mess of a story. I miss having men in writer's group! He's only been through a few chapters and he's seen things that once mentioned are obvious. Sadly, they were not to my female mind.
Funny how a few simple comments can put a mind at ease. I knew something was off, that's why I couldn't finish the story, but I couldn't figure out what it was. Now that I have a direction to work, I feel so much better. And, I'm fine not publishing this book until next year.
It'll be worth the wait, I promise!
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The September question: What publishing path are you considering/did you take, and why?
My first novels were traditionally published because I had no idea what I was doing. I'm glad I went that route. It allowed me time to learn and grow while a team of people helped me get started. It was a smaller publisher though. This simply means they put the money up front into the cover, editing, typesetting, put the books on Amazon and moved on. There was no marketing and no timely reporting to let me know if my marketing efforts were getting results. I eventually made the move to get my rights back for those books.
All my books are now self-published. I've found that the control freak in me likes being able to access stats any time I want. If I'm running a promotion or ad, I can watch in real time to see what works and what doesn't. No more wasting time or money. Plus, I love searching for the perfect cover and having more control over that first impression. Now if something's not working, I know it's my fault and I fix it. It's quite liberating.
Glad you got away for a while.
ReplyDeleteSometimes it takes a different perspective to see things.
This is so true! I had to get away to remember I'm actually in charge of my own writing career, and I needed a guy's perspective to fix my novel. :)
DeleteOoh! I love books that are worth waiting for. =) Thank goodness for awesome beta readers and perspective. Let me add some cheese to the pile and see if that might help a little, eh?
ReplyDeleteMe too! Hopefully I won't disappoint on this one. Cheese, chocolate, bring it on!
DeleteHappy IWSG Day!
ReplyDeleteGetting away is the best. I did it in the Spring.
Sometimes waiting is best. It's great you have a helpful beta-reader.
I find that self-publishing is best for us control freaks; still, traditionally publishing with a small press seem like it can be a nice experience.
Every once in a while I get that "what if" feeling and wonder if I should query and try for a big publisher. I think, "that would be validating". Then I come to my senses and get back to work. LOL. I'm not writing for validation anymore. I'm writing because I have stories to share and because it feeds my soul. Sometimes I forget, but when I remind myself of that I'm perfectly happy with where I'm at.
DeleteYeah, sometimes it helps to step back and go "this timeline isn't working, I need to push back the deadline". Glad you were able to get away.
ReplyDeleteMe too! Thanks Liz.
DeleteA get away like that sounds fun. I should take one of those because I think I need it. Might help with my fatigue.
ReplyDeleteGood quick summary of the two options. I like that the trad publisher at least got things started for you. That left you to learn post-writing stuff more slowly.
ReplyDeleteI'm glad you had that time away.
ReplyDeleteI went with a small publisher, too, and I'm glad I did because I learned a lot. You're right that you're pretty much on your own, though. I'll keep those titles with them. however, since I won't do any better...I'm already doing all I can, so it wouldn't matter. But having that option is great.
It's so good to take a break and regain perspective. And it's true, you know when something is off about your novel, but it takes someone else pointing it out for you to figure it out. Good luck getting it back on track!
ReplyDeleteNot having those services available made for a guilt free vacation. Whoohoo!
ReplyDeleteDon't be so hard on yourself. But it seems you have a very good support system for your writing. Cool when that all works out.
When we took our cruise, I brought my computer so I could write. I knew we wouldn't have internet (not without paying a LOT). When I unpacked, I put the computer in a drawer, for safe keeping. The next time I saw it was when we were packing to leave. LOL It was wonderful not to think about anything other than enjoying the trip and the family. So glad you had that experience. Men think differently from women. LOL Always good to get their perspective. Good luck on that story.
ReplyDelete