NaNoWriMo 2011 The Work That Goes In (Day 6, 12,000+)

I have had many conversations with customers, friends, enemies, dogs, etc., about books that we've enjoyed and how wonderful it would have been to be able to write something even close to that. I've had those moments myself, when I'm reading a particularly amazing sentence or turn of phrase and I wish desperately that I could have thought of it and I feel jealous that I haven't. I've heard myself think, "It's so unfair how easy it is for so and so to write like this!"

I recently stopped in on a book group that meets in our store and they were talking about Diane Setterfield's novel The Thirteenth Tale. They had previously read Matthew Norman's Domestic Violets, and not long before that had read Harper Lee's To Kill A Mockingbird. What do all three of these novelists and novels have in common? They are the author's only published work. 

Sometimes, I fear, there is the misconception out there that when an author, such as those mentioned, has only one book published, that it is their only work. Knowing what I know from my own writing experience, I've come to realize that this is highly unlikely. There are probably drawers/files/trash bins filled with abandoned projects, first drafts that knew better than to see the light of day, and (likely) years of work that went into the final draft (unless you're James Patterson).

Out of curiosity, I asked Matthew Norman recently what his experience was. Domestic Violets was published this past September (and I was so very, very fortunate to have an Advance Reading Copy come across my desk). Below is my question "Me", followed by his (MN) response:

 Me: Out of curiosity, was Domestic Violets: a) the first novel you ever wrote, b) the first novel you ever finished, c) the first novel you had published, or d) something else entirely.

MN: DV is my first published novel. I wrote a novel in graduate school for my MFA thesis that was never published. I believe it lives on a library shelf somewhere at George Mason University in Fairfax, VA though. So...if you're ever in the neighborhood.

Me: Thanks! I can't tell you how many conversations I have with people where they say something like, "I just can't believe this is {insert name of brilliant author here}'s first novel! It's so good!" In reality, there is usually a lot of hard work and abandoned projects or bad books that come before. But then, I suppose, there must be some assholes out there who just get it right (without any real effort) on the first go. It's good to know you're not one of them.

MN: Nope, not me. There are also 3 or 4 abandoned projects buried in the dark recesses of my computer. I call it "wrong direction writing." Sigh.  

I also recently learned that Erin Morgenstern's first published novel, The Night Circus, began in 2005 as part of her NaNoWriMo project. She continued working on it in both 2006 and 2007. It's a delightfully fun and interesting tale and I recommend it to people who like to read delightful, interesting, lovely, magical books. 

What's my point to all this? I guess that I have hope. Hope that what I'm doing isn't a lost cause. Hope that when I read some bad dialogue that I've written, hope that when I cringe at the language I've used, hope that when I get lost in my own plot, hope that when it's all said and done something great will come out of it all, something that I can be proud of.

"I don't know you, but I want you, all the more for that. Words fall through me, and always fool me, and I can't react."

                          from Falling Slowly by The Swell Season

Very much looking forward to this weekend...