Road Trip Wednesday: The Journey So Far…
It’s Road Trip Wednesday! If you haven’t been following along, every Wednesday, the folks over at YA Highway ask writer bloggers to comment on a theme or question. Today, the question is: “What has your writing road trip looked like so far? Excitement? Traffic Jams and detours? Where are you going next?”
My writing road trip started a long time ago, then took a major detour for about 20-or-so years, and has been back on track for the last six-or-so. So, it’s been a bit like traveling from North Carolina to California via Iceland! The last six-or-so years has been exciting as I’ve finally let years of ideas and what-ifs pour out. I finished a 230,000 word novel that has some good stuff in it, but is nowhere near ready for primetime (besides, I don’t think I’m ready to face editing it) and has been shelved for now. I have a couple of novellas, a ton of ideas, and a completed novel that I’m currently querying.
It’s really only been this last year, as I finished The Novel and realized it might have what it takes to get published, that this whole writing thing has become real to me. You know what I mean? More than just an outlet for verbal creativity, but something I think I can do, and something I really would like to do full-time until I draw my last breath. This feeling only heightened as I started querying, which has itself been an educational process. I’ve not had to deal with “what if no-one likes it?” on this level, and consider the possibility that this novel might not be “it”–at least not yet. And ask myself “can I continue with the next, and the next, and the next until an agent somewhere likes something I’ve written?” I think it’s testimony to where I am with the whole writing gig that my answer to myself is, “yes, I can.” And that’s where I’m going next. While querying and waiting (and hoping and praying), I’m writing the WIP, and jotting down ideas for future projects. If you want to see my query letter for The Novel, or find out more about my WIP, check out the tabs above.
How’s your writing trip?
Good luck with your querying! It’s scary, but that’s not a bad thing.
Querying is educational and emotional. Best of luck with it!
I queried one of my WIPs waaaaaay too early, and that taught me an important lesson about patience and writing. Now I’m working on honing my skills and networking. The YA Highway blog has been a huge help to me in that respect. Plus, since becoming part of this online community of writers, I’ve come to meet some amazing people. I feel so blessed to be a part of this large writing family.
I totally agree that querying means facing the facts—how hard it is to keep writing when you’re not sure if anyone will be interested, having to think about whether you’d really do this forever despite any setback. And I’m glad you realized that you do! I think about writing the way my boss talks about his kids: “You’ve got to really, really, really want it. And then, despite everything, it’s wonderful.”
THIS–>I think itās testimony to where I am with the whole writing gig that my answer to myself is, āyes, I can.ā
I feel the exact same way! And it’s funny: I never really took into account the whole “what if no one likes it” because if my novel(s) never get published, my life won’t get worse. Nothing would change, really. I’d still go to my day job. I’ll still continue writing, this time with the knowledge that I’ve written novels.
I am SO terrified about querying. I’m starting to see that little glimmer of “yes, I can”. Glad that you’ve found it!
Good luck as you move forward. The road may be long and winding, but it’s a fun ride (most of the time).
Good luck with querying! I’ll bet we’ll hear great news soon. Also–230k words?? Dang!!
Ever since I’ve started getting critique partners and hearing about other people’s journeys, I’ve realized that everyone understands what everyone else is going through, no matter how long you’ve been writing or editing or trying to get an agent.
I think it’s awesome whenever someone can keep chugging on without giving up. Because at some point, after you don’t stop, you realize you didn’t stop because you can’t. You don’t do it for money or attention–you do it because you love writing.
Good luck with your querying! I like to think we’ll all get where we want to be some day. ^_^
Querying is such a nerve-wracking thing, but you’re so right about it being a learning experience.
That would be intimidating, tackling the edits on a 230,000-word novel! That’s quite the epic word count (pun not intended but I’ll leave it in). Good luck with the novel you’re querying, it sounds interesting.
Thanks to all the above for your comments and encouragement. I just got another rejection today, so this was all the more poignant. Yes, I will press on!
The 230,000 word novel (my “magnum opus”) was my first attempt to seriously write a novel. I wrote the entire thing long-hand, then let it sit for over a year before I started typing it up. By this time I had already written other things, and I could see how much my writing had improved already. I like the idea and the characters, and there are some good scenes in it. But I think the plot needs some work–and it might need a little word count trim… š Maybe one day.
Well, that’s quite the detour, though I hear Iceland is lovely. š
Good luck with querying! Such bumpy time in the ride, kind o like off-roading, but so exciting.
I would actually like to visit Iceland, and much of Scandinavia, in fact. I guess you have to be Stephen King or J. K. Rowling to get a publisher to pay for a book tour like that! š
Thanks for your well-wishes!
This is so good to hear–that maybe I will get this novel done, someway, somehow, someday, even though right now it’s not THE thing I’m doing. I’d like to get there. I think I will. But not yet.
