Wednesday 1 October 2014

IWSG: Shelving Your Manuscript In Order To Grow



Writing is a solitary and arduous journey that is misunderstood by many. It takes time and is often isolating, requiring the writer to retreat deep into their mind to remove themselves from the exterior world. Writing also demands sacrifice, perseverance, and a good dollop of insanity if you're in it for the long term. And with so many opportunities to give up along the way, being equipped with a lifeline can be the difference between a successful writer and a failed writer. For many, that line is tethered to the online writing community. 

The writing community is a global body of countless supportive and encouraging writers that radiate positive thinking to help struggling writers. So when a fellow writer suffers from writer's block or bouts of insecurity, the community is there to remind them that they are not alone, help is sometimes only a click away. But most important, we understand because we've all been there at some point or another, when self-doubt becomes the Mount Everest of our insecurities and all we really need is a bit of encouragement to keep going, to keep writing, and whatever we do--We. Never. Ever. Give. Up.


Never give up. That's good advice. But here's the twist: sometimes, giving up is exactly what you need to do in order to move forward. Let me explain. 

When I started writing my first novel, it was like teenagers falling in love for the first time. It was a storm cloud of writing ecstasy, it was passionate, an intense exhilaration that borderlined on the obsessive, the crazy, and the extreme. My story and my characters dominated my thoughts day and night. But as time moved on, I slowly surrendered that passion with each round of edits. And with each rewrite, I found myself deconstructing my love for the story. Things changed. I changed. My story changed and not for the better. Then I started to dread having to open my file document to write. Instead of stealing writing time whenever and wherever I could, I was procrastinating in favor of menial tasks. And the longer I put off writing, the greater the feeling of guilt grew inside me. Soon afterward it became painfully clear, that this was no longer the italicised story I wanted to write. And when my mind started dreaming of other stories, other possibilities--I knew. I just knew. Looking deep within, I decided that I could not continue lying to myself. I could not continue to force these words onto the page, so much as I could quell the excitement I felt when I allowed a few moments to imagine a world, in which I was writing something else. 

This story was not THE one, and it was time to give up writing my manuscript, and shelve the book.

Sounds like a heartbreaking loves story doesn't it? Well in a way it is. At some point along the path to good writing, a writer will come to the realization that their current project may no longer be writeable. Admitting that is one of the hardest parts about being a writer, and shelving your manuscript, the one that you've agonized and struggled over for months or years even, is the second. And though things may not have worked out the way you originally planned, they can and do get better, if you let them. Because the process of writing a failed manuscript teaches valuable lessons about the craft if, you are open to the idea that the failed attempt will make your next project that much better. For example, my first book taught me 487 pages of what not to write in a novel. In other words, I learned a great deal about voice, plot, and character, and I'm convinced my next book will be better. I may have given up on one manuscript, but I haven't given up on writing. 

So I'm here to say, it's OKAY. It's okay to shelve your manuscript. And it is by no means an indicator that you suck or have failed as a writer. It's just the opposite, it's a sign that you're maturing as a writer and know when it's time to pull the plug to move on to bigger and better writing. Shelving your work breaks down the brick walls of guilt and frees your mind to develop new ideas on a healthier and more positive foundation. And guess what? Shelving your work doesn't have to be permanent, but it can be empowering. 



So in short, knowing when to let go is sometimes the only way to truly move forward in life and in your writing. And if you want to fly, don't be afraid to let go of the things that anchor you to the ground. 



*************

It's been three years since the start of the Insecure Writer's Support Group bloghop, created by writer and author, Alex Cavanaugh, and today marks the one year anniversary of the IWSG website and facebook page. I'd like to extend a huge congratulations to Alex and everyone who has helped (or is helping) make IWSG such a big success. I'd also like to thank the team of co-hosts this month for all the time and hard work they put into making this such a wonderful bloghop. To find out more about the IWSG monthly bloghop, or the IWSG website, feel free to click the highlited links or the button on my sidebar.


27 comments:

  1. Hi Elise - there's no point flogging the dead pony as you describe your story ... start afresh with new eyes - good for you and for never saying never stop writing ... go for it .. and IWSG is an amazing institution - after three years ... it is! Cheers Hilary

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  2. I ended up shelving my first two manuscripts, so I know exactly what you mean! It's hard to let a story go, but I find that falling in love with a new manuscript is often the best way to move on. :)

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  3. 487 pages of what not to write - that made me chuckle. But it happens. It almost has to happen before we can write something good.

