So I've finished draft 10 of my novel No System At All. I've been working on it for three years now. I started while I was pregnant with my daughter Zoey. Between draft 1 and 10, about 20 pages have remained the same. So Anna Lamott was completely right, it really is a shitty first draft. In another post I'll fill you in on what was cut and added then cut again.
Anyway, I'm not nuts, I don't finish a draft and instantly start the next draft. No, I put it down for a month or six depending on my mood and how much I miss the characters.
Between drafts of No System At All, I started writing New York Karma, a novel that will not take ten drafts to get right. Why did I start New York Karma? Beside the fact that plot bunnies had overtaken my mind? No, it was because I had finished the sixth draft of NSAA and I needed something big on my plate.
Apparently it's not enough to be a wife.
It's not enough to be a mom of a toddler.
It's not enough to be a teacher and teaching a brand new content.
It's not enough to be a healthy individual.
No, I need to have a giant ass project on my metaphoric plate.
I feel uneasy and guilty when I'm not stressing myself out about writing. If I don't have a never ending do to list I feel like I'm wasting the very little time I have on the planet.
So right now I have two works in progress, and I'm in a weird limbo.
Maybe it's because everyone is doing NaNoWriMo and I feel like a slacker.
But I think I need to start to write again. Otherwise I will shrivel up and become a very boring person. You know, because writer's are known to be the life of the party.
My current writing to do list:
Write Query letters for New York Karma. (Check started that yesterday)
Write Query letters for No System at All
* Please note these are shitty first drafts of these letters and neither work is ready to be published, I just have FREE time and I thought I should get a head start on these. UGH I'm SO OCD
Write synopsis for New York Karma and No System At All (I'm a little hesitant to do this because NSAA's plot has changed SO much, it might end up to be about vampires by the time I'm ready to send it out, sparkly vampires)
Write a sequel to NSAA<-- Do you see this? Are you kidding me? WHAT?!? Even as I write this I know it's fraking insane. But the OCD part of me really wants to do it.
The simple fact is, I like my characters, I've known them for a very long time. I want to see where they will take me and where I can take them.
So dear readers and friends, who wants to take bets? How long before I start the sequel? This weekend? Next weekend? What do you think? Any other writers out there know what I"m feeling?
Maybe we should have a writing meet session where we all do query letters for our novels in progress, just try to sum them up and pitch them to each other like we would pitch them to a publisher.
ReplyDeleteYeah, OCD update. Query letters are done. Good thing I won't need them for another five months at least.
ReplyDeleteYou know dear, you're not the only one with multiple projects. (We've discussed this yesterday actually.) I have now 2 WIP and one pain in my ass must get it right, aka the first book.
ReplyDeleteSo, yeah. Go read a book and take a writing holiday. Your brain will thank you.
New York Karma synopsis done!
ReplyDeleteBanned complain !! Complaining only causes life and mind become more severe. Enjoy the rhythm of the problems faced. No matter ga life, not a problem not learn, so enjoy it :)
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