THE CHALLENGE OF WRITING THAT SECOND BOOK
My publishing dream came true! After many years of hard work.
Once I sent off the version to my publisher for final edits, though, I felt a bit lost. This surprised me. Shouldn’t I be grateful for the break? Shouldn’t I focus on my art? Teaching? Landscape design business? But no, there was something missing in my daily routine. While I continued to create guest blog posts about writing, publishing, and book promotion challenges, I still missed writing and crafting an actual book. Could I write another book? If I did, what would it be about? The big question. I decided to dig out my journals again, not the journals that were inspirations for my memoir, Summers of Fire, but the ones I wrote prior to that career. Maybe there was something in them…
I started reading and found I couldn’t stop. I pored through four years. That done, I thought: Are these worthy of another book? If so, where do I start? There’s so much here to write about.
I decided to start where it all began: The life-changing cross-country move to Arizona.
First things first, though. I wanted to be more organized this time. With my first book, I didn’t pay close attention to chronology, thinking it wouldn’t matter much. Boy, was I wrong! As that book progressed, frustrating loop holes and discrepancies appeared. What a pain to fix. Determined to get it right with this second book, I first transcribed all of my journal entries that seemed pivotal or important. Notes at hand, I began to write.
I read at one point that the best way to write a first draft is to not edit along the way. That was my plan…but of course I strayed. Often. However, I did stick with it. I had the ending written early (one of those late night revelations), and I wrote to meet that end.
I thought for sure that I wouldn’t need to edit that much…after all, I’d done the right things. I’m not naïve by any means; I know that writing is not easy. In fact, if done correctly, reaching a publishing goal can feel impossible. I edited. And edited. Several times. That was plenty, wasn’t it? Silly me. My first round with beta readers let me know book two was going to be much more complicated and difficult than I’d planned. But hey, challenge met and accepted.
Now that my publisher has released my second book, I’m working on a third. I have all of my expectations in check. This will not be easier, require fewer revisions, nor will it get done quicker. It will, just like any work of art, and a book IS a work of art, take as long as it takes.
I respect those authors who churn out multiple books during their writing career. I have also come to realize that almost anyone can write lots of books, but few can write lots of good books. My goal is not to write lots of good books. I’m content to write three.
Once I sent off the version to my publisher for final edits, though, I felt a bit lost. This surprised me. Shouldn’t I be grateful for the break? Shouldn’t I focus on my art? Teaching? Landscape design business? But no, there was something missing in my daily routine. While I continued to create guest blog posts about writing, publishing, and book promotion challenges, I still missed writing and crafting an actual book. Could I write another book? If I did, what would it be about? The big question. I decided to dig out my journals again, not the journals that were inspirations for my memoir, Summers of Fire, but the ones I wrote prior to that career. Maybe there was something in them…
I started reading and found I couldn’t stop. I pored through four years. That done, I thought: Are these worthy of another book? If so, where do I start? There’s so much here to write about.
I decided to start where it all began: The life-changing cross-country move to Arizona.
First things first, though. I wanted to be more organized this time. With my first book, I didn’t pay close attention to chronology, thinking it wouldn’t matter much. Boy, was I wrong! As that book progressed, frustrating loop holes and discrepancies appeared. What a pain to fix. Determined to get it right with this second book, I first transcribed all of my journal entries that seemed pivotal or important. Notes at hand, I began to write.
I read at one point that the best way to write a first draft is to not edit along the way. That was my plan…but of course I strayed. Often. However, I did stick with it. I had the ending written early (one of those late night revelations), and I wrote to meet that end.
I thought for sure that I wouldn’t need to edit that much…after all, I’d done the right things. I’m not naïve by any means; I know that writing is not easy. In fact, if done correctly, reaching a publishing goal can feel impossible. I edited. And edited. Several times. That was plenty, wasn’t it? Silly me. My first round with beta readers let me know book two was going to be much more complicated and difficult than I’d planned. But hey, challenge met and accepted.
Now that my publisher has released my second book, I’m working on a third. I have all of my expectations in check. This will not be easier, require fewer revisions, nor will it get done quicker. It will, just like any work of art, and a book IS a work of art, take as long as it takes.
I respect those authors who churn out multiple books during their writing career. I have also come to realize that almost anyone can write lots of books, but few can write lots of good books. My goal is not to write lots of good books. I’m content to write three.
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Blog address: https://summersoffirebook.blogspot.com/
Facebook author page: https://www.facebook.com/LindaStraderauthor
Amazon US: Summers of Fire: A Memoir of Adventure, Love, and Courage
Uprooted: A New Life in the Arizona Sun
Amazon UK: Summers of Fire: A Memoir of Adventure, Love, and Courage
Uprooted: A New Life in the Arizona Sun
Barnes and Noble: Summers of Fire: A Memoir of Adventure, Love, and Courage
Uprooted: A New Life in the Arizona Sun
