Tuesday, September 15, 2009

Wing it or Ring it?


I've got a goal to be done with a round of edits on my book by November, but I'm at one of those places where I'm battling myself in getting it done.

I guess right now the mindset I'm fighting with is, I've become a much better writer since I started this project, and to bring it up to the level I want it to be at I'd have to completely re-write it again. I'm not willing to do that at this point as I have several other projects waiting, and I want to move on to one of those. However, I committed to myself that I would get this one done first. But since I've been struggling over it I actually haven't even looked at it in a couple of weeks.

Now as I'm writing this post I'm thinking that I should maybe change my goal and move on to something else and not work on this until I can feel excited about it again... if I'm not excited about it, why would the reader be? And I can't give my work the attention it deserves when we're not getting along. Then again, if we only wrote when we were excited about writing, we would never finish anything!

I need your help. What do you think I should do?

8 comments:

  1. If you've written less than five full manuscripts and/or you've been working on your current project for a year or more, then WRITE SOMETHING NEW!

    I went to a writer's workshop a year ago. Everyone brought the first chapter of a finished book for the group to critique. Our teacher encouraged us to write the first chapter of a new book while we were there at the workshop, then share it with the class. Four class members started a new book, and those new chapters were BY FAR the best writing we saw at the workshop, even though they were all first drafts! Moral of the story - you're a better writer now, so your next book will be better too!

    And that book you've already written, that story you love? Write a new book and you'll learn so much more. Write a new book and you'll know what to do with your old one.

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  2. I agree with what Rebecca said. My current project, which is my sixth book is my best writing ever. My first book, although I love it, needs some love. :) I go back to it when I can, but only when I feel excited about it.

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  3. Another agree here! I know if I ever wanted to get my first MS to a publishable state, it's going to take a lot of work—largely because I was writing it by the seat of my pants. I rewrote it, and even tried plotting a little, but it still doesn't really work. I got so tired of working on it, but I didn't have anything else to work on—and then a great idea took me by the throat. I plotted that idea out and started writing it before I even really "meant" to.

    Plotting it out made it easier to work and I knew that the story "worked" internally. I've changed a lot in revisions, and done a lot of rewrites, but the basic structure has been the same because plotting first made it a solid story. Because I was excited and knew where I was going, writing was super fast and SO much fun.

    (Can you tell I just started a series on learning how to plot on my blog? I've been thinking about this all week!)

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  4. Wow, inspiring words from everyone!

    I am going through the same thing as you are, Kristy. I've started this novel not too long ago and then, well, it all stopped. I have tried to bring it out and then I think, "I don't know what to write!" Then I put it away.
    Something feels weird.

    I have written six MSs and have never encountered anything like this before. Sure, minor writer's block like what am I going to do for this scene here? But never like this were everything just withers away. The characters stopped talking to me. Everything went dormant so suddenly.

    I just decided to help others with their work and continue with my writing course.
    I could try to write another story--but I am really a one-story kinda girl. It would be hard for me to do that.

    One thing I know would help for sure is to go to the temple and meditate and pray there.
    The Lord is listening. :)

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  5. My first book Pride & Popularity has gone through 11 rewrites and is getting ready to go through its 12. Pain in the bum, but every time I fix it, it only gets better and I only fall in love with it more. But I do need time away from it, before i can jump back in.

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  6. It's hard to imagine being so close to the end and not finishing, but that's probably because I haven't yet finished a big project like a novel. I'm getting close, though. I would let the spirit guide...

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  7. Thanks for all of your feedback and encouragement. While I want to stay true to my commitment to myself, I have been feeling like I need to really give my novel the attention it deserves... even if that means putting it away for a while!

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  8. Here's my thoughts, do something else. And I don't mean writing either. I started working on a craft project this morning for our Super Saturday coming up in Oct. and I was surprised at how being crafty suddenly left me with words bouncing around in my head. I didn't write any of them down or anything, cuz that would be too productive, plus they didn't make much sense. But I think I just may try some more crafts, it seems to be getting my creative juices flowing.

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