Let's Chat about Novels.

Hey Vocal fam, let's chat about long-form content. More specifically, let's talk about novel writing. This discussion is primarily for those who (like myself) are in the process of writing their own novel and need to hear someone vent about it without the looming pressure of a "How to get over burnout and be more productiveTM" theme. I am not here to offer incredible advice, I am here to complain and rejoice in the agony and ecstasy of writing a novel.

My experience is primarily with novel writing, but hopefully, those of you working on longer-form nonfiction will also be able to relate.

Pain Number 1: This is the song that never ends. It just goes on and on my friend.

Let's get the obvious out of the way, novels are long, and we still have lives. Between day jobs, family obligations, and the need to complete basic tasks even a short novel project will begin to feel like a never-ending project. As I work on my piece the looming specter of death has started teasing me about how I am worse at finishing novels than George R. R. Martin and I will leave behind an unfinished manuscript.

Indeed, even a shorter novel can begin to feel like a Neverending Story. I'm also in the bad habit of editing and going over what I've previously written every time I return to the computer, undoubtedly this contributes heavily to the slow process. This is a passion project after all and perfectionism reigns supreme when passion intertwines with life.

Pain Number 2: Where should I put this again?

I would wager many people reading this right now have also had a writing "eureka" moment. This is when you are going about your life, running errands, working, showering, or doing all manner of mundane tasks when out of the blue an idea for a new passage pops into your head. You immediately start fleshing it out in your head and repeat it over and over to yourself to ensure you don't forget it by the time you get to pen and paper. It will fit perfectly into your novel. How exciting!

But there's a small problem that I've experienced. See these eureka moments don't conveniently line themselves up with the linear narrative of your novel, overall plan, or even the section you are working on at the moment. No, these passages will often fit perfectly into a completely different section of the work. Meaning once you write it down, go to sleep, or take any break, however small, you will forget the exact location it should be placed. All you have to guide you is the vague knowledge that this beautifully crafted passage belongs 'later' or 'earlier' than where you are currently working.

You've crafted and raised a beautiful rose only to have it cut your hand as you desperately search for where in your garden you meant to place her.

Pain Number 3: We're not writing short fiction anymore.

One of the beautiful things about short stories is how 'short' they are. You spend only a short amount of time with your characters and setting, raising them and providing the perfect amount of detail then you click 'submit for review' and let your baby fly. What a wonderful feeling.

There is a certain oeuvre to writing short fiction, both in the creation process and in its final form. It requires well-crafted but expedient delivery of the same elements of novels and it often entails a laser focus on just one or two themes. One of the great things about novel writing is the fact that you have more space to slowly explore characters and ideas. However, this freedom also presents unique challenges for structure and pacing. I often find techniques and ideas I cultivate while I write here on Vocal don't always translate well into my novel, and vice versa. What makes this even more frustrating is some strategies for writing short fiction do translate well. So now I have to sort through a haphazard collection of writing and motivation strategies just to write one to three chapters.

Pain Number 4: Titles, titles, and titles.

Perhaps this one isn't so much a pain as it is a pet peeve of mine. When I'm writing for a deadline or writing short fiction I change the title only a few times. As I work out the kinks in the story and adjust certain themes the title I began with changes slightly as everything comes into focus. With the necessarily long process of novel writing, my title has changed countless times. Both in my head and on paper. This often comes to a point where I am banging my head on a table trying to figure out what the heck I'm supposed to name the thing I've poured so much effort into.

This is why I may end up on bookshelves sporting a book simply called Nameless. Isn't it just easier that way?

Pain Number 5: You love it.

In Amazon's The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel (a show I can not recommend enough) Luke Kirby plays the forever iconic Lenny Bruce. In one of the first episodes, the titular Mrs. Maisel asks Bruce if he loves doing stand-up comedy. Bruce goes on to say if he could do anything else in the world, slaughterhouse attendant, cripple kid portrait painter, or even cannibalism he would. Yet when she asks him again if he loves it, he does the iconic shrug and walks away. Leaving her to conclude, "yeah, he loves it."

Indeed he does, and you love novel-writing too. Otherwise, you wouldn't have read this far and you wouldn't be putting up with all of these painful pet peeves. Writing feels almost second nature at times, and it is certainly something I can't live without. It's a difficult ride, but it's worth it, ain't it?

Back to the woodshed with me!