F is for Finish my Novel

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I always marveled at author interviews where the writer reveals it took her ten some years to write her first novel. Can that really be possible? Can one really focus and concentrate and work towards one thing for that long? I’m starting to answer that question for myself. And the answer is ‘yes.’

I have been working on my novel, This Story Takes Place in a Bar, for over six years now. It started even longer ago as a short story I wrote. I stumbled upon it again and decided to see what else I could do with it.

It is only in the past two years that I have gotten more serious about my write and carved out two hours every morning to write. It is two hours in the early morning which I mostly look forward. The getting out of bed part is the hardest, but I’ve learned, once I get to the desk, the rest just follows in a weird, but I’m not going to question it kind of way. The worst part is tearing myself away once I’ve just gotten into the groove of things, to get ready for my day job.

The problem with having a ‘real job’ is that that two hours goes awfully quick. Especially when I take on challenges such as this A-Z challenge Or I get an idea for a new short story I just have to write. Or a new contest comes out. Or a new literary magazine is accepting submissions. All of a sudden that two hours devoted to my writing gets taken up with other worthy literary pursuits. What is a writer to do?

Right now I have 47,733 words. I am so close to the 50,000 mark I can taste it. My goal is to finish up the story by the end of the summer. I think it will take more than 50,000 words, but that is still the milestone I am aiming for.

I have already begun the revising process in slow 20 page chunks with my writing group. To my surprise, I am actually enjoying revising, which gives me hope. My ultimate goal is to have my novel ready to pitch by next March, at which point I will pitch it to agents at the Northern Colorado Writer’s conference.



Who knows, maybe some years from now you’ll be watching an interview in which I’m talking about how long it took me to write my first novel. You’ll smile and nod and say ‘I remember when.’

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Photos

Taganga Colombia
The view from where I imagine myself finishing my novel

Colombia
Another view from where I'll write my novel

Vieques Puerto Rico
Another view

Comments

[D MJ Binkley]

Good luck
Hope you hit your 50,000 words

[D MJ Binkley]

Good luck
Hope you hit your 50,000 words

[Kari12]

Thanks so much! I'm so close I can taste it, it tastes a bit like really good rum!

[Home and Away]

I enjoyed reading the short story version of This Story Takes Place in a Bar...
and look forward to reading your novel. It seemed autobiographical to me.

[Kari12]

That's great Bob, thank you. But I do not remember how you would have read it? Did I post it somewhere?

[Home and Away]

You gave me the link to...
the literary magazine where it was published.

[Kari12]

So I did. I am always surprised when people actually read things I give them. Thanks so much for reading it! And I hope you enjoyed it.