I have not been writing a poem a week as I tasked myself in Cross Training, nor have I met the goal I set in my Bylines Calendar of writing a chapter a month. If I wanted to grind to a complete halt, I could trip over these “failures,” wallow in chocolate, and stop writing all together. Believe me: there 
are times when I have. I’ll be the first to admit that in the past, I’ve failed to meet unreasonable goals, indulged in self-pity, and gained weight.
Not any more. Even though I haven’t met my lofty goals, I have not failed. Since the beginning of the year, I’ve been sitting down at my desk five to six days a week, making progress on my new novel. In fact, I’ve written pages and pages of the new book – and tossed out all but thirty-six. But with these thirty-six spanking new pages, I’ve got the beginning of my story. Maybe.
At least for the time being, I’ll let these 9,000 words stand and move on. I know that in the next draft, I may ditch them, and in the draft after that, I may invite them back. The point is, I’m finally in first gear, rolling along, picking up speed – successfully Starting Over.
It’s a huge relief, really, to have words on the page, to have made some of the agonizing decisions about how to start, how to structure, how to tell this story – a story I still don’t entirely know. But each day, I know more. I even accept that sometimes knowing more means having to delete interesting details and events, pithy dialogue and killer language. Inevitably, these paragraphs of characterization were critical for me to write: I had to discover 
my characters’ backstories – but I don’t necessarily have to burden my reader with them. Sometimes, I’ll write a thousand words one day and delete nine-hundred-and-fifty of them the next. Then, I’ll whittle the remaining words further, until I’ve carved a detail about my character into a vivid – and economical – image or subordinate clause.
Yes, I wish I could compose faster and with fewer words from the start. But I’ve been doing this long enough to know that this is my process: write long and refine. I know that I’ll inevitably gain momentum as I go along. It’s getting the story started that’s so hard. I also know that this is still only a first draft. I didn’t always know this.
There was a time when I thought my first draft was also my last, and there was nothing left for me to do but await publication and accolades after I typed “The End.” Now I know that only after I finish the first draft will I even have an idea of the story I want to tell. This incredibly valuable first draft will guide me through the first revision. And the second. And the third.
At some point, I’ll invite readers – friends who are also professional writers – to read the book and ask questions, so I can learn what works and what doesn’t. And then I’ll rewrite it again. And again. But I’m still a long way from revision.
The novelist W. Somerset Maugham is credited with saying, “There are three rules for writing the novel. Unfortunately, no one 
knows what they are.” Even if there were three rules for writing a novel, they’d be different for each book. No, the best writing advice I adhere to is from Dorothy Parker, who said, “Writing is the art of applying the ass to the seat.”
Deborah Lee Luskin is a novelist, essayist and educator. She is a regular commentator for Vermont Public Radio, a Visiting Scholar for the Vermont Humanities Council and the author of the award winning novel, Into The Wilderness. For more information, visit her website at www.deborahleeluskin.com
endeavor to persevere – it will all be worth it.
Thank you! I’m trying!
DLL
thank you for this… it helps me continue.
You’re welcome. Hearing from you helps me!
DLL
Inspiring!…time to sit down and do what brings joy without looking at outcome…enjoying process!:) Thank you for your words coming from experience.:)
-Jennifer
Yes, process. Some days are more joyful than others. Glad my post inspires you. Hearing from you helps me.
DLL
Thank you! Applying ass to seat now…
Some days, I think about using glue or rope to keep me there. *sigh*
DLL
always the challenge! will sit soon, promise to self!
Yes – Some days, just sitting down seems like an achievement.Good luck.
DLL
Deborah, I am SO with you on keeping on keeping on and not giving up, just because some unrealistic goal was not met–or most of the thousands of online “challenges” are ignored. Those 36 pages of your next novel are really wonderful, I am sure–even though they still may get rewritten and/or re-arranged. Dorothy Parker and Somerset are both right. We just each have to do our own writing with our own muse on our shoulder.
Thanks for encouragement!
DLL
Hi Deborah,
I loved this post–so useful! Thanks so much for sharing your process. And that quote is now on my blotter in my office where I see it every time I sit down. Maybe it’ll help me stay in my chair!
Warmly,
Diane
Staying seated – not running off to do a hundred little things – or even think about those hundred little things – now there’s the challenge!
Thanks for writing, DLL
This post couldn’t have come at a better time. The day before yesterday I sat down to “cross train” and try writing a micro-fiction story that’s been haunting me. For an hour I wrote and about 750 words later, and several mini-revisions I was absolutely digusted with myself. Yesterday I tried again. Ugh. It takes conscious effort to remind ourselves that it’s okay to fail doesn’t it?
Even when the goals are lofty, we have to realize some days the creativity just flows like crystal clear waters through a beautiful stream of consciousness and some days…well…it’s a little like truging through a ditch full of muck trying to find a non-existent pot of gold.
When I get disgusted, I take it as a sign to get up off my butt, do something else, breathe, then sit my ass back down again after I’ve re-grouped. Sometimes I do something else that’s creative besides writing. That helps ALOT.
Great commentary, Deborah – thank you!
Laura,
Thank you for your water metaphors – and the reminder that sometimes it’s best to do something else entirely. Sometimes I do something creative, and sometimes I indulge in some therapeutic cleaning!
Best, Deborah.
Hi Deborah,
Great post—I love it, and it couldn’t have come at a better time for me. I have finished a first draft of my first novel. I had expected to be doing a lot of structural editing as well as every other sort of editing but thought I would at least have some sort of basic story. Instead I find that probably 1~5% of what I had written may be useful. When I started my revision, after a break, I was so disheartened I couldn’t come up with any ideas at all. Fortunately now I’m back to writing and realise that my original story idea is still good—just my first attempts to flesh out the ideas were not!
Thanks for your words—they will help me stay in the chair!
Trish
Trish – A prize-winning writer I know calls first drafts “Notes to Myself.” He’s won the National Book Award – so it works. I try to remember that that’s all a first draft is: really good directions on how to write the book.
Good luck with yours!
Deborah.
this reminds me of a similar post i had written called “The Start”.it is the the start that makes the different…often times, sitting down planning and beginning is the most difficult step that you have to take towards your goal 🙂
I agree. But I know there are others who race out of the gate – and then have trouble going the distance. In either case, sticking it out Dorothy Parker style seems to help.
Thanks for writing,
Deborah.
yeah..i do tend to get a little impatient..how do u manage to be patient enough and not rush through the plot?
I needed this post to help me over-come my own deadline and goal-setting fumble. Now where did I put my seat?
Reblogged this on Notes From Nowhere and commented:
Debra describes my writing process perfectly. I love you Dorothy Parker!
It is always of interest to me, how other writers work. One might learn from others’ methods, but in the end finding your own way does emerge. Rewriting and editing one’s own is what new writers don’t get immediately. The point might be …to write enough length to have something to delete. This also brings to mind the beginnings of projects ….. to outline or not, and other planning things. Great information and sharing, thank you.