A book-length work is a substantial, complex undertaking, and you will face multi-faceted challenges along the way. There will be ups and downs as you navigate the development phase. You may change course, adjust your goals, set aside a project to start another, choose to put the manuscript away. You are likely to face overwhelm and uncertainty in amongst moments of inspiration and confidence. Slippages in confidence along the way are common. Welcome to the world of being a writer.
It doesn’t help when those around you don’t understand the scope of your endeavour and how hard it is. Questions like, Are you still writing that book? Or Haven’t you finished that book yet? reveal a lack of general understanding about the rigors and time it takes to write a book-length work, and suggest unrealistic expectations.
Consider the craft of writing in the context of other art practices. We don’t expect someone who picks up an instrument for the first time to be signed by a record label within a year or two. We don’t expect someone who decides to have a go at painting to see their work feature in a solo exhibition any time soon. We understand the time it takes to develop skills and talent in artforms such as music and painting, and we have a sense of the competitive nature of taking that art to an audience. Somehow we forget all that when it comes to writing.
We also accept that recording and distributing the music we play, or publicly displaying the paintings we produce, is not always desired or necessary to feel a sense of satisfaction. We do it for ourselves. And we continue to do it without the record deal and without the gallery invitation.
When we accept that we write not only because we have a story to tell but also because the act of writing nourishes us, inspires us and helps us make sense of the world, we can let go of the expectations of others, and perhaps our own. This doesn’t mean you have to give up on a goal of publication, it just means you can re-orient your work as part of living a creative life, rather than outcome focussed.
Think about how you might answer the question ‘Are you still writing that book?’ in a way that honours your practice, your relationship with your manuscript, and your creativity, and offers an insight to the questioner about what it means to be a writer.
See also my blogs on Perseverance, and From Writer’s Draft to Reader’s Draft