Is Your Book Done Yet?
By Nancy Johnson | October 1, 2019 |
I get this question all the time as if my book were a souffle or cake in the oven. The timer has been set. Someone else has determined the appropriate temperature and time for baking. Trust me though. Just like your baked goods, your book will fall if you take it out too early.
Cooking requires patience and so does novel writing. I like to think of my book as a dish that needs to marinate, soaking in its own juices long enough to absorb everything and maximize its flavor.
Beginning writers sometimes ask how they’ll know when their book is done. My response to novices is that your novel is rarely ready when you think it is. How can it be when you’re still learning the basics of craft and discovering your story?
In an industry where it takes forever for things to happen, we must subdue the urge to rush. I queried literary agents two years ago when I thought my novel was ready. It wasn’t and I received many rejection letters to punctuate that fact. It’s tough to take your time though when others’ expectations buzz in your ears. Or when you’re surreptitiously eyeing someone else’s paper. I get it. Our writing contemporaries seem to be leapfrogging over us by writing two books simultaneously, securing agents and book deals overnight, and publishing new work while we hunch over our laptops and notebooks, toiling in the trenches.
A year ago, when I placed in a writing contest based upon an excerpt of my novel, a former work colleague grossly misunderstood the meaning of this honor. On Facebook she inquired as to whether my novel would be available for her upcoming book club meeting in two months. I laughed. I almost cried. I felt like a failure or at best a fraud for having to say no, I’m still working on the book. She wasn’t the first to inquire. People often look at me in amazement or perhaps pity, shaking their heads, saying, wow, you’ve been writing that book for a long time.
My critique partner and beta readers often lament that I’m a perfectionist, laboring (read: obsessing) over every scene and every word much too long. Maybe they’re right. There is a point at which we must let go and let our books fly. But before then, there’s revision and revision and more revision.
Daily living is part of the revision process. Sometimes we haven’t experienced enough to bring the right emotions to the page. It wasn’t until I’d lived years without my beloved father on this Earth with me that I understood the impact of grief and how it shapes my perception of the world. It wasn’t until my father died that I began to inspect my mother’s face and movements so closely, memorizing them so I wouldn’t forget any details. I explored loss and memory in my novel, The Kindest Lie, through Midnight, an 11-year-old boy whose mother died, as well as through Ruth, my protagonist, who lost her grandfather when she was a young girl.
While the novel is always your story and yours alone, revision shouldn’t be a solitary exercise. At Tin House last year, the character of Mama in my book revealed herself anew. My writing workshop classmates listened intently to Mama’s voice and carefully considered her outlook on life. At this point, I had a finished manuscript that had been reviewed by three phenomenal beta readers. Still, my classmates gave each other knowing looks and said emphatically that this character was not the fifty-year-old mother of my protagonist. I’ll never forget one of my fellow writers shouting, No, that’s somebody’s Big Mama. They were right. This bold character who made tough, questionable sacrifices for all the right reasons had always been the grandmother. I just hadn’t known that before.
Every time I choose to sit longer with my characters, they surprise me. Eli, the brother of my protagonist, is recently out of work after the auto plant closes during the economic downturn in 2008. I was on my fourth rewrite when Eli made an unexpected, generous move that I never saw coming. A man consumed with bitterness, he revealed his complexity and gave me a raw, poignant moment that moves the story forward and propels Ruth’s story journey.
I may have lost count, but I believe I changed the nature of the climax scene six times during revision. My beta readers helped me get closer to the emotional truth of that moment. Throughout the novel, my characters were grappling with racism and the high cost it exacts. Also, Ruth, a woman who walked away from her duties as a mother, needed to reckon with the true meaning of motherhood eleven years later. Midnight, a misguided white boy, is infected by the racism he absorbs in his family and community. The confluence of all these factors needed to come together in the climax. It took time and lots of revision to get there.
Have you ever read a book that left you breathless? Language choices so deliberate you sat open-mouthed in awe. Nuggets of revealed truth that made you look at yourself and the world around you with fresh eyes. That happens in revision. That is where the story comes alive and snatches you.
Motherhood and childbirth play pivotal roles in my novel. We all know there’s a necessary gestation period for human development. Unfortunately, as novelists, we can’t always predict how long our stories need to gestate. After four years of writing and rewriting, a trail of rejections, a manuscript critique from a bestselling author, five trusted readers, and five writing workshops, I secured an agent and landed a book deal with William Morrow.
