K. B. HOYLE
  • Home
  • Books
  • News
  • Magic and Mayhem
  • Subscribe
  • Owl's Nest Publishers
  • K. B. Hoyle at Christ & Pop Culture
  • The Archives
  • Daydreaming Dollcie
  • Home
  • Books
  • News
  • Magic and Mayhem
  • Subscribe
  • Owl's Nest Publishers
  • K. B. Hoyle at Christ & Pop Culture
  • The Archives
  • Daydreaming Dollcie
Search by typing & pressing enter

YOUR CART

Blog...

3/9/2017 2 Comments

Writing the Book Is Not the Hard Part

I've written many books. Nine and some change, to be exact. The actual construction of the novel, at this point, is not as difficult for me as many other things in this profession. I teach seminars on how to write novels. I have my preferred method for that part down pretty well (not to say that I'm not a lifetime learner--I am). But the writing is not really my struggle right now, and I'd wager I'm not the only writer who's ever been in this position. I've already blogged this year about finding time to work, and about needing rest, so I won't bellyache any more about that. No, what I'm getting at here is playing the long game in the author career, and about the ache of silence and unfulfilled dreams.

My husband and I went to see the movie La La Land for my birthday last month. If you haven't seen it, you've probably at least heard that it's a musical and that it was highly acclaimed. It was a transcendent movie experience for me--one that perfectly juxtaposed dreaming with reality, and the raw emotion of rejection and failure with the soaring heights of what it feels like to succeed. In my favorite song of the film, the main character (Mia) sings,

"And here's to the ones who dream
Foolish as they may seem
Here's to the hearts that ache
Here's to the mess we make"

I've been doing a lot of dreaming for a lot of years. Since I was a child, really. And while I've achieved some of my dreams, I'm far from where I want to be as an author. These days I feel more like the aching is taking over. Writing the book--the books--is not the hard part. The hard part is waiting and not knowing if my career is ever going to soar to the heights of my dreams. The hard part is not letting my aching heart break. The hard part is sending out query after query to agents and being rejected or just not hearing anything back at all. The hard part is reminding myself that it's not personal--that it's not that I'm not good enough.

If you go see (or at this point, rent) La La Land, perhaps you'll understand why I sat and wept through portions of it.

"She told me
'A bit of madness is key
To give us new colors to see
Who knows where it will lead us?
And that's why they need us'

So bring on the rebels
The ripples from pebbles
The painters, and poets, and plays

And here's to the fools who dream
Crazy as they may seem
Here's to the hearts that break
Here's to the mess we make"

*"Audition" written by Justin Hurwitz, Benj Pasek, and Justin Noble Paul, copyright Warner/Chappell Music, Inc
2 Comments
Elisabeth
3/10/2017 01:47:25 am

I feel like I should sing this to my kids...my favorite song!

Reply
Emma Fox link
3/12/2017 02:54:28 pm

As a fellow author currently in agent query-world...Yes. I wholeheartedly agree. It takes a lot of hard, steady work to "make a dream come true," and so much of it is totally out of your hands. But not outside of God's. Thanks for the reminder to keep working, and keep dreaming!

Reply

Your comment will be posted after it is approved.


Leave a Reply.

    #kbhoyle #kbhoylebooks #thegatewaychronicles #thebreedercycle

    Author K. B. Hoyle

    Just me and my thoughts. Want more of me and my thoughts? Subscribe to my newsletter!

    Archives

    June 2020
    March 2020
    December 2019
    October 2019
    May 2019
    March 2019
    December 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    March 2018
    January 2018
    November 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    January 2017
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015

    Categories

    All Audiobook Author Tip Award Blog Tour CLONE CRIMINAL Dystopian Editing Fairy Tales Giveaway Harry Potter Holiday Interview PDU Personal Note Podcast Reading The Breeder Cycle The Gateway Chronicles The Girl In The Sea Welcome WIP Writing Tips YA Lit

    Archives from my old blog...

Proudly powered by Weebly