The Climb

Confession: I'm not 100% sure what I'm doing with this blog.

Then why write it, you ask? Because! It's a baby. It's a toddler fumbling through it's first steps. It's got years to figure out what it wants to do with itself, or how, or why.

"So what I just crapped myself? I'm a diva, Bee-otch!"

I'm using this as an online journal to track this novel-writing journey. So what have I learned about The Journey thus far? It's rough, man. My current WIP is my third completed book idea. This will be the first draft. I'm hoping to finish it by January, so that I have a good working draft by February, in time for the AWP conference. I hope to work through all my nerves and really meet some agents. Then query them and reference our meeting.

"Hey there, my becca is Name, can you book my sell? I mean, sell my book? I mean..."

This is pretty standard procedure and a great way to get an agent's attention. It shows you sought them out (because let's face it, authors have their own slushpile), it shows you did your research and it also shows you're serious about your career. (And let me tell you, as expensive as AWP and a trip to Seattle is for me, I'm PRE-TY FUCKING SERIOUS). After AWP, I hope to query soon. So my nights and evenings are almost consumed by writing. And I'm not just working on my book.

 All the drafts. So many drafts.

At the end of the query letter, is a short paragraph about the author. Now, I'm not going to poo-poo my past endeavors; I was a prolific Spoken Word Artist, I've had poems and articles published and I graduated from Sarah Lawrence College where I got to study Creative Writing with the best minds ever. But my fiction accolades are slim to none. Actually, just none. So I've been trying to pump out short stories and submit to lit magazines. I'm not good at short anything. Telling a complete story in under 4k words is putting myself in the driver's seat of a big ol' struggle bus. Still, it's good for me to at least be able to beef up that humble paragraph at the end of a query letter.

This is not necessary. On prior projects, I got requests for my full manuscripts even though I had little credentials. I had written a story that looked like it would sell and looked like it was different. (The story actually sucked but that's a different topic). So, of course, my primary objective is to finish the novel. Publishing is a big-freaking-deal, though, and all of this is in the back of my head. On top of even more things. 

"These are my real friends."

I'm always a better writer when I'm reading books, preferably books relevant to my project. But honestly, I like to read anything I can get my hands on. I primarily read African American lit because I love the vibe of the prose. But I'm finding some Fantasy and Science Fiction that 1. demonstrates the prose I love or 2. has been written by a black or black female author 3. contains both one and two. Another things I do when I'm not reading or writing?

Class

Events, events, events.

AWP is a big one but I end up in all sorts of things; readings, lectures, law talks, even! In the Spring, I hope to take a writing course at Gotham Writers' Workshop. At that point, I'll have sent in this project and will be working on another and (hopefully) hearing answers to my query letters. They might be all rejections. I'm prepared and almost expecting that. #jaded

So what is the point of all the exhausting  and exhaustive work? Well, if I am never published I will still write. I might as well be good at it.

Google Middle Earth (Fluff Post)

This is possibly the coolest thing ever.

You can Google Middle Earth

This is obviously for the promotion of the new movie but nonetheless, it's literally fantastic. 

Besides, from the writer end of it, if you can imagine your book will EVER be turned into a movie, wouldn't you want that movie to then become so popular that your fans can "Street view" that ish? I'm the first to admit that I covet other author's careers. While I don't, in any way, aspire to be Tolkien, I have to give props. Everyone does. Everyone. Even you, over there in the corner.

When I saw this, I thought to myself, "One day, you'll be able to Google Mithrinar!" I got overly excited at the thought.

I also realize I have to actually write a novel for the novel to be turned into a movie. Ain't that some ol' bullshit?

Getting the Job Done: Finishing your Novel

Though my fiction remains unpublished, I cannot count how many times I’ve been told “But you’ve written a book! That’s amazing!” My immediate response is, “No, it’s not”. But I understand, writing the novel is the first step in getting the novel published and–from personal experience–many writers spend too much time speaking about writing, blogging about writing (*snicker*) and talking about writing that they don’t ever actually write. Writing a novel is HARD WORK. Honestly, depending on the person, writing anything is hard work and for someone who “can’t write”, what writers accomplish–even those of us unpublished–is impressive.

"Look, look! I made this thing."

When I wrote my first novel length work, I was sixteen. (It was High Fantasy atrocity) I was impressed with myself then, even after I found out Christopher Paolini was fifteen when he wrote his book and sixteen when he was published. I wrote six more books after that. Back then, I may have been proud. But now, at 23, a degree in writing under my belt, and a job–albeit fun–I only have to support myself, simply writing the book is no longer impressive. Drafts, rewrites, QUERY LETTERS, hook lines, pitches–those are impressive. (Writing a book is work; summarizing your 100k word story in 2-3 sentences? That’s WERK, honey!) I refuse to be impressed until I’ve reached my actual goal; publication.


I don’t find myself remarkable because of my prolificacy and I am not tooting my horn by mentioning the several projects I’ve completed. But I do acknowledge that just because I’m not impressed doesn’t mean other people aren’t or shouldn’t be. So this is mostly to anyone who has ever wanted to write a book, spoken to me and then wondered how I managed to get through hell and on to the other side.

1. Don’t read any further, go write.

This my writer's block face. Yep. Pretty accurate.

I actually gave away my biggest and probably most helpful tip in the beginning of the post. Many writers spend way too much time not writing. How you write is up to you, start from the middle, a scene, with a character; plan the whole thing out; don’t plan at all. No one can tell you what strategy works for you and therefore advice on that becomes irrelevant. When I finished most projects it was before I discovered forums and blogs on the art of writing. I abandoned so many other things; friends, school work (not advised), play time, television (advised) just to write. But now, here I am reading articles on “The dreaded exclamation marks!”, “Is my protagonist too young?”, “Avoid these cliches!”, “Outline or no Outline”. I over did it. I wanted so hard to find a textbook that would give me the answers to what makes good fiction, what sells fastest and what makes people buy your books. I got distracted. I’m most productive when I channel sixteen year old me and just keep the pen to the paper or in this case, the fingertips on the keyboard. I technically should never stop writing. Unless I’m reading.


2. If you’re still reading this, read a book instead

 Dogs are better.

This really is my only other piece of advice. When athletes are not playing their sports they are taking care of their bodies and when a writer is not working on her project(s) she should be reading, feeding her mind with excellent examples of the genre. (or any other genre). It’s important to read EVERYTHING; fiction, non-fiction, poetry, creative non-fiction, articles, blog posts (on things other than writing), candy wrappers, milk cartons, cereal boxes, seriously. School isn’t for everyone, and a degree doesn’t make you a better writer so I can’t necessarily push college down anyone’s throat with a good conscience. I think a formal education in art sounds almost oxymoronic and, at the very least, counter-intuitive.
Practice makes perfect, thus writing every day will undoubtedly improve your skill and of course the more you write and the more often you write the faster you get the job done!

*This post was originally posted as a guest blog here: http://browngirllove.com/2012/04/17/a-word-from-becca-d-getting-the-job-done/
Yes, I used to wear earrings!