This past weekend I attended a local writer’s group meeting.
To be honest, with everything that is going on in my life, I didn’t know who was actually speaking at the meeting or his topic of choice.
If I had, and if I had known how profoundly this man would inspire me I wouldn’t have taken my youngest daughter and been more prepared to take the notes I wish I had taken.
Unfortunately, my mind can’t hold much in the memory department these days. Why, I don’t know, it’s not like I have a job anymore. Well except for cleaning, cooking, laundry, and taking care of my daughters, among finding any time I can to squeeze in an article or two or edit my manuscript for ten to fifteen minutes if I’m lucky. Whoever believes stay-at-home moms have all the time in the world to do whatever they want when they want is an idiot.
With all that said, though, there was one thing that the speaker said that I can remember, and will hold on to for the rest of my writing career:
Write for you. Don’t write for anyone else. Don’t write for editors. Don’t write for publishers. Don’t write for readers. Write for you.
This struck me, and it wasn’t until today that I fully knew why it struck me. Last July I submitted my manuscript to a small publishing house. It was rejected for numerous reasons and the editor said in her email to me that if these reasons were fixed I could resubmit. With this glimmer of hope, I started another set of revisions.
For the most part, they have been good changes. I cut a whole chapter that I had known deep down needed to go, but until then didn’t have the courage to actually hit the delete button. I realized my sincere overuse of dialogue. Holy cow, do I make my characters talk a lot! It actually started to annoy me when I was reading it.
The only problem I started to have, and it was a problem I didn’t realize until the writer’s meeting, was that I lost who I was writing this book for. Each time I opened my manuscript and began editing the only person I thought of was this editor. Would the changes be enough for her? Would she like these changes? Am I taking out enough dialogue for her standards? Would she like this version enough to accept it? Her. Her. Her.
What the heck am I doing to not only myself but to my manuscript?
While I believe her advice is genuine, while I believe she was correct in saying I have too much dialogue and my manuscript is hovering over two genres without a home, while I believe I did need another set of revisions, including a new ending, and while I appreciate her entire email, I lost sight of the whole meaning and whole reason I even began this insane journey. I wanted to write a novel for me.
My novel is just that: my novel. The characters are mine. The plot is mine. The story is mine. And while I am revising and editing, yet again in what I hope is the last set of revisions, the only person I’m going to ask is this good enough for is me.
angelachristinaarcher.com 
What a great post! Nobody knows how hard moms work to keep their babies healthy and happy, except perhaps another mom. It’s something to celebrate that you have gotten such a great response from a publisher–it’s not often they are willing to let someone resubmit, so they must really have liked it. Best wishes to you in all your writing endeavors, and a merry Christmas and happy New Year to you and your dear ones!
Thanks, Naomi! Best wishes to you and yours too, Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!
When I had two little ones, I didn’t dare try to write as well–kudos to you for finding/making the time to do that! Thanks for the follow, and I look forward to reading more of your blog, too. Have a wonderful Christmas and a healthy and happy New Year!
Blessing to you and yours for the holidays! Thanks for the follow. Yes, finding the time has been frustrating, but thankfully I am a morining person, so getting up at 4am to write is easy.
I’m so glad you attended that event and heard exactly what you needed, Angela. Fifteen minutes of writing is better than none and hopefully that’ll just keep increasing. I started a small press this year during baby’s naps and while sister was in kindergarten! Hopefully focusing on revising for yourself, instead of for the agent, will make those precious writing moments all the more precious.
I am glad too. And yes, 15 min isn’t much, but it’s more than none. I quit my job this month, so hopefully I can get even more in now that I’m home all day. Congrats on the press! I hope it does well for you.
Hey girl. I get this post, and I’m glad you decided not to write for the editor any longer. I don’t know how this will sound to you, but I personally don’t write for myself. If I didn’t want to follow God with my whole heart, I’d honestly not write novels. This whole process is a pain, (well, I actually like writing the fantasy trilogy I’m working on, but I attribute that to the fact that the amazing and adventurous Creator of the Universe is the One who inspired it). See, I write for God, and for the lost ones He desperately seeks to bring home, and that is what keeps me going, that is what drives me. If it was for myself, I would’ve given up long ago because as I mentioned, writing is a pain–no, it’s grueling–but God’s great love compels me. He’s given me two incredible stories and one that He gave both me and my sister to share in creating, and there’s nothing more amazing than being utilized by the King of Kings to draw men and women unto Himself. I encourage you to seek Him out, to come to know the God who so desires to be intimately known as He knows us.
“I will betroth you to Me forever;
Yes, I will betroth you to Me
In righteousness and justice,
In lovingkindness and mercy;
I will betroth you to Me in faithfulness,
And you shall know the Lord.” -Hosea 2:19-20
Blessings to you, and may this Christmas be the best one yet.
It sounded motivating and honest. 😉 I agree the process is a pain. I’ve thought a few times, actually, about whether or not to continue this insane idea. But I love to write and can’t fathom not finishing this novel or any of the other ones I have outlined. I hope you have a merry Christmas!
Keep pressing on girl. God bless and Merry Christmas to you as well!