The Heart, it Aches...

Hey everybody!

Last week we started a new series, titled “So You Want to Be a Writer?”—and it’s all about the things I think you should know if you’re going to jump into this field.

Today’s point is also a big reason why a lot of people shy away from writing, especially mainstream fiction and nonfiction writing. 

  Heartache

This comes in many different forms while you’re writing. Trust me on that. I’ve experienced it in more ways that I care to count.

Today though, I’m only going to talk about three.

• Editing

Let’s say you just finished your first novel, and it’s amazing. It’s everything you wanted it to be, and then some. Everything is exactly how you wanted it, and you don’t think it should be touched—ever.

Guess what?

It needs to be edited.

You’ll need to get up the nerve to edit it down, to make it better than perfect, before it can be sent to publishers. You’ll have to cut out sentences you’re proud of, whole characters you loved but really make no contribution to the story as a whole, and even change your endings once or twice.

I know, it hurts. But it has to be done. 

Guess what? I'm not so good at this one yet either. We'll work on it together. 

(I suggest doing your edits in a separate file, so you can still keep all the wonderfulness that was your first draft)

• Publishing

Publishers are picky. Trust me, I’m about to start working for one.

They know what they want, and they know they can get it from someone else if you’re not willing to give it to them.

Not every publisher is going to love your story. Most of them will probably reject it. It’s not common for a piece to be accepted by more than one publisher, and I don’t suggest that you expect it at every turn.

You’ll need to be ready for those rejection letters, because they will come forth.

• Saying goodbye to characters you’ve become so attached to

This one is the hardest for me to bear.

I grow attached to all of my characters, even the ones that I hate. I don’t want to see them go, no matter what. Maybe there’s still some good in them, somewhere.

But every so often, a character has to die.

A book has to end.

Stories find their conclusions.

It hurts, letting go of a piece you’ve worked on for years. It’s a painful process, saying goodbye to those people you’ve helped to mold and create, and letting them loose on the world.

But in the end, it’s completely worth it.

Just remember, there’s always another story, right on the horizon, waiting for you to find it.

I love you all, and thanks for reading all the way to the end.

{RD}