A new chapter

I touched the pristine dream. A lot was at stake. I feared I would contaminate it, leaving myself with a misshapen promise I no longer wished to pursue, or worse, the realization that I may not have what it takes to make it real. Thankfully, neither of these happened.

Completing a manuscript for a novel has been a transformative experience. My years as a copywriter have taught me to trust my instincts and gave me a steady confidence in my craft. But this was different. This was like learning to ride a bike all over again. I can write ads and websites without a push. But I couldn’t ride a novel. Not yet. This was going to take time and a lot of patience. I turned on the quiet and got to work.

In the first chapter, I needed to get a pregnant woman to the hospital and have her give birth in the middle of an earthquake. It took three months and a whopping 4500 words, which eventually came down to about 2300. I gave myself two years to finish a full draft of the story (I have day job). In the end, it would take me nearly three and I would cut the lady in labor chapter entirely. This thinking, writing, rethinking, and rewriting is the true constant in the process; the essential fulcrum of the art.

As a deeply immersive and sensory experience, it has altered, in a good way, how I approach writing copy. It has allowed me to think more acutely about who and what will be touched by my ideas and to stretch this thinking well outside the edges of the obvious. It has reinforced the immeasurable worth of patience and given me confidence that I will reach a creative destination more gratifying than I initially imagined.