IWSG was created by the Captain Ninja Alex J. Cavanaugh. To visit the IWSG participants, please click here. The IWSG Anthology Contest is open until November 1st. Click here for details. You must post either September or October to be considered for the anthology. Our co-hosts are TB Markinson, Tamara Narayan, Eva E. Solar, Shannon Lawrence, and Stephanie Faris.The writing is still going well. I've been writing every single day since July 1, mainly between two projects, although I had three in September. But within the next few months, I will have my secondary project slot empty. Here is where my insecurity lies.
Once I finished the first draft of The Mission (The Gaia Project 1.1), the short story "On Day 168" slipped into the second spot. As soon as I complete that first draft, I've recently decided to write the bonus woodwose section that will appear in The Fate Challenges boxed set. I figure those chapters will take me through November and maybe even into December. But what should I write after that?
I have several projects I could rewrite, including The Cassandra Project series (3 books, NA Paranormal Suspense), Fall of Gravity series (3 books, YA Sci-fi), or a horror short story collection. All except the last book in The Cassandra Project series have been written, but ALL need major rewrites, which would involve rereading through the stories, writing new outlines, and writing the books.
But do I want to rewrite old work? I just don't know. There is a thrill in exploring something new. I have so many series I want to write one of these days, including To the Future series (4 books, YA Urban Fantasy), Tides of Fortune series (9 books, Epic Fantasy), Paranormal Freaks series (2 books, YA Horror), Less Than Princess Perfect (4 books, Epic Fantasy), etc. Of course, any new series I write will need planning before writing, especially anything within a different world.
Do I even want to work on a series? I know series sell better than standalone novels, but I'd love to write the standalone book No More Than Shadows (YA Alt. World Fantasy) one of these days. I'm sure there is something quite pleasurable in writing a novel to completion and knowing that's it, that I don't have to stress over the next book and the next within the series.
So that's where I am at with my insecurities this month. Too many choices. All requiring a lot of work and dedication and pre-planning that I need to work on now before I end up with no second project and nothing planned. Of course, it's not a terrible thing to have too many ideas, but they can end up very overwhelming. (Not that I have to have a second project of course, but I like the feeling of accomplishment of working on more than one story at a time. I've stood still for far too long.)
What are your insecurities?
From now until 11/16, you can purchase Once upon a Nightmare: A Collection (paranormal horror), Reborn (YA Epic Fantasy), and People of Foxwick and Their Neighbors (Epic Fantasy short stories) for 99 cents a piece.
Click here for purchase links.
48 comments:
Wish I had that many choices. I guess either way has its good and bad points.
The epic fantasy sounds cool!
Sometimes too many choices can be a good thing, but I can sympathize. It's always hard to rewrite when you have fresh ideas begging to be explored.
I've thought about rewriting some stories, but the new stories always win. I like the excitement.
I re-wrote the three horror shorts now published, which I loved doing and feel good about. I have a load more I could work on at some point. I have to work on the series I have stressed about for two years now, but I have to work around ghostwriting which leaves little time for mine.
Your insecurity seems more like a blessing to me. Enjoy the inspiration.
shahwharton.com
It's so much easier to sit in front of the computer and write what we love instead of having to make all these other decisions, isn't it. I'd say do whatever gives you the most pleasure at the moment and go from there.
Good luck with the decisions.
After writing a series, I'm happy to be working on a book that stands alone. You have so many options. Which one grabs you? Write that one.
I am very much of the persuasion of write what speaks to you most. It is best to be enjoying yourself and moving forward. If one of those older books keeps pestering you to go back to it then do that, but don't force it.
It can be really overwhelming when you have so many ideas that you want to explore; it can even hinder progress. There have been a couple of times in the past where I've sat down to write, but couldn't decide which idea to go with so gave up altogether.
Having too many choices is not so bad. It's worse when you have no ideas. My insecurity is that I may not write creatively anymore because of all the nonfiction deadlines I have in my job and with the blog writing. It might be enough for me, and it could be okay.
Wow...you are busy. I love the energy. :)
Having too many choices is quite a good thing, I think. I love how you are such a prolific writer, Cherie.
Insecurity #1 for me this month - wondering if I can meet all my deadlines, but I didn't post about that, I posted about all the awesome, inspiring people I know. :)
I think it's awesome that you have so many ideas, but I understand that it can be hard to choose. I hope you can figure out the one that you think will work best as your next project.
Series offer their own special challenges. Hope you can choose among all that you've got in your head and focus on the one that's best for you right now. Good luck.
How can you go wrong following your heart. :-)
Anna from Elements of Writing
Hi,
It's nice for things to go well for a while and it is very nice to have options that you can consider when it comes o working on something new. I know you'll choose the right fix for you.
Shalom,
Patricia
That's wonderful that you have so many interesting storylines. I can see how it would be overwhelming, though. I would say go with what you're most excited about. Which one really sticks in your head and won't let go?
