Hello, readers! I would like your input.
For those of you who are new to this site, this is something I do every so often. Sometimes I will make a post requesting feedback or opinions on something I’m working on. This is the first I’ve done of this type of post in a while, and the first ever on the new website format.
I am debating which project to start working on long-term in April, now that I’ve gotten used to my new writing schedule. I am debating between the 5 projects listed below. Take a look at the descriptions for each and let me know your thoughts.
These are the projects I’m currently the most interested and/or invested in. They are in order by how long I’ve been working on them. Keep in mind that these are just working titles, and basic descriptions; the title, character names, and/or synopses listed below are by no means the final versions.
Click on the working title for a more detailed description of plot, pros, and cons:
1. The Wolf and the Sheath
A young noblewoman inherits the reign of another nation from a distant relative. This rural land is very different from the urban court where she was raised, and she finds she has room to grow and learn. As she learns more about the land and people she now rules, she also begins to learn more about herself, outside forces at work, and surprising new capabilities.
Genre: Young adult quasi-history or magical realism. (You’ll see me use the terms “quasi-history” and “artificial history,” sometimes interchangeably. What I mean by this is that it’s a piece that reads like history - as in, not modern, and not all-out fantasy - but is not set in an actual historical time period or place, though it will be heavily influenced by one or more historical time periods.)
Basic info: This is the first piece I wrote for NaNoWriMo and is incomplete at approximately 50K words/81 pages. This is my oldest project at about 7 ½ years since I first started working on it.
Pros:
-I have reread this the most recently, which means it is probably the freshest in my mind.
-I have a list of parts that need to be written and or/reworked.
-It is good – some of the scenes and dialogue themselves are clunky, but the over-all plot and characterization are strong.
Cons:
-Because it is my oldest piece, it probably also contains my least-mature/weakest writing.
-Partly because of the above, it needs the most rewriting.
-Of my three partial novels, this one probably still needs the most research, and also still needs to have most (if not all) of the placeholder names for characters and places redone.
As one of three novels that I already have a sizeable portion written for, it may be better to work on this than one of my unstarted pieces (see 4 and 5 for more detail on those).
2. Bright Fire
In an insular village, a girl discovers that she has a strange power. As her power grows, tragedies and hardships become more common and the village begins to turn against her. Yet, even as some begin to fear her, others realize she may have an important role to play to save their village.
Genre: Young adult fantasy
Basic info: My second attempt at NaNoWriMo, this story is incomplete at approximately 63K words/95 pages. I started this piece one year after Wolf and Sheath, but have added more to it more recently.
Pros:
-This is probably the closest piece to being done (but that does not mean that finishing it would be quick or easy).
-I have shared small sections (probably a couple chapters’-worth) with fellow writers and a published author at workshops and received overwhelmingly positive feedback.
-This is possibly the easiest piece to slap a genre label on, and because of that, possibly the easiest to market (which doesn’t necessarily matter now, but is something I need to consider for the future).
Cons:
-For some reason, I feel the most intimidated by this one. I don’t know if it would be the sort of thing where working on it would make me feel accomplished, or if I would drag my feet about it.
-It definitely needs the most structural rearranging, and, being the longest, also proportionally the most editing.
-It has a glaring plot-hole that I’m not really sure what to do with.
As one of three novels that I already have a sizeable portion written for, it may be better to work on this than one of my unstarted pieces.
3. Brinyor
As an enemy gathers to invade, a young priestess trades her freedom so her family will have safe shelter. The fortress prepares for battle as an unlikely alliance begins to develop between her and a young lord descended from a previous group of invaders.
Genre: Possibly New Adult, quasi-history. (For those of you who have been reading this blog for a while, this is the one that is based on late-ancient/early medieval Britain.)
General info: Written as a modified NaNoWriMo challenge (I only attempted 30K words that year instead of 50K), this incomplete novel stands at about 40K words. While it is the shortest of my partial novels, it is also the most recently begun (5 ½ years ago), and the most recently worked on (1 year ago).
