Daniel McMillanIn December of 2017, I finished the draft of my first novel. Yay for me, right? I then went through it and gave it a first edit run-through and left it for almost a month without even touching it. Yay for me again. Why, you might ask, is that something to cheer for? Why is the fact that I have abandoned something I've been working on so diligently and for so long cause for celebration? The answer to that is a combination of a lesson learned and a newfound confidence in the writing process. And, the knowledge that the abandonment is only temporary. My first book, "On the Ashes of Our Ignorance", was non-fiction and written as a response to the questions I've been asked throughout my adult life regarding things I have studied since I was 11 years old. The information for the book was inside me and I allowed it to come pouring out in a frenzy of writing, organizing, and editing that resulted in the book being finished in a short time. I was proud of what I had accomplished, and I released the book for publication and sale shortly thereafter.
Yay for me again, right? Wrong. After stepping back from "Ashes" for some time and reading it through fresh eyes, I realized that I in my haste to release it so quickly, it wasn't ready. It is now, but only after a lot more work, editing, revising and polishing. Now there is a book out there with my name on it that I can be really proud of. The original release of the book was good, and it contained the information that a person needs to apply the principles put forward in it. But it was not representative of my best work. Now it is way better. I took the original manuscript, which was good, and turned it into something great. It was only after spending some time away from it that I was able to see it objectively enough to make those necessary changes. Now, the book is fantastic and I am very pleased with it. But I wish I had waited to release it until it became what it had the potential to be. It's not easy to admit something like that, but hopefully, from my mistake, we all can learn. Don't rush things that you want to be your best work. Stepping away and coming back to something you are passionate about can allow you to be more objective about what you are creating. You will still get to be excited about its completion, but you will also have a more satisfying experience knowing that you are presenting your best work. It's better to be a little less excited at a later time, but not wondering whether what you did is good or not. If you are patient and put the shine on something you are creating until it positively sparkles, then you KNOW that it's good. Which brings us back to my new novel. I drafted it, did one editing run through it, changing some things and catching errors and whatnot, and I suppose I could have polished it up with a couple more edits and sent it out there. I'm glad I didn't. In the time that I spent away from it, I was able to start creating a whole new world where other stories could happen. I also continued to be creative with other projects, and I'm happy with the things I accomplished in that time. But, now that I'm back into the new novel, I have a lot of ideas that don't just augment the story's plot, characters, and setting; they are integral to a better story. These new ideas HAVE to be in there. If they aren't, the plot won't progress well and the ideas while still compelling, would not have been as good as I can possibly make them. When it is finished, it's going to be great. Because I've learned to be patient enough to find the greatness in my work. By having to backpedal with the first book, correcting mistakes in what should have been a "finished" work, I found that I will not settle for anything that is less than great. I feel much better for it, and I am quite certain my readers appreciate it. Don't rush. Your projects will get done. So, why not take your time doing them so that when you are done, they're awesome?
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