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Wednesday 5 June 2013

IWSG 3 - On choosing a project!



It's time for the monthly Insecure Writer's Support Group, hosted by Alex J. Cavanaugh! This month I've been relaxing after finishing my exams and the first draft of Darkworld Book 3, so I've been doing more editing and planning than actual writing. Which leads me to my question of the month: how do you pick which project to work on?

I have notebooks full of half-formed ideas, but most of them are too insubstantial to turn into a novel. I realise I'm thinking far into the future here, but I'm wondering what will be my next big project after the Darkworld series. I've been doing tons of worldbuilding for a MG/YA fantasy trilogy, but I just don't think I have enough ideas yet for it to work. I have the skeleton of the plot and I've outlined the world, but I need more ideas, more concepts, more characters to flesh out the story. And my inspiration's gone out the window. So I guess I'll be returning to the Darkworld series once again! The good news is, I kind of accidentally wrote the first line of Book 4 the other night, and I have a feeling motivation is just around the corner...

20 comments:

  1. Definitely sounds like motivation is just around the corner. Me thinks your characters are speaking to you and that is were you need to go. The work tends in that direction for me.

    Relax and let them take charge!

    When it's time to market - they sleep! Just when your could use some good input. . . :)

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  2. Doesn't sound like your inspiration is gone if you've written the first line of Book 4! :)

    Hang in there. Motivation will hit you on the head while you're least expecting it. :)

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  3. I have so many ideas in my notebook that are going unwritten at the minute. I know which one I'll be starting after I've finished my dissertation, but I have no idea which one after that!

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    1. I know what you mean - I have the next two books in this series to write and I have no idea what's coming after that!

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  4. Inspiration can strike when you least expect it. Sounds like you are heading in the right direction so I'm sure you will get there soon. Keep writing.

    Suzanne
    IWSG co-host

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  5. I was in the same boat until very recently! I had just finished one book and there were a million ideas calling my name. I narrowed them down to four (yes, "only" FOUR - LOL). I figured they were calling me the loudest, so I started fleshing them out and trying to change them from just concepts into an actual maybe-story. Good luck to you!

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  6. I know what you mean! I've got a folder on my computer full of different ideas. My brain likes to percolate on these ideas whilst I'm unaware. It wakes me up in the wee hours of the morning to add this or that element. I say, just go with it. When one of those ideas are ready to be expanded on, it'll come to you! You got this, lady!

    Thanks for welcoming me to IWSG!!!

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    1. Will do :P I always get indecisive phases!

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  8. Go with your heart and trust your gut!

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  9. Good job! I think we lessen the importance of the 1st line. Now go have a party, lol, because you've got the most important sentence of your new book out of the way! :)

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    1. Lol, true - I've changed it now, though! :P

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  10. I don't believe in hurrying inspiration. I'd have started 5-6 books in the last year if I'd decided to settle and stopped looking for something better. (And they would've been crappy.) I usually take 2 months to ponder a story, world-building and characters. At the end of that, if it screams, "WRITE ME!!!" then I know I have a winner!
    Wishing you patience, inspiration, and good luck finding a new project! :-)

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    1. Thanks :) Yeah, inspiration is something that happens in its own time! I think about my books for months before I write them.

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