I completed the second draft of my debut novel "The Belles of St. Mary's" over the weekend. What a rush! Three-hundred and forty-seven pages, eighty-five-thousand words.
I learned a lot of writing and about myself during the process of writing the book:
1. There really is no such thing as writer's block! Make a schedule, keep to it, show up and do the work! Before I knew it, I had fifty-pages, then one-hundred, then two-hundred. A thousand words a day adds up quickly.
2. It's a marathon, not a sprint. Keep your mind sharp. Get plenty of sleep and show up ready to write.
3. Follow the story, especially if it leads you in a new direction. "Belles" is such a different story than I originally set out to tell. While the story is similar to the first draft, the characters really came alive in the second draft, and did things I never saw coming. In every case, I followed my gut and was pleasantly surprised by the outcome!
4. Have fun! If it's not fun, why bother?
I rewarded my effort with a day of Universal Monster movies, and rest. I started a new piece this morning.
Commit. Show up. Do the work. Repeat.
See you on the other side!
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