That Novel Will Never Be Perfect
From Katie Hayoz
I’m not a perfectionist.
Little mistakes don’t bother me.
But when it comes to my writing, I take pride in what I do and I want
what I put out there to be not just decent, but good. I rewrote Untethered
at least eighteen times.
Literally. And I’m talking
full-on, rip-it-up and make do with the shreds kind of rewriting, not moving
sentences around. What started as a five page story ended up (20 years later)
to be a 340 page novel. That novel went
through so many critiquing sessions and beta readers that I was sure it would
be perfection by the time it was published.
Ha. Not quite.
Writing is art, and like all art there is a point where the
person creating the work just has to stop.
She just has to tell herself that particular piece is the best she can make it right then. That’s the sticker: right then. Because the truth is that you can always go
back and make it better. There will
always be holes you missed or mistakes you made or words that paint a clearer
picture. But if you keep going back and
going back and going back you never move on.
Never get on to the next book; the one that first one prepared you for.
My dad paints watercolor. I can’t tell you the number of
times he’s looked at a picture of his, already framed and on the wall, and
said, “Why did I think this was finished? This whole section could use reworking.” My mom rolls her eyes. I understand.
I totally do.
But there was a point when I just had to quit trying to make
Untethered perfect. A point where my writing group and my family
and friends said, “Stop already!” So I
did. I’m proud of this novel -- the
characters, the world, the writing itself.
However, that didn’t keep me from face-palming myself after its publication. There were things that I see now that I
couldn’t see then. It kills me. And yet…
And yet I could go in, change it all and six months from now
I’d be face-palming myself again. So,
I’ve left it as is. I’ve moved onto
another novel. It’s finished; sort of. I’ve done three drafts – three pick away the
fleshy parts and gnaw on the bone drafts.
I’ll rewrite it one more time. Then I’ll need to tell myself, “Stop
already! That novel will never be
perfect.”
But I’m hoping it will be damn good.
*Katie Hayoz was born in Racine, WI, USA but ended up in
Geneva, Switzerland, where she lives with her husband, two daughters, and two
fuzzy cats. She devours YA novels like she does popcorn and black licorice:
quickly and in large quantities.
Untethered is a
paranormal coming of age novel that follows 16-year-old Sylvie on a unique and
slightly sinister journey of self-acceptance. Sylvie has an ability to leave
her physical body and astral project. While it could be akin to a superpower,
she sees it as a curse. That is, until
the day she decides to play with its dark side. Sylvie then sets an evil plan
in motion that she believes will change her life for the better. But she does not count on it spiraling out of
control.
Connect with Katie
On her website: www.katiehayoz.com
On Twitter: www.twitter.com/katiehayoz
On Facebook: www.facebook.com/katiehayoz.author
Buy Untethered on Amazon: http://amzn.to/ZH2qzY
(Thank you to Rave Reviews Book Club and all the members who
so generously agreed to host me on their site!)
RAVE REVIEWS BOOK CLUB is pleased to announce a new
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Katie's question & answer on THIS site:
Rave Reviews Book Club: Why did you choose to publish as an Indie author?
Katie Hayoz: 35 glowing publisher rejections and a husband who had a ruptured brain aneurysm and pulled through. I saw my life
could change in a matter of seconds and decided I wanted my novel out there right away.
THANK YOU for stopping by! Please visit all Blog Tour Hosts as found on: www.RaveReviewsByNonnieJules. wordpress.com
