Choosing a Path

[swords_and_pens]

Hey, how's it going? (kicks at dirt) Been a while, huh?

Yeah. So, anyhow, I got the revisions done. Ahead of schedule. (yay!) Sent them off to my editor two days ago. I didn't trim as much wordage she may have liked, but I whacked out some. It would have been more, but I had to add stuff, too. Seems readers can't hear my thoughts, so I needed to

Comments

[eithni]

Hey, there's nothing wrong with using HQ as a carrot - if you finish X# of words, if you finish editing a chapter(s), if you want to murder all the characters in Book 2 because they are misbehaving and leaking off the outline... :) Carrots are more fun than sticks, as long as you have the discipline to complete the required tasks first... (says the girl who has never stopped cleaning just a *little* early for an embroidery break... Nope. Never. :p)

[elliesam]

I agree. Use it as a reward for yourself.

Besides, if you stifle your love for work, then you'll end up with all work and no play, then be resentful of that work, which will make it harder . . . um, not sure how to finish that thought, *I* am not the writer. :)

[swords_and_pens]

Problem is, bogus/self-imposed deadlines and/or "rewards" never work for me. I know that I can ignore them or do them whenever I want, so they don't have any real power over me. If I tell myself, "get X done and then do Y", I'll turn around and say, "Well, screw X...if I can do Y later, then I can do it now if I want, too." :)

Basically, I'm putting HQ off the table unless I really get stuck and need to write something to break open the flow. Even then, odds are good that I would just push on through to the end of HQ before going back to HQ.

[eithni]

Ah, bummer. Carrots work well for me... Even if I don't entirely complete the "icky" task, I'm usually able to make myself at least make real progress and then if I indulge in the carrot before the appointed time, I'm usually ashamed of myself and get caught up posthaste. (Hmmm. Can you tell I was raised Catholic? Deferred happinesses and shame about enjoying fun toys. :p)

[lyda222]

Two things. One, sorry about the bubble bursting balloon thing. Seriously.

Two. If it's any consolation, I L-O-V-E Hawthorn Queen too. And, you know, I don't see anything wrong with what the others suggest, other than the fact that you, like me, seem to be a monogomous writer. Which is why, I imagine, it's hard to give up on the one you love for the one you're contractually obligated to love. ;-)

(Third... and I know I said I'd only do two points, but the other one is a filthy pro secret. NO ONE LIKES WRITING THE SECOND BOOK. <-- me, whispering. Yeah, I suck at keeping secrets.)

[swords_and_pens]

It wasn't just you -- Jamie essentially made the same comment before you did. :)

And yeah, I can't see myself switching from book to book very well. It's not like setting down one crafty project and picking up another. It takes time for me to get my brain back into the thing and figure out who is doing what, switch character voice, get back into the proper tone of the story, etc. If I find myself needing to step away from Book 2 for a bit out of frustration or something, I could see it; but the occassional day-on, day-off doesn't grock with my brain. I think it might be easier if I wasn't a linear writer, but I can't imagine not going from the beginning straight through to the end, either.

[kellymccullough]

You're doing the right thing. And, as another aside, if you've got an outline for HQ there's a not insignificant chance that you can sell it on the opening chapters and that outline and then get paid to finish it later.

[swords_and_pens]

Thanks.

I was kind of thinking that myself re. the proposal. I figure I have a couple options, whether they be to finish it or try to sell it on proposal. I think one of the key things will be so see what page the cool magic & such start -- if it's within the first 40 to 50, that may lean me towards the outline and sample route. Like you said at Wyrdsmiths, that will be one of the stronger selling points, and I will want to get that aspect of the book in front of an editor.

Either way, though, I have time and options. :)