You’ve committed to your plan and you’re ready to go. Now comes the hard work and the payoff.
Step Five: Hitting the Pavement
It is not uncommon to go too fast right out of the gate. I can tell myself over and over again before the race what my pace is supposed to be. My coach and I have carefully planned what pace is hard enough to meet my goals, but easy enough to sustain over the long haul. Because a marathon is a long haul. Of course I can run a 5k at a speedy and hard pace. Knowing my 5k pace tells me what my threshold is. But a marathon is 42k, that’s more than eight 5k races back-to-back. A marathon is an entirely different beast altogether. So I’ll start my race, inevitably get swept up in the excitement of the crowd and the energy of the new beginning… and run that first mile way too fast. I will curse at myself and my watch. After a few moments, I’ll stop beating myself up, then settle into my groove. It’s okay. I know I will always start too fast. My coach knows I will always start too fast. But we also know that I will slow it down when I need to, take it easy on the uphills, and let the downhills work for me. I won’t let my tank get too low, I’ll eat my fuel at the planned mileage markers, drink fluids at the expected intervals, and keep it going until I can see the finish line on the horizon. After 26 miles, with only 0.2 left to go, I visualize the gas left in my tank and decide to floor it until the gauge drops below empty. I’m going to leave it all out there on the course, finish strong, and know I gave it everything I had.
When it’s time to start really writing, the excitement can sometimes produce what I gently call verbal diarrhea, or as my old high school Modern European History teacher referred to as diarrhea of the pen. The hounds have been unleashed and all of the preparation feels like it is paying off in spades. This is not necessarily a bad thing. Letting those words fly from your fingertips to the page is a wonderfully freeing feeling. Just don’t get disappointed if, a few days or weeks later, you can’t possibly keep up your initial pace. Try to not be too surprised if some of that initial brain dump isn’t, shall we say, perfectly finessed. The first draft of anything is rarely perfect. But that is why we edit! So go ahead, get it all out there. Follow the schedule you’ve set for yourself, or that your editor has set for you. Turn in your first draft. Take a breather. Take a break. Reward yourself with a snack or an activity that has nothing to do with writing. Think about anything else while you wait for feedback. When feedback comes, review it, ask questions, debate solutions — collaborate! — and get back to it. Revise, revise, revise. Turn in draft two. Take a break. Get your feedback, make tweaks, go back and forth as many times as it takes until you and your editor feel great about it. Don’t leave anything behind, don’t leave any lingering questions. You’ve done it. You’ve created the best package you can.
Step Five: Crossing the Finish Line
This is what you’ve been waiting for! Inevitably, cameras are positioned at multiple angles to capture this momentous event. I try to make a point of looking up and not down at my watch. I thrust my arms up in exultation, followed immediately by reaching for the “Stop” button on my watch. I’m always thrilled to finish, but I’m even more excited to find out if I’ve met my time goals. I usually snap a selfie, but not until after I have the finisher’s medal around my neck! I send off my news to those I know who’ve been waiting to hear about how I’ve done, I upload my fresh photo to social media, refuel with at least a banana, and wander my way through the finish area to find my family and friends. I’m usually in pain, but I’m also already thinking about what my next race will be. My dad once said, “You’ll be talking about your marathon for far longer than it took you to actually run it.” He’s never been wrong about that.
When you’ve completed putting the finishing touches on your perfectly crafted prose package, it’s time to share it with the world! Sometimes this means querying all the agents you’ve identified as the best fit. Sometimes it means going straight to the publisher you know is ready and waiting for you. More often, it can mean uploading the files to your preferred method for self-publication. Celebrate getting your dream out of your head and out the door. Now it’s on the page, and now you can start dreaming about what comes next! When you sign with an agent, your agent will work to get your project in the hands of just the right acquisitions editor at just the right publishing house. It’s like matchmaking. Once the perfect match has been made, be ready to talk about your book, market your book, and share your book with as many people as possible. Hopefully, your book will live for far, far longer than it took you to write it!