When is enough, enough?

[Raycapps]

I finished the first book in my series over half a year ago and started on my second. I was doing well for the first ten pages or so when it hit me. It was a complete lack of desire to continue the second book, and a desire to polish the first. For some reason I can not come to the point where I am satisfied with the original story. As long as it sits in my hard drive, I have to work on it. Does anyone else have this problem? Ray

[Tim Lamb]

I don't know the first thing about your project but I don't know how you could walk away without closure. How many years was it before they rescued the people from Gilligans Island, stupidest show in history but we had closure. Remember, they finished the Bob Newhart show by making it all a dream, closure. I say, take it any where you want but close it out.
But I don't have that problem, and I am probably way off base.:o

[illuminati]

Suggestion:

Don't know if you have an agent for your series yet, but if not, find one and send the first book off to him or her. You can't tinker with your book because it would then be different from the one you submitted, which is a definite no-no.

So while you're waiting for the agent to get back to you with the edits, finish off the second one.

By editing too much, one can spoil the initial raw elements that made it a worthwhile book to write in the first place. You don't want a "perfect" story that feels like a mechanical machine that's been put together using a certain recipe.

Maybe you need to distance yourself from the series for a bit. For each book you write for the series, write one that's totally independent from it. If, for example, you're writing Fantasy, try writing a psychological thriller instead. Once done, write the next book in your Fantasy series.

Final note… I believe the tinkering has to do with your lack of passion for the current story. This is usually because the story isn’t exciting enough for you as author to invest all that time and effort into. Happens to all of us. What I did to get around my problem was sit back and ask myself, “What can I do to make this ten times more exciting?”
You can then work out another plot twist, bring in an unsuspected character thought to have been dead in the first book or anything your little author heart desires.

The more exciting your idea for your book becomes, the more you will WANT to write it. So take this weekend and add some Fiction Spice to your story. Make it as great as YOU want to make it. Impress yourself, surprise yourself, and most of all, entertain yourself.

I’d be interested to hear how this turns out for you. Keep us updated, eh? ;)

Until then,
Keep writing and have a Merry Christmas!

[DrRita]

I finished the first book in my series over half a year ago and started on my second. I was doing well for the first ten pages or so when it hit me. It was a complete lack of desire to continue the second book, and a desire to polish the first. For some reason I can not come to the point where I am satisfied with the original story. As long as it sits in my hard drive, I have to work on it. Does anyone else have this problem? Ray

Have you done any rewrites on your first book? If you haven't then maybe it's not a finished book yet. Perhaps not being able to go to the second in the series means you haven't completey finished the first. If you have rewritten it and WAS satisified with it then maybe it's a problem with the second book and not the first. Perhaps you don't know where you're going with the second book or it's too difficult to push yourself into the story. Have you mapped out your second book? Do you know what the story is about?

Illuminati has a good suggestion, maybe try another project for a while. Fasting and prayer works too, asking God what he wants. Maybe he has something else for you right now.

[Raycapps]

Thank you Dr Rita, Tim Lamb, and Illuminati for your sound advice and Christian charity. To answer some questions, yes, I am working on a different book (Outer Darkness) and it is coming along great. I have also rewritten the original story (Shadow born) several times.

After doing some soul searching this morning, I have concluded it was the fear of rejection. I have never submitted work to an agent, and I suppose it was the fear that my work wasn’t up to par.

Also to be completely honest, it is what I have learned while editing for OWW. Every time I edit a new piece, I learn something new. I have learned as much from editing as I have from writing itself.

As you know, when editing others, it forces you to examine everything with a critical eye, or it will hurt the quality of your critique. Now guess how much this helps you with your own story. Suddenly everything looks bad. Paragraphs that looked so thought provoking at the time now look bland or overwritten. I suppose it is also that fear that while you learn new insight, if you move forward, you will not be adding them to your original story.

A question for those of you in the know. What did it take for you to rip your story from your hard drive, shove it into an envelope, and throw it at the mailman?

I hope you all have a Happy Christmas, and thank you for your response. Ray

[They]

Leonardi DaVinci spent countless hours drawing up schematics for various devices intended to help man fly with the birds. He actually only created one or two of those devices. At some point, a bird has to learn how to fly and the ony way for it to do that it to be pushed out of the nest.

[ellenjames]

Hi Ray,

You wrote:
"After doing some soul searching this morning, I have concluded it was the fear of rejection. I have never submitted work to an agent, and I suppose it was the fear that my work wasn’t up to par."

I've been there; done that! I understand the feeling. Next week I'm sending a story that I've worked on over a year to a publisher. So we keep writing! There's a song "Don't
Give Up on the Brink of a Miracle". Maybe it's the next effort, the next publisher who will accept the story!
All writers live in and with hope.

Ellenjames

[DrRita]

A question for those of you in the know. What did it take for you to rip your story from your hard drive, shove it into an envelope, and throw it at the mailman?


The realization that no publisher or agent was ever going to call me and ask for me to send them my manuscript. And the realization that rejection is all part of the process. I think a story is finished when all you're doing is moving words around. I think any writer who is growing and learning his craft will read earlier work and cringe. Maybe not always but usually. We can't wait to start submitting until we've reached our full potential any more than we can't wait to serve the Lord until we've "arrived" at maturity.

[wgjones3]

A good rule of thumb is, when you're rewriting or editing and you change less than 10% of your story, it's time to start sending it out to the world. If you've changed more than 10%, go back and work through it again until you cross that 10% threshold.

[ellenjames]

Thanks, WG, for you words of advice! "Work until you chance less than 10% in a rewrite." Words of wisdom!!thumbsup! :D
Ellenjames

[screenwriter]

I finished the first book in my series over half a year ago and started on my second. I was doing well for the first ten pages or so when it hit me. It was a complete lack of desire to continue the second book, and a desire to polish the first. For some reason I can not come to the point where I am satisfied with the original story. As long as it sits in my hard drive, I have to work on it. Does anyone else have this problem? Ray

Raycapps,

I thought all writers felt the way you do but I guess not. I know alot of writers and we all feel the way you described, not being completely satisfied with what we wrote in the past and feeling like we could make it better, and having the urge to rewrite it. Maybe it has something to do with growing as a writer. The more you write, the better you get at it. When you go back and read something you wrote in the past it doesn't seem as powerful as it did back then. You feel like you can make it better.

Have you had someone else look at your story? I think it’s extremely important to get advice on your story, from someone trained in the field of writing. Not from friends or family. A professional will point out any inconsistencies, problems with structure and so on. Then keep in mind that a publisher will guide you through any other rewrites it might need. Try to keep from placing the pressure entirely on yourself.

[Tim Lamb]

Dear Ray, so sorry for being flip with you call for help, I just didn't want you to walk away from it, but I really didn't appriciate your struggle.
Satin is the master of self doubt, don't second guess yourself too much, others will do it for you well enough.
Tim