Answered

The questions I asked yesterday are important if you’re to be an author, and here is why:

The first question: How many unfinished manuscripts do you have? If you’re still working on the first one, you have to ask yourself how long you’ve spent on it and how much longer you’re willing to spend. If you’ve half a dozen or more, that’s great. You’re slowly working through what needs to be done to finish one. You’re realising that with unfinished manuscripts, there is something wrong with them. When you find the problem, those ms’s will be ready for you.

Second question: How long did it take you to finish the first draft of your first book? Some authors spend years for that perfect manuscript. More power to them, but do you really have that time to waste? Yes, some of those books are published, but more aren’t. I’ve heard ‘Oh, I’ve been working on it for ten years’. To which I replied ‘Why?’ Answer? ‘I don’t have a lot of time to spend on it.’ Ten years for a book? A cop-out as far as I’m concerned. There are many, many authors who have a family, who have a full time job and still manage to publish at least once a year. No excuses, people. You want to write? Then write! Don’t search for reasons why you can’t; know the reasons why you can!

Third question: What is your first novel about? It matters not, only that you’re able to describe it in as fewer words as possible. It’s good practice for future novels and you’re in a situation with an editor or agent and they ask ‘Oh? A novel? What’s it about?’ You’ve got to be ready.

Fourth question: How long did it take you to do the first edit? Trick question. Most first-time authors will whizz through and call it done. Sadly, this is not the way. You have to let it sit for a couple of months. Let it stew and work on something else, even if it is absorbing technical books – grammar, structure, characterization, method, motivation. But. Read fiction, too. You’ll be surprised but what you’ll learn and what you already know. When you return, you’ll be better equipped to see the problems.

Fifth question: Short stories or novels? As I said yesterday, short stories help me to stay concise – no extraneous words. Some authors stick with shorts and are exceptionally good at it; some authors stick with the longer version because it’s what they know, and they, too are terrific at it. Practice both. Each length has something to teach.

Sixth question: Organic or Structured? Writers are usually one or the other, not both. The only right way is your way. I’ve tried the structured method and failed – and I tried really hard. It just wasn’t for me. Organic, to me, is simply more exciting, more action-oriented and full of surprises. I can’t keep myself to a plan; I’m always moving on from that point towards a different direction than when I started. So, organic writing is for me.

Seventh question: Genre? This is also something you’ll have to find out for yourself. But read widely. Read a lot of genres; write a lot of genres until you find one you’re comfortable with. I haven’t settled on one because I don’t work that way (or, I should say, my muse doesn’t work that way). No doubt when I finally do publish, it will be under a few names.

Now you have a better insight into your writer-self. It’s another facet to you, and if you really think about your answers, even if you’re working on your first novel, you’ll find a way to finish.