What to write next?

goddessofgliese · Mar 3, 2020

I've been outlining an adult fantasy novel in the last few weeks. Over the weekend I was suddenly struck by a YA fantasy idea. I really like the idea and believe it has an interesting/original twist to it.

I'm excited to work on both stories, but first, I need to figure out which one I should focus my effort on.

The adult fantasy is going to be an epic saga, so there're a lot of plot lines and characters I'm still trying to put together. I know roughly the middle and the ending, but I'm still not sure where/how to start the story. In other words, it's going to be a while even before I can even start writing Book 1. That being said, the YA fantasy story is much easier to manage. But YA fantasy is a very hard sell right now. I feel I should wait until the market isn't so saturated. (Agent Hanna Bowman twittered that it was almost impossible to sell a YA fantasy in today's market; Agent Mary Moore says she has too many YA fantasy authors for clients at the moment, and so on).

What do you suggest?

Putputt · Mar 3, 2020

I would say write whatever most excites you. It's impossible to tell how the market is going to shift. Depending on how fast you write, YA F might be on the rise again by the time you're ready to query, or maybe by the time you're done with the adult epic, adult epics are going to be saturated. You never know, so unless you're a super fast writer, it's a challenge trying to keep up with market trends.

fenyo · Mar 3, 2020

I don't know how can any one tell you what to write first or on what to focus on. you need to figure out for yourself, maybe do a chert to compere the two options.

Maggie Maxwell · Mar 3, 2020

I say, write the easier one right now, so that when the market cycles around as it inevitably does, you'll have your story ready

Nice thing about unpublished novels is that they don't have an expiration date.

starrystorm · Mar 3, 2020

You also want to make sure you're not just wanting to write the YA because it's new. I know when I get a new idea, it's the greatest thing ever for the next few days and then it either sizzles out or remains. But you might be different.

If both stay, then I say write the one that is easiest, so you don't spend years digging yourself out of plot holes (Not like you wont' have one. Plot holes are inevitable).

But this is just my 2 cents. In the end, it's all up to you.

Cephus · Mar 3, 2020

It doesn't really matter which one you start first, but once you start, finish it before you do anything else. Do not give in to the temptation to write something different. Books need to be completed.

goddessofgliese · Mar 4, 2020

Thanks everyone for your wisdom! I'll wait for a few days and see if this new idea still excites me, and then decide what to do.

Laer Carroll · Mar 10, 2020

Cephus said:
It doesn't really matter which one you start first, but once you start, finish it before you do anything else.

FOR ME that would be the wrong suggestion. But then I've written over a dozen books and made a successful pro career so far. I always have three or four books in various stages of completion. I go to whichever one excites me and write on it till it doesn't excite me. Then I go to the one that excites me the most.

If none does then I take a break till one does. And FOR ME that almost always happens within a week as some random thought comes by and gets me going again. So I'm always writing and happy with what I write.

Works for me. YMMV.

Cephus · Mar 10, 2020

Laer Carroll said:
FOR ME that would be the wrong suggestion. But then I've written over a dozen books and made a successful pro career so far. I always have three or four books in various stages of completion. I go to whichever one excites me and write on it till it doesn't excite me. Then I go to the one that excites me the most.

If none does then I take a break till one does. And FOR ME that almost always happens within a week as some random thought comes by and gets me going again. So I'm always writing and happy with what I write.

Works for me. YMMV.

So long as it works for you, it works for you. All that matters in the end is finishing books. It's the people who never actually finish anything, who just jump around and have dozens of unfinished works that just rot, those are the people it was intended for. Who cares how you get things done, so long as you get things done.

PyriteFool · Mar 10, 2020

Cephus said:
So long as it works for you, it works for you. All that matters in the end is finishing books. It's the people who never actually finish anything, who just jump around and have dozens of unfinished works that just rot, those are the people it was intended for. Who cares how you get things done, so long as you get things done.

I agree, finishing *something*is the most important thing, especially early career. I will also say, if you are pursuing agents/trad pub, you will want to have a book that can stand alone. You can’t really write to market trends, but there are certain “rules” for querying, and stand alone novels are a big one. Series potential is great, but agents typically won’t sign a series since there’s no guarantee it will see. Obviously this rule doesn’t apply to self pub.

What to write next?

goddessofgliese

Putputt

permanently suctioned to Buz's leg

fenyo

Maggie Maxwell

Making Einstein cry since 1994

starrystorm

Cephus

goddessofgliese

Laer Carroll

Aerospace engineer turned writer

Cephus

PyriteFool