Is my book done yet? No, not yet. I revised again with my agent and now my editor at the publishing house is preparing detailed editorial notes for me. With every iteration, I know my novel is getting closer to the brilliant book of my imagination. There is no perfection. Just more revision. Luckily, the magic for me is in the making. Not in gazing fondly at what I’ve made.
How do you know when your book is done? What’s your go-to comeback for those who ask? How have your novels evolved and transformed through revision?
A native of Chicago’s South Side, Nancy Johnson (she/her) worked for more than a decade as an Emmy-nominated, award-winning television journalist at CBS and ABC affiliates in markets nationwide. Her debut novel, The Kindest Lie, was a Target Book Club Pick. It has been reviewed by The New York Times, The Washington Post, and Los Angeles Times, and was featured in Real Simple magazine and on Entertainment Weekly’s Must List. It was a New York Times Editors’ Choice selection and was named one of the most anticipated books by Newsweek, O, the Oprah Magazine, Shondaland, NBC News, Marie Claire, ELLE, The Chicago Tribune, The New YorkPost, Good Housekeeping, Parade, Refinery29, and more. Booksellers nationwide selected her novel as an Indie Next pick and librarians chose it for LibraryReads. A graduate of Northwestern University and The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Nancy lives in downtown Chicago and her second novel, People of Means, will be published by William Morrow/HarperCollins in early 2025.
Find out more about Nancy, her books and events on her website.
How wonderful, Nancy! Congrats on the book deal. I look forward to picking up your story (in a year? year and a half?) when it is published!
Thank you for these thoughts about stories that need to marinate. I’ve been working on mine for a few years, alone and with crit partners. They’ve both gone on to write other stories (yes, plural) and I’m still on the same one. But no other story is calling out for me to write it. This one is. So I stay with it, keep learning the craft, taking baby steps, figuring out what I need to do next in the revision process.
Hi Lisa,
Thank you for sharing. Writing is a process that takes as long as it takes. If this is the story you want and need to tell, stay with it. I look forward to reading it whenever it’s ready.
I appreciate your interest in my novel, The Kindest Lie. It’s forthcoming from William Morrow (HarperCollins) in early 2021. No exact pup date yet, but hopefully soon. Meanwhile, I revise. :)
Best,
Nancy
Great Post, Nancy! You are so right. Explaining the process, the endless waiting, to folks who aren’t writers is tough. We are all moving on our own timeline, at our own pace. I’m so excited to read the final product when your book is published!
Julie
Hi, Julie! Great seeing you here this morning. I know that you can relate. Sometimes it’s hard for non-writers to grasp that the entire publishing process takes a really long time. Still, I find that writers also impose timelines on us. The drafting should take this long and you should do this many rewrites so you can turn one book a year. It’s endless. But the making of a book doesn’t always fit those narrow parameters.
You know I can’t wait to see your novel on the shelves right next to mine! :)
Nancy
Hey Nancy – It’s funny that your premise arises today. It hasn’t really happened to me in a while, but just last Saturday I got asked “the question.”
A longtime acquaintance–the husband of a former business associate whom I’ve known for almost 30 years–stopped by to borrow a ladder. My wife and I had dinner with this couple ten years ago when I finished the first draft of my first trilogy. At that time I explained to Peter that the work was far from done. He obviously took it to heart. Each time I’ve seen him since, Peter asks, “How’s the book coming along?”
I haven’t seen him in a couple of years. And this time he had his handyman along (needed his truck to haul the ladder). When he asked me how the book was coming, and I prosaically replied “fine, thanks,” the handyman pressed for details. I briefly explained that I was reworking my second trilogy, and the handyman astutely said, “So it’s six books.”
Peter was floored by this revelation. “Six!” he exclaimed. “I had no idea.” I didn’t have the heart to remind him that our first conversation about my writing occurred a decade ago (we’re all getting older, and don’t need reminding of it).
I clearly see improvement in my WIP every day. And I remain grateful that I never self-pubbed them (though I may yet). Here’s to seeking the magic in revision, and to being done when we’re good and done, and know it in our hearts. Congrats on the book deal. Wishing you the best with it, and with your work on the next one.
I love that story, Vaughn! About a decade ago, I started and stopped several novels in the early stages. People still ask whatever happened to those books. It’s funny that some remember a sliver of the premise or a line or two I shared with them. Folks are hungry for the stories we have to tell. I just have to remember to be patient with myself and the process. The readers will be there when the work is ready.
You’re on the top of the list of people I can’t wait to meet in Salem! I always enjoy your wisdom and insight here.
