Finding the Courage to Finish Your Manuscript
Writer: Kathy Izard
Most writers who are attempting something longer than a blog post have been encouraged at some point by a well-meaning friend or family member: “You should write a book!”
Until we begin a manuscript, however, we have no idea how really difficult that will be. We don’t yet know that grammar and sentence structure are the least of our worries. Looming down the writing road are much bigger bumps like plot, character development and story arc. An aspiring author in any genre must concern themselves with all the elements of creating a “page-turner” if they ever hope to attract readers.
That is why finishing a manuscript and seeing it published requires uncommon courage. It took first time author, Madeline Miller, ten years to write Song of Achilles. At the time she was a high school Latin, Greek and Shakespeare teacher, and I imagine she had to steal moments between classes to work on her book. After five years, she tore up that version, and started over completely. Her dedication paid off and the book was published in 2011 winning the 17th annual Orange Prize for Fiction and was shortlisted for the 2013 Chautauqua Prize. Miller spent another seven years before finishing Circe which would go on to become a #1 New York Times bestselling title.
Seventeen years of active writing for two books sounds pretty overwhelming. Who has the patience to chase a dream that long even if it ends in the ultimate success of becoming a bestseller? We often think of writers who are on the NYTimes list as having instant success so when we try to write, it feels as if the words should all come faster or easier.
The truth is writing will always be a marathon not a sprint. If you are chasing a book dream for instant fame or fortune, you should understand that is about as likely as being signed to play in the NBA. Writing is not a lucrative hobby and book deals with traditional publishers are equally rare as well. But once you spend years with yourself finishing a book, what you will learn is very real and very rewarding.
Of the writer-friends I know who have completed manuscripts, there were two main strategies they used. Fellow published author, Kate Rademacher, first described them to me as “cracks” and “canyons.”
Writing in the “cracks” means committing to small increments of time every day to make progress —even twenty minutes a day every day for two months. With that strategy, you could have at least half of a working draft for a manuscript in only 60 days. You could also commit to a word count—1000 words a day—every day for two months. This would give you around 60,000 word (typical book length work) at the end two months.
Writing in “canyons” is dedicating long stretches of time to writing. Think of this as reserving one weekend a month for six months to finish a book-length work. I know authors who have checked into hotels, borrowed a friend’s condo or locked themselves in their own guest bedroom over a weekend to make serious progress. With four to six “canyons” you could have a first draft ready depending on your productivity level—and your ability to stay off the internet or resist sightseeing.
Committing to either of these strategies to answer the challenge “You should write a book!” takes uncommon courage. Writing is not something you can do with others. You will be showing up for yourself again and again. You will be wrestling words onto the page with nobody watching. You will be finishing chapter by chapter with no one paying you or offering you a prize. It is a slow, steady, uphill battle but like a mountain summit, there is a pretty great payoff at the end.
When you can look back over 250 pages and see how far you have come, it is its own reward. Whether you ever make a bestseller list or receive a royalty check, that view alone is worth the climb.
About the Writer
Kathy Izard is the author of The Hundred Story Home, A Good Night for Mr. Coleman and a new release (May 2021), The Last Ordinary Hour. Since beginning writing ten years ago, she has published four books and received a Christopher Award for inspiring nonfiction. Learn more www.kathyizard.com or take a writing workshop with her www.womenfaithstory.com.
Website: kathyizard.com
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