Jumping the gun...

     After finishing the first draft of my novel, I was determined to start a blog, join Twitter, and make a name for myself. I'll admit it, I jumped the gun. I still only have a first draft. I am on Chapter Four of Seventeen in editing my novel. I have a ways to go. Instead of focusing on the blog and Twitter in the beginning, I should have been focusing on my novel. I still should just be focused more on my novel.

     The most important thing is to have a finished and cleaned up draft. I am glad that I get a lot of advice about the publishing process and even the editing process from other blogs and Twitter, but I was doing too much reading and not enough doing. You read all the time how in writing that you should "show don't tell" and I need to do a bit more "do don't read" in my life.

     I am making progress. Slow and sure. It is going to be a long process. I will keep updating my blog from time to time and I will be on Twitter. But, I need to make sure I do things in their time. I don't want to be the guy that talks about his novel that he is working on. I want to have a finished novel that I can shop around. Something that I wouldn't be embarrassed if people actually asked to read it.

RESOLUTIONS:

• Edit! Edit! Edit! Rewrite!
• Get the novel finished! 
• Keep up with blog and Twitter but don't make them the focus
• Continue to read articles and applying advice to the work I am doing 

Doubts and Motivation

     Last November, I wrote a novel. An entire YA novel. Since then, I read a book about editing a novel, I started this blog, and I made a profile on Twitter and began following authors, publishers, book critics, and editors. I was pumped up about beginning my journey as an author. Then, I went on "Christmas break." I stopped updating my blog, I no longer checked Twitter, and I no longer edited my book. It's now mid-January and I still haven't started back.

My doubts:

• I doubt my ability to write a novel good enough to get published. 
• I have doubts that even if I do write something that I am very happy with that I will struggle to find someone willing to publish it. 
• I have doubts that I have the stamina to keep writing and keep striving towards success. 
• I doubt that I can succeed. 

     These doubts have lead to a lack of motivation. It is much easier for me to give up before I even try to succeed. In many ways, I just fear failure. Bill Cosby (surely decked out in an awesomely bad sweater) once said, "In order to succeed, your desire for success should be greater than your fear of failure." Granted, I don't know if he actually said this because I found it on the internet, but I like it, so who cares he gets the credit. I try not to focus on negative things, but I can't help it. That's what kept me from even starting a novel for so many years. Now, I have something to work with. I accomplished something great. I finished a first draft of a novel. I have to keep going. I have to see this through.

     Starting right now, with this post. I am back. My blog will be updated from time to time, and I will be on Twitter. Most importantly, I will begin editing my book again. I don't have to do it quickly. I can go with slow and steady. I do have a full-time job and a social life after all. But, becoming a writer is something that I want to do. It is something that only I can make sure that I accomplish. I must keep working towards it.

     Now, I leave us all with a quote from the great and powerful Oprah: "Think like a queen. A queen is not afraid to fail. Failure is another steppingstone to greatness." I really need to keep that in mind as I continue on this long and fulfilling quest to become a published author.