You’ve been dreaming of this day for as long as you can remember. The day you finally get to sit down and proofread your creative writing. It might be a lengthy process, but you’re finally going to make that big break you’ve been working towards. You’re going to turn that story you’ve been working on into a book. Or at least, that’s what you tell yourself. Let’s be real, though; there is probably a part of you that doubts that this day is ever going to come. You’ve spent years pouring your heart and soul into your work, but now that the last manuscript has been submitted, and the last line has been checked, you feel a sense of insecurity about the outcome. Maybe it’s not good enough. Maybe your boss isn’t going to like it. Etc..
The fact is, your creative writing will never be good enough. There is always going to be someone who has a critical eye, and a sharper tongue, and wants to point out all of your flaws. Even the most meticulous reader is going to find something wrong with your novel. It’s inevitable.
You’re going to have to learn to live with these flaws. And that’s the most important thing. It’s not about whether or not your writing is perfect. It’s about whether or not you’re willing to put yourself out there and be vulnerable. Only then can you learn to truly appreciate the good things about your writing, and all of its wonderful quirks and idiosyncrasies. Most importantly, only then can you assure yourself that you’re doing the right thing, and that this book is going to be worth it.
The Good, The Bad, & The Ugly
What you’ll soon discover about creative writing is that there is always some sort of balancing act between the good, the bad, and the ugly.
Let’s start with the good. You’re finally going to get to satiate your passion for writing. You’re going to get to put all of that energy and emotion into a book and see if it resonates with readers. You’re going to get to test out all of those stories and characters you’ve created and are now dying to share with the world. This is the part where your heart leaps out of your chest and you feel blessed to have gotten to this point. Your novel is finally going to be published, and it’s going to be awesome. All of those sleepless nights and hours spent trying to perfect the perfect piece of prose are finally going to pay off. You are going to be able to show your family and friends what you’ve accomplished, and they are going to shower you with praise and hugs. The best part is that you’re going to do all of this without having to compromise your artistic vision in any way.
On the other hand, there are always some issues that may arise during the course of the editing process. Some of these are small things that can be easily overlooked if you’re not looking for them. Things like spelling and grammatical errors. Minor plot holes and inconsistencies. The occasional inflexion or two that the editor may find distracting or difficult to follow. These are all fixable issues, and in most cases, they don’t even need to be pointed out to you. You’re going to find that your novel is full of these little errors and omissions, and you’re going to have to learn to live with them.
Then there is the ugly. This is where your novel (and any aspiring author’s novel) really starts to fall apart. Once you’ve reached this point, it’s essentially game over. The editing process is kind of like peeling back the layers of an onion; there is always another layer underneath. Each layer represents another problem that needs to be addressed. After several rounds of chopping and changing, you’ll find that the original book you submitted has been shredded beyond recognition. What was once a cohesive narrative has turned into a tangled mess that is difficult to follow and probably not worth anyone’s time to unwind. If you want to reclaim what you’ve written, you are going to have to start from scratch and begin the tedious process all over again. Sometimes this can even mean a complete rewrite. In some cases, it can mean the end of the novel altogether. This is the part that makes most aspiring authors wistful. After all of the work and stress, you discover that the journey was actually quite boring and uneventful. All of that anticipation and excitement about the finished product quickly gives way to disappointment and bitterness. Why? Because, although it might feel like a breath of fresh air at first, the truth is that the stress and scrutiny of an editor’s (or a reader’s) eye is not something you want to experience every time you sit down to write. Maybe, just maybe, this is why so many professional writers choose to remain incognito. They know the good it does for their career to keep their work under their hat. They don’t want to ruin everything by taking the easy way out and submitting it to a magazine or newspaper. They know that if they do that, they’re going to face the wrath of an unforgiving editor (or an unsympathetic one, at the very least). No, they know that unless they want to risk losing everything, including their safety and freedom, they are going to have to find another way. One that doesn’t involve anyone but themselves.
Learning To Love The Dark Side
You can’t have light without the dark. This is just as true in reading as it is in writing. If you are going to truly absorb and understand what your text is trying to convey, you are going to have to look at it from a different perspective. In order to understand and appreciate all of its nuances, you need to see it (and all of its variants and versions) as a whole. When you are first introduced to a work, most likely it will come with a summary of what is going on. This is the part where you get to see the big picture, and it’s the part that is usually left out when presented in isolation. Looking at each individual sentence, or each individual word, is all well and good, but you need to be able to see the whole in order to truly understand it. Take the time to slow down and read through the whole summary. Go back and re-read it once you’ve had a chance to mull it over. This is the part that will help you discover all of the intricacies and little details that you may have missed the first time around. When you look at a work this way, you are able to see all of the references and allusions that may have eluded you. You see connections and hidden meanings that you would have otherwise missed. When you get to this point in the editing process, you are essentially doing the work of a literary analyst. Trying to bring all of the pieces together and make sense of them. Only then can you begin to see the bigger picture, and all of the connections that may exist between the various stories and characters. In other words, only then can you begin to appreciate how all of this relates back to you, the writer.
If this is something that appeals to you, and you feel like you can bring a fresh set of eyes to the task, don’t hesitate to take it on. It can be quite rewarding (if somewhat isolating) to work on a piece of writing for which you know no one else is going to see. It may also be a great way to work through some of those issues you’re struggling with. Instead of hiding your work and feeling bad about yourself, you can take pride in creating something that no one else can appreciate. It’s a great way to learn to love the dark side.
The Importance Of Beta Readers
Even with all of the editing that goes into a typical novel, there is always a part of it that is (or at least can be) entirely unique to you. This is the bit that came out of your head and onto the paper is perfect. The only part that isn’t perfect is the part that needs to be improved upon. Whether it’s through feedback from trusted friends, or through the eyes of a professional, you can have someone else comment on what you’ve written. This gives you the opportunity to improve upon your work, without the fear of someone criticizing you or your writing. The great thing about this option is that it allows you to eliminate all of the little errors and mistakes that you might make. Even if you’re not the type of person to let others criticize your work, you can have someone else scan it for you. This can help identify all of the places where you need to make improvements. In the digital age, there is also the option for Beta readers. These are individuals (usually professional writers or literary agents) who will read your work in its entirety, and then offer their perspective on things. Their input can help point out things that may need to be changed, or maybe even offer suggestions on how to improve the story even further. Sometimes, it’s not what is written in the text, but how it’s written that needs to be fixed. They can help you make all of the little intricacies and details work together for greater effect.