For a start, I have sent my first draft to a publisher, and I now have an agent. I know! It looks like my book might actually be published. How scarytastic is that?
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| Illustration copyright Matt Clare at Mono Design |
I have also taken on board advice about how to improve my first draft which has required me to:
- get in contact with Vietnam Veterans
- interview Veterans
- do more extensive research on the Vietnam War
- do more extensive research on PTSD
- read books on structure to make the flow of material work better
Oh, and one of the new threads I am writing has forced me to reassess the entire nature of the relationship I have with my deceased father? Yeah, no biggie.
I keep thinking I should write a blog post, but then I get an email from a Veteran, or a brain wave about my story goal, or a new piece of Vietnam history drops into my lap, or I freak out about how the hell I am going to pull this whole thing together and read non-fiction books for hours to see how other people do it.
At least I don't have writer's block. What is the opposite of that? Writer's tsunami? That's what it feels like: a huge wave of information and ideas bearing down on me that I am running full pelt to keep up with. I keep siphoning off what I can, scribbling notes, recording thoughts into a dictaphone, making phone calls, writing, reading, editing. But I still feel like I am barely keeping up.
I am looking forward to the day when the wave finally levels out so I can start editing. Then I can send out the second draft to some of my cleverest friends for feedback. And edit again. Did I mention all of this has to happen before the end of the year because my agent has let publishers know she will be "sending my manuscript wide" then?
I wish I could borrow Hermione Granger's time turner to buy me some extra time. I will keep you posted on how I go. Or, given my track record of sporadic blogging, maybe not.
Have you ever had a writer's tsunami?
Wow Ruth, a Writer's Tsunami! I think I am experiencing something like this with a project I am working on at the moment. It's a community history project and we keep finding more and more stories. I have experienced this as overwhelming and I feel some pressure to lead the project to completion sooner rather than later. However as I read your post it makes me realise how much richer your completed book will be as a result of your exploration of more stories. And this makes me think it is far better to finish later than to finish sooner with a book full of story but not as much meaning. Perhaps there is a point when the addition of further stories starts to add less and less meaning? I feel like with our community project we have not yet reached that point. Do you have a sense when you might reach that point with your stories? Thanks for a another excellent, insightful and generative post!
ReplyDeleteHey Troy,
ReplyDeleteLovely to hear from you. I am jumping around a bit all over the place with my writing at the moment. Trying to trust in the process and stay open to the idea that logical sequence will reveal itself to me if I keep moving ahead.
I can see how too many stories might get confusing but if any veteran makes the effort of contacting me, and wants to tell me something of their experience in the Vietnam war, I will listen to them regardless, out of deep and genuine respect for all they have been through, even if their stories don't end up being used in the book.
And I hear what you are saying about finishing later with a book more rich in meaning. There is also something to be said about grabbing opportunities as they arise and being in the right place at the right time. I am also comforted by the idea there will be a lot more editing once it gets to the publisher. My next draft will by no means be my final one.
I am hoping that before I send it out I can get it to a stage where I cover the Vietnam story to the degree that feels right to me, outlining the key events in my Dad's service as well as some backstory/ homecoming stories/ PTSD stories and editors and publishers might come back with ideas of their own. Having never published a book before I am not entirely sure what to expect!
I am also culling some childhood stories / expanding others / writing others to tighten the theme further (I hope that is what I am doing at least).
I have just had the kids home full-time for school hols so am feeling very behind. Must get onto it.
Look forward to hearing more about your project.