Absolutely, Mrs. S! Just keep at it–if you love writing, you’ll finish it. Even if it takes a while, just hang around people that can keep you motivated. Work on it a bit at a time. You’ll surprise yourself how quickly you can it done.
All the best to you, and thank you for stopping by!
Querying is quite the roller coaster, but it’s a ride I can’t wait to get back on. Maybe I’m just a glutton for punishment. š
Querying has been a little nerve-wracking for me. Hopefully I’ll get some bites from my attempts–but even if not, I’ll try again with the next one. Perhaps I’m a glutton for punishment too! Maybe we all are… š
Wow, 230k words! I can’t imagine how much work that one must have taken. Best of luck to you on the querying process. Sounds like you have loads of ideas queued up and waiting, what fun š
I wrote the 230K work evenings, lunchtimes–whenever I got the chance. Some days I wrote pages, some days a few paragraphs. One of the reasons I hand-wrote it was so I could work on it anywhere, I just needed my pad and a pen. These days I jot down notes by hand if I’m not at my computer and type them up later. I’m not hand-writing a novel again!
Thank you for the encouragement, Rachel. I do have a number of ideas that are currently no more than a few jotted lines on a page. My biggest fear is running out of ideas, though like most irrational fears, it’s groundless–I haven’t dried up yet! š
We have some similarities in our journeys, Colin. Particularly, writing as a creative outlet, then realizing it’s something I might want to make a living at… something I might BE ABLE to make a living at. Good luck with the querying… I know it’s a trying, stressful time, but it will end, and you WILL eventually have wonderful news to share. š
Isn’t it such a great feeling in and of itself when you realize that yes, even if you don’t sell THIS book, you’ll continue to write and try again? I remember the exact moment I realized that this whole writing thing wasn’t something I had to hide anymore and started embracing it.
Good luck to you in querying. I hope it happens for you soon!
Thanks, Cindy! I must say, while I’m determined to press on even if I get no interest in this novel, I will be sad. I love this novel. Really. I took great pleasure proof-reading because I loved reading it. And I have never felt that way about something I’ve written before. But I have other good ideas, and I’m already loving the characters I’ve created for the WIP. Anyway, there are a lot of agents I’ve yet to hear from, and it just takes one…
Wow – what a journey so far! 230K – what an accomplishment! Best of luck – querying is scary and nerve-wracking and exhilarating and exhausting, but I have to believe that it will all be worth it in the end.
Thanks, Sara! The querying process has already taught me so much, from writing my query letter to scrambling to throw together a synopsis because an agent asked for a full and a synopsis (and I was so hoping I would never have to write a synopsis), through to form rejections and no-responders. I’m still hopeful that there’s an agent for me out there somewhere.
Querying IS educational, scary, at times frustrating, but also exhilarating.
Good luck!
230k words? Oh wow… I’m struggling just editing an 80k manuscript, I don’t think I could survive 230k, haha. Best of luck when you do return to tackling it.
Both your stories sound great – ALEXANDRA sounds like a brilliant redemption story, and ATAIVL has such a mix of great things (time travel! aliens! Victorian settings!).
I’m in love with your blog theme. It’s fantastic, very stylish and readable.
Thank you so much for your encouraging words, Emma!! The WIP is fun, and taking a lot of time to research (I’ve been into British history for many years, but never really spent too much time in the Victorian period). One of the tricks will be to use my research to set the scene and the atmosphere without overwhelming the reader with facts and unnecessary details. A challenge I look forward to!
This was the best (IMO) theme I could find, and in fact, I’m considering re-styling my web site along similar lines. Glad you like it!
Thanks again for stopping by! š
Ah, welcome to query land. It’s actually wonderfully exciting. I love querying. I love the game of it, trying to get your query right so it does its job. I love checking emails, getting that rush when you get a reply.
Gotta say though, 230K! Wow! I see why you haven’t begun editing that one! You’d be amazed at how quickly you get used to your delete button smoking! : )
Now I have to ask you, if you have a bit of time, pop over and tell me about your time in North Carolina. Been years since I’ve been there myself, but I would love to hear about climate and terrain.
Best, Linda
I hope the 230K novel is comfortable where it’s lying, because it may be there for a long time!
The joy of querying–checking email, the accelerated heart rate when I see a reply in my inbox, and the hesitation over opening the message–what if it’s a rejection? But it could be a request for a partial… or a full… The hardest thing about it is keeping focused on the WIP and not checking email every 5 mins. š
I’ve been living in Eastern NC for the last 9 years, and in NC as a whole for the last 19 years. With beach on one side, mountains on the other, and a hub of technology and education in the middle, there is much to appreciate about the state.
Thanks for your comments, Linda!