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So I have an odd situation and I hoped maybe I could get some perspective or advice. For National Novel Writing Month this year, I blocked out an outline for a ~100,000 word science fiction novel that I planned to do the first half of this month and the second half of during Camp Nanowrimo early next year. However, as I approach the 20,000 word mark, I'm struggling to meet my writing goals. It's a combination of traditional writer's block and heavy dose of second thoughts about the direction of the project.
This story started as a prequel to an unpublished manuscript I wrote back in 2013, designed to introduce and flesh out one of the secondary characters for that story. As I get close to 20k (which also roughly lines up with the end of the first act), I feel like I've accomplished my immediate narrative objectives, and increasingly I'm worrying that continuing with the story is going to break continuity with the original work. That's not a deal-breaker; I could always revise the original manuscript. But I'm just not feeling it. I certainly won't 'win' nanowrimo at this pace. I can write fast, but not 30,000/week fast.
So I'm thinking of taking what I have now, and tying up the loose ends at the completion of act 2. Keep the rest of the outline a food for a future standalone, but do the prequel as a 20-25,000 word short story. I kind of feel like I'm giving up on the project, but at the same time I can see a lot of ways where the story just plays out better and fits in more smoothly with the original work as a short story.
Has anyone had a similar situation? I'm curious to hear your insight into what you decided and how you came to your decision. If it's relevant, salability isn't necessarily my first concern, but I'd like to have something that I can monetize in the future if the 2013 manuscript sells.
This story started as a prequel to an unpublished manuscript I wrote back in 2013, designed to introduce and flesh out one of the secondary characters for that story. As I get close to 20k (which also roughly lines up with the end of the first act), I feel like I've accomplished my immediate narrative objectives, and increasingly I'm worrying that continuing with the story is going to break continuity with the original work. That's not a deal-breaker; I could always revise the original manuscript. But I'm just not feeling it. I certainly won't 'win' nanowrimo at this pace. I can write fast, but not 30,000/week fast.
So I'm thinking of taking what I have now, and tying up the loose ends at the completion of act 2. Keep the rest of the outline a food for a future standalone, but do the prequel as a 20-25,000 word short story. I kind of feel like I'm giving up on the project, but at the same time I can see a lot of ways where the story just plays out better and fits in more smoothly with the original work as a short story.
Has anyone had a similar situation? I'm curious to hear your insight into what you decided and how you came to your decision. If it's relevant, salability isn't necessarily my first concern, but I'd like to have something that I can monetize in the future if the 2013 manuscript sells.
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