Best,
Nancy
Nancy,
I think you really laid out, with feeling, what a lengthy process writing is and how invested you have to be to make to the end—and then go back and wash and repeat. Best of luck with your debut!
Thanks so much, Densie, for your comment here and the retweet. :)
All best,
Nancy
Love this. You are right on all counts. The short timeline of writing to contract this time around has me really stressing about whether this 3rd book will feel shallow compared to those I have been working on the several years. Much less time to build up those layers of meaning and character. I know I’ve been one of those people nagging you to get your book out there. But you’re right. Every iteration gets better, deeper, bigger, more personal, and more universal.
Erin! Your feedback helped tremendously during the revision process. You always ask the hard questions that make me think and go deeper with the work.
I know you were probably concerned that I suffered from analysis paralysis. *smile*
I imagine it is a challenge when you’re under contract for multiple books. There’s a real deadline to meet. I remember my time as a journalist when I had to turn stories daily. You just hope that quality doesn’t suffer in service to feeding the beast.
I get my editorial notes this week so I may be calling you. :)
Talk soon,
Nancy
First of all, congratulations, Nancy. Actually, one word seems inadequate for all the ups and downs and twists and turns you took in getting to ‘done’, which as you point out, is an elusive place anyway. People stopped asking me about my book(s) after a while, but I got accused of hiding out in perfectionism as well. Only I jumped the gun once before and I was determined not to do it again. I just sent out my first few queries and I swear, the air around me feels different. But the novel I’m querying is not the same one I put out there years ago. Revision after revision has slowly revealed the story to me and I’m sure there’s still more to learn. Thanks so much for your inspiring post and I look forward to reading your novel.
Hi Susan,
I can relate well to your experience. I’ve been accused of “hiding out in perfectionism” many times. I definitely “jumped the gun” when I first started querying agents in 2017 before my manuscript was ready. Back then, I didn’t know enough to know it wasn’t ready. Sometimes, rejection is a gift.
It’s okay to put a book away. I’m sure you learned some things with that first effort that informed your second novel. I agree that revision reveals the story to us. That can’t be rushed.
Thanks again for sharing.
Nancy
Thank you. This post explains exactly where I am right now; a first draft finally completed, but not ready for prime time.
Thank you for showing me the way forward.
Diana, congratulations on completing your first draft! That’s the best feeling to know you can write a novel-length work. The fun part comes next when you dig deeper, mold the piece, and make it shine. I’m excited for you!
Best,
Nancy
Hi Nancy. Book writing is always a journey. Three years ago I had requests for fulls from agents. One kept me hanging for six months, but in the end–sorry. So the novel is still in gestation mode, has changed in so many ways. But I don’t talk about it anymore. I’m almost embarrassed that I’m still working on it. Yes, I have other writing projects that have been published, and I have two other novels I could turn to. But my heart is still in THE BOOK–it is what I am still changing and improving. Thus I am so happy for the tales of your journey–and to continue the metaphor, all the pain is worth the birth. Again, congratulations.
Hi, Beth! I understand where you’re coming from. But don’t ever be embarrassed. You’re a writer with an important story to tell. It will take as long as it takes. I still remember Ella – the nurse, the wife, the mother. Her little girl. Keep revising and shaping that story. We all want to hold that book in our hands someday. And we will.
Best,
Nancy
This resonated with me. I just submitted my novel that I’ve wrote and revised over 11 years. Thanks for your example. Yes, we have to labor every step of the way.
Carol, thanks for sharing. Sometimes it takes eleven years or longer to get a book where it needs to be. Also, writers work and take care of families. I have a demanding full-time job, so I write at nights and on weekends. That affects the timeline as well.
Best of luck with your submission!
Nancy
Nancy, we were in a WFWA event together. So proud of you, your tenacity and your writing talent which you generously share.
Thanks so much, Leslie Ann! I remember that workshop. Hope your writing is going well.
Best,
Nancy
Great post, Nancy. I feel your pain.
Not only have I endured the “Is it done yet” blues, my first book, A Keeper’s Truth, was the first of a three-book series. I am constantly reminded by well-meaning fans, friends, and family that the story MUST continue.
Yet. Yet. Yet. My agent doesn’t feel it’s in my best interest to publish book two of the Keeper’s series at this time. She believes I need to focus on my third manuscript, No Apology For Being. And I agree, as much as I yearn to finish what I started.
So, it’s not always that a manuscript is marinating–although that is an extremely important step. Sometimes, finishing a manuscript isn’t a good career move.
