- Joined
- Oct 10, 2005
- Messages
- 848
- Reaction score
- 432
Here's how it went:
I wrote my first novel by hand (chapt.5 through 32 approx 100,000 wds)
I wrote my second novel in the trilogy mostly on my wonderful laptop. (chap 11 through 36 approx 130,000 wds)
Upon finishing book no. 2, I reread book no. 1. To my horror, it was at least a quarter as good as book no. 2. There was also a huge leap in no. 2's quality about where I switched from handwriting to the laptop. In no. 1 there was barely any POV. Some of the chapters made me cringe. For example, I'm writing fantasy and there is this one chapter where the protags are fighting a pirate captain. Half of the Captain's crew is disabled temporarily by a dwarf tricking them into looking into the water, and then having his friend knock them over the side with the boom.
Yes.
I wrote that.
It is horrible and makes me shudder.
No. 1 is also a great deal shorter than no. 2. The fights are less interesting, the monsters less exciting, the conversation more stilted. There was one huge important thing I learned from this. Never write your first book as part of a trilogy. If failing in rule one, then never write your second book as the sequel.
Now, I tried to edit it. I tried valiently. But in the end the manuscript looked like a pool of red ink with a few scribbles of paper floating in it and the changes really called for a ful rewrite anyway.
So now I'm writing my third book, except I've already written this story. And it's taking a long time (I'm hugely busy finishing college and getting jobs and so on). And I've lost my passion for the story. I reached Chapter 11 and I just. can't. write. another. word.
I love this story. I was looking forwards to making it better and more exciting and more interesting. I adore my characters. But I've got 25 more chapters to go and I just can't bring myself to do it!! GAAAAAH!
Not to mention i got this cool little eerie children's novel idea stuck in my head.
So I'm wondering if I should push through my rewrite, or take a break and write this shorter fresher idea first. What do you think?
And I'm sorry to bend your ears like this, but I needed to vent.
Thanks.
B
I wrote my first novel by hand (chapt.5 through 32 approx 100,000 wds)
I wrote my second novel in the trilogy mostly on my wonderful laptop. (chap 11 through 36 approx 130,000 wds)
Upon finishing book no. 2, I reread book no. 1. To my horror, it was at least a quarter as good as book no. 2. There was also a huge leap in no. 2's quality about where I switched from handwriting to the laptop. In no. 1 there was barely any POV. Some of the chapters made me cringe. For example, I'm writing fantasy and there is this one chapter where the protags are fighting a pirate captain. Half of the Captain's crew is disabled temporarily by a dwarf tricking them into looking into the water, and then having his friend knock them over the side with the boom.
Yes.
I wrote that.
It is horrible and makes me shudder.
No. 1 is also a great deal shorter than no. 2. The fights are less interesting, the monsters less exciting, the conversation more stilted. There was one huge important thing I learned from this. Never write your first book as part of a trilogy. If failing in rule one, then never write your second book as the sequel.
Now, I tried to edit it. I tried valiently. But in the end the manuscript looked like a pool of red ink with a few scribbles of paper floating in it and the changes really called for a ful rewrite anyway.
So now I'm writing my third book, except I've already written this story. And it's taking a long time (I'm hugely busy finishing college and getting jobs and so on). And I've lost my passion for the story. I reached Chapter 11 and I just. can't. write. another. word.
I love this story. I was looking forwards to making it better and more exciting and more interesting. I adore my characters. But I've got 25 more chapters to go and I just can't bring myself to do it!! GAAAAAH!
Not to mention i got this cool little eerie children's novel idea stuck in my head.
So I'm wondering if I should push through my rewrite, or take a break and write this shorter fresher idea first. What do you think?
And I'm sorry to bend your ears like this, but I needed to vent.
Thanks.
B