The Stages of Book LoveJust something I’ve been playing with as I dive into the new book. I suspect some of the writers can relate? (Click here if the graph gets truncated and you need the full view.) The Stages of Book Love: ETA: Also see this graph and blog post by Maureen McHugh. I honestly don’t remember whether I’ve seen McHugh’s graph before, but it’s very possible I saw it reposted somewhere, and that it was hiding in the back of my mind as I worked on my own graph. 6 comments to The Stages of Book Love |
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I’m not seeing the “I need to shovel the s%^t faster” stage on there.
There was only so much I could fit onto the jpeg. The chart gets truncated on my screen as it is
Excellent. And so true. (Mine would probably also add the vigorous headdesking accompanied by “&$^ it, I’m not a writer” that follows hitting send on the draft that goes out to beta readers.)
Don’t forget the “Screw it, I’m going out for Chinese food, and I’ll try again tomorrow” stage!
This was mentioned in our word wars this am when I looked at a scene and the whole book disintegrated before me. This is bad because I write out of sequence and a lot of the rest of the book is written.
I am at the 3rd turning point and for my first few books that’s where the “all my readers will abandon me” point hits…
But the last few books the crises has come earlier, hanging around the middle and ha-ha, since that didn’t happen I forgot it would. So it snuck up again at the 3rd turning point and whammied me.
There are also a few “lying and staring at the ceiling” times…
Good job with the graph!
Robin
Sympathies. I hate those moments when the whole thing just crumbles in your hands. That’s got to be even harder with how much work you’ve already put into the book.