November 2024

Why do so many writers write about writing?

It’s annoying, isn’t it? So many writers writing advice columns about writing. It’s as if we’ve all turned into coaches over night. Each of us tiny experts teaching people with slightly less experience how to take that next step to be where we were just a few short years ago.

To what end?

Sure. It’s great to help people. But what qualifies me or anyone else to give writing advice? I’m not very much more qualified than any other writer you could follow. I’m older, sure. But there are plenty of writers older. I have experience. But not as much as others.

And isn’t it getting a little tiresome to hear from so many authors writing and talking about writing?

Maybe I should do my next video on something else. Anything else. Maybe Transformers. Maybe X-Men.

I’ve always liked X-Men.

Anyway, the current draft of my book is just about done. I’ve got maybe three or four chapters left to go. Exciting, huh? Unfortunately, I’ve got at least two more drafts to go. The current draft is my zero draft. I spit out the skeleton as quick as I can just to get the ideas out. Then I do my first draft where I take my time layering in as much detail as possible and ironing out the edges. Then it’s off to the editors for polishing.

This whole time I’m sharing with Critique Partners, by the way, in my writer’s group.

After that, well…things get a little fuzzy. Because that’s when the business side takes over. After the editors get their shot, that’s draft 3, and that’s the end, see, as far as I’m concerned. I don’t want to write much more than 3 or 4 drafts, including draft 0. By then, I’m tapped.

This whole process takes a lot of time. Lots of time. Lot longer than I’d like, especially as I have other jobs and responsibilities and life stuff and video games that take up large chunks of time that should be spent writing.

And that’s before we get into marketing and book design and formatting and cover design and all that other stuff I don’t even know about because I’m still learning how to be an independent author. I could go traditional, but I need as few gatekeepers as possible. Doing it all myself just makes more sense for me, even though it may mean fewer sales. That’s ok. I have a good feeling about this book and its sequel. And maybe the threequel, if I ever figure out what it’s about.

Probably dragons.