May Goal

Reasonably Low Goal: Rewrite/revise 4 chapters of Things Between.
Unreasonably High Goal: Finish the second draft..

This is May’s only goal.

Things Between, as some of you know, is the novel I wrote during last year’s National Novel Writing Month. After five months, I’m about five chapters into the second draft. It’s about thirty chapters long so, at the current rate, it would take me two and a half years to have a workable second draft. I don’t want to wait that long.

Ideally, I’d like for the novel to rewrite itself with no input from me. It’d be nice to just open my computer one day and find a fully-formed novel, as good as the ideal one locked in my head. Alas, I experimented with that method of revision last month and it didn’t seem to work, so I’m going to have to resort to other methods. Like actually revising.

I can almost always come up with tasks that are more compelling than working on the novel. Writing short stories is quick and immediately gratifying. Researching agents and literary journals is interesting and informative. Reading is both essential and pleasurable. Submitting, even with the specter of imminent rejection, holds the allure of potential publication. Working on the novel is slow and messy and frustrating because, even as the novel moves closer to my vision of what it should be, it becomes more and more apparent that it will never, ever be perfect.

The only way I can think of to combat this disappointing reality to to give myself no other choice but to work on the novel. This month, I’m not challenging myself to write any new stories, no quota of writing exercises or submissions. Reading will be a reward. This month, Things Between is my only writing priority. If that doesn’t work, I’m not sure what will.