In a new post, Mary Carroll Moore says you may encounter five gates as you write your novel, each of which may block your progress and require that you develop new skills. “When I feel stuck, skill-less, out of energy or ideas, it’s often because I’ve passed through a gate I’ve been working with for a while and I’m facing the next one, which might require a new perspective, new skills, new energy,” she says.
The gates are:
1. Taking an idea into regular production of pages. Most of us start writing with a burst of energy and enthusiasm, but this can wear off quickly and your worrying starts. Perhaps you haven’t the talent to continue. What if someone reads it? “Writing regularly is the key to getting to the next gate, to have enough material to begin to structure it wisely and create a real book,” Moore says.
2. Structuring the flow of the book. At this stage, you’re moving from random free-flow writing to the real thing, and you might get stuck for ideas about your protagonist’s next move. “It helps to adopt a playful attitude,” Moore suggests. “To know that your first, second, or tenth try at structure may not be what you end up with. My best results come when I create a possible flow for the book then write to fill gaps. Then test the structure again. Usually it changes.”
3. First draft completion. Your goal is to get that first draft down. It’s usually not very good, especially if you were writing fast, but it’s done. Don’t get caught revising too much unless you get stuck on structure. Leave word choice, description, and other edits til you’re done.
4. Revision completion. A necessary gate, but also a difficult one to pass. “It requires staring down all my mistakes and figuring out what path my reader needs to take through my book, then weeding anything that doesn’t serve the story,” Moore says. “Skills are needed. You may already be a competent writer but you need to learn revision–they are two different skillsets.” At this point, you may be seeking feedback, but don’t ask for too much, because you might feel paralyzed by all the different opinions.
5. Final editing (often with professional feedback). Feedback – personal or professional – is another necessary gate, but can also be discouraging if it’s not as positive as you’d like. Moore suggests stepping away from the manuscript for a week or two until you can return to the feedback and story with an impartial view. Choose one item of feedback and make some small changes to your novel. See if the feedback is valid for you and what results from the changes. “Sometimes the feedback itself isn’t the fix but it points out the problem and just sitting with that will bring your own solution,” Moore says.
