This year, I set a goal to publish a book compiled of fiction and nonfiction pieces I’ve previously written and published in The Animal Companion Magazine.
The goal felt doable. It is something I’ve wanted to accomplish for a long while.
How hard can it be? The pieces are already written, edited, and published. Easy-peasy. Right?! 😁😅
In A Writing Room, the writing community where I am a member and a volunteer (aka My Happy Home Away From Happy Home), we just finished up Editing Camp, an intense weeks-long workshop where we learned to give feedback, and learned to receive feedback. We had the opportunity to be paired up with an editing partner (I won the lottery - my partner is wonderful).
I quickly learned that to write well, edit well, and be read with understanding, I have to throw assumptions aside. I cannot assume what the reader knows.
It is my job to communicate what I’d like the reader to know when reading my work.
My editing partner helped me learn this by asking questions about each piece. She illuminated places where I’d assumed that the reader would have the same knowledge that I have.
For the book project, it became clear that I have more writing to do, to fill in the places where I have not communicated my knowledge effectively, and in a way that answers the question:
What do I want the reader to know?
This is a question I learned to ask during Editing Camp. It is powerful. It is now part of my writing practice.
I clearly have more writing to do to fill in the information that will make the pieces more clear for readers. With more writing will come more editing.
It will take more time. I may not reach my goal of publishing my book by the end of the year.
In AWritingRoom.com, we are now enjoying Pub Club, a step-by-step multi-week workshop where author Jennifer Newcomb is teaching us how to create a book cover, format pages, and do each task needed to self-publish our books by the end of the year.
I could still compile everything as-is, and hit that goal. Or I can adjust my timeline, and create the book I really want to publish. Abandoning my book is not an option.
It’s more likely that I will publish this book next year. And I am happy about that.
I am grateful that I get to write, to be in community with wonderful writers, and to have the option to self-publish.
It is a wonderful time to be a writer!
What about this year? My adjusted goal is to publish a couple of the standalone pieces as booklets that I can share with animal shelters and rescue organizations. I consider that a win.
What do you do when you hit a bump in the writing/publishing road? How do you handle the emotions that come with realizing a shift needs to be made? What does your self-talk sound like?
Let’s have a conversation about pivoting and adjusting when needed, without traumatizing ourselves with negative emotions and self-talk.
I’ll meet you in the comments. Thank you for reading and interacting. Let’s enjoy this writing life!
My "self-talk" is changing...once I've learned to recognize that voice and "validate it"...then my head gets a lot quieter & I can get necessary work done.
When "I hit a bump" in my writing, I slow down...just like a car. Lately, I remind myself that it's "progress not perfection".
Handling my emotions is still a hard one for me, so I put on my softy pants, make tea, pet my kitty, and remember that, "After all, tomorrow is another day"
Love it - What do I want the reader to know? I also adjusted my goals this year :)