Yesterday morning I read my novel for the first time since I submitted it to the prospective agent at the beginning of May.
Realization #1--It's not as good as I thought.
Realization #2--I'm fearing a stamina leak.
Realization #3--I need patience.
The pep talk: Hey, this novel is a mere eighteen months old, and eighteen month olds can be hard to understand and uncooperative besides! In six months things might look a whole lot better. After all, good novels take years to write, in most cases. Even some bad ones take more than eighteen months.
The reality: I'm not yet ready to start on these revisions the agent has suggested. In the meantime I'm going to do research and write about other things for a little while. Noodle around with another story idea. As luck would have it a beautiful new library has opened up in my town, which means I have the perfect research/writing hang out.
The inspirational quote: Richard Peck says, "Find the part of the library you belong in. Because every book starts in the library in hopes it will end up there." That man is endlessly quoteable (See another one of his thoughts in the sidebar).
The slightly whiny snivel that seems to want the last word: Why does perseverence have to be so very. . .severe?
4 comments:
Persevere: To persist in any business or enterprise undertaken; to pursue steadily any project or course begun; to maintain a purpose in spite of counter influences, opposition, or discouragement; not to give or abandon what is undertaken.
“Aim at perfection in everything, though in most things it is unattainable. However, they who aim at it, and persevere, will come much nearer to it than those whose laziness and despondency make them give it up as unattainable.” - Lord Chesterfield
“Give us grace and strength to forbear and to persevere. Give us courage and gaiety and the quiet mind, spare to us our friends, soften to us our enemies.” - Robert Louis Stevenson
“From my father, I learned the importance of working sincerely at things to which I had committed myself, and to persevere untiringly even in the face of little progress.” - Koichi Tanaka
“The will to persevere is often the difference between failure and success.” - David Sarnoff
"Victory belongs to the most persevering." - Napoleon Bonaparte
"The rewards for those who persevere far exceed the pain that must precede the victory."
- Ted W. Engstrom
“Friends are as companions on a journey, who ought to aid each other to persevere in the road to a happier life.”
- Pythagoras
“Don’t be a wimp.” – SolomonGrundy
cocoa
I wonder what your novel will look like during the terrible twos!
In the meantime. Tame the Shrew.
oh. and one more bit of bs.
remember: life always gives you exactly what you need for this moment.
at least. that's what tolle said.
i THINK it may be crap.
but it makes me FEEL SO GOOD!
Live Long and Prosper.
May the Force be with you.
and Nanoo Nanoo!
"Now stop your whining. Get up and do better" (That's from my mom - not to you. To me, several times. But it seems to be up there with Spock, Yoda and Mork)
I don't want to think about it.
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