Answers! Yep, I still have more questions to answer. At the rate I am going, one call for questions is going to last me through the end of the year. Okay, maybe not, but it will get me close.
Jessie Sin asked: What is your biggest struggle you experience when writing a novel?
This one is actually easy to answer: my biggest struggle is slowing down. When I start a new book, I just want to get everything out onto the paper before it slips away. I love the journey of writing a book, but at the same time I just want to be done (yep, right from the start I feel that way-every time). Perhaps this is because my books really begin to take their true form during edits, not during the first draft. I want so badly to be creating the book I envisioned that I just want to get past the first draft and jump right into edits.
Slowing down during drafting is a constant struggle for me-one that I am working on fixing. In fact, December is a “slow down month” for me. I am writing less (I don’t know if I can get myself to take a month completely off from writing, but I have cut back a bit for the month), and not editing at all (eek!) this month. It is tough, especially since I did not finish Darken during November, so I am partway through a first draft right now. The urge to just sit and write like crazy is intense, but I am forcing myself to chill out a little. I don’t have to be Speed Writer; taking time to enjoy the scenery is a good thing.
With less writing this month, I have a lot more time to read (yay!) and clean the house that was severely neglected during the writing/sickness crazies of November. Our house is looking less like a pit and more like a home every day. I love it. Plus, with extra reading time, I am finally finishing up with Drood (which is awesome!) and am about ready to crack into something new and exciting. Slowing down is definitely a good thing.
Now let’s see if I can hold onto that resolve once January rolls around.
