Shannon Dittemore is the author of the Angel Eyes trilogy. She has an overactive imagination and a passion for truth. Her lifelong journey to combine the two is responsible for a stint at Portland Bible College, performances with local theater companies, and a focus on youth and young adult ministry. For more about Shan, check out her website, Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest.
I came across a quote this week that I thought was worth chatting about. I’ve sort of lived this advice for a while and it’s a great time for me to give you my thoughts on it.
So, here it is. Rick Riordan in all his glory:
I absolutely agree with this quote, except that I do have one, teeny, tiny disclaimer and that’s this:
Every writer goes through seasons in their career. Even teen writers. And I think it would be a shame to overlook the benefit of not being contracted. That’s right. There’s a HUGE benefit to not having to write what you promised a publishing house you’d write. The benefit is that you can WRITE WHATEVER YOU WANT.
We all go through phases where we need to start a million projects and one-by-one toss them aside. It’s part of the growing process. If that’s where you are, don’t feel bad about it. Learn as you scribble furiously.
THAT SAID, Riordan’s advice up there cannot be discounted. I’ve stumbled into this place with every book I’ve written and I can only now, after finishing my most recent manuscript, say with any certainty that it was perseverance that got me to the end. Not talent, not brilliance, not a magical bean. Perseverance. Period.
My detective story took me twice as long to write as any of my other books and I was tempted to throw in the towel on several occasions. I’m so glad I didn’t. So very glad I stuck with it to the end. Even if it never gets published, it’s the story I wanted to tell and I’m proud that the story exists as one of my accomplishments.
The upside of sticking with it is that you really will finish a book. And that’s something most people never do. If the writing is hard right now, if you’d rather start something new, do yourself a favor and try these things first:
1. Reread what you’ve written. My guess is that in those early pages–the pages you were excited about–you’ve given yourself hints. You’ve unintentionally told yourself where to go next. FOR EXAMPLE, when I was trying to develop a bad guy for Broken Wings (minor spoiler alert!), I remembered that a very creepy man simply disappeared during the climax of Angel Eyes. It was enough of a start to get me going again.
2. Delete a character. This one is a bit heartbreaking, but it can jump start your writing. What happens to your tale if that old lady with the best advice ever never appears? What does that do to your story?
3. Rewrite chapters from a different point of view. But that’s so much work! I know, I do. But it will get you writing again. And you may find you like your storyworld better through the eyes of a different character.
4. Cut scenes that are bothering you. Just do it. Cut and paste them into another document in case you change your mind, but get rid of them. It’s like getting a long overdo haircut. You’ll feel cleaner and healthier for taking the plunge.
5. Plot out your next three scenes. This is hard for a pantser, but because it’s so different from what you normally do, it could give you the boost you need to keep going.
AND THE TRICK IS TO KEEP GOING! Editing is the fun part, but we’ve got to get our book written first. Get it on the page. Fix it later. That other story that’s been begging for your attention? It’ll be fun at first too, but I PROMISE, it will get hard. They all do.
Tell me, what do you do when you hit the sagging middle of your book?
What keeps you writing?