Are you presently grappling with a writing project? Do you
feel you’ve hit a patch of resistance and wonder whether the work’s ever
going to gain momentum? I’m in the process of readying my third YA manuscript,
Activate, for professional edits. You might think by this stage of the YA series, the creative
process would have great traction, but I must confess there’ve been many points
of wrestling along that manuscript development path.
When contemplating some early revision challenges, I was
reminded of a conversation I’d had with a friend who’d been doing a lot of long
distance running. (Think half-marathons.) They mentioned how the 7Km mark still
hurt, each and every time they hit it. (Personally, I think the 1Km mark is more
where things start to bite ... but anyway ...) No matter how many times they ran
longer distances, there was still a point where they had to break through fatigue
and bodily resistance, before they’d find their rhythm and settle into their
run.
I believe we’re called to share words that move hearts, change lives, and bring hope into a world where things don’t
always seem hopeful. Resistance is a given. But my friend’s comment got me
thinking. Maybe some of that grappling we experience when developing a
manuscript beyond the initial raw draft, is a little like finding our writing
rhythm.
A decade ago I began studying creative writing at a
post-graduate level. This involved writing to set criteria, including
submitting a proposal at the outset of a project, along with providing a sample
of a VERY raw early draft. I swiftly learned that once I’d settled onto an idea,
there just wasn’t time to mess about changing my mind if it seemed things weren’t
working. Another valuable lesson was that I couldn’t edit nothing.
Often when we hit resistance in life, we’re tempted to jump
out of the process; to change the topic; to run in the opposite direction. Our
writing habits can reflect this general response. (Anyone else out there with half a
dozen or more ‘first chapters’ hidden in a folder somewhere?)
As you might remember, I’m a great believe in timing, and
resistance may also be an indicator that the timing isn’t quite right for a
certain project. Yet, there is an element of discipline we must apply to our
writing. I’m beginning to suspect that in every writing project, not matter how
many writing years are under our belt, we’ll encounter a ‘7Km mark’ (or few!), where
it can be tempting to give up and start something different. But just as
sticking at a task eventually sees progress, I believe we grow as writers when
we persist in the face of manuscript development challenges, especially when
working to set criteria or topics.
Granted, there are times we need to put work aside for a season.
To move forward, it’s also important to connect with other more experienced
writers, seek feedback and invest in our craft. But if you feel you have a
story to share and it’s just not coming together, maybe you’ve met your 7Km
mark. Don’t give up. Your rhythm might be found just another kilometre away.
Queensland
author Adele Jones writes young adult and historical novels, poetry and short
inspirational, fiction and non-fiction works. Her first YA novel Integrate was awarded the 2013 CALEB
Prize for unpublished manuscript. Her writing explores issues of social
justice, humanity, faith, natural beauty and meaning in life’s journey. For more visit www.adelejonesauthor.com
or contact@adelejonesauthor.com
