As odd as it may sound, my next step forward will be a step backward. With the preparations for the holidays ahead, I know I won’t have much time for writing, but I’ll have time for reading and thinking. Luckily, that’s exactly what I need right now.
I’ve decided to make my first novel fit for reader consumption. I completed it ten years ago, put it away, and haven’t read it since. I scanned through it a few months ago, and even cleaned up the first chapter for submission to my critique group, but I haven’t read the synopsis or even the scene list/outline because I want to read the manuscript with fresh eyes.
I know the book is not horrible, but I don’t know how much work it will take to revise it for publication. This novel started as a paranormal romance, but about a third of the way through, I discovered it didn’t follow the prescribed formula for category Romance, and I scrapped that idea. Obviously, I was not a reader of Romance novels, paranormal or otherwise. What I read at that time was a lot of Stephen King, so …
In the last few months, my writing career has slipped into a sort of depression. It’s time to shake things up. I have other ideas, some plans. I’m not psychic, I can’t say what will work, what won’t, but I’m excited about the possibilities.
Your turn: How’s your writing career moving? Do you ever feel a need to shake things up?
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Linda Cassidy Lewis 
I’m thinking of shelving my first novel, waiting ten years, then pulling it out to make it publishable. No, I’m not making fun of you. I’m seriously tired of the thing and feeling like I need to move on to something else for a while.
Lately, I’ve been floundering around. It’s not that I don’t have a project, it’s that I have too many. I can’t focus on one thing and do it well. I’m doing a lot of things somewhat poorly.
Your plan is inspiring. You seem so disciplined with your craft. Can I be you when I grow up?
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If you’re tired of it, V.V., then you DO need to move on, not for ten years, but a little while. 😉
I do “a lot of things somewhat poorly” most of the time. 😦
And I’m almost positive that “disciplined” is not a word EVER applied to me. I don’t even think I know the definition.
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Linda! I know what you mean about taking a step back…or a leap. I’m sort of doing both. I’m going to leap from where I am working into teaching and writing freelance rather than work at the newspaper. There is nowhere to go there and it’s a lot of effort for little pay. I realized I had to make the shift, even if I’m sort of going a bit backward since the teaching is part time. Sometimes, I think making these leaps or shifts or changes are definitely necessary to shake things up.
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My you are taking a leap, Christina. I certainly wish you loads of success. 🙂
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Reading with fresh eyes is an eerie experience, and I can’t imagine ten years. Enjoy the process!
My writing career seems to have accelerated recently, but I often feel the need to shake things up. 😉
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I’ve scanned a bit more, and it was eerie. I winced a few times, but I also said wow a couple times. Weird to read lines you don’t recall writing.
You’ve shaken it up quite a bit lately. You’re making me a little dizzy. 🙂
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Good for you! I looked at my novice novel a few months back and realized how much I’ve grown as a writer in those years between drafting Novel #1 and now writing Novel #3. I’d love to hear more about your thoughts as you return to that first work. 10 years is a long time.
As for me, I refuse to call writing anything more than a great hobby at the moment. But I reserve to right to change that status to career the day I am published.
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Well, Trista, since this blog is about my writing journey, I expect you’ll hear more than you want about the revision process on this novel. 😉
I used to call writing a hobby, but now that the word publishing enter my vocabulary, I can’t seem to backtrack. Though, to be honest, I vow almost daily to give up that plan. 😕
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It’s always fun to pick up something we’ve written awhile ago. Having fresh eyes gives us a much better perspective. Distance is a wonderful thing.
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I think the longest I managed to step away from Brevity was a couple of weeks, so this is the other extreme. 😀
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