At times, I get so caught up in editing a past project that I neglect to move forward. I'm due to query agents again for one of my finished novels, but I've been dragging my feet. The constant rejection hurts, yes, but my other options involve just as many grueling hours.
- Create outlines for my new novel ideas
- Join Camp NaNoWriMo next month and set an editing goal (for an existing project) or a writing goal for a new novel
- Connect with new critique partners on older projects
- Write a short story for inspiration (I did this last week)
- Read through and make light edits to my series again (because I can't get enough of the dang half-vampires and creatures I've already polished)
When I get sucked back into a world I love, it's hard to let go. One of the most logical (and loathed) pieces of advice I've ever heard is this: If a series isn't selling well/going where it needs to, move on from it.
I'm not sure that advice applies to me yet since I'm still unpublished, but querying my next round for Serene Sundown's prequel would create potential. Or I can work on something new to query that might be a better fit for the current market—not that there is any one thing.
Or I can just continue sketching my favorite characters.
This is my dilemma. Until I pick a direction, I tend to ricochet between all these options. A few plot details for a new project here, laying out a list of agents to query there. And sketching. Nothing finished, nothing definitive.
I also believe this is part of my muse seeking an outlet. As much as I want to know exactly where inspiration will find traction, I'm often just grasping at thin air. If this sounds like you, you're in good company. Some people refer to it as "writer's block," but I'm more inclined to go with "indecisive reluctance": I want to pick a direction, but I also want that direction to be right/successful/fulfilling.
To that quandary, there is no final answer. It's subjective and fluid.
I also believe that none of those options are bad or wrong. This is one of those occasions where I wish God would show up and point a visible finger at my best path. I don't hold all the pieces like the big man does. There could be an agent out there waiting to love my material right now, or my ideal agent could have a full client list or be burned out on my genre. I can edit an older manuscript that might be a better fit for the current market, but by the time I submit my materials, the trends may have shifted.
Any author who has queried and received 100+ rejections can attest that the road to traditional publication is long and jaggy. But those authors who made it? Those select few, who happen to keep pushing through the thousands of hours of writing, querying, and rejection until they held that first printed book in their hands? They are a testament to perseverance.
I'll fight off these jitters and query again soon. Once I start the process, it becomes easier: a decision made. The short stories, hundredth read-throughs, and new critique partners will still be there when I'm finished. For now, this path is still worth it to me.
Keep on smilin'!
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