100 Things You Should Know About Writing (Part 2)

27) About Ideas and Cliches

Don't get me wrong. I get that Wattpad is pretty much filled by writers who are still learning the craft. And boy are they trying hard to learn. I mean, Part 1 of 100 Things got over a thousand reads less than two weeks after I'd started writing it. 

And honestly, I think all these people wanting to learn the craft of writing is awesome. Which is why I started writing 100 Things in the first place. There are, however, a couple of things I've found that new kids to writing have been saying to each other on Wattpad (Especially in the Improve Your Writing Club) that I honestly wish they would stop repeating. Odds are, if you're reading this, you've probably written this or thought this at some stage, but please bear with me. I'm not attacking you. I'm attacking something that you're doing that's doing more harm to the craft than good. Specifically, you're doing more harm to your own craft, which is why I want you to stop. 

Before I go on, though, consider this a trigger warning: This is a serious subject to me and as such, I'm taking my gloves off. You're allowed to disagree with me, but if you're personally insulting, I will report you so fast you'll get dizzy from it. If you don't want today's dose of writing honesty, please feel free to stop reading here. 

Good. Now that's done, let's get to those things, shall we?

The first one's actually born out of uncertainty, which makes it tolerable, but not good for you: 

Is this a good idea? 

Now hon, I know that you're starting out and uncertain and fearing that people won't like your book for about a million reasons, but posting your idea in public before even starting the story is never a good idea. 

Writing isn't (nor should it be) about how many people will read your book. Now, the last time I tried to explain this, I got some really strong words back, but you know what? People who disagree with me probably won't make it to the end of creating and editing the novels they're busy with. 

Wait. Is that howling I hear? 

Doesn't make this less true. Writing is an angst-ridden, often painful, and always challenging experience. Remember what I said about how hard it is to even start a story? Well, I didn't quite tell all last time. See after you've gotten past the blank page, you still have thousands of words to slog through. It'll probably take you weeks, if not months or even years just to finish the first draft. 

Then, when that's done, you have to go back to the beginning and start editing. I actually like editing, but about 90% of the writers I know or have even encountered hate it. With a passion. Which means that editing usually takes writers at least five times as long to complete as writing the rough draft. 

Yes, I know that some of you edit as you go. Guess what? (Unless you've already finished a book and know what I'm talking about.) You're still going to have to go back and edit again. 

My first published novel, The Vanished Knight, went through eight rounds of edits before I even started to query it. Then I edited it after every batch of agents that told me "no." After I got a publishing deal... Guess what? 

You guessed it. I had to edit the whole thing again. And again. And again. Five more times. And when I republished  the book after getting my rights back? Yeah, I gave it another pass just to be sure nothing got missed. 

Now in case my point isn't quite coming across: After writing (and in my case rewriting) my book, I've had to read it over thirty times.