In my first attempts to write a novel, I felt that I needed to create something entirely original. If my voice didn’t add something to the conversation, why speak at all? Why spend a life toiling away at the keyboard, plucking words out of my brain like teeth from my skull, if I didn’t write something new? Never mind the fact that in my earliest attempts, I was hardly familiar with the literary canon of my chosen genre, and I therefore could not know what had already been said. I thought I could articulate the inarticulable. I thought I could shed light on the human condition in new and profound ways.
Maybe I could’ve. And maybe I still can.
But originality cannot be an end in and of itself. Originality, I argue, is a consequence. Much like happiness, it can only be discovered on the path to other goals. I did not know this, and I sought out originality as if it were a treasure to be unearthed. This rendered me motionless. Or, when I did move, I would quickly become discouraged.
My preoccupation with originality prevented me from finishing anything. Every time I started a project, I would realize that it was derivative, or else it wasn’t compelling. There are so many people that have lived, and as many of them have told stories. At this point, every type of engaging story has already been told. The only way to be ‘original’ in the structure of a story is to write something that isn’t very… well, good.
However, this impossibility of originality should not discourage you. It should liberate you. For I also contend, almost paradoxically, that everything you write is original.
Up until now, I’ve been talking about originality as we think of it. Coming up with a unique idea or a new storytelling convention. But allow me posit a different way of thinking about originality.
If you and I come up with the exact same setting, and we move the exact same characters through the exact same plot, and we both write 80,000 words, then we’ve both written a book. But my voice is not your voice. The way I speak and the words I choose are different. The flaws and imperfections in my articulation of the story will not match yours. Even though we’ve told the same story, our disparate tones will create disparate feelings in our audiences.
And that je ne sais quoi, dear reader, is originality enough. So keep writing.
– AJG
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Brevity. Briefness. Pithiness. Conciseness. Succinctness. The ability to say something effectively without repeating oneself needlessly and without saying it more than once. Without going on and on until the words are more reflective of self-indulgence on part of the writer than they are anything else. Cutting out the idle talk, per se, and getting rid of repetition, per se.
When someone reads your words, you have their attention. But only for so long. If you wait forever to get to the good bits, your audience will resent you, or worse, they’ll find something else to do.
This relates to a piece of screenwriting advice that also applies to novelists; in any scene, you need to start late, and get out early. Begin as close to the action as you can, and end as soon as you’ve wrapped everything up. You may want to meander and navel-gaze and concern yourself with the so ons and so forths, but the readers have come for the important stuff.
Sometimes, the important stuff is rendered ineffectual without the less-important stuff supporting it. But more often than not, a story has fat that can be trimmed. The reader doesn’t need to know every last little detail, even if some of them cover potential plot holes. A reasonably good story will warrant a reasonable suspension of disbelief. Don’t hesitate to murder your darlings.
This advice may seem obvious. However, this concept is far easier understood than executed. In my own recent experience editing the second draft of a manuscript, I’ve found something interesting. Oftentimes, my characters will give multiple reasons for making any one decision. And most of the time, if I cut out all but one of those reasons, the decision will feel stronger.
Why? Well, following a long line of reasoning is exhausting. And if not communicated properly, the logic might feel convoluted. One simple motivation for making a decision helps clarify the character’s values. The reader instantly understands who this person is and why they’re doing what they’re doing.
Four months ago, I began plotting A BOY FROM NORRU. And three months ago, I moved to Austin. An eternity seems to have passed in that time, and yet, no time seems to have passed at all. Life has felt that way a lot since the lockdown in 2020.
I finished the first draft of the manuscript five weeks ago. In the two weeks following, I stepped away from it and read a whole lot of middle grade. I’m still reading middle grade now, but my main focus has shifted to revision.
In the past three weeks, I’ve worked through roughly thirteen of the book’s twenty-two chapters. Most of this editing has been in an effort to clean up the writing. But there are also some major contradictions in the plot that I’ve worked on resolving. And character reveals for which I’ve needed to add foreshadowing. And several other things of the like.
