Crossing the Finish Line: Reflections on Finishing my 2nd Novel

July 16th, 2023, a date which will live in infamy...

Photo of Boltstone's First Draft Word Count

Okay, not really. It will, however, be the date on which I can look back on as when I completed the first draft of my second novel. And I have more than a fair share of thoughts on the subject.

1. FINALLY, IT'S DONE!

Ask any writer who's attempted a novel, and they will all tell you that finishing a first draft is the real test of a writer's persistence and determination, no matter the quality of the result. I'm not certain about the statistics, but for perhaps every ten writers who start a first draft of a novel, maybe one of them actually finishes it. So, having it done is, frankly, a relief.

2. Jesus, did I really do that?

If you've been reading this blog a while, you'll know why I feel this way. If you're new, let me elucidate. My previous novel, A Sword Named Sylph, took me the better part of three (or maybe four years, depending how you count it) to bring to a conclusion. Why? Because during that time, I lacked the thing that made this latest effort possible: a regular writing routine. Turns out, two to three hours in the afternoons, four days a week, plugging away a little every day, gets results. As the moral of Aesop's famed fable goes, "Slow and steady wins the race." 

From what I've heard of my professional colleagues, 5(-ish) months for a first draft isn't actually uncommon for a ~100k draft. So, clearly, even if my actual literary skill hasn't improved over the last 5 years since I started this blog, then at least my ability to concentrate and be disciplined has.

3. I Think I've Found What Works for Me

One of my mantras when it comes to writing is "Everybody does it differently, so find and do what works for you." And, to my surprise (and delight), I think I have.

Between the steady (if not daily) regime of work, the practice of writing each chapter in a separate document, the idea of not holding myself to an expected daily word count, just working within a window of time and trying to get something done, and not being afraid to go back and rewrite as I I go, I think I've found my method of novel writing.

Admittedly, it may change as time goes on (as all things do), but for now, I think this is the practice I'll use going forward with future novels.

4. Now, the Fun Begins...

One thing finishing and rewriting A Sword Named Sylph taught me is how much I enjoy revision. The thing is that you can't properly begin revising something as big as a novel until the whole thing is there, and you can see where the sticky patches are.

As I did with Sylph, I plan to give myself a break from this novel as well. The cool-down period helps with more objectively identifying things that need fixing. I gave myself about two weeks between the first draft and the beginning of the next draft last time. This time, I'm going to give myself a month.

5. What Now, Smart-ass?

Now that this novel is done, I can fully focus on other commitments. I still have a story to write for my anthology with Nikki Mitchell, and I think the idea I've conceived has finally grown some legs.

I still also have my story for the upcoming Air and Nothingness Press open call that I can tinker with as well. Upon looking at it again, I realized how much I didn't like the ending, so I need to take another shot at that again. It may require weaving a few narrative threads earlier in the story, but as I said before, I love revising, so I'm game for it.

But after that, what's next? Well, I think, once I've seen to these other things, that I'll try turning my hand to another novel. I have a project in mind, one I've been meaning to get to for a while. It'll be quite different from these last two—science fiction, at least of the kind I can write—and I think it'll be in first-person, a complete departure from what I've done in the past. I must admit, I have part of the first chapter already finished, so I suppose we'll see how things go. I've also always heard that a good clip for a full-time (i.e. making a living from one's words) writer is two novels a year, if possible. If nothing else, this could be a fun experiment.

— IMC 🙃