22 June

Your WIP - Talk Less, WRITE MORE...

I understand new book writing excitement. You have this brilliant idea. You know it's going to take the world by storm. And the very first chance you get, you tell everyone who will listen the plot/character ins and outs of this great tale... to the point that you end up writing the entire book with your mouth and not on the page.

And after weeks, months, of that verbal explosion, when you sit down to write, the umpf is gone, the passion wrung dry, boredom seeps in, and those pages don't get written. You're back where you began on this new book writing journey — not writing — yet, another solid reason to get even fewer words down on the page, like you didn't already have enough.

By telling everyone, including yourself, about the intricacies of the tale, the idea of replaying the story on the page has lost all meaning. It's about as much fun to type out a replay as it is to watch one. You and your WIP deserve better, don't you think?

Here's a tip: STOP talking. Yep, that's right. Keep that story nugget to yourself, so the passion lives inside you to carry that sucker from the first written page to the last.

And if you're inclined to those New & Shiny Idea distractions, the last thing you need is to wear the sheen right off your WIP by talking it to death. Sure, if people ask, give them your one sentence Log Line — the essence of your tale — as I've discussed in a past article, but don't drone on about the book, boring others and yourself, as you surely will.

Having a story outline doesn't mean you shouldn't keep the writing flow excitement/details unveiling for yourself. Let the entirety of the tale capture your heart at the moment of its birth, like it will for any first-time reader. Give yourself the gift of those WOW moments as they unfold. Don't steal that joy with a flood of babbled words.

HOMEWORK: If this describes you and how you've been dealing with your New & Shiny WIP, make a mental note to stop talking so the writing better flows. Keep the passion simmering on the page, where it counts, right to those last two, oh satisfying, words, The End.

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