I feel more and more confident in this manuscript the longer I work on it. Obviously, there are moments of supreme doubt, but that’s a given in this craft. Overall, though, the quality of the story has continued to improve. I’ll need to take a bigger step away from the manuscript between the second and third drafts to get more perspective. And I’ll need the perspectives of beta readers, too. I hope to get out beta copies before Christmas.
Thanksgiving was wonderful; I am so grateful to have had so much time with family. And right now, I’m writing this post from Dallas. I’ve made a short, last-minute trip up here to visit some loved ones. The timing worked out surprisingly well for a trip so highly unplanned.
On the drive up here, I started listening to the audiobook of A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L’Engle. I’m about halfway through, and I’m eager to see where the story goes. I’m also reading Osmo Unknown and the Eightpenny Woods by Catherynne M. Valente, and I’m about halfway through that book as well. The fairytale opening of that story was magical and beautiful; I can only hope the ending of the story sparks a similar joy.
Out of the middle grade novels that I’ve read in the last month, I think the best have been Last Day on Marsby Kevin Emerson and The Secrets of Star Whales by Rebecca Thorne. However, I am certainly biased in my opinion. These are also the novels most similar to the ones I am writing. At least that proves I’m following the advice of writing the kind of book I’d like to read!
I had a moment of gratitude a couple weeks ago. I spent the day writing, and I spent the night reading. When I finished, I sat back, and I thought to myself, “If I did this every day for the rest of my life, I would be content with that.” Maybe I’m blinded by youthful naiveté. But most people don’t find the thing that they’d be happy to do forever, and I think I have. Which is cool.
Now, I just have to get to the point where I can support myself through my art. Easy peasy, right? Haha.
Ha.
Wrapping Up
Revision, reading, revision, reading. I’m so close to getting a clean, cohesive draft of this story, and I cannot wait to share it. But these things take time, and I need to maintain my patience. Rushing to the finish line will do me no good in the long run.
But with any luck, I’ll hit my goal by Christmas, and I’ll get to enjoy the festivities with a weight off my chest.
And then, I’ll start working on query material for this one, or I’ll start up a new project, and the process will begin all over again.
– AJG
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When I tell people I write novels intended for eight to twelve year olds, I sense judgement on occasion. Some seem to perceive this sort of novel as ‘lesser than.’ As if writing for children diminishes the value of the literature produced. The same people often adopt the same attitude toward the whole genre of science fiction/fantasy, whether for children or no.
I discovered reading in second grade. Not to say that I didn’t read before then. No, I mean that I discovered a magical ability that we all possess. The ability to interpret squiggles on a page, and in doing so, to really and truly travel someplace else. I went to Hogwarts, to Camp Half-Blood, to Narnia. I dug holes with Stanley Yelnats and searched for clues with the Cahills.
I read everything I could get my hands on. I stayed in bed all day, reading and reading and reading.
And then, I grew up.
School got in the way. Friends kept me occupied. I got a cell phone and social media and game consoles and Netflix and and and. I always planned to continue reading. I knew I should be reading; I loved the idea of it. But I didn’t, not for a long time. Reading requires focus, patience, and commitment. Why strain my brain when I could scroll instead?
Even now, I often find myself scrolling when I should be reading.
This story might sound familiar. Almost everyone knows the magic of that initial discovery. The discovery of reading, and how that affects one’s life. How it opens the imagination, opens the mind to the impossible.
When was it that you grew up? When did you lose your childlike wonder? And what would it take for you to reconnect with that now?
In the formative stages of life, our imaginations are untempered. And “imagination is the instrument of ethics,” to borrow another assertion from the lovely Ursula K. Le Guin. Any genre of literature can expose us to new perspectives, new ways of thinking, and train our empathy. Children’s literature uniquely targets an audience most receptive to building worldviews.
