In some ways, the commitment to writing is an act of insanity. We need a strong idea to write about, skills that allow us to share our idea in a pleasant and clever way, readers to provide comments, and a writer’s perspective that can be maintained through all the fits and starts and will help answer the question, “For what purpose am I writing this?”
I know the challenges well as I work on my third novel in a series. Depending on the day, one of the challenges will do some version of trash talk with me.
“Face me, tired writer. Let me see if you can keep it interesting.”
Here is how I define interesting:
The book offers something significant about living our best life and leaves readers wanting to know more. When readers of my previous books asked me about what I had planned next, their questions made me gleeful. I assumed it meant they wanted more.
My usual response? “I’m taking a rest now, but is there something you want to know… a question you need answered?”
My prior career in business has me valuing customer feedback hugely, and I still apply that gem, but less so in writing.
In my most recent novel, I did receive some loud responses to my question, “Is there something you need answered?” Readers wanted to know more about the relationship between “Coach,” who helped my neurodivergent protagonist, and my protagonist’s mom. I must add that the neurodivergent aspect was unintended. I created “Alfred” to be quirky like we all are, but the pros (i.e., psychologists, psychiatrists, educators, social workers) told me I couldn’t appropriate Alfred’s quirkiness. I needed to accept he was autistic. Fine. I love him the same.
Developing an angle between a Coach and his client’s mom felt like prohibited love, but I consciously wrote the book with an edge to their relationship that left readers (and me) wondering.
Now, the question was whether I could engineer a new roadmap for my adult characters — one that I hadn’t planned for and only gently insinuated. I left the idea and instead focused on a challenging character who grew up on the wrong side of the tracks but righted herself through grit and pluck.
As much as I tried, though, I couldn’t ignore the subtle leanings between a coach and a mom, so I revisited their story and started to write. I also did a small bit of homework and read a few romance novels to see if I could understand the genre. How non-graphic could I be and still communicate sexual pleasures? What is the romantic genre anyway?
Truth be told, the romance genre did very little for me. Maybe I’m too old, or crusty, or curious about character development.
What were my takeaways as I proceeded to write?
I would have to find my own style of romance because as much fun as it might be to read highly descriptive passages, it simply is not me.
The character development in the few novels I read was paper-thin, which would not be the case for Alfed’s mom or Coach, both of whom had interesting histories.
I realized (again) that writing can take you far afield from where you started, and it’s our attitude that decides whether we’re up for the challenge.
For whatever reason, I felt compelled to push forward and write a story with romance at its center but with side stories, too. I characterized the challenges before starting, in case they helped better equip me. I identified:
Finding and sustaining the creative idea. What makes these characters interesting over an entire book — not a chapter? What is their challenge and growth path?
Writing the story with both pace to maintain the reader's attention and leisure to show an artful pen. The romance novels I had read specialized in being quick and accessible. Some of my very favorite novels — Robert Penn Warren’s All the Kings Men or Charles Dickens David Copperfield, have an amazing pen, but most people in 2024 don’t have sufficient attention span. I want to achieve some of both — accessible with a touch of elegance.
Keeping myself motivated. We can easily bore ourselves or talk ourselves out of an idea if we let ourselves. It’s already happened to me, but I overcame my mood and pushed on.
Being true to the original idea while maintaining flexibility. What was my initial motivation, and what new doors have my plot and character evolution opened? My original idea was to share a coming-of-age story of a 40-year-old mom. I wondered whether I would be open-minded and welcome the twists and turns as I continued to write.
Keeping our eye on the finish line. Novels need resolution. Characters need direction. Readers need discovery. Authors bear a lot of responsibility to make this happen.
This morning, I faced a fork in the road of my plot line, and now I am stepping back. I call it “regaining my perspective,” a process that will last a few days before I come back to my draft.
I likened the process to climbing a mountain. I grew up in the Colorado Rockies, so mountains speak to me. When you climb a mountain and you are in the thick of thorny brush, you might look up to see where you are headed. If you do, the field will most likely look smooth. The colors are beautiful, and you can’t wait until you land in that soft and inviting field.
You need to do this climb only once to realize the illusion of smooth terrain ahead. It’s thorny brush up all the way to the top, but a climber will persist. You want the pleasure of reaching the summit, and you want the satisfaction that follows of working your way down.
That’s me and writing. I imagine a smooth plot ahead and characters who write themselves. While there are moments where they lead me, I am often in the thorny brush. That is just the nature of the mountain.
Still, I am committed to the climb and conquering the many challenges that lie on the path. I believe I will be able to maintain my creativity, find resolution, and keep my readers engaged and wanting more.
Or, so I hope.
But it’s a beautiful mountain calling me, and I will accept the climb, one step at a time.