Monday, February 14, 2011

One Week

It's been one week since I finished Unequal.  One week without writing.  One week without editing.  And it's killing me.

Sure, I've been doing other writerly things - namely submissions work - but that's the business side and I'm jones'n for the creative side.

Except...

I'm dry.  I can't think of which new project I want to start.  Actually, it's more like I feel really guilty starting something new when I have all those old things just moldering on my hard drive.  And all those unfinished things rotting in my archives.  I didn't stop believing in them.  I just got distracted by newer, shinier ideas.  And to be perfectly honest, some of those projects were left behind in the dust of rejection.

And then I'm faced with the eternal question: How can you start something new when no one has jumped on anything you've already written?

I promised myself I would do something today.  Yesterday I looked over a couple of old manuscripts to see what my now-skills could do with my old-skills writing.  My second book - Caldera (aka Nature of Destruction) - still has promise, but I think I need to completely rewrite it.  (Or at least rewrite the crappy beginning.)  So, I think I'm going to start there and see if I can't whip that puppy into something attractive enough to query again.

What do you do when you're between manuscripts?  Do you ever revisit your old writings and see if they can be salvaged? 

8 comments:

  1. I hate it when I feel dry, spent. I typically pull out my personal journal and doa few writing exercises until some new character makes themself known to me.

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  2. I love starting something new, but when I can't think what to do I usually look through my (many) notebooks and see if something in there inspires me to write.

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  3. I read a lot! It's the best way to pass the time, but I agree--it's painful.

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  4. I know the feeling. When I'm dry, there's this manuscript I pick at -- my trunk novel, one that will likely never see the light of day -- but it's something to work on until the juices get flowing again.

    Or I write micro flash fiction. It's quick and dirty and very satisfying.

    Don't worry... your mojo will come back!

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  5. Don't feel forced to start something new. Finishing is great, and you should bask in the glow of your words for a while!

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  6. I usually just edit, edit, edit and query, query, query. Good luck with it!

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  7. I wouldn't pressure yourself too much to write right now if that isn't something you feel you can do without battling with yourself over. Relax a bit, watch some tv, read some books, enjoy the outdoors, etc, until you can't do anything but write.

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