The third Secret Strategy for finishing your book is to remember that you are not alone. We writers tend to be Lone Rangers. Sometimes that’s good, but it can also keep us from getting the support we need to get our writing out into the world. Here are a few suggestions that I’ve found useful:
1. Get a writing partner with whom you exchange work on a regular basis.
I have a writing partner with whom I exchange writing every Sunday morning. I also meet with an independent publishers’ group every other week. I would never in a million years be where I am today without both of these support structures.
When you begin with a writing partner, it’s important to set some ground rules. Do you want really brutal criticism? Gentle nudges? How often do you want to exchange writing? What form will your suggestions take? How often do you want to exchange writing?
Consider whether or not this person a good match in terms of interests, ability, and sensibility. Most people go through several writing partners before they find one they really like. Sometimes finding a writing partner is serendipitous. Mine emailed me out of the blue one day. She had been looking for a writing partner and our mutual writing teacher suggested me. As it turned out, we had the same sense of humor, we were the same age, and I found that her critiques made my writing much better. The frosting on the cake was that we enjoyed one another. I’ve never laid eyes on her and am not sure I ever will, because I so don’t want to mess with such a wonderful thing!
There are a million ways to find writing partners. You may want to meet in person, or communicate by email. There are always local writing groups and classes where you can meet people, and your choices expand exponentially if you want to communicate by email. Start by Googling “Find a writing partner.”
2. Find a friend with whom you can talk things through.
Your friend may not even be a writer, or know much about writing. Sometimes we just need someone with whom to talk about a project. In talking it through with someone, our minds automatically start organizing and clarifying the material. Making our project comprehensible to that person often helps make it comprehensible to ourselves. We see things we would never see if we were just sitting alone at our desk. Writing a letter to someone can accomplish the same result, and you don’t even have to mail it!
3. Join a writing group.
Again, this can be either in person or online. Try out several groups and stick with the one(s) that you think make you a better writer—not necessarily the ones with people you like best, or the most geographically desirable, or the most prestigious.
4. Hire an editor or ghostwriter to help.
No shame. This is the professional thing to do. I hired an editor for Chasing Grace: A Novel of Odd Redemption. Everyone said, “Oh you don’t have to hire an editor. You are an editor.” No, no! That’s like an attorney defending herself, a recipe for disaster. Define specifically what you want the editor or ghostwriter to do. Do you want that person just to fix grammar or punctuation mistakes? Reorganize all your material and rewrite it? Something in between? Make sure you connect with this person and can communicate with him or her in case there are misunderstandings.
These are only a few of the many ways you can get support for your writing. I have friends who don’t know or care much about writing, but who love reading my drafts and give me excellent feedback. Even better than having their feedback is knowing that I don’t have to do it all alone.
Here are Secret Strategies #1 and #2:
#1 The SPAS System
#2 Spaghetti in the Colander
What do you do so that you don’t write all alone?