It's the first Wednesday of the month, which means it's time for the next meeting of the Insecure Writer's Support Group. Our esteemed leader is the enigmatic Ninja Captain Alex J. Cavanaugh, and this month he is being assisted in his duties by Heather Gardner, T. Drecker, Lilicasplace, and Patsy Collins.
If you're so inclined, I recommend that you also pay a visit to the IWSG website.
This month I am insecure about the future of a novella I wrote. I alternate between thinking it's a solid story and feeling like it's a piece of garbage no one will want to read. I'm not trying to be dramatic when I say that. My feelings are that extreme because it's written in a style I've never attempted before, so I'm not entirely sure if I've achieved the effect I was aiming for. I also don't know if I want to try to self-publish it or take the chance and send it to one of the handful of small presses that consider novellas. Decisions, decisions.
Okay. Those are my neuroses. Now I want to move on to the things that are going well. I recently mentioned that I revived a story I started earlier in the year. The story has promise. I simply ran out of inspiration and temporarily shelved it. I recommend to any writer that you keep everything you write, even if you don't think it's going anywhere. You never know when inspiration may strike. I've even mined unfinished stories for characters or situations that I felt would work elsewhere. It's kind of like using a broken-down car for parts. It's nice to see those elements take on new life in a different story.
What is your insecurity this month?
I agree that going back to old stories can be exciting. I have several that are waiting for my return at some point in the future. I hope you decide the best way to proceed with your novella. Maybe putting that away for a while over the holidays will help you decide the way forward. Best of luck with it all.
ReplyDeleteVery true - we don't know where that old story might lead.
ReplyDeleteWhat have your test readers said about the novella? If you stretched and did something different, then it's probably a lot better than you think.
I had some short stories lying about that came in handy when I was put in touch with an editor of an online magazine. Today I've had 7 stories published with them.
ReplyDeleteMy insecurity is working on the next project while being on sub! hate it! And I agree, I have always been able to pull something great from something I've shelved. Time is our friend in the writing biz!
ReplyDeleteIt's definitely a good idea to keep everything you write. Even if you think it's horrible, someday you might just be able to figure it out.
ReplyDeleteHave you had anyone critique or beta read your novella? I know it's hard to see the big picture when it's your story. A second pair of eyes could let you know if the tone you were going for worked.
ReplyDeleteI've actually read quite a few novellas this year--which is a completely new thing for me! I've enjoyed several of them and some not so much, but I really think they have a place in the market and an audience. If/when you publish, however you publish, your novella, I hope it sells like hotcakes :).
ReplyDeleteNinja Girl
I've lost a lot of my earlier work and I now wish I had it. Although I did find one of the first novels I wrote recently and it was REALLY bad...so maybe we should ditch the first few attempts!
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