- Joined
- Oct 6, 2006
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This is a question (mainly) for people who have published, who have taken the plunge and let their work out into the world to be seen by the public.
Do you reach a point where you are finally happy with your work?
I am currently on the 10th version of the beast (er...manuscript). The first three don't count, the next few were crap and had style from a nightmare. The last couple have been "ok".
A couple of days ago I was ready to publish - at least my proofing copy. I had written a new subplot - one that was actually cool and didn't feel tacked in. But when I finally finished it (and came down off the high of actually completeing it before the end of my holidays) I realised I wasn't happy with it.
I felt I had underused the new subplot, not to the character that's only in this book, and not to the characters that will be reoccuring series chracters. They're not that important in comparison to the "main" story, but I felt bad for not doing justice to them.
My problem is this: the story wasn't ever intended to be a novel, it was a story centric around two characters. It can't stand on its own as a novel, and therefore needs support from subplots.
I've started on the LAST VERSION of the beast. I've written an outline I'm pretty happy with (it basically expands on the subplot, deletes a whole bunch of characters and makes it tie in a lot better).
I just don't want to get to the end and find I'm still not happy. If that happens, I'm going to scrap it, write the second book and just jump into the series, and do the first book later - incorporated as backstory or done special some way.
I know I'm rambling and it's a TLDR thread, but if someone did read this, have you had similar problems?
Do you reach a point where you are finally happy with your work?
I am currently on the 10th version of the beast (er...manuscript). The first three don't count, the next few were crap and had style from a nightmare. The last couple have been "ok".
A couple of days ago I was ready to publish - at least my proofing copy. I had written a new subplot - one that was actually cool and didn't feel tacked in. But when I finally finished it (and came down off the high of actually completeing it before the end of my holidays) I realised I wasn't happy with it.
I felt I had underused the new subplot, not to the character that's only in this book, and not to the characters that will be reoccuring series chracters. They're not that important in comparison to the "main" story, but I felt bad for not doing justice to them.
My problem is this: the story wasn't ever intended to be a novel, it was a story centric around two characters. It can't stand on its own as a novel, and therefore needs support from subplots.
I've started on the LAST VERSION of the beast. I've written an outline I'm pretty happy with (it basically expands on the subplot, deletes a whole bunch of characters and makes it tie in a lot better).
I just don't want to get to the end and find I'm still not happy. If that happens, I'm going to scrap it, write the second book and just jump into the series, and do the first book later - incorporated as backstory or done special some way.
I know I'm rambling and it's a TLDR thread, but if someone did read this, have you had similar problems?
