I had a big idea!
I got out my pens and a notebook and a couple of craft books and sat down at the table.
I was going to outline before writing my next novel. I thought, “It’ll move faster if I know where I am going.”
Yes and no. First I wrote out a list of moments, i.e. meeting a new friend, standing up for someone else, that sort of thing. And then I stopped.
I did laundry.
I washed my hair.
I did the Costco run.
I read a new MG book.
And yes, that did help me to consider things for my book, but still…I need to write every day.
I didn’t write. For several days I didn’t write and I didn’t outline.
Then I realized I was feeling stumped because I just needed to get the first draft out and stop thinking I could plan more than I did.
I will outline, but it will happen after the first draft is done and not a second before! I need to leave the magic to happen before I fiddle with what isn’t on the page.
Sharing a secret here: The book I am querying, currently named The Treasure and the Scar, has been read by a few more people but the only one from my family, my mom.
There is no “only way to write” except for this…get the words on the page because that is the only way to rewrite!
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