By Kevin Paul Tracy
As you grow up you become more aware of a developing ability to hold multiple emotions at a time on any given subject, sometimes quite contradictory. For example, anyone who is married can attest to how it is possible to both loathe and love that same person at the same time. I’m a big James Carville fan even though I detest almost everything he stands for. I think Tom Cruise is a giant flake, but I’ll go see any movie he’s in because he’s a very engaging actor.
So when I say, “I hate my book!” other writers understand this is a transient state – I don’t in fact hate my book, but during the rewrite and editing process, I do! I loved it when I was writing it, and even during the first read-through and edit, I’m thinking, “Damn, this is pert’near genius!” But after the fourth and fifth read-through and edit, you wish you weren’t the author if only so you could take the author by the throat and throttle him for putting out such drek!
It happens the same way with Cap’n Crunch cereal, to which I am, sadly, addicted. So I buy the big economy-sized box. Then, next Saturday morning I get up excited, pull up the last episode of Person of Interest on the DVR, pour myself a giant bowl of Crunch Berries, and sit down to a meal fit for a king.
Sidebar: Does anyone remember Cap’n Crunch’s arch-nemesis, the pirate Cap’n LaFoote? He had a cereal of his own as well, a cinnamon something or other. No? Not surprising, it wasn’t very good.
About two-thirds into my precious bowl of cereal the orange pieces are getting soggy and the berries are sticking to my teeth and I’m wishing I hadn’t poured myself such a big bowl. I’m sick of Cap’n Crunch with Crunch Berries and don’t care if I never see another bowl again. And yet, three or four weeks later, there I am, buying another box and getting all excited for the next Saturday morning!
You don’t, in fact, hate your book as you enter the fifth read-through. You’re just burned out on it. Compounded by the fact that with each read-through you keep finding more that needs fixing, and it’s getting a little redundant and monotonous, especially if many edits are the same mistake repeated over and over again. You’re frustrated and you’re a little down on your own skill as a writer.
Well, let me clue you in on something I recently learned myself. There’s nothing wrong with taking a break. I know, you want to get it done and over with and off to the printers. But when you’re burned out like this, you make mistakes and miss things, which is why it seems like you keep finding the same errors over and again. Taking a break gives you a chance to recharge the batteries. Catch up on your own reading, attend a few critique group meetings, remind yourself what it was that inspired you to write to begin with.
Most critical, though, however long your break, get back to it. You’ll find yourself much less stressed and frustrated, you’ll find yourself making much fewer errors, and you might even fall in love with your book all over again!
Check out Kevin’s latest releases, the wonderfully entertaining espionage thriller, “Rogue Agenda,” a startling and engrossing gothic thriller “Bloodflow,” and don’t miss Bloodtrail, the upcoming sequel to Bloodflow.
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Pert’near perfect! That pretty much nails it, Kevin! That and your cereal made me LOL, because I’ve definitely experienced the love-hate relationship recently as I prepared my historical romances for release. Your word choice interests me, because I realized I hadn’t heard “pert’near” since I left Iowa/Nebraska, where it was a frequently used expression. I enjoyed your post, thanks!
I love it! I got “pert-near” from my dad – he was born in Nebraska and used to say it all the time.
“Pert-near” sounds familiar, and I grew up on a farm in Illinois (way, way back). “I reckon” was common, too, as in “I reckon I’ve worked on this stupid manuscript long enough. If it ain’t done, it’s pert-near done, and that’ll have to do.”
Thanks for a good and, for me, terribly timely post! Right now I’m convinced some Eevil Fairy stole the novel I remember writing and left this mess of a ms in its place. Mine was much better, I’m sure of it. (EF swapped out my backup copy, too. Dang these tech savvy fairies.)
I shall hold my breath for the day I “hate” my novel. Been through it 2 1/2 times, with enough time between each read, so it’s still got that new car smell. Besides, hate is such a strong word.