The Space Between

I'm currently in process of writing my first novel, "The Manuscript." And it's easy to zoom waaaaaay in on the micro, and zoom waaaaay out on the macro. But the space between, as they say ... that's where all the work happens.

So far I've got my general story idea, and it's a decent one. I've also got my thoughts on how to tell the story, and what major notes and plot points happen. But now the difficult work of fine-tuning the story and the sequence and the chapters, choosing all the characteristics of the characters and finding a tone of voice all come in (side question: Much as sculptors do studies before they do the final work, do any writers do 10-page short stories to flesh out their characters before putting them in books? Something to consider).

It's far more fun to think of the tag lines for selling said book, and easy to get inspired by other people's efforts (Hugh Howey). But at the end of the day, it can't just be clever marketing. It has to be substance behind the tagline. Otherwise, it's hype and no hope. I feel I've been so trained -- by life, by movies, by my own experience and brain -- to focus so much on the endgame of tag lines and the rest that I completely lose sight of the main goal -- write a decent book -- and end up overthinking where things should go. And losing days and days and weeks and months and years in the process.

So this is just a reminder to myself -- do the work in the space between. Keep doing it. And maybe you'll close that gap full someday.