Our work is done!

 

Last month I wrote about refining my draft - shaping and sculpting it to as near perfection as possible. It was great to receive comments back - but with upgrading my technology I had somehow lost the ability to reply to those comments. So thank you for all the other metaphors, which seemed rather more apt than my own.

I ended that blog with the words ‘Our work is done!’  How strong, how confident - how very, very wrong!

Of course, there is great joy in writing for itself. Anne Lamott, in Bird by Bird, says, ‘Writing has so much to give, so much to teach, so many surprises.’ But in case I gave anyone the idea that it was only about writing the book or article, poem or prose, I must qualify the statement ‘Our work is done’ on several major points. 

Our glorious, finished piece of work needs a home. Here is where the scribbling vicar has an advantage - he or she will know that their wonderful spiritual masterpiece has a place to go. When they speak it out on a Sunday it has reached its destination, achieved its purpose. It has taken on a life of its own and the completing of the work is done. The rest is up to the hearer through the power of the Holy Spirit.

To an extent, this can also be true of any commissioned or regular piece. Even a blog like this. However, other writers will now have to find their glorious piece of creation a home. So here comes pitching, submitting, waiting, chewing of nails, rushing to the post, desperately searching emails in the spam in case that publisher’s ‘yes’ has evaded the inbox. Repeatedly. With the rise and fall of emotions - positive feedback that ends up with the novel not suiting the list, the article that doesn’t quite fit, the poem that comes fourth in the competition. 

Then - the sheer elation and ecstasy of an acceptance. Hooray, our work is done! 

No, it’s not. It may be for some, but for books this is not the end of the line. After a few months of waiting, and preparing, there may be massive excitement when the books appear in print. What an achievement! Our work is done! 

No, sorry, it’s not. For nearly every author, it’s straight into launching, book signings and becoming a publicist for our own work. In other words, finding the readers. Before too long people buy our writing, maybe steadily, or enough for the book to take off on their own.

                                                 Now we can say it - ‘Our work is done!’

Our readers will take their copies into their hands - as they begin to read, the magic begins. They read what we have written that has emerged from our own minds, and the poem, story or even prose is transformed through their imagination, experiences and knowledge to something that is totally unique to them.

                          The work is finally done.

Annie Try writes novels mostly for adults, published by Instant Apostle, but has one YA novel published and another nearly there … she’ll let you know when it is finally done.