Wednesday, March 13, 2013
Moving On
If you've followed this blog since the beginning, you know in 2010 I wrote a paranormal romance, Phantom Fires, that I really believed would be the next Twilight. It wasn't. It remains unpublished. After 105 rejections, I considered self publishing and eventually made the decision to shelve it. I always planned on rewriting it. Even after I got an agent, I still planned on rewriting it. But as I work though my WIP something happened without being planned. Most of the words--all of the important words--from my favorite line in Phantom Fires, made it into the WIP. So I think I'm okay with not rewriting PF, and that's good because I have new things to write
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I've done this too! Sometimes a shelved manuscript serves a purpose because the best parts of it later become other books. No writing is ever for nothing. :)
ReplyDeleteThat is what happened to me with my second book, the one that received offers and got me my agent. My first attempt a novel-ship, although valiant, was pretty horrible. But the one thing I learned to nail through writing the story was character development. Both my MCs from that first book made it into my second book. Parts of them changed, but ultimately I loved them so much that the new story-second book-called to use them.
ReplyDeleteMy new WIP doesn't involve either MC from the earlier book. It's not the same concept and the plot is in no way similar, but my favorite line makes an appearance. ;)
DeleteNothing is ever wasted. Plus it took great courage to shelve the story. Good for you.
ReplyDeleteWhile my fantasy-based books will never see the light of day, my later ones are the inspiration behind my newer novels I plan to write. But the stories will be different, especially since they will now be NA instead of YA.
ReplyDeleteWow, 105 rejections? I gave up after 15 on my first novel (which included a partial then full request). I knew nothing about querying back then, and that was before I knew about Querytracker.
Good for you. Sometimes we have to make room on our mental bookshelf so new books have a place to go. :)
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