I recently had the opportunity to speak to writers about a topic close to my heart, “Controlling the Controllables.” It’s a saying I have used in 15+ years in project management. All projects (esp. software) are unique and many face unplanned issues. Controlling the Controllables refers to focusing on what we can control in achieving the bigger picture. (As my husband is a big sports fan, I’ve overheard athletes use it in interviews. When I looked up the saying, I saw it also used in sports psychology! So interesting!).

In projects, when faced with a surprise, the first thing project managers (PMs) often do is ‘take a pause’ before they act. We listen to understand the issue(s), absorb the feedback and escalation like a sponge, utilize resources and draw from past projects, then group similar things in ‘buckets’ of achievable solutions. This is temporary until we can rebalance the project back to a new normal.

So how does this apply to an author’s journey? Well, let’s start with a project mindset. A manuscript from start to finish is a project. It has certain milestones and deliverables. It is built through stages, not unlike software or home improvement projects. It relies on an idea, an outline, a design, development/build, testing/review, implementation, and post production support.

At a high level, it’s a great story + great writing + some luck and the right timing. Of these, two are controllable – the great story and the great writing. Sorry, no one has figured out how to control luck and timing.

Focusing on the controllables, let’s talk about how to achieve a great story. A great story requires a beginning, middle, and end. All controllable. Each story should have a protagonist, an antagonist, conflict (challenges), stakes and goals, needs and desires, and some sort of resolution (good or bad or a mix of both). All controllable. If you need help with one or more of these things, seek out writing partners, critique groups, book coaches, writing membership groups (e.g. Writers Digest, Authors Guild, Romance Writers Association, Women’s Fiction Writers Association, just to name a few), online trainings, free videos, formal trainings, books on writing, online articles, etc. Don’t underestimate using a combination of the above mentioned resources to take your story from good to great, or great to amazing.

Now let’s shift to great writing. This is an area I see writers spend less time in. My opinion is subjective, but a lot of writers say in hindsight, they queried or published too early. Whether it be agent feedback, acquisition editor feedback, or reader ratings after publication, many writers have admitted they found issues, mistakes, things to improve that they could have ‘controlled.’ The phase that helps this controllable is line editing.

What is line editing? It refers to line-by-line review of each sentence. A lot, I know. Line editing includes the flow, the tone, the emotion, the language, etc. In this stage, the writer’s goal should be tightening up and improving sentences. A few examples include checking for overused words, run on sentences, telling vs. showing, confusing actions, inaccurate historical information, redundant emotional responses, excessive use of weak verbs, and more. Several resources exist with a full list of what to check for in a line edit. Writing software programs (many have free versions) can also assist. I would recommend when it comes to controlling the controllables, leverage a list of line editing checks, and implement many of them during the revising stage.

So, in conclusion, parts of the writing journey are beyond your control, but as a writer, you can lean into controlling the controllables.