Another easy thousand words tonight.
Dudes... I'm very much afraid I'm writing a Dirty Book. For the YA market. In theory.
I'd wonder if I were doing it wrong... except that I'm going to do it anyway.
Isn't it funny--in the "incongruent" sense of the word--that the more work you do on a novel, the more confidence you lose about it?
I'm definitely at the "wow, this was a DUMB IDEA" stage.
Grrr. Argh.
I need to sell six stories this month (and one reprint). This way I can focus more on novels, instead of staring at Duotrope for twenty minutes a day, mulling over queries and whatnot.
And it has to be sales. We can't have rejections, and you know why? Because rejections would mean that I'd still be looking at Duotrope.
Just a suggestion, dear Universe. But please do take it under advisement.
Love and quiches,
Mer
PS If you just can't place "Wedding Dress Tea Parties," I'll understand. That's a toughee.
I'm writing a story I thought I'd love to write. I started it at some point, and then an anthology came along for which it would be perfect--which, I'll note, I was not asked to join, and to which the editor responded to my query, "Yeah, okay, I'm expecting something in that vein already, but send it along since you're working on it."
This weekend, I kicked myself in the 'tocks to really get going on it, and I've got about 2000 words, need only 1000 more. But there's no spark. No life. I'm deeply unexcited about my setting, suddenly; I think, "This would work so much better as fantasy instead of alternate history."
Self-sabotage or the beginnings of wisdom?
Now, consider this:
I've set some goals for myself this summer. Not written in stone--more written on whiteboard. Anyway, one of them goes like this: go through the anthology listings on Ralan's and see if I have anything written or anything well-begun that fits the guidelines. I found eight stories for six projects.
There is, of course, no way I'm going to write 8 stories this summer. Not while working on a novel, too.
So, I have some room to be picky.
So, should I just pick myself right off this market?
Probably. I'd have to add 1,000 words to meet the minimum for the market. And I don't really have 1,000 words of story. And I don't want to submit a sub-par story.
And YET: I know when the anthology comes out, I'm going to kick myself if I didn't submit even a sub-par story.
So, yeah. I know what I'm probably going to do: finish out the 1000 words, and then work very strenuously with the rewrite. I won't lose much time, I'll be able to say I tried, and if it gets accepted, fantastic. And if it doesn't? I scrap the whole thing as historical, and put it into play as fantasy. It would go great as a subplot in the Tarot Book.
And I'll hope this works better than falling out of love but staying together for the kids.
I just realized that I've made a deep tactical error. Fortunately, it's completely fixable.
I've been planning on writing a book I don't really have any enthusiasm for.
I had enthusiasm for it once, and I fully expect to have enthusiasm for it again, but when I think about all the cool and meaningful stuff out there up there (in my brain) that there is to write, I really am not having a bit of thrill about finishing up my Regency romance. I only put it next on my list because I thought I'd be able to get in the groove once it was up, and because it's about 65% written already.
I don't think those are good enough reasons, though. Not here and now, in the on spec phase of my career. I have medieval warfare on the brain right now.
And--oh heavens!--what happened to Bound By Spells? Where has my urban fantasy gone, 25% done as it was? Weeeellll.... it stalled. I had a beginning. I had a sort of end. I have got no freakin' middle. Never underestimate the power of having a middle. Or the importance. I think that it's a matter of craft at this point, going forward with BBS, because the issue is, I don't know how to make the middle part interesting with your usual things like turning points and raising the stakes. I understand what to do in theory, and I have managed to do it in other places, but for right now, I can't apply it to the scenario of BBS. So, I'm filing that damn book away for the moment, until it grows a middle.
Now, the question is, do I have a middle for Heroes of the Cold Island? I'd hate to get 25% to 65% done with it and have it putter out, just like it's brethren. I'd also hate to finish it and then go on to write three more drafts and sit on it for a year or so in between like The Bitter Road, but at least I'd hate that less.
I'm doing the research for Heroes right now, which is how I know it's the thing to write next--I'm super-excited about it.
It's a good thing to realize. It's not pragmatic, but it's good.
I took the day off to get a passle of writing done. The further I get into the manuscript, the more I end up fiddling with Chapter One. I'm not sure it's bad--it leads to things like foreshadowing and chock-a-block telling details, and I think Chapter One is currently the strongest Chapter One I've ever managed to produce, but I'm sick of Chapter One now and would like to just keep going with the rest of the damn book! I'm only one quarter done with the rewrite!
I have to leave for an appointment in about twenty minutes. When I come back, I'm hoping for an extremely productive afternoon in which I ignore Chapter One entirely.