Crazy biz we are in, huh?
Yours,
Dee
Award-winning author of A Keeper’s Truth
Hi Dee,
Thanks for sharing this perspective. There’s always this tension, maybe a healthy one, between the craft and commercial ends of writing. Sometimes the marketplace dictates, I guess.
I want to believe that your first book informed your second and third ones. You understand the characters and the world they inhabit on a deeper level. Also, I know several writer friends who put book one on the shelf and have now resurrected it for publication years later following their subsequent novels. So, your first book may enter the world someday. Or you could do bonus content at the end of book two or three with backstory nuggets from book one.
Best of luck!
Nancy
I appreciate you saying every writer writes on their own timeline and to embrace the process, I love the process of everything I do. My road block is I can’t convince myself to continue enjoying the process because I am 55. It is only now that I am able to treat my writing as a job. I feel I have to rush through the process in order to get to the many other stories I want to tell because -hey now- you’re not in your thirties lady- pick up the pace.
Hi Daina,
I get it. I consider myself a late-bloomer in the fiction writing game, too. I’ll likely be fifty when my first novel is published. I think you have to remind yourself why you write. For me it’s about telling untold stories and the joy of playing with language. Like I said in the piece, the magic is in the making. There’s nothing wrong with treating writing as a career. I certainly consider it a second career. That just means we take our work seriously and know our worth in the marketplace. However, we can’t let factors outside our control (like age) rob us of our passion for this work we love. Hold on tightly to your WHY. Why you write.
Thanks for sharing.
Best,
Nancy
The problem is, we don’t write faster (at least I don’t) as we get older! I’m 55 too, and it still takes me years to finish a story.
Wow! What an amazing article Nancy! I’m more excited than ever to read your novel! I’m really interested in your journey as I am finally getting back to taking my own writing seriously. You’re such an inspiration to me, always have been. I have to admit I’m a little jealous. You always get exactly what you want! Anyway, I’ll be watching you! I’m going to a writers conference this weekend to learn stuff, and pitch, which I HATE! But practice is good, I guess. I have no complete novels, just ideas.
Amber! So good to hear from you. I can’t wait for you to read the novel and share your perspective with me. I’m glad you’re writing again. Let’s catch up by phone soon so I can hear about the upcoming writing conference and your pitch sessions. Talk about admiration – girl, you are a force and the world needs to hear your voice!
More soon,
Nancy
Nancy, first of all a huge congratulations on your forthcoming book! I can’t wait to read it! Also, I can’t wait to meet you at Uncon. Your posts are always so inspiring, and I for one will be proud to say, “I knew her when . . .”
I related to this post so much–maybe too much! When I started “writing” my current manuscript about 10(!) years ago, and was reading book after book on how to write a book, I decided to keep my writing a secret (with the exception of my writing partner) until I had finished a first draft. Hahaha.
The first year rolled by and soon enough, the second one was toast, too, and then right about the middle of year three, I was out with about 15 other moms at dinner one night when one of them said, “Let’s go around the table and say something about ourselves that would surprise everyone.” Whoops! When it came to me I announced, “I’m writing a book!” and everyone was so impressed and oohing and ahhing, until they asked me what it was about and I barely had a plot laid out in my head, much less a slick synopsis (still don’t), so I mumbled a few things and they cocked their heads, quizzically, and then we went on to the next mom.
Fast forward eight years later, and you can only imagine how I feel when I see one of these moms and she asks me–with a little worry in her eyes–if my book has been published yet. One woman I saw about six months ago, a doctor no less, was so perplexed I hadn’t gone to publication yet, she asked me if I had thought of using a ghost writer!
Your words give me great comfort. Much of my time has been spent learning craft and also taking care of family and extended family. Now that the family obligations are not what they used to be, I feel like I have much more time and know-how (and life experience) to finish this book.
Thanks again for your post!
Hi Sheree,
Thanks for your honesty. I’ve sat at similar dinner tables over the years and been on the receiving end of those pitiful stares. Ignore them and stay the course. I’m convinced that your craft knowledge and life experiences are making your book richer. This is your journey and yours alone.
I can’t wait to meet you at the UnCon next month!
Until then,
Nancy
Hey Nancy. I definitely needed to read this right now. Although I fear I lack your patience and belief that my story will unfold. So excited for you, and I loved reading this post. Can’t wait to read the book.