And more recently, we’ve seen an increased diversity of voices, characters, and settings in the middle grade space. Especially in the middle grade science fiction/fantasy space. These works will help to raise ever more tolerant, more compassionate generations.
Good children’s literature is good literature. It doesn’t lack nuance, as some might believe. Kids are smart, and they know when you’re lying or dumbing things down. Even adults can enjoy middle grade novels, for the stories they tell apply to us all.
Also, remember the Scholastic book fairs? Those were awesome.
– AJG
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Election day is on Tuesday, November 8th. Don’t forget to vote! I voted early last week.
Last month, I set a 24k-word goal for A BOY FROM NORRU. In order to meet this goal, I needed to write an average of 6k words a week. All was going well; I was on track to hit this benchmark. I’d written 19.5k words in three weeks–over a thousand more than I needed. And then, something happened that prevented me from writing the 4.5k words remaining.
I… finished the first draft of the manuscript! Which rules, especially since I previously set the end of November as my target date for the first draft.
The first draft of A BOY FROM NORRU clocks in at 49,500 words. Middle grade novels fall within 20k to 50k words, so I’ve landed right in the upper range of this. However, exceptions are granted to science fiction/fantasy novels which require worldbuilding, so I’m not worried about exceeding the upper limit by a few thousand words in future drafts.
I’m quite satisfied with the story. It’s fun; it’s punchy; it’s lean; it’s action-packed. And I think it has a pretty good twist. When I set out to write this story, these were my top priorities, as they’ve proven some weak points of mine in the past. Specifically, I’ve struggled with tension and pacing. Not so here.
Obviously, the story still needs a lot of work. In the next month, I will clean it up and reconcile plot holes. Then, I plan on giving out some copies to a small group of friends and family for beta reads. I’ll be taking space from the manuscript in the meantime.
In the week and a half since I finished the first draft, I’ve been focusing on reading. I finished A Clash of Kings and continued to tear through some middle grade novels. I have several more middle grade novels in the queue that I’ll read while I revise.
Wrapping Up
Revising and reading! That’s what the next month entails.
I’ve finally settled into work and living in Austin. Things feel comfortable, and I have a nice routine. Out of the nine weekends I’ve been here, friends have stayed with me eight. I’m not complaining; it’s been awesome. But there’ve also been many late nights on weekends, which wears on the body. But the visits are starting to slow, so I’ll have more time to decompress and take care of myself soon.
Have a wonderful Thanksgiving! Wishing love, health, and happiness to everyone out there.
– AJG
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Tomorrow is Halloween. Hear nerds around the world rejoice, for cosplaying will be socially encouraged for the next 24 hours. Hooray! Shortly thereafter, hear writers around the world clack at their keyboards, for National Novel Writing Month begins on the first day of November.
Have you completed your plotting, your world-building, your outlining? Do you already know what your main characters’ favorite fruits are? Good, good. But are you ready to write approximately 1,667 words a day? If not, why don’t you warm up with some fun Halloween-themed writing prompts? Set a timer for thirty minutes, and don’t stop writing. When the timer goes off, wrap up the story, and go back to edit if you like. Or don’t! NaNoWriMo is about first drafts, nothing more.
Here are four spooky prompts to get you warmed up.
1. The Necromancer
You come from a long line of dark wizards. Over the past few years, you’ve perfected a resurrection spell. Now, you can finally ask your great-grandfather where he left the family book of spells–and why he hid it.
2. Parsecs From Home
You’re on a space ranging mission in a vast, unexplored corner of the universe. To your surprise, you see another spacecraft in the distance. However, your bioscanners tell you that there are no life forms on board.
3. A Bigger Fish
All sorts of monsters have been spotted outside your village of late, but there have been no casualties thus far. When a werewolf is captured and interrogated, you find out that the monsters are not coming to your village. No, they’re running away from something. But what?
