This month's question: What was your very first piece of writing as an aspiring writer? Where is it now? Collecting dust or has it been published?
Sigh. It was a high concept paranormal romance. It was so bad I didn't even attempt revision. I knew something was wrong with it. I had no idea what. As a thesis for my MFA program, I've rewritten it. Completely. The only thing that stayed the same was one character's name and part of his backstory. The heroine changed. The setting changed. The plot changed. Even the point of view changed.
The manuscript I wrote next received 105 rejections and died on my hard drive. The third full length manuscript I wrote was picked up by an imprint of Harlequin. And here is were the insecurity comes in. I haven't sold a book since then. I haven't really queried since then either. But wow. It's depressing.
What was your first piece of writing as an aspiring writer? What happened to it?
So sad to hear you are not selling. If you have some good books you can't get traditionally published, you might go the indie route. Most of the books I read right now are either indie or small press and I'm surprised how good they are. Since you already have one very good publication to point to, you can prove you are a good writer to the skeptics.
ReplyDeleteMy first piece of serious writing was a poem called 'surly petunia'. Which is also the title to my most recent poetry chapbook. I think from that you can surmise that I still think it's a pretty good piece all these years later.
Nissa Annakindt
http://myantimatterlife.wordpress.com
I'm sorry you haven't sold any new books but I bet as soon as you are ready to start querying in earnest again things will pick right up. Interesting that you changed your whole first story for a thesis!
ReplyDeleteYour first story sounds like mine - underwent almost a total transformation.
ReplyDeleteDon't lose faith that you will write and sell more. It's a season. Your season will come again when you are ready.
OMG--I spent 10 years trying to get published by Harlequin and being rejected. It's TOUGH to get in there. Keep going!!! You have that "magic" if they picked up one of your books, trust me!!!
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