I'm Still Writing a Book

Woman Face Secret Diary / 11.08.24

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What You’re Missing: “... people who’ve read parts of it assure me it’s funny, and their encouragement is part of what keeps me going ...” 

I’m writing a book at the moment, and it is kicking my butt. I’ve been working on it for a year or so now (although it’s longer if you factor in the earliest versions of it, which were technically a different story – but based in the same DNA). But writing a book is really hard work. All writing is hard, in a way, but a novel is an undertaking that is unlike a teleplay, for example. I can write a first draft of a comedy script in a day if I need to – it won’t be good, but I can do it. The novel is more daunting though – not just because it’s significantly longer – but because it’s much, much more complicated. There are more cogs in it, and characters, and nuances that need to be remembered. Then there’s the tone of the thing, and the structure. But most of all – the hardest thing in my opinion – is the will to carry on with it. I really like the book, and I’m pretty sure it’s good. But because it’s such an undertaking, self-doubt can easily creep in and tempt you to redirect your efforts into a project that’s more immediate.