4. The Amnesiac Prisoner
You wake up in the dungeons of a dark castle situated atop a cliff. Distressingly, you have no memory of how you got there, and your jailer is not particularly talkative. Your memory begins to return when you place a hand on your chest, for there you feel the bulge of a key, sewn under your skin.
I’m far from experienced when it comes to writing short stories. In fact, every time I try, I inevitably seem to find myself plotting another novel. Nonetheless, Kurt Vonnegut, Jr. has some wonderful creative writing advice that I feel applies especially to writers of short fiction. Every sentence must do one of two things–reveal character or advance the action. With that in mind, go forth and conquer!
– AJG
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I don’t care what you write, as long as you write.
You should write a grocery list, a letter to your parents, an e-mail to your boss, or a poem about your dog. At the end of your day, write about the guy at the coffee shop who cut you in line (his haircut was stupid). About the kid who complimented you on your glasses. About the bird you saw and the pasta you tried.
Write about it, write about it.
Why should you write? There are many, many reasons. But there’s only one reason that really, truly matters. You should write because writing will make you a lovelier person.
When you take the time to reflect on your experiences, on the people you’ve met, on the things you’ve done, you remember gratitude. You practice empathy. You articulate what otherwise would’ve gone unsaid. Don’t bottle up your happiness, your anger, your love. Write, write, write.
When you write a poem, you’re taking care of yourself. That’s true even if your poem is sappy or cringey or pretentious or if it doesn’t rhyme or follow any meter. What is a poem, anyway? Don’t think about it too hard, just write one.
What euphoria have you felt akin to expressing the inexpressible? Isn’t that feeling alone worth your while? So rip up your poem when you’re done, and burn it for good measure. Or show it to a friend, and ignore the unsolicited advice they give you on how to make it better. Then, do a silly dance in your bedroom, sing a silly song in the shower, or take a silly picture of a house plant. It’s good for you.
You should write because you’re scared to write. What if you mess up your story? Or say something about yourself that makes you uncomfortable? Good, mess up your story. Good, be uncomfortable. I would rather that than have you never write your story. Than have you never know who you are.
How many people have you met who’ve said that they intend on writing a book in their lifetime? Storytelling is innate in our human nature; everyone with a pulse has something they’re excited to share. Acting on that desire is the difficult part.
How many people do you know who have a regular writing schedule? I would venture to guess that you would give a significantly smaller number in response to this question than the first. How many people do you know who have finished writing the first draft of a novel? Unless you have connections in the industry, you can probably count them on one hand.
If everyone wants to write a novel, why have so few of us done it? Well, writing takes time and willpower. And having effort to spare on personal endeavors is a high privilege. If you’re working 40 hours a week, keeping up with housework, regularly exercising, and maintaining a social life, is it even possible to find the time to write? The answer is yes, and I’ll show you how.
Even if you don’t have so many responsibilities, writing a book is hard. When you write, you bare your soul. Your thoughts move from your brain, down your arms, into the pen, and onto paper. What if people think that those thoughts are silly? What if you make an awful job of it? The written word feels more permanent than the spoken one, so mustn’t you make sure each one is perfect? The answer is no, and I’ll show you why.
Get serious about finishing your novel.
Over a month ago, I wrote an article containing tips for fledgling novelists. In that piece, I concerned myself with sharing information on how to improve in the craft. However, there’s no more surefire way to improve than by writing. In this piece, I intend purely on increasing your writing output.
The more you write, the more you separate yourself from the “I’ll eventually write a book” majority. Okay, but this is much easier said than done. Where do you find the time and willpower to write?
Think of writing as going to the gym. When you finally get that gym membership, you’re feeling stoked. You always wanted to have a six-pack and massive biceps, and now, you’re making it happen. You have an amazing session, maybe two, maybe nine. But around week three, you start to taper off. The allure of doing thirty minutes on the elliptical and crunches before a full day of work diminishes.
What are your options? You can stop going to the gym, or you can continue to go despite the fact that you’re not feeling inspired.
