It takes many drafts to make one beautiful, messy masterpiece.
Writing and authoring novels is like dating to get married. It’s a big commitment. A casual affair won’t work for the writer. Sure, some of you have tried writing, but dabbling in it is not the same as being dedicated and writing for a living.
Terrible drafts unlike awful dates can be massaged and salvaged. Think of all the copies stuffed in some drawer never to be looked at again. It’s doubt that is the killer. Or, maybe you are just a poor writer. It’s okay if this endeavor is not your thing, or what you expected it to be.
Expected? A simple word that holds a lot of weight, so much that a paper towel couldn’t absorb this amount of liquid.
Let’s define expectation…
noun
The act or the state of expecting: to wait in expectation.
The act or state of looking forward or anticipating.
An expectant mental attitude: a high pitch of expectation.
Something expected; a thing looked forward to.
Often expectations: a prospect of future good or profit: to have great expectations.
The degree of probability that something will occur: There is little expectation that he will come.
Most young girls dream of that perfect wedding. A handsome prince that will sweep them off their feet and together, they will live happily ever after. Ah, let me be blunt, I think today’s women and men have realized those days are slim. Chivalry in both genders are depleting. We are too preoccupied and self-absorbed. Screen-time has replaced face-time. Even the age for marriage has gone up. The average age is now 27 years old for women, and 29 years old for men.
With that being said, most people after a certain age choose not to marry. Why? Too much work, set in their ways, they can do everything themselves, and are financially stable. Why take the plunge of marriage when in the U.S. alone, the statistic of divorce is 40-50% for every one marriage.
Some folks I’ve spoken with have said they’d like to write a book. Great, go for it. Wait till they realize how difficult it is. One doesn’t just sit at a computer and type away, and BOOM, you’ve written a book. Yes, that’s how it starts, but you have to keep writing and rewriting until there is a semblance of a storyline. There are rules, such as grammar and punctuation. I’m not talking about emoji’s or abbreviated words. I’m talking about real sentences with commas and periods, and structure, as in a story having a beginning, middle, and end.
The initial draft of a story can be compared to a first date, often awkward. I’ve also heard from some writers that their early manuscripts are some of their best works. Best, as in original, emotional, descriptive, and carefree. Why? Because it’s the very first draft, the first impression, and why not make it your best?
But, that first (draft or date), can be improved. To do so, you have to be willing to share and be open, or else how do you know to continue on?
If a first draft is your FIRST date, what is marriage? Marriage is the countless rough copies/versions of the same story. I can confirm that statement. It took me nine years and 27 versions of “Love’s Perfect Surrender” before the final copy of the story. It took me a year and a half and fourteen versions of “Petrella the Gillian Princess,” and six months and seven versions of “A Tribute to Tulipia”.
I know what you’re thinking. Your drafts keep going down in numbers. True. If you practice writing long enough, you will make progress, but, Petrella, the Gillian Princess and A Tribute to Tulipia were much shorter in book length, and that makes a difference.
I’m currently working on a novel, “Make it Right; Make it Matter”. It has taken me roughly twelve years to write it with 34 versions to date. Eh, who’s counting? I keep tweaking and tweaking because I know it’s not quite finished, yet. Why do all that work? Because it is my “sophomore” full-length novel, and I sincerely believe in the tale so much, I want to make sure it’s done as best as it can be.
Back to marriage. In long-term relationships, people change, and if you believe in the “us” then you will understand that those changes affect the ebb and flow of a union. However, if you are open to growth, are sincere, and devoted, those changes and differences can be overcome. It takes many drafts to make one beautiful, messy masterpiece.
For the first time writer, or the writer who has been at it for years, and this is your TRUE desire, stay the course. Some days and years, the writing will be euphoric and will flow out of you like water from a garden hose. Other times, writer’s block kicks in and that flowing hose, well, it will get rock sediments in there. That is marriage. Keeping the “I do” at the forefront of your relationships and continuing to pour love into each other even if there are pebbles along the way.
Remember to love those days, these days, and all the days because seasons of setbacks can often lead to seasons of soaring.
I’m going to leave you with something. In writing and relationships, you’re going to have to:
- Fight the elements,
- Give each other and writing your best shot,
- Learn to love all the days,
- And go all in when it comes to living out your passion and commitment.
Just like marriage vows, writers need a vow too. Make a copy of this and post it on a wall in front of your work space. Let it be a reminder to commit in your writing endeavor.
I_________(your name) take thee pen and paper (or, keyboard and computer) to use as my imagination tools for writing each and every day. I promise to trust the process and persevere no matter what.
Until next time…
References
https://www.dictionary.com/browse/expectation
https://bestlifeonline.com/average-marriage-age-united-states/
https://www.womenshealthmag.com/relationships/a19567270/average-age-of-marriage/
https://www.huffpost.com/entry/reasons-not-to-get-married_n_5274911
https://www.quora.com/Why-dont-some-people-get-married-or-decide-never-to-marry
https://www.apa.org/topics/divorce/
https://www.divorcemag.com/articles/us-divorce-statistics-and-divorce-rate-2000-2017/
https://www.quora.com/Is-it-true-that-the-first-draft-of-any-novel-is-always-shit-and-bad
https://www.writersdigest.com/editor-blogs/there-are-no-rules/fruitless-first-draft-struggles
https://lithub.com/7-methods-for-writing-your-first-draft/
https://www.helpingwritersbecomeauthors.com/perfect-first-draft/
https://medium.com/startup-grind/why-you-should-not-write-a-book-c34d260d4550
https://wordskies.wordpress.com/2015/07/05/everyone-wants-to-write-a-book/
https://www.nytimes.com/2002/09/28/opinion/think-you-have-a-book-in-you-think-again.html
