I've got maybe fifteen pages left on my second draft of the novel. It'll be done by tomorrow, and possibly even by the time I go to bed (around three tomorrow morning). I'm presently taking a break from composing, officially to rest my brain and have a coffee, but actually because I want to hold onto this fantastic sensation as long as I can.
I often think that most people are unaware of what a struggle it is to write a book-length work of fiction. I mean, don't get me wrong; I've never held to the whole "writing is just as hard as laying bricks" school of thought (this idea almost exclusively pushed by writers trying to convince others that they aren't panty-waisted logothetes). It's not difficult to accomplish so much as it's easy to not accomplish. Dark whispers come to you as you write and tell you why you should just stop writing. You're working too hard. You're pushing yourself too hard. You're losing touch with your friends and family. You need to focus on work/school/whatever. And worst of all: it is not and will never be good enough.
Most people quit. I have several times. And once you put it down, it's agonizing to pick it up again.
Throughout the time since I left home, I have often been sitting in a coffee shop, smoking and caffeinating and whatnot, when a friend of mine comes over and wants to introduce me to someone. Sometimes it's a woman, but it's usually a man. He's often disheveled, and usually conforms neatly to a common writer stereotype in their style of dress (sport coats are probably most popular, followed by the "rebel writer" dudes in black leather jackets). As the guy looks me over with a pompous sneer, my breathless friend introduces him and adds: "He's writing a novel."
I have never, ever seen one of these chaps actually writing before. I've never heard of one of them actually completing a novel, or a shorter work for that matter. Gradually it becomes clear that "I'm writing a novel" is not so much a promise of results for them, but rather, an impressive thing to say to naive women.
I have met literally dozens of people who were "writing a novel."
I have never met anyone who actually FINISHED a novel.
I'm gonna go write. I'm so very close to the peak.
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2 comments:
I'm glad I don't have your identity issues involving wannabes or even dedicated yet lacking "writers". Having a title you put so much sweat, effort, and stock in sullied by anyone with a whim can be disheartening to say the least.
I'm glad people don't regularly go around saying they are engineers. Which I am. Damn, I'm so awesome. *stroking meek self esteem*
Do not tell people you are a writer.
Unless you have finished something. Poems are a little easier, until it gets down to the 'edit for a book' phase. You can't just go to a reading and read a page or two from a novel, but poems, well. But then you gotta keep 'em coming like a machine that can consistently spit out interesting pieces. The difficult part. Anyone can write A good poem. Two poems is pushing it for most.
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