Your Secret Project

I think all writers need to have a secret project, one they haven’t shared with anyone, not their agent, not their editor, not their writer’s group, best friend or partner. A secret project is often a book that you are “sure” would never sell, that is something just for you, a rebellion against the pressures of the marketplace.

Creativity works best for me when it isn’t under pressure. I know there are many writers who do not produce any work unless they are under deadline. I do not understand this at all. I actually think that deadlines are counterproductive for me. I need to believe that I have all the time in the world. I set goals and deadlines for myself, so I don’t need anyone else to give me extra pressure.

But giving yourself the permission not to work on the contracted project for an hour a day or even one day a month can make the difference between happiness and crazy for me. As soon as I’ve sold a project it suddenly becomes “work” instead of “play” and for me, a sense of play really helps me enjoy the process more.

I know that the publishing world exists around me, but I guess I try to close my eyes, hunker down and pretend it doesn’t. And I see a lot of other aspiring writers who seem to be running around asking people what the “new” hot trend is that they can follow, or what editors’ and agents’ wishlists are, so they can fulfill them with their next project. I don’t think that’s the way to great art.

So find out what your secret project is, something that you haven’t let yourself even dream of before. And carve out just a little bit of time when you can to work on it. For me, this helps me deal with deadlines and pressure. I work faster on contracted work if I have the reward of my fun project ahead of me. And I work really hard on the secret project if I know I only get to work on it occasionally.

I can’t promise that your secret project will ever sell. Maybe it won’t. Maybe it will always just be for you. But you know what? In some ways, that could be a good thing.

Always keep something just for you.