What Happens Next?
Beginning (and continuing) your novel when the going gets tough
What happens next?
It’s a question I ask myself frequently and, yes, one that (more often than not) brings about a feeling of anxiety and helplessness, along with a bit of intrigue. Yes, I’m also that person whose life is a series of color-coded Google Drive folders, calendars separated by job/personal/writing, and instinctual needs to control every facet of my life. Yes, I know that the need for control can often be debilitating (thank you, Andrea Owen, for calling that out as a bad habit, despite me actually knowing all along).
Yet here I am, asking the same question constantly. But this time around, it’s for a different reason.
I’m writing a novel and I have no idea where it’s going next.
Ah, the irony of nonfiction playing out in fiction (in a way).
For those not following me on social media and seeing the occasional story updates, I’m currently working on my first novel. Broadly, it’s feminist speculative fiction, and I can’t even begin to explain to you how much of a passion project this is. Yes, I’ve worked on other fiction projects before but, unlike those, I intend to finish this one. So maybe the joke is on me — this is the only novel I have not mapped out from the start.
If you’re not a writer, not a fiction writer, or you just have no idea, there are generally two camps of novelists: plotters and pantsers. Some also say “plantsers” are an in-between, but usually it’s centered on those who plan things out from the beginning and those who fly by the seat of their pants. Hence, the name. And if you know me by any means, you would naturally think I fall into the plotter category. After all, planning is in my blood.
But here I am, with a beginning and a vague idea of an ending, and no idea what happens in between. It’s been a wild ride through 17,000 words so far — letting the muse guide me wherever she feels drawn to next. At the beginning, this story was nothing more than a frantic question jotted down in my notes app at 6:30 in the morning on my weekly commute. Author Elizabeth Gilbert speaks of ideas like these in one of my favorite books1:
You will start to notice all sorts of signs pointing you toward the idea. Everything you see and touch and do will remind you of the idea. The idea will wake you up in the middle of the night and distract you from your everyday routine. The idea will not leave you alone until it has your fullest attention.
And then, in a quiet moment, it will ask, “Do you want to work with me?”
At this point, you have two options for how to respond.
After sitting on this question for months, I knew I had to answer a resounding yes.
But it’s difficult to begin writing a novel of 80,000 words when you don’t have faith in yourself.
I believe in my writing wholeheartedly. That much has been made clear to me in the past few years as I’ve published my first poetry book, dabbled in nonfiction, and set my sights on a traditional publishing contract to signal the completion of every childhood goal I ever had. But fiction? I had never finished a story I began writing, I hadn’t written fiction in a decade, and I didn’t even know where to begin the plot. More irony: over a year of researching the confidence writing had brought me and, yet, feeling so insecure about it now.
Enter Save the Cat! Writes a Novel by Jessica Brody. This craft book deserves its own post about its clear, concise explanation to fiction writing. It single-handedly was what propelled me to begin my novel, despite having very vague signposts (if any) of where to go.
Yet here I am asking, what happens next?
Yes, I will be taking suggestions in the comments as to how you break yourself free from the unknown in writing. For now, what dug me out of the hole this time was the Rule of 6 from M. L. Rio. It’s such a simple solution, but shocked me with the results, leading me to pursue avenues I hadn’t even thought of in the slightest. But I know the uncertainty is coming for me again, like it always does.
And, for now, I have to learn to enjoy the ride.
Because that’s what it is, isn’t it? Finding the joy in storytelling, learning to trust and enjoy the process, because that’s why we do this thing called writing. We write because it brings us meaning, because it brings us satisfaction and joy and healing. And why not lean into the unknown, to see where this story takes you?
Stories I’m Loving Recently
Here’s what has been inspiring and speaking to me recently. Book recommendations, publications, organizations — if it supports the purpose and passion here, it deserves to be amplified. All book links reflect a different independent bookshop — for this post, we’re supporting Harriett’s Bookshop in Philadelphia, PA.
Books:
Big Magic by Elizabeth Gilbert (Riverhead Books, 2016)
This book was the push I needed to write and publish my debut poetry collection, so it will forever be one of my favorites to recommend. If you’re in need of inspiration for a creative project or simply want to read about Gilbert’s thoughts about creativity, this is a must read.
Save the Cat! Writes a Novel by Jessica Brody (Ten Speed Press, 2018)
Yes, this book will actually get its own dedicated post but it’s too good not to share twice. If you’re writing a novel or thinking about writing a novel, this will help you at any stage — beginning, middle or end. It dives into genres, story acts, and so much more.
Organizations:
Running any business on your own is difficult and an indie bookstore is no different. Binc Foundation exists to help booksellers through life’s emergencies, whether those are sudden medical expenses, natural disasters, mental health crises, and beyond. I love the work that they do to support a vital piece of the literary world.
Cover image by Emily Morter via Unsplash
Big Magic is my favorite source of inspiration when you feel like the muse has left you. Hands down.
Like so much of my owned library, I own Save the Cat! Writes a Novel but have yet to read it yet. May it both help us along our novel journeys.