Oh bloody hell. Another idea to change my MS

GigiF · Sep 29, 2014

So I had this thought yesterday that the core theme of my MS (which I love) might work really well as a different theme that is much more contemporary and would appeal to a lot of the 8 to 14 male demographic.

I don't really want to go into too much detail but I'm all over the place this morning. It would be a BIG change that would take me another year to sort out (remember I write VERY slooooooowly). There are so many pro's and cons I don't know what to do.

My heart is saying no - the current theme has a higher literary value.
But my head says - the kidz would love it and it would give it a hook that publishers could latch onto.
But my heart says I've worked on this for so long and I'm a few months from finally finishing it - do I want to delay for yet another year?
But my head says - this could be the difference between 'just another fanciful story' and something that really clicks with young boys
But my head also says - it would click much more with boys so I might lose the girls
But my heart says NO! The current theme is a beautiful one and one that I'm proud to promote as a positive theme.

Could someone please just force a bottle of old towne whiskey down my throat and make me stop thinking?!

Anna Spargo-Ryan · Sep 29, 2014

Sounds like you've got a good basis for a new book

BethS · Sep 29, 2014

GigiF said:
So I had this thought yesterday that the core theme of my MS (which I love) might work really well as a different theme that is much more contemporary and would appeal to a lot of the 8 to 14 male demographic.

I don't really want to go into too much detail but I'm all over the place this morning. It would be a BIG change that would take me another year to sort out (remember I write VERY slooooooowly). There are so many pro's and cons I don't know what to do.

My heart is saying no - the current theme has a higher literary value.
But my head says - the kidz would love it and it would give it a hook that publishers could latch onto.
But my heart says I've worked on this for so long and I'm a few months from finally finishing it - do I want to delay for yet another year?
But my head says - this could be the difference between 'just another fanciful story' and something that really clicks with young boys
But my head also says - it would click much more with boys so I might lose the girls
But my heart says NO! The current theme is a beautiful one and one that I'm proud to promote as a positive theme.

Could someone please just force a bottle of old towne whiskey down my throat and make me stop thinking?!

I think you have your head-voice and your heart-voice backwards.

It's the head that's trying to talk you out of it. You need to listen to your heart.

GigiF · Sep 29, 2014

Anna Spargo-Ryan said:
Sounds like you've got a good basis for a new book

Oh. That's a great shout.

GigiF · Sep 29, 2014

BethS said:
I think you have your head-voice and your heart-voice backwards. It's the head that's trying to talk you out of it. You need to listen to your heart.

Now I'm even more confused than I was before! LOL.

It's amazing how simply writing a post like this can help to clear ones head.

Whichever side of my brain was saying 'Not a chance' has won I think.
LOL.

shadowwalker · Sep 29, 2014

I'd agree with the new book. Just because you have a new/great idea doesn't mean it has to go in this book. I have a whole file full of ideas that I got while writing one story but were good enough to merit their own.

victoriakmartin · Sep 29, 2014

I like the idea of a new book too. I often find myself falling into the trap of overthinking and trying to have too much going on in my writing (and in other parts of my life too but that's another story).

Obviously, you do like your original theme enough that you don't want to throw it out. So sticking with it for the current one and using the new one for a different book sounds like a win/win situation to me.

starrykitten · Sep 29, 2014

A wise friend taught me that sometimes it's ok to send ideas back to the muse. Given that, telling an idea "not yet" and putting it in a new project sounds wonderful.

Witch_turtle · Sep 29, 2014

Just want to add my voice to the chorus saying use this shiny new idea for a shiny new book

I understand your pain as I also have a problem with coming up with new, "better" ideas halfway through a revision and wind up having to rewrite large portions of my book. It's very frustrating, but I think a good rule to go by is to ask yourself, "Does the book actually need this new idea?" If the story already works as-is, then no. Set the new idea aside for another project. But if the new idea actually fixes something that truly wasn't working, then yes. That's what's happening to me currently, but that doesn't sound like the case for you.

Jamesaritchie · Sep 29, 2014

The idea is to finish anything you start. When yu jump back and start again with a new, "better" theme, you're just bogging yourself down. And what happens six months from now when yu think of a new, even "better" theme?

I don't write anything based on a theme, but I know the temptation of new ideas. They're great for writing the next book, but not for rewriting the old one.

Poet of Gore · Sep 29, 2014

GigiF said:
So I had this thought yesterday that the core theme of my MS (which I love) might work really well as a different theme that is much more contemporary and would appeal to a lot of the 8 to 14 male demographic.

I don't really want to go into too much detail but I'm all over the place this morning. It would be a BIG change that would take me another year to sort out (remember I write VERY slooooooowly). There are so many pro's and cons I don't know what to do.

My heart is saying no - the current theme has a higher literary value.
But my head says - the kidz would love it and it would give it a hook that publishers could latch onto.
But my heart says I've worked on this for so long and I'm a few months from finally finishing it - do I want to delay for yet another year?
But my head says - this could be the difference between 'just another fanciful story' and something that really clicks with young boys
But my head also says - it would click much more with boys so I might lose the girls
But my heart says NO! The current theme is a beautiful one and one that I'm proud to promote as a positive theme.

Could someone please just force a bottle of old towne whiskey down my throat and make me stop thinking?!

first off, don't give an f about what others think. all successful writers seem to say they write for themselves

rwm4768 · Sep 29, 2014

Don't scrap what you have. Just figure out a way to use that new theme in your next project. You don't have to try to cram every awesome idea into one story. That usually ends up being a mess.

GigiF · Sep 30, 2014

Thanks for the replies everyone. My momentary lapse of reason has passed and I'm definitely not changing it.

This place really helps to clear my head. LOL.

Reziac · Sep 30, 2014

There's no reason you can't write a second book.

These notions that come to us are not necessarily about the work at hand. They're often "What if?" What if I rewrote my SF as fantasy? do I need to change it? Hell no; I'd write a new book. That way I'd have two perfectly good books.

Calliea · Sep 30, 2014

I've been through this. I literally tossed my manuscript twice, for the same one story, and it took me years to finally get to the finish line following the revamp of the idea. But it was worth it. Yes, I didn't like trashing it, I hated having to start from scrambled scraps and then do it AGAIN, but I've learned that if my head found something would work better, I should just squeeze my buttocks and go with it. It's just incomparably better. If that would be the case for you, I'd recommend you do the same. But then again, I'm someone who works on 1 project at a time, so I'm sure those that prefer to juggle several might perceive it differently

Ultimately you have to decide for yourself, but if you're anything like me, posting this thread was basically the last threshold of resistance and soon you will be remaking it anyway

Good luck either way.

Oh bloody hell. Another idea to change my MS

GigiF

Anna Spargo-Ryan

Just pokin' about

BethS

GigiF

GigiF

shadowwalker

empty-nester!

victoriakmartin

starrykitten

practical experience, FTW

Witch_turtle

hanging around for a spell

Jamesaritchie

Poet of Gore

rwm4768

practical experience, FTW

GigiF

Reziac

Resident Alien

Calliea

Hush, hush...