Mary! Great seeing you here. I do hope you enjoy the book. Stick with what you’re doing. You got this. I’m looking forward to another Slice of Fiction celebration when you hit your next milestone. Take your time though and enjoy. :)
See you soon,
Nancy
Nancy, I loved your post! I’ve finally learned to not feel guilty when my expectations (and others) don’t live up to the reality of my world. After several years, I’m still passionate about my story and it is certainly marinating, filling my phone with lots of notes when I’m not at the computer or learning the craft. I especially appreciate your comment about language and truth coming alive in the revision. I’ve been trying to do it all at once instead of getting the story written first. Thank you for that gem.
Congratulations on your upcoming book. I’m already sold and keen to read it. I tried to follow you on Facebook but that option wasn’t available. I’d be keen to pre-purchase if possible. Is that an option?
I am very grateful for your post this morning. Thank you.
Cherie
Hi Cherie,
I’m glad my thoughts on revision resonated with you. It’s also great to hear that you’re no longer trying to meet the expectations of others with your writing.
Thanks for your enthusiasm for my novel. The title is THE KINDEST LIE. It will be published in early 2021 by William Morrow (HarperCollins). It’s not available for pre-order yet, but I’ll post plenty of updates in social media. :) I will look for you on Facebook and send you a request. :)
I appreciate your support!
Best,
Nancy
Nancy❤️ This brought tears.
I feel it💔 I say it to myself, but it sure felt good to hear it from someone like you.
I absolutely needed this, perfect timing❣️Thank you.
P.S. I think God looks at His children with these same thoughts:
“…the magic for me is in the making. Not in gazing fondly at what I’ve made.“—Nancy Johnson
Hi Soni,
Thank you for your kind, heartfelt words. I’m glad something I said touched you and affirmed your own thoughts on your writing/revising journey.
I like the idea of God looking at His creation in a similar way. :)
All best,
Nancy
CONGRATULATIONS!!! What wonderful news about your book. And yes, I don’t have anything witty or intelligent to say when people ask me if that historical is finished. I just feel sheepish about how long it takes to learn to write a good story. The bones have always been there, but it takes time to have living, breathing story people.
Hi Vijaya,
Thanks for your good wishes! We’ve all felt sheepish at times when people ask about our progress on our books. It’s so important that we protect our writing/creating/revising space. We have to be selfish about it.
Putting the meat on the bones of a story is the frustrating , fun part. Best of luck with it!
Thanks,
Nancy
Thanks for this reminder and congratulations on the book deal. My current question is “when can I read it?” because I signed a publishing contract almost a year ago… and the book won’t be out until June 2020. Like a slow cooker, the best books absorb the juices of what happens to us while we’re writing. I’m trying to be patient with my current WIP, but it’s helpful to be reminded that others understand. Thanks!
Thanks so much, Carol! I feel your pain. My novel comes out in 2021 and people have been asking where they can buy it now. It never ends. We have to understand that most people outside the industry have no idea how long the publishing process takes. And yes, be patient. That’s how the best sauce gets made!
Best,
Nancy
I’m closing in on the end of a years-long revision and have a neck ache from nodding too vigorously while reading your post and muttering ‘This!’ a dozen times.
Comebacks? My go-to is “soon” with a fake nonchalant shrug and an immediate change of subject. If possible, I avoid discussing WIPs with anyone but writer-pals. Because writer-pals are priceless. Especially the ones who will sing the truth, even when we hate that song. So no surprise that I especially loved this line: “..my classmates gave each other knowing looks and said emphatically that this character was not the fifty-year-old mother of my protagonist. I’ll never forget one of my fellow writers shouting, No, that’s somebody’s Big Mama. They were right…” #Priceless – Can’t wait to read your novel and looking forward to meeting IRL at UnCon.
Hi Kathy,
“Soon!” I like it. LOL You’re right about the writing community. There’s nothing like it. I’ve joined various ones at every step along the journey. They will keep you sane.
I look forward to meeting you, too! :)
Best,
Nancy
It’s awesome that you finally have a date (more or less) when your book will come out.
I have to admit that I had no idea how long everything takes until I actually started writing. Other people knowing that you are at work is a blessing and a curse. They get so excited that they ask every other day when they would be able to read it. It’s very motivating and flattering, but at the same time, it can pain you. “No, it’s not out yet” – you reply with discernable sadness in your voice.
The Kindest Lie sounds like a wonderful and important book. I won’t ask “The Question,” I promise! But I’ll be looking for this one to be published.
Thank you for generously sharing such personal experiences and the insight they gave you.