This week, I've been struggling a lot with the difference between what I need to do to further my goal of producing a (hopefully) publishable novel, versus what I want to do as a writer on a story playground. Now, don't get me wrong on this: I'm not contemplating projects I'm not passionate about or choosing based on marketibility. Instead, I know I should focus on editing, then focus on writing a single project ... but my brain wants to do prep-work / worldbuilding now, and it really wants to sink into both novel ideas, not one.
I am starting to resent this dichotomy. I want to be a professional author, but I write because I love it. Obviously, there's going to be parts of writing that are like eating your green vegetables - rejection letters come to mind - but it shouldn't be this hard or pervasive: something I will be spending months on. I shouldn't spend this much time angsting over this. Do I stick to my plan and fidget because there's so much else I want to do? Do I let myself off leash and accept that the next few projects are going to take a while? (I'm also concerned about if I take too much time editing, I will simply look at the whole thing and think, "The writing in this is crap.)
It's not a race, and I already have projects out there. Any advice?
(I think part of it is I've been editing solid for the whole past week, so my creative brain is playing caged beast ...)
3/31 - 4/6
Pages Edited: 32
About Me
- Lindsey Duncan
- I'm a professional harp performer, chef / pastry chef, and speculative fiction writer from Cincinnati, Ohio. My contemporary fantasy novel Flow is available from Double Dragon Publishing, and my science fiction novel Scylla and Charybdis is now out from Grimbold Books. I've also sold a number of short stories and a few pieces of speculative poetry. I write predominantly fantasy, usually epic and/or humorous, with some soft science fiction. I play the traditional lever harp with a specialty in Celtic music - but I also perform modern and Renaissance tunes. And yes, you read that right - I have a diploma in Baking and Pastry and an Associates in Culinary Arts and am currently working in the catering field at Kate's Catering and Personal Chef Services (Dayton, KY). I am a CPC (Certified Pastry Culinarian) and CSW (Certified Specialist of Wine).
3 comments:
I'm struggling with the same thing right now. I need to rewrite, edit, revise, edit, polish one of my manuscripts. I want to have it ready to send to agents by September/October. At the same time, I want to write new stories, and it's very hard to do both. I even feel guilty when I'm doing one over the other.
Of course, the road to publication means that you have to take the time to edit, rewrite, revise, etc. your work. Unless you write perfectly the first time, of course, but those people are so not cool. *laughs*
At the same time, it's hard to let new ideas wait. Perhaps edit the one and write a new one too. Switching off can help. :)
And, thanks for joining in on my blogfest. I look forward to reading your entry on May 6th. :D
I have a manuscript at Tor presently - assuming it comes back, it will be running the agent gamut. So in that respect, I have time.
Nice to know someone else feels the guilt - well, not that I would wish it on anyone!
I am close to halfway through this current draft of Scylla and Charybdis already, which is not where I thought I would be so soon ... maybe I deserve a break.
I don't know if I have any good advice or not. Taking a break can be a great thing sometimes. Good luck figuring it all out!
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