#13 - Post-Conference Boost

I've done more writing in the last week than I have in the last month or two, but hardly any of it has been toward finishing my novel.

It's just that I went to the League of Utah Writers Round-Up conference a week ago and I was so inspired with so many great ideas, I couldn't help getting a bunch of things down on paper. I wrote some poetry, I started a new children's picture book, I worked on re-writing a picture book I've been collecting rejection slips for, and I started another novel that will probably end up being a YA fantasy.

Now my biggest problem is deciding which project to work on. Do I tough it out and finish my LDS Women's novel even though I'm not all that excited about that project at the moment? I really want to be able to say I finished a novel. I really want to get it sent in to Deseret Book and see if I can get published. I believe it's a good book. But it's so much hard work. Even though I'm closing in on finishing the first draft, there's still so much hard work to be done before I'll be ready to send it off.

Right now, I'm feeling like I should plug ahead with the novel and leave the other projects alone now that I've got the basic idea for each one down on paper. But I'm conflicted because I'm just not that excited about doing all the hard work. On the other hand, I know that there will come a point in each of my other projects where it quits being fun and turns into hard work, too, and then I'll just have two novels that aren't finished instead of one. :D

Anyone have advice or opinions for me? What should I focus my energy on?

6 comments:

  1. I say go with what you are passionate about right now. You will enjoy it more, look forward to it more, and ultimately probably be a lot more productive. I have moved on from my first novel (which seems to be in a never-ending edit la-la land) because if that is what I restrict myself to, I will likely choose something else I would rather do (like read).

    Go with your passion. :)

    I'm glad to see you back. I was getting worried about you.

    :)

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  2. I'd say to plug ahead with the novel you currently have and at least finish it. It doesn't have to be perfect and the writing can be awful, but I'd say at least finished it.

    Because, as you mentioned it yourself, if you're always chasing what you're most interested (at the moment) to write, then you end up with a lot of unfinished stories.

    And, from personal experience (and I think other writers would agree), whenever I'm nearing the end of a book, without fail, a new, tantalizing idea comes up, begging me to work on it and drop the old project.

    But if you want the old project to be finished, you've got to keep plugging ahead and finish it.

    Good luck!

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  3. I would finish the first draft of your first novel and then put it away for awhile. Then write the first draft of another idea. When that is done, you can get your first novel out and look at it with fresh eyes and get into revision mode.

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  4. Finish your novel. All writers feel that way as they near the end of their work. Believe me, after you've finished the rewrites you'll be heartily sick of it! It's the way of all writers. Hang in there.

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  5. There are 23 days left and counting, ladies . . . if you have the most wonderful husband in the world, you need to nominated him!

    I know there are other wonderful husbands out there. Until midnight November 30, 2007 I will be taking nominations via this email address ces@candacesalima.com. The six finalists will be posted, please send a picture with the nomination, on December 1, 2007 when voting will commence and the winner will be chosen by you. Sadly, because it would just be skewed, my husband cannot win although I think he'd be a shoe in. On December 15, 2007 the winner will be announced.

    We have some great husbands already nominated, but I know there are more out there. So start nominating! Tell me about your husband and why you think he is the Best Husband in the World! That would be world . . . ladies, no geographic boundaries.

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  6. Jennifer,
    It's fall, the best time of the year. So go with what makes you feel great!

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