"Let's start at the very beginning, a very good place to start."
~ Julie Andrews (as Maria) in The Sound of Music
I've been meaning to start writing this Journal (aka blog) for a while now. Which is slightly ridiculous considering how much time I've spent writing lately. But somehow, writing about writing feels like an entirely different challenge. So, here goes!
For as long as I can remember, I've loved telling stories. Whether that's been through photography, creative writing or the countless articles, reports and other pieces I've written throughout my professional career, storytelling has always been part of who I am.
But there's one thing I've wanted to do for years that I've never quite made the time for...write a novel.
Not because I haven't had ideas. Quite the opposite, actually. I've had stories floating around in my head for years, some more developed than others, waiting for me to finally sit down and do something with them. And this year, I decided it was time.
A whole lot to learn
This year I also joined the Queensland Writers Centre's Year of the Novel program, where I'm being mentored by Australian author Karen Foxlee.
It's been an incredible opportunity to learn more about the craft of fiction writing and, perhaps just as importantly, connect with other people who share this slightly strange desire to spend their spare time making up stories and writing them down.
While I've been writing professionally for decades, writing a novel has so far been a completely different experience. There's so much to think about beyond the words themselves. Character development, structure, pacing, tension, dialogue and somehow bringing it all together into a story that someone else might actually want to read.
It's challenging, but I'm loving every minute of it. Well, perhaps not every minute. There have definitely been a few frustrating ones!
Finally putting words on the page
My first novel, I'm Sorry, I Love You, is a story I've wanted to tell for a very long time. It's about family, love, loss, complicated relationships and the things we sometimes wish we'd said. It's also a story that's incredibly close to my heart. I won't give too much away just yet, but it's been quite an experience taking something that's lived in my imagination for so long and slowly turning it into an actual manuscript.
Some days the words come easily. Other days I can spend an extraordinary amount of time trying to get a single paragraph to sound the way I want it to. And then there are those moments when a character does something I hadn't planned, or a scene takes an unexpected turn, and I find myself wondering who's actually in charge of this story. Apparently, not always me.
But there's something wonderful about watching it all come together.
So, where to from here?
My goal is to finish the first draft of I'm Sorry, I Love You before the end of the year (eeek! that feels like a crazy goal!), then spend some time editing and refining it before exploring opportunities for traditional publication. It feels exciting to actually write that down. I know there's a long road ahead, and finishing a manuscript is only the beginning. But I'm determined to give this everything I've got and see where it takes me.
I've also got a couple of other manuscripts quietly taking shape in the background, because apparently my imagination has no intention of stopping at one book.
As for this Journal, I thought it might be nice to have somewhere to share the journey. The progress, the challenges, the things I'm learning and, hopefully, a few exciting milestones along the way. Perhaps I'll even share some of my shorter stories and other bits of writing as I go. For now, though, I'm just enjoying the experience of finally doing something I've wanted to do for such a long time.
And if nothing else, I'm going to have a very interesting story to tell about trying to write a book!
Selena