This is exactly how your writing practice will feel. No matter what, you’re going to have periods of time where you just aren’t feeling it. You may feel great while writing the first 30k words of your novel, but now you have 50k more to go, and you’re losing steam. Here is where habit and persistence come into play. When you hit that wall, you have to keep going. You can’t sit around and wait for inspiration to strike again. Because when it does, it will probably come in the form of a new story. So you’ll scrap the manuscript you have going, and you’ll start something new that you never finish.
You need to finish a manuscript. In my experience, finishing my first (horrible) book was the biggest aid to my growth as a writer.
Find the time to write consistently.
But what if you don’t have the time to write every morning, even if you possess the stick-to-itiveness? That’s okay. You’re a busy person. But I’m absolutely certain that with some restructuring, you can find at least some time to write. Maybe not every day, but at least weekly. What if you cut out your two-hour TV binge session on Sunday? Can you, instead of spending thirty minutes on your phone every night before bed, spend that time writing? What if you frontload your chores, so you have a chunk of time at the end of the week?
The trick here is that any amount of time is enough to write a book, as long as you’re consistent. Let’s do some math. Obviously, writing isn’t always as dry and calculable as this, but bear with me. Say you take my advice, and you find two hours at the end of every week. In those two hours, you average 500 words/hour. So you write 1000 words a week.
A year from now, you will have a 52k-word novel.
“A whole year to finish my novel?” you might ask, exasperated. “That’s way too long!” Well, if you can’t find more time (or write faster), that’s how long it will take. So start now. Otherwise, this time next year, you’ll have exactly as much as you had this time last year. Zip.
Writing faster isn’t a bad option. You can increase your average amount of words per hour by brainstorming before your writing sessions. If you have some rote tasks to complete during the week, use that time to think about your story. Say these plotting sessions increase your writing output to 1000 words/hour. Now, you can finish your book in six months.
But don’t sweat the imperfections.
Time isn’t always the issue. Sometimes, it’s the mental struggle. The feeling that your words won’t be good enough. That your book is progressing poorly. The dark night of the soul.
If you finish your first draft a year from now, pop a bottle of champagne and celebrate. Then, a few months later, reread it. At that point, you can confront how awful it is. But all that work wasn’t for naught. Now, you have a broken story on the page. That’s a whole lot better than having a perfect story in your head. You can fix a broken story on paper. You can’t share a perfect story if you never articulate it.
If you can find a little time to write, use it to the fullest. If you’re holding back from writing because you want everything to be perfect, trust in the revision process. Your story will never be perfect. But it can be written. Your actions decide whether or not your novel ever makes it to paper.
The best time to plant a tree was twenty years ago. The second best time is now.
– AJG
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A month ago, I posted my first ever progress update, and I’m happy to say that I’ve kept pace with the goals I set for myself in that post. My middle grade sci-fi novel has a working title: A BOY FROM NORRU.
At this point, I’ve finished the pre-draft plotting, and I’ve written over 11k words of the story. This means that, when you include the content I created for this website, I wrote about half of my typical output last month. Which is phenomenal, considering most of my attention recently I’ve spent on my move to Austin.
So, so, so much work goes into moving. Obviously, there’s the big stuff, like actually moving yourself and your items. But then there’s the smaller stuff that you don’t consider ahead of time, like learning what days trash collection comes through your neighborhood. Each of those smaller tasks creates a small headache. And those little headaches add up to one big migraine.
But as with most ventures worth undertaking, the reward doesn’t come without the effort.
By the time this article goes live, I will have lived here in ATX for a week! And despite all the painstaking details of pulling up my roots and replanting, I can’t wait to see what the future brings. I’m almost completely settled in, anyway. There are only a few more things I need to finalize.
