You’ve written your 50,000 words, you’ve re-read your manuscript a couple times, you’re all set to start querying agents, right? Or, if your aim is to self-publish, you’re ready to showcase your work to the world, right?
Wrong.
You might think you have the most creative, exquisitely-written work of historical fiction known to man sitting on your laptop, but trust me, you don’t. No one gets it right the first time around, especially after a rushed month of work.
As I mentioned in an earlier post, Hemingway once wrote, “The first draft of anything is shit.” Well, it’s mostly true.
My advice? Give yourself a little distance from your NaNo piece. Put it in a drawer or hand it off to a friend (who will give you honest feedback), then come back to it when you’re less attached to those words and sentence Steven King dubbed “your darlings.” At this point, you can rework major plot points, reassess your characters, examine the plot flow and readability. Then you’re all set to publish, right?
Still no, sorry.
Even if you’re satisfied with your work at this point, it helps to have as many eyes on your manuscript as possible. This is where your writing community comes into play. Don’t have a writing community? Join one. I’m part of four writing groups that I found through MeetUp, a website I recommend to everyone who is looking for a like-minded community (it offers everything from hiking groups to knitting clubs to Dr. Who fan meet-ups). Find a writing critique group (preferably one that specializes in your genre) and begin workshopping your writing.
You’ll find that a roomful of fresh perspectives is incredibly helpful for your writing. Any critique group worth their salt will point out plot holes or incongruities that you overlooked and let you know if they’re confused by certain sections of your story. DO NOT ignore their comments. Chances are, if one or two people have a problem with a character/setting/major plot point, other readers will too. And don’t get defensive when you hear others criticize or critique your work. They’re only trying to help you, after all, and expect you to be just as blunt and honest with them.
So, you rewrote your NaNo piece, you workshopped it to death, you re-wrote certain parts. At this point, you’re probably wondering, “Can I just publish the bloody thing already?”
My answer: Only if you’ve done everything in your power to make your manuscript the very best it can be. I’ve been known to sit on manuscripts for an awfully long time before “going public” with them. I want to make sure all my plot points line up, my characters are well-developed and believable, and my story has good forward motion (without any superfluous scenes or details). But, that’s my style. Maybe you’re really good at rewriting your story and getting it right (according to your standards) the first time. Excellent. You know your writing and your own personal standards better than anyone else.
Good luck to you and your 50,000 magnificent words. They’re in their infancy right now and only you can give them the right nourishment to grow and blossom into something spectacular. Be patient and diligent and eventually you’ll know the time is right to show off your creation to the world.
Author: KateBitters
Kate Bitters is a Minneapolis-based author and freelance writer. She is the author of Elmer Left, Ten Thousand Lines, and He Found Me. One of her proudest/nerdiest moments was when Neil Gaiman read one of her short stories on stage at the Fitzgerald Theater.
Good advice! It's tough to know when a work is ready for the public. You don't want to wait too long though; there's no sense in overworking a piece. So I suppose that's the trick, finding that balance.
I agree, Mavin. Balance is key! I think that balance is different for different people. You might be going for the raw, stream-of-consciousness prose of Jack Kerouac or the polished writing of Gabriel Garcia Marquez. I tend to lean toward the GGM side of the spectrum, but that's just me!