Hard work is now underway for this Novice Novelist. I’m currently making revisions and changes as suggested by my developmental editor and have a deadline of two months to complete my task. Yesterday I was able to spend a significant number of hours on the manuscript and will have hundreds more to go before I finish. There are many goals that must be achieved before Fred’s words will reach readers. It’s important to stay focused and I’m learning the importance of constructive feedback. It’s exciting and challenging at the same time, and I love revisiting Fred’s tale through the process.
I’m only guessing how many hours it will take for me to finish working on Fred’s novel, but will spend as many hours as necessary to finish the work on time or earlier. How grateful I am to have expert advice. Writing a novel is a process that continues long after the book has been completed, revised several times, and pre-publication edited. I hope to tell Fred’s story with his strong voice filled with the emotions he felt by being a good listener.
I’ve written Fred’s story longhand and have rewritten each chapter multiple times. I have to feel the words as I write them. Needless to say, I do have two fingers I use to write with that stand out from the others. I look at both and smile because there’s nothing I can do about it. If they feel stiff I bend them backwards and they are pen ready again.
Somehow, I was selected to take this journey back in time. Before Fred’s voice spoke to me my books were nonfiction. Now I have an appreciation for history and have learned the importance of research. My characters are all important and Fred’s novel is a legacy of hope for all generations. My message to beginning historical novelists is to keep writing and work hard to get your story completed no matter how long it takes. It’s a journey with twists and turns before your widened path leads to a chance to move forward to publication.