Novel Update

I've been busy working on my novel since the New Year and thought it was time for a little update on my progress.

Shortly after Thanksgiving, I finished the second draft of my novel and gave a copy to my sister Katherine to read and critique during her winter break. Honestly, as I passed the novel to my sister, I was feeling a little "eh" about the whole thing. I had written the story I wanted to write ... but not really. It felt like I was only halfway there, but I didn't know how to push my novel any further.

I wanted to tell Katherine about all my concerns and insecurities for the novel, but she would not let me. She wanted to read the novel with a fresh perspective. She is a wise little sister.

Katherine also told me to take a break, so I did. (Have I mentioned how smart she can is?) I started doing some random creative writing and developed a pair of characters that really excited me. Suddenly, I wanted to abandon my novel and write about these new characters. That first novel was a piece of garbage and should be forgotten. I shouldn't waste any more time on it.

But then, before she even finished reading the entire thing, my sister started to give me some overall comments about my novel. Most importantly, although my novel had a beginning, I never really knew when it should start. I felt like the first 100 pages were kind of boring, but I didn't know how to ditch those pages. And even though I had not told her this, Katherine basically said the same thing, but she had a solution: (a) start with the scene at a Vermont motel (pg. 97) and weave the first 96 pages back into the story as flashbacks. Brilliant.

I wanted to jump right back into working on my novel, but the holidays were rapidly approaching, and Katherine was still editing. So I waited. Right before Christmas, Katherine returned my novel with hundreds of comments inked into the margins. Again, I wanted to jump right back into work, but I carefully set the revised copy aside and waited for the New Year. That seemed like a good time to get back to work.

Since the New Year, I have been re-reading my novel and considering all of Katherine's comments. They have been very helpful and given me dozens of ideas for how I can improve the next draft of my novel. I kept a running list of all these ideas, and then yesterday and this morning, I turned it into a master checklist. I highly doubt I'll be able to finish all these revisions before Baby Girl arrives, so I wanted to create a road map now while the ideas are fresh. That way, whenever I do have the time to get back to my novel (the fall? 2014? the next decade?), I'll be able to easily remember the changes I want to make.

My checklist is pretty bad ass. It's fifteen pages long with 78 different items. I feel like that should be intimidating, but it's not. It's exhilarating. 

Thank you, Katherine! You are a rock star.

An Update About My Novel (And Some Notes About My Tush)

Is it possible to break your left butt cheek? And if so, what happens next? Can you get a cast for a single buttock? 

Needless to say, I'm typing this while sitting on a heating pad. If you see my dignity, please tell it to come home. I'm not angry, I promise. It's just I have to burp so much these days, and it's getting difficult to go to public places without humiliating myself. I feel like I need to live in a t-shirt that says: "Please excuse my burps and/or farts; I'm pregnant and my body has officially abandoned its last shred of honor."

In other news, I've finished my first round of major revisions for my novel and sent the latest draft to the printers. Woot woot! (By "sent the latest draft to the printers," I mean I emailed a copy to Nathan so he can print it for me. Such a sweet husband.)

My sister is home in Los Angeles for her winter vacation and I'm giving her the current version to read and critique. She is going to be my first reader! I am both exhilarated and terrified to pass my infant novel into her hands.

The first draft of my novel was 437 pages long with 194,092 words. After some serious revisions, the second draft is 343 pages long with 144,243 words. WHEW. If I could diet like I can revise, I could lose this pregnancy weight in about three weeks.

I worried in this post that I abused the words "just, then and now" in my first draft. I used those words 808, 550, and 654 times, respectively. I tried to slash these words out of my novel, but the word "just" still appears 515 times in the second draft (kill me). The word "then" is down to 377 appearances (sigh) and "now" is used 491 times (effing aye). Maybe my sister can help me with this little addiction. Probably not.

But here's a notable improvement: I used the word "pumpkin" only seven times in the first draft; but in the second draft, that word appears eight times! Unfortunately, the word "cranky" is down to three paltry appearances in the second draft (after being used four times in the first).

