Stories are never finished, they can only be set free.
A few months ago, I was honored to stumble across a woman who had decided to take three workshops with me. It had been about a year since I had seen her last, but it didn’t take me long to recognize the novel she used for her homework discussions. At first I was charmed by some of the differences I saw, and the new directions she wanted to take the project.
And then I thought about it just a little bit harder. The truth was, the novel had been nearly publication-worthy the year before, and she was quickly reaching a point where changes didn’t make the story better, only different. Soon I feared she would lose that sparkle.
One thing that never ceases to amaze me is the number of talented writers who show up for my workshops for motivation and improvement, somehow unaware or unsure of their skill. I sometimes feel like a counselor, which is all right with me. If that’s what a writer needs to become an author, then that’s what I’ll dish out.
But it does bring upon the often-asked question: How do you know when you’re ready? Or, alternately: How do you know when it’s done?
It is a critical question, because for every talented writer out there unaware of their gifts, there is one who thinks they are better than they are. Some in this latter group have trouble hearing anything negative about their stories, will often self-select critics who will pander, and sometimes ends up self-publishing work that is not ready for publication.
Most of us walk in that middle ground, somehow simultaneously believing we are brilliant writers and absolute rubbish at the exact same time. The good news is that if you feel this way, you are on the right track. This is the attitude which allows you to hear real criticism and make real improvement. It takes a certain arrogance to plug away at an art form day after day, year after year, especially when you don’t get regular feedback. If you don’t believe, in some part of yourself, that you’re good, and I mean really, really good, you have no motivation to continue. On the other hand, if you don’t believe, in some corner of your mind, that you’re awful, you won’t hear criticism. You won’t get better. You won’t become the brilliant writer you already know you are.
It’s convoluted, but it works far better than simply believing you’re okay, even assuming that’s the truth. And believe me, you’re too close to the source to know for sure. You can ask other people, but it’s hard to know who to trust, who will be honest, who will pander, and who really is a part of that “no book is universally loved” contingent.
Since you can’t know, you have no other choice: set your stories free.
If you want to be a published author, you have to stop rewriting the same stories over and over again. You know who you are and you know what I’m talking about. Stop! Set it free. Let it out into the world. Whether or not the world accepts your story, you have to let it fly. Rejection doesn’t mean you’re awful. Acceptance doesn’t mean you’re great (although it does mean you’re published). It’s just what you do. It’s part of the process.
Meanwhile, you need to move on. Writers will never improve their craft by rewriting the same story over and over again. You have to write a million words of crap before you get to the good stuff, and that crap needs to be made up of unique stories.
Write it. Rewrite it. Revise it. Then set it free. You’ll set yourself free at the same time.
Then every once in a while, if you’re lucky, you’ll get some confirmation that you’re as brilliant as a small part of you thinks you are. Some publisher will accept your work, or you’ll win an award, or you’ll get a nice review.
I’ve published two novels and have a set of four coming out soon. I’m still not “ready.” I still fight the small part of my psyche that believes I’m rubbish, even after my second novel won two awards. I sometimes wish I could go back and revise the books I’ve already published! I haven’t finished a single novel, but I have set them free. For many of you on the brink of success, that may be the only difference between you and me.
Good luck and write on.