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  4. I've been there. More than once. It really is true - sometimes you need to let go of one story in order to move forward, to make room for the creative energy you need to tell the one that's ready and waiting. Great post!

    Madeline @ The Shellshank Redemption

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  5. Sometimes I think you have to write in order to find out what you WANT to write. It's difficult to accept that you may sometimes spend a lot of time on a project only to find out later it was just 'practice.' I have tons of old manuscripts that will never see the light of day. Still, I love them, because they made it possible for the ones that do sit in the spotlight to be there.

    Great post!

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  6. I think the shelf is a great spot for those first manuscripts - usually, unless a writer just happens to be this born genius with superlative talent. The rest of us have to learn the trade first like every other profession. I still look at mine (although they're collecting dust) lovingly and believe one or two might be pulled out again someday.

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  7. It's all just good practice. I have notepads full of those practice stories.

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  8. I agree. Sometimes it's necessary. It doesn't mean giving up for good. It's about taking a moment. Excellent advice!

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  9. I have a shelved manuscript -- the one that got me my agent but was never picked up by a publisher. I love it so much, I could not bear to address the fundamental flaws that made it "unmarketable" in the eyes of editors.

    Now it's been shelved so long, I'm starting to think about it differently. We are not in love anymore. It is an "ex." I am just starting to think that maybe I can revise it after all. I'm not as emotionally invested in this version. Maybe I can apply what I've learned in the last several years. I have grown. Maybe it can, too.

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  10. Even if you have to shelve it you do learn things along the way, which helps us mature indeed.

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  11. Fantastic advice. I have quite a few shelved manuscripts. I believed every single one of the was The One. Yet looking back at them now, I cringe. I learned a lot, though. That's what I gained from them.

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  12. I think we learn something from each manuscript we write. So the more we write, the better we should become.

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  13. =) It was my 4th book that got published, and my 8th book is the second one to see the light of day. Not only do we have to move on, but there's always the possibility of coming back to those earlier works and revamping them by our new standards.

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  14. What a perfect post. It fits my life right now. I took my current WIP, 30K into it, and wiped out all but about the first thousand words. I hated to let the work go but when I got to the middle of the book I realized it wasn't working and I didn't like it.

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  15. It does sound like a heartbreaking story, mostly because I know exactly what you mean. It's always hard letting go, even if you know you should...

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  16. Perfection in a bottle, Elise. *bows* ^_^

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  17. hey cutie! I'm currently shelving one of mine for later, and I have no regrets!

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  18. Shelving your manuscripts is about the most normal and typical part of being a writer. We all do it because we all have to do it, eventually. That truly is the only way to progress. So, you don't even have to feel bad about doing what is just part of the craft. :)

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  19. Good advice, Elise. You can always rework it later if the inspiration returns.

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  20. I've had to shelve one. You can always take it back off. :)

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  21. Excellent post! shelving a book is hard, but sometimes it is the only way to move forward. But that's not giving up. The things you learned there will only move you forward.

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  22. Sometimes, inspiration doesn't come until long after you've put what you were working on aside. Not to mention looking at it from a fresh perspective can help you improve it.

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  23. You're right. Some stories are still born, so let them go. What I've found is that I can use bits from those failed mss. or when I look at them, I can see how far I've come as a writer. They teach me a lot, so I don't consider any of the time I spent on them as wasted.

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  24. I think I'd like to read that story with the teenagers falling in love, especially if it gets sordid. I like sordid.

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  25. I've never thought about it in this way.
    But it makes perfect sense.
    As you mentioned - We. Never. Give. Up.
    Okay, I think I'll probably be about 80 years old when I finally get to THE ms. LOL
    (((Ubuntu Hugs)))

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  26. Excellent post, Elise. I shelved 2 before getting it right.

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  27. I wrote my first novel-length manuscript when I was 19 years old. It was horrible. 500 pages of bad writing. But it taught me just how difficult it is to take on such an endeavor. 22 years later, I'm still learning!

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