What I’m Doing
With any luck, I’ll have shifts scheduled at a new job within the next week. I’m moving forward with some opportunities to this end, and I like my odds. More importantly, I like the places to which I’ve applied. Assuming all goes well, I will feel a legitimate passion for my day job, and I’ll grow as a person while I do it. Both are privileges that will not go unnoticed.
In terms of writing, I plan on spending the next month continuing to write the first draft of A BOY FROM NORRU, along with my normal blog posts. Of course, I don’t know that I can expect to meet my previous average of 30-40k words per month any time soon, what with the other responsibilities I’ve taken on. But with a new lifestyle comes a new norm. And word count goals are only helpful so much as they bring inspiration and discipline. Not when they discourage me.
I’m still keeping up with the queries I sent out for MIRI MEDERA, INTERPLANAR POTION-MAKER. And I’ve received several form rejections from literary agents, each one a badge of honor. Candidly, I will say that A BOY FROM NORRU is much more high-concept and commercial so far. Which, as an unpublished author, means I may have more luck pitching it to agents. Not to say that I’ve given up on Miri; quite the contrary. I’ll make sure she has her time in the spotlight.
Wrapping Up
In short, I moved, and I’m writing. The latter will be true for as long as I’m alive, so I suppose it doesn’t warrant reiterating. In the next month, I intend on finding a decent flow between housework, my day job, and my stories. Oh, and I’m gonna enjoy the city. Can’t forget that.
Thank you for taking the time out of your day to read a bit about my current endeavors.
– AJG
If you found this post interesting, consider browsing similar articles here.
Yesterday, I launched my author website. Woohoo! And now, back to the grindstone.
Much of the past month I spent applying to jobs in Austin and querying literary agents with MIRI MEDERA, INTERPLANAR POTION-MAKER, a project which you can read more about here. With those tasks and my website complete, I can return my focus again to writing.
Well, that and moving. See, I’m not technically based in Austin just yet, but I’ll be out there in the next month or so. As of now, I’m still in Dallas.
What I’m Doing
For my next project, I intend on writing another novel for middle grade audiences—this time, one set in a science fiction setting. In preparation for writing this story, I’ll need to queue up some more contemporary middle grade sci-fi on my reading list. I did the same with middle grade fantasy before I wrote my last project, and it served me well.
Some pop-culture inspirations for this coming story include Cowboy Bebop, Avatar: The Last Airbender, and Mistborn: The Final Empire by Brandon Sanderson, as I’ve repurposed story elements from each. And of course my usual favorites from the science fiction canon: Star Wars, Dune, The Martian, Ender’s Game, and the like. Recently, I’ve been playing the classic BioWare Star Wars games set in the Old Republic, including the MMORPG, which I’m sure will influence my worldbuilding to some degree.
Speaking of worldbuilding, I intend on setting this story in a universe that I created some time ago for a different, more adult project. The BBEG in that story was going to be a lich. Space lich! How fun would that be? I’ll get around to that story eventually, too, so I won’t give away the twist just yet. The space lich twist.
Of course, I’ll have to make some modifications to the setting so that it better suits a middle grade audience. For example, I originally didn’t want a human race to exist in this universe. The only sapient mammalian race took traits from the big cats of our world, specifically lions. Upon revisiting this, I think I’d rather not attempt to explain the anatomy of several non-human main characters in a sub-60k word story. That doesn’t sound very interesting at all. And so humans shall run rampant.
Although I won’t have time to explain all the internal logic of the universe either, my old setting will provide a backbone and an underlying logic to the lighthearted adventures of these ten to twelve-year-old protagonists. Do my readers need to know that my FTL jumpdrives are powered by crystals produced from matter-antimatter annihilation? No, but I’ll sleep easier at night knowing it myself.
Wrapping Up
So there you have it. The next month or so for me will consist of storyboarding, the early phases of drafting, and moving to Austin. If you’re interested in keeping up with my progress, check back regularly for more blog posts, and keep an eye on my books page.
Thank you for taking the time out of your day to read a bit about my current endeavors.
