This morning I took a two-minute break from my writing to take a quiz by Kevin Alexander
http://www.writersdigest.com/articles/alexander_finishthatnovel.asp
The title of the quiz is a question I'm asked by many fledgling writers: Are You Ever Really Going to Finish That Novel?: We'll see—find out if you've got what it takes to reach The End.
Anderson begins the quiz with this preamble:
"Statistics say that almost everyone in America is working on a novel. But how many of them will actually finish it? The percentage is so small that it doesn't even compute on nonscientific calculators. Are you one of the few, the elite, the unrecognizable percentage who will actually finish your novel?"
Having finished at least 8 novels in the past two years, I decided to try validating the quiz. My result was:
"Congratulations. You're the most prolific of writers, willing to sacrifice sleep, laughter and sanity in exchange for a very high production level. Not only are you going to finish your own novel, you could probably finish other people's novels, as well. You may or may not be Nora Roberts. At some point, you should shower."
But I never sacrifice sleep or laughter or sanity, so how can that be? The quiz has 9 multiple choice questions, with "A" answers being "right" for predicting a "finisher." I got 8 A answers, but one D, the worst possible. Here was my D:
Q: Pick which answer best describes your daily work routine.
D. Um, I think it's a little presumptuous to assume I have a "daily work routine."
Those readers who are familiar with my Fieldstone Method will know that "routine" is not what I'm about, but "motivation" is. That's why I think Anderson's entire test can be reduced to a single one of his questions and one of the answers:
The reason you've decided to write this book is because:
A. It's what the universe intended me to do.
If that's your answer, and truly your first answer, then you'll find a way to finish your novel. All the other things—the money, fame, your routine—are merely details that will vary from one unique author to another. If the universe is truly speaking to you, you'll find a way to overcome all obstacles and finish your novel.
And if the universe is not speaking to you, you might finish your novel, but it won't be very good, and it you certainly won't find it satisfying.
Wednesday, December 13, 2006
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4 comments:
The one question and its answer reminds me of the Robert Frost poem "Not All There." The text of the poem can be found at this web page from Sweden (scroll down a bit on the page):
http://www.math.uu.se/bullen/html/bull652.html
So if the reason for writing your novel is that "It's what the universe intended me to do" it will help greatly if indeed you are listening to the universe.
DGC
Speaking as a person who just finished his first book (not a novel, though, a business book) I can relate to that sentiment.
While I may not have felt that the universe was moving everything to make me write that book, I do believe that I'm in a unique position to say something that needs to be said.
May I offer some experiences from my writing process (such as it is):
My 10 tips for making writing fun.
Jerry, of course you have a routine. You write every waking moment, albeit with frequent unscheduled interruptions! :) And of course scheduled ones like meals, etc.
Anonymous wrote: "Jerry, of course you have a routine. You write every waking moment, albeit with frequent unscheduled interruptions! :) And of course scheduled ones like meals, etc."
Well, I don't schedule meals, and have a variable number every day. I guess you could say my "routine" is that I eat when I'm hungry, sleep when I'm tired, wake when my eyes open. I do brush my teeth on a fairly regular schedule, in order that I don't have too many unscheduled visits to the dentist. So, I have sort of a meta-routine: I do what's necessary to minimize the unscheduled interruptions to my "routine" of writing pretty much every waking moment.
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