Pros:
-Because it is the most recently worked on, it may be my strongest/most mature writing.
-Also because it is the most recently worked on, it may also be the easiest to jump back into working on.
-I’ve done the most research for this piece and have finalized most of the placeholder names.
Cons:
-But, with the above said, it still needs a lot of research.
-As the shortest of the partial novels, it probably also still needs to have the most written.
-Of both the partial novels and the unstarted pieces (see 4 and 5, below), this one may be the hardest to label with a genre (and therefore possibly the most difficult to market once I finish it).
As one of three novels that I already have a sizeable portion written for, it may be better to work on this than one of my unstarted pieces.
4. Juliet, Asher, and Ellen
Over 150 years ago, a great evil nearly escaped, but was contained with great losses from a small group of scholars. In the present, a university stands on the site. As the school prepares for a major anniversary event, two recent alumni and one current student realize that the evil has been reawakened.
Genre: Horror? I mean, it’s technically Horror, because they’re battling an evil that may or may not be able to be defeated, but it’s really not that scary : )
General info: This is a piece I’ve been kicking around in my mind for a few years; I even made an outline a couple years ago. But recently I realized it’s going to need either a lot of flashbacks, or two different stories in two different time periods that weave together. I have not actually started writing this, in the sense that I have no solid scenes typed.
Pros:
-I have a very solid grasp of the present-day time-line – to the point that I have events nailed down to within hours and any tweaking of these would be easy and minimal.
-Being my only modern piece of the 5 options, it could potentially require the least amount of research, depending on how much of the story ends up being either flashback or alternating past events.
-Recently, I’ve been very excited and enthusiastic about both this piece and option 5, below.
Cons:
-I would still need research for the past period, especially if I do decide to go with two storylines, rather than just flashbacks.
-Modern/contemporary pieces are a little bit out of my comfort zone.
-The conclusion as I currently have it envisioned may be too “easy” and/or happy.
Is it a bad idea to start yet another novel-length project when I already have three that are unfinished? Is it better to work on something I feel excited or enthusiastic about than to work on something that I feel is cumbersome (see 2, above)?
5. The Lost Heir
100 years ago, the king died without an heir but left a prophecy regarding when his “true heir” would be found. As the time limit specified in the prophecy comes to an end, the steward of the kingdom thinks he has found the promised heir. There’s just one problem: she works in the kitchen and is perfectly happy where she is.
Genre: Quasi-history
General info: This is another piece that I have not yet started formally writing, but I have a pretty solid outline. I’ve only been kicking this one around for about a year.
Pros:
-It’s probably the best/most complete outline of all the story ideas I have that I haven’t started writing (taking into account the fact that I haven’t decided on the 2nd storyline for 4, above).
-It’s a different take on the “lost heir” idea.
-Recently, I’ve been very excited and enthusiastic about both this piece and option 4.
Cons:
-I have a lot of questions to answer about character motivations and logistics.
-I have to write a poem/nursery rhyme for the prophecy, and my poetry is stupid : )
-Like 4, I’m concerned the climax/ending I have in mind may be too “easy.”
Is it a bad idea to start yet another novel-length project when I already have three that are unfinished? Is it better to work on something I feel excited or enthusiastic about than to work on something that I feel is cumbersome (see #2)?
Now, I’m not saying that I’m going to decide what I’m working on next based solely on one or two comments here (so don’t get too excited, Tina ; ) but I do like knowing what you all think. I also feel like sometimes a writer can get so wrapped up in what they thought was a great idea that they can’t see the potential issues with that “baby,” or they overlook what might be better potential in another piece.
Which story sounds the most interesting (vague though some of those descriptions may be)? Which one sounds like the most exciting to work on? The most challenging? If it were you trying to decide between the 5 options above, which would you pick and why?
Any and all feedback is welcome!
Regardless of what you all say and what I decide, I will post next weekend to update you all on which project I have chosen, and some goals for it.