Journey Of A Novel

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10th chapter

The journey of my novel

Tanya V 8 August 2023

Well I did it!

I put myself ‘out there’ to find out if I should continue developing my novel or keep it on my shelf just for me.

Months back I took myself along to the writer’s centre in my capital city, plonked my bag on the reception counter and said, ‘I’m here to ask some advice on my book’. After asking a few questions the receptionist went off to find a guy who asked me some more questions to determine how and if they could help me.

The gist of what I had to say was:

‘I don’t have any money to throw at it.’

’I have reached a point of development where I need input for perspective.’

’I wrote it for myself so could stop now but want to know if there is a market for it.’

‘Should I continue developing it?’

A publishing competition was recommended, it had an entry fee…

So I made the investment in myself and have been waiting ever since for an email to tell me if I made the short or long list.

I made neither.

But, as part of the competition all that enter are given feedback on their work.

Score! That is exactly what I want.

Today I had a half hour session with feedback.

I was surprised to be told that I should continue, I have a market, and that they want to work with me if I develop the weak points. It was made clear to me that I may be rejected again from them or any other place I submit my work but that I should be accepted soon after that.

‘A few more reviews are needed’, was what I was told.

The process could take two years or more.

So with that I’m back at it – waiting hasn’t been easy.

I have missed writing and the journey of my novel.

Out of my control

Tanya V 17 March 2023

At just over 27000 words written in ten chapters I have a novella. There may be more that I can add, I’ll mull over the story at a distance for the next week or so, but I think that I am done. When I have returned to the keyboard and read, and re-read I delete more words than I add. Writing seems to come down to removing words rather than writing them – for me that’s the case most of the time.

If I had more to say I’d add it but I don’t. I could ‘flesh it out’ but I don’t want love handles padding out my work for the sake of more words on the page to satisfy the idea of what a story needs to be. For the most part I’m done and little shell shocked at the thought of it.

The next step is to put it out there and myself with it. Daunting doesn’t really describe the feeling behind that task but it’s in the right direction.

For years I have tinkered away in my fantasy land growing my creative habits and learning of the craft of writing. This has been challenging and scary and exciting. I have overcome many blocks that have stopped my progress, all of these block I have found to be imagined or fuelled by ignorance from a lack of experience.

Now it’s time for my creative process be taken from my control.

I’m very intimidated at the prospect of not being able to be present with my work at every moment as I give it over to others, but I will. I have found a writing program to apply to where, if they deem your work publishable, it will be pathwayed into the hands of agents and publishers.

All I can do is try and see how I go. Beyond that it is out of my control.