A reader asked me recently if I know the end of a novel when I begin the writing process.
The short answer is no. The longer answer is no, I do not.
I’ve heard of such a thing. Some authors swear by outlines and daily word counts and strict adherence to the physics of writing a novel. Some writers build their stories like a carpenter builds a house, but that’s not me.
One of the worst mistakes I made when I first started writing was to read everything I could get my hands on about how one is supposed to write. I found myself second-guessing my muse (that’s a writerly word for creative inspiration). Basically, I was writing garbage. Thank goodness I came to my senses before I published any of it.
I break a lot of rules:
I don’t outline.
I edit as I go.
I don’t write every day and I don’t enforce a word count on myself.
Basically, I write when I feel like writing, for as long as I feel I’m writing something good enough to massage into something really good, and I stop and edit and tweak and then move forward. Using this method, I’ve published seven novels since 2012, have an eighth manuscript in final edit, and am well on my way to completing the first draft of my ninth.
So when do I know the ending for the novel I’m writing? Usually, it’s about two seconds before my fingers tap out the words. Sometimes it’s a few seconds after. I don’t think I would want to know the ending any sooner than that. It would take the fun out of writing the tens of thousands of words it took to get there — the same way it would take the fun out of reading.
Rules are like guardrails. We pass guardrails every day during our commutes without paying them any attention …, until we see one streaked with paint.
So does my method work? Are my novels any good? The way I select my next read is very simple: I read the first page. If it hooks me, I buy it. If it doesn’t, I pick up the next book and read the first page. This method works 99% of the time for me.
But are the books I’ve written any good? Open one and read the first page. Go ahead, I’ll wait.