Enjoy Writing Your Book

 

“I hate writing, I love having written.”~ attributed to Dorothy Parker

 

Once I "have written", it's all downhill from there. The joy is in the writing. I miss getting lost in a story. I miss the unexpected things that happen within it. I never plan (or "outline"), so what comes out, comes out naturally. An offhand remark from a supporting player might take the story in a whole new direction. A character might appear out of nowhere and become the most intriguing part of the plot. When it's evident that my MC is going to zig this way, she zags in the opposite direction. On non-writing days, I can't wait to get back into it to find out what happens next.

My characters become real to me. I'm protective of them, except for the ones I don't like very much. Then all bets are off. Once the story is written, I want to have a going-away party for my new friends. But mostly I just don't want to let them go.

I'm terrible at commerce. Creating ad copy that says, "I can't tell you how much I loved writing this book" isn't going to make anyone give a damn. Nor should it. They don't know me! Once in a while someone will grab my novel and pen a review that tells me they "get it". They'll mention the MC's self-deprecating humor or how one particular character steals the show. But mostly, people ignore my book. 

So "having written" is a letdown. "Having written" leads to nothing but heartache. 

It's true that I mostly write for myself, meaning I write stories that excite me. But in the back of my mind, I hope strangers will be excited, too. With that in mind, I temper my plots to a point; not much, but somewhat. "Will this make sense, or am I just flinging spaghetti at the wall because I feel like it?"  

If you're in the writing game for the glory, you're setting yourself up for disappointment. Nobody will ever care about your story the way you care. 

So, enjoy every minute of writing your book. It's the most fun you're ever going to have.