You're thinking about what to write in December? Man, I barely think about what I'm going to write tonight. This is probably why you rock your books when it comes to releasing them. You have a plan. Always puts me in awe of you.
Awesome that you make plans that far ahead!
It's great to have so many ideas, but it can also pull you in so many different directions it's hard to know which way to go. But it's wild your thinking about what to write two months from now.
It's great that you've been writing so much! I hope your muse will help you decide what project to tackle next.
Good luck with the sale. I will be sure to tweet about it!
Glad you're sticking with the writing. I have too many choices, too, but too much other work to write anything at the moment. Siiigh. Soon.
You're so organized, Cherie. That's wonderful. I know what you mean about re-writing. I know I should do re-writes, but the lure of something new is so much more exciting!
It is difficult to choose. I am lured away by new ideas a lot. It is the series luring me away too. Do what you feel best with. You've been doing so awesome with writing every day.
I've only gone back to one project that was already published, and that was Secret Lilies, so that I could pull it under my own publishing umbrella. Other projects I go back to read and enjoy because they tell the story I wanted to read to begin with.
You have so many wonderful ideas for the future that maybe hopping into something new could be the writing roller coaster ride to have you grinning from ear to ear :-)
You go, too many choices can be overwhelming, but it is better than no choices, lol Best of luck with the decision making,
Juneta Writer's Gambit
Write the one that calls to you the loudest. As insecurities go, 'too many choices' is a good one to have :)
Sorry to leave a link, Blogger won't allow my wordpress comment:
Daily (w)rite
It's good to have choices. Make a plan, like a list of priorities, but concentrate on the one you love best. If you have a plan, when you finish one, another would be waiting for you.
I've occasionally worked on two projects at the same time, but never more than that. And not very successfully either. Good luck Cherie.
If the stand alone book is niggling at you, then write it Cherie. Some of the top selling books have been stand alone. Don't worry about conforming to trends. Nobel Prize winners were all 'out of the box'!! The amount of work you do and accomplish is amazing and you are an inspriation to those of us who are relatively new to the journey. So thank you for everything and GO FOR IT!!!! Have a super week.
Do any of them speak to you more than the others? You've got a lot to choose from, that's for sure.
Wow, so many projects to choose from! I can relate to that feeling. Like, I flailed for a long time trying to figure out what my next webcomic should be, once Echo Effect ends. I finally settled on revamping an old project. Anyway, best of luck making a decision! Hopefully whether you should work on something old or new, and if that project should be a series or standalone, will dawn on you soon...
That's a pretty incredible list you have going for you. At least you have choices! That's better than being stumped. :)
I think you and I are twins separated at birth, because I'm faced with the same dilemmas and insecurities. So many projects I'm writing, and loads I want to be writing. It's hard to know what to do for the best!
Ooh...I think I'd go for the fantasy. I love what I a writing now (steampunk) but after this trilogy I think I will try another genre in the speculative fiction realm. Maybe scifi or fantasy?
Wow!!! You're a very busy writer!!! I also have old projects I'd like to rewrite, but when I go back and start to read them, I shake my head and say, "Too much work." But some day, I just might tackle it.
However, I truly enjoy starting a new project, a clean slate type of feeling. Whatever you decide, it'll feel right. If not, move on....
You sound like me. I had a few months of struggling to even work on the simplest tasks (writing). Now, I have so many ideas and not enough time or energy to develop them! I'd rather that problem than stalling again though. Best of luck on your own work!
Oh, man. I am RIGHT there with ya :) For like two years now. I have so many different options, I get whiplash trying to decide which direction to go. I think I've decided, and then I change my mind. I just did it again recently. I literally have about 20 folders for book ideas on my computer. LOL - I guess it could be worse - we could have NO ideas!
Writing every single day since July 1? Wow. Super-Awesome.
Whether you decide to rewrite old work OR work on a series, the main thing is that you're NEVER short of ideas!!
Choices... choices...
Hey, I'm sure you're having lots of fun too...
I like to be over-ambitious, because even if I fall short, I still did a lot. I'm juggling three projects this month and I believe I'll finish.
I always prefer starting something shiny and new to rewriting something old that needs too much work!
I can see why you might want to rewrite older work. Once the rights revert, I usually tweak my stories before republishing them. But there comes a time when we probably should let the older stuff be what it is. Keep up that writing regimen!
Sounds like you are busy and productive. All the best!
My insecurity is that as soon as I were to decide to write a series - nobody would be buying series anymore.
Ugh. I have the itch to go back and maybe do some revision with my published books too. There's a desire to see if I can make them even better. Yet, I need to move on and find excitement in something new to break my writing funk. It's tough, and you're right, there's too many choices!
I wish I could work on more than one thing at a time! I can see how too many choices would be overwhelming. Especially if you've written a lot of series, a standalone might be a refreshing change. You just have to do what feels right at the time.
I am so impressed that you have written every day since 7/1. I wish I could say the same. Awesome job! I think whatever you work on will be great because you will be getting writing done. :) Good luck deciding!
~Jess
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