Bird by Bird is Right

Ann Lamott's dad was right. Keep going.

Image by author

Go confidently in the direction of your dreams. — H. D. Thoreau

It's been a year since I posted an essay here. I have 17 drafts in various phases of completion. Nothing seemed important or useful enough. Like many, I've also had to spend more time than usual keeping my equilibrium. The longer the pause, the more difficult to begin again. What I write here doesn't have to be life altering, despite legions of social media posts claiming one piece of advice "changed everything!"

In my experience, no one anything changes everything, much less permanently. On the other hand, reading something at the right moment and folding it into a small, daily practice can prove important.

We have so much life wisdom we ignore or don’t give a fair chance to prove useful. Right now, I believe I’m onto something. ‘They’ say to keep moving toward a goal or dream, and the universe will help, or way opens? I’ve been experiencing that.

For the past few years, I’ve been working on a novel. Despite devouring emotionally complicated, heavy classics from an early age, I’ve gone light. It’s fun, with puzzle pieces to fit together, and interesting characters and lives to magic from thin air. I expect one day I will finish my attempt at the great American novel. For now, I’m savoring writing a cozy mystery. In this world gone awry, with fresh hells announced almost daily, I need all the cozy I can get. I don’t think I’m alone there.

What I’m not enjoying is the revising, or at least I wasn’t when losing a wrestling match with my umpteenth draft. Finally, after beta reader feedback and more edits, I’d planned to indie publish in January. Between London Writers’ Salon and Sisters in Crime (SinC) I have the vital ingredient of supportive community.

In October, I jinxed myself by naming a file “FINAL DRAFT.” I was trapped in a sticky web of perfectionist edits.

My goal was to publish the best mystery I could. Floundering my way through a final revision was not going to achieve that result. Articles with revision checklists weren’t cutting it. I couldn’t afford to pay someone to walk me through or edit for me. Internal cries for help vanished into the universal void.

An email from SinC offered a month-long full manuscript revision workshop. We’d learn an efficient, comprehensive process that would save us time and effort with this and future manuscripts. Exactly what I needed and affordable to boot.

The intense workshop left me confident that I know what I’m doing. Before, I’d only read about a process. Trying each step, receiving feedback and having my questions answered solidified the information. Not everyone who writes well can teach. Jim Jackson is succinct and clear. It feels good to have such an effective revision process in my writing toolbox.

I’m about halfway through that process. One step at a time, in order. Even as it feels like it’s taking forever, I’m making good progress. My manuscript is so much better.

Numerous times, I’ve questioned whether taking this additional time is a fear based form of procrastination. If I’ll ever feel my manuscript is good enough to hit publish. Now I know the answer. My cozy mystery was good before. Now I’ve taken the time and effort to take my mystery writing and revision chops to another level.

Every day I build upon what I did before and roll closer to finishing.

As Anne Lamott's father told her brother when he was overwhelmed with a assignment about birds, one step at a time, take it bird by bird.

Photo by author of Purple Crownvetch

I know I was right to take this extra care because I keep getting sparks of inspiration for minor tweaks that made the story and characters richer and more nuanced. More fun as well. My goal was to publish a fun, interesting, well-crafted and written first mystery and now I believe I will. I’ve heard the phrase ‘Keep going and way opens.’ It’s difficult to believe, but that’s happened for me. Not out of thin air or a magic wand being waved. By keeping my spirits up, believingthat it all would work out, with supportive writing community and consistent work.

Any large project seems overwhelming. Those who complete them learn to trust and believe in themselves. They keep learning and moving themselves forward.

My hope is that some of you needed to read this today and the idea will accompany you on your project, creative or otherwise.

Writing a novel is like driving a car at night. You can see only as far as your headlights, but you can make the whole trip that way. — E. L. Doctorow