However, and I am being deadly serious, I would delete the words "pumpkin" and "cranky" from my novel entirely if I could think of a title for the damn thing. I thought the title would jump out at me as I reread and revised, but no such luck. If Santa Claus would bring me a title for my novel, I would be a very happy writer on Christmas morning.

Just, Then and Now

I've been reading the first draft of my first novel. I'm nearly done, and would have finished days ago, except Nathan and I went to Florida. I suppose, technically, I could have kept reading my novel in Florida - but I didn't. I was too busy going to Sea World and floating in our hotel's ridiculously awesome lazy river. (If you are a fan of lazy rivers, I highly recommend the Hilton Orlando, especially if you visit during hurricane season, when the room rates are deliciously cheap).

But despite the distractions of Florida, I have nearly finished reading my novel's first draft and ... it's not half bad. It's not half bad at all. It needs plenty of revisions, and there's a 30 page chunk in the middle that has to go, but overall, I'm pleased. (I can say this now, when I'm still revising my novel. When it comes time to let someone else read my work, I'm sure I will cry hysterically, tear my hair out, shave off my eyebrows, and forget my middle name).

I've noticed a few annoying habits in my writing that must be fixed during the first round of revisions: I abuse the words just, then and now.

My first draft is 437 pages and 194,092 words long. The word "then" appears 550 times. That's not too bad, except when I use the word "then," I use it about a dozen times in the same paragraph.

I also employ the word "now" far too enough, at 654 times. I need to put my novel on a "now" diet.

But I can forgive myself for using the word "then" and "now" a little too often. After all, these words are used to help the reader understand timing and chronology. They don't need to be used as often as "the," but they are useful and necessary.

However, I cannot justify my flagrant abuse of the word "just." In 437 pages, I use the word "just" 808 times. That might not sound like a lot, but believe me, it is. Every time I read the word "just" in my novel, I cringe. I've been trying to read my novel without pausing to make revisions, but that rule does not apply to that demon word "just." My pen has slashed out that word at least 500 times.

(Incidentally, if you want to make me go berserk these days, whisper the word "just" - and then make sure you are standing at least fifteen feet away from me).

I'm sorry if this post is boring and tedious, but sometimes, this blog is for me, not you. It keeps me honest. And right now, I need to remind myself, Do not abuse the words Just, Then and Now.

I will try to upload my Florida photos soon, and then we can talk about much more exciting things, like gator wrestling.

In The Homestretch

I am writing a novel. This process started in April 2011, shortly after I quit my last job with a law firm and started working from home as a contract attorney.

I have wanted to be a novelist for as long as I can remember, but I mostly abandoned creative writing after I started law school. I always had an excuse. I'll start writing after the bar exam. I'll start writing after this trial is over. I'll start writing when I have a job with more "balance." I'll start writing after I have kids. I'll start writing after I retire. I'll start writing after I'm dead. In April 2011, I decided, Eff it, I'll start writing NOW. I started going to coffee shops and spent long hours writing.

Between April and December 2011, I started a few different novels, all involving the same cast of core characters. These novels were all "fluffy." Two were wedding comedies (inspired by my own July 2011 wedding); one was a dating novel. I didn't feel like I was writing the best novel I could write, but they were good reasons to keep me writing.

A day or two after Christmas 2011, while I was taking a shower in Nebraska, I realized what story I wanted to write. And that's all I'm going to say, because I need to reread the first draft before I commit to a plot summary! (But I will say that it was the most productive shower of my life).

Since the New Year, I have been working steadily on this novel. To date, I have written 189,667 words. In my Word document, that's 428 pages typed in Times New Roman Size 12 font. (And I thought my 150 page history thesis about Ben Franklin's autobiography was long).

I think I have about another 10 pages to write AND THEN THE FIRST DRAFT IS DONE. Depending on how the spirit moves me, this could take just a few days or maybe a few weeks to write.

I want to take my time with these final pages of my first rough draft of my first novel. They deserve as much thought and love as the first 428 pages. But holy crap, I am so ready to be done with the first draft. So if I don't blog much over the next few weeks, it's because I'm giving all my creative energy to my novel.

Then again, I might start blogging more than ever. Sometimes procrastination is the best type of inspiration.