How I got back into my novel + recommended reading
unexpectedly stumbled upon better plot points than I had planned?
Hello everyone,
First of all, I am now on Threads (the Instagram-powered Twitter alternative that is…hopefully an early version of what it will become). I am @books_bigideas on there, same as my Instagram. Also, if you found me from Threads, hi! I appreciate you!
So, I had 2 weeks off from work (because I work at a school), and I took that time to be as focused on writing as much as possible. Of course, I had family visiting, two days at the beach, job searching stuff, and other family obligations—but I really tried to make writing my priority.
It started out with some pet projects. I discovered poetry helped me regulate my anxiety, as I wrote about in the last post. I started playing around with Chill Subs (really useful, once you bookmark things) and submitted a couple of poems for publication (one was probably already rejected; so it goes). I wrote some more and found a flash (ish?) fiction I had started two years ago that I really want to continue. And I read a ton of newsletters that had collected in my inbox the past few months. Some new faves are
, , and .But then…I found my way back to my novel. This wasn’t an original goal of mine, because I wanted something smaller, something that I would give me easier gratification. But I wrote probably about 2k words—not a ton, but I did get up to 25k total! And, more importantly, just by getting excited about reaching that milestone, I figured out some major plot points that I am writing toward. Like, I had a plan, but this plan is more concrete and better and still fits within the arc of my story. I knew these characters were going to have a fight to end the second act, but now I have a much more complex situation for them to fight about!
I’ve shared before how I struggle with word count goals, and I definitely do when it is consisted (“write 1000 words a day,” for instance), but with a milestone goal I felt more motivated. There was a destination I could reach, and it was close! I also have changed how I am thinking about writing this draft.
I tend to be careful and precious with drafts (to an extend…I tend not to name tertiary characters or places the first time around). Especially when I am reading high-quality fiction, I want to feel like I am crafting it! I want the words to sound right! I always feel like I’m writing with an imaginary audience peering over my shoulder. I have a tendency to skip scenes that aren’t working (especially transitions) instead of writing through them.
But instead, I started thinking of it as sketching. I am putting down words that might be useful later or might be erased, but overall I am trying to craft these scenes, so I’m throwing in setting descriptions, emotions and feelings, memories, and more. I can trim them later, but right now I’m throwing down ideas to round out these characters and this scene.
I also must recommend throwing in some weird quirky details that are ripped from your high school experience. Specifically, how your school’s thespians sold Singing Valentines every Valentine’s Day that would interrupt class and serenade/humiliate students. I usually avoid details, especially as the pertain to setting, so that was fun to write about.
I am planning to read more craft essays and books soon. I have an ARC of Save the Cat Writes a Young Adult Novel, and I just bought Charlie Jane Anders’ Never Say You Can’t Survive: How to Get Through Hard Times By Making Up Stories. I will report back with insights.
How is writing going for you?
Recent reading recommendations
I recently read Man O’War by Cory McCarthy and OH MAN WHAT A MASTERPIECE. I’ve never read a book like this, especially in YA (perhaps it could be considered a crossover…I didn’t write about it on that post because I want to give it more attention some other time, in a different context). This book stretches from sophomore year of high school to nearly the end of college (with a bonus epilogue even later), and it has these very strategic time-jumps that skip over some major decisions the main character makes surrounding coming out and transition. So we see River’s identity grow and shift as they unlearn internalized transphobia. This is all parallel to Indy, the love interest, who comes in and out of their life in this epic love story. This is an absolutely necessary, complex story about transmasculine identity. I know it was a Stonewall Honor but it needs MORE HYPE.
I have also been listening to the audiobook of Moby Dyke: An Obsessive Quest to Track Down the Last Remaining Lesbian Bars in America by Krista Burton, which has been a lot of fun. It was great to see Bloomington, Indiana show up!
A Granta essay about writing and rock climbing by Natasha Calder…as someone who rock climbs, I have been thinking similar things!
And this little essay, which reminded me of my partner and I: