I finished the book last night, and put it on the Kindle for Tim to read. We'll see when he gets around to it...
I also got my widdle heart brokded yesterday. I had my first rejection on a full manuscript by an agent. Granted, it was very positive (she liked my voice and characters, and called my world building "strong"), but she didn't love the story. I guess that's better than hearing it all stank to high heaven, at least. I can't argue with someone to convince them to love my story. Wish I could, though. Sigh.
I sent out half a dozen new queries, though, so hopefully someone else will find it and truly love it. We can only hope.
I have started on the third book, though. I don't know if it's a pointless task now, or if I'll keep going no matter what. I could always do what I did before, and write something completely different. The first two books I wrote were to be the beginning of a series (it was more of an epic fantasy kind of thing), but I never wrote the third book. It's a shame, because I liked those characters, but the first book was CLEARLY my first novel, ever. Maybe someday I'll go back, rewrite it, and make it better. But not right now.
I had the third book in that other series all mapped out, knew the plot, etc. But I never wrote it. Instead, I started writing this current series. So going on and writing a third book for an unsold series is kind of a leap of faith.
Writing the first book is always a crazy adventure, discovering the world and characters, giving them voices, etc. Starting a second book is an act of hope. You hope the first book sells, and therefore there will be a call for a second, and voila! you pull out book 2 all ready to go. Writing a third seems a little either insane or desperate since I haven't even managed to charm an agent with the first book, yet! :)
So for Valentine's Day, we are doing absolutely nothing romantic. Lulu has chorus again tonight, so I'll probably sit in the back row writing merrily along on my laptop again, and Tim will be home power napping, because that's what he always does on Tuesday night. I don't even have anything special planned for dinner. We usually have pizza, because we're in such a hurry between Lulu working on homework, and then running to chorus by 6, we don't have time for anything fancier. But I don't have a frozen pizza. Tim and Lulu ate it on Sunday, because I didn't feel well enough to cook or eat. And of course I haven't been to the grocery store again. I was going to do that tonight, while the kid was singing for two hours. Oh, well. Chocolate it is!
So that's our romantic, special day. Since I don't think all the romantic, loving gestures in a relationship should be saved up and spent on only one day a year, I don't really have any special feeling for Valentine's Day. It's one of those holidays that rates a solid "meh" on my scale from "ick" to "ohmygodohmygod."
So to all who enjoy the day, have a great time. To those who hate it, have a horrible time. To those who also meh it, have a day.
NEW BOOK TALLY!!!:
Words: 155
Pages: 2 (well, really only one, but I did leave a blank page for the eventual title page at the beginning).
I love your honesty. I know you are a writer, because you write. The thing is, sometimes it takes those who are able to appreciate you a while to find you. There are books that sit around waiting to be found and, when they FINALLY are "discovered" (after having been out 10 years), the writer is hailed as an overnight sensation. There are TV series that take several seasons to find their audience, but once they do...watch out!
ReplyDeleteFrom one virtual stranger of a writer to another: write the third book. Finish the story. Don't leave the characters in limbo.
Perhaps once the third book is completed you can go and clean up the things in the first book that scream "this is my first novel ever!" Perhaps you can breathe some new life into it.
And maybe...just maybe...even if you cannot find an agent who drools over it...maybe you could offer it on Amazon. Writers write. Readers read. Readers often drool over things that agents and publishers do not immediately recognize as "worthy." (Hm, the name J. K. Rowlings suddenly popped into my head!)
My humble suggestion is this...finish it. Clean it up and get it in the hands of your future fans. When someone reads your words, they become real. And, you can make some money while your work finds its audience.
(stepping down of soapbox, giving an encouraging wave...and leaving you to consider this further...)
FOOTNOTEL Geez, if I am this bossy with a complete stranger, can you *imagine* how bossy I am with people I actually know?!
I've already started the third book (I wrote a thousand words this afternoon before I had to stop to fetch the kid). I'm at a point where I can't stop now. I suppose that's a good thing. Luckily the first novel in this series is actually the third novel I ever wrote (the first two will languish on a memory stick until such time as I have an actual agent, and a following of readers who would forgive me for writing something so cheesy). I do fully intend to go back someday and do something more with that original series, but until then, I'm pushing ahead on the new one.
ReplyDeleteI think the "memory stick draft" is the modern equivalent to the unfinished "book in the bottom drawer." I have one, too. I hope to have another go at it at some point...but chances are that if I ever touch it I will overhaul it so completely that even I won't recognize its origins.
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