Writers are weird, weird people. We spend a lot of time moaning and groaning about how freaking long it takes to finish a book or how much work it is. And then we finish (like I did yesterday), and what's our first thought?"Hmm, what should I work on next?"
Seriously? Not "How long should my vacation be?" Or maybe "Let's not do that again for a while." Or "I should really clean my house, read all those crits piling up, and take a big chunk out of my TBR pile."
No, here I am thinking about the next project—what it should be and when I should start it and how I can make it the best thing I've ever written. I'm rather disgusted with myself, to be honest. I'm a freak of nature. So far I've decided to start my "first" round of edits on Transparent next week and to work on something new.
The new project isn't really that new. I wrote like five chapters a while back, but then forced myself to put it away and do my "real work." Well, after digging through my manuscript graveyard yesterday, I've decided that I want to pick this one up again.
This drawing is one of my MCs, Corbin Parr. I didn't have a good picture of him in my head, so I decided to draw him. I'm not totally happy with it, but at least I know he has brown hair and gray blue eyes. That's something.
Corbin is moody, restless, and more daring than his father would like. But he can't help himself—the Shepherds, an alien race now occupying Earth, took his brother, and he's determined to find him even if the chances are slim. That is, if he can escape his father's compound first.
I like him, even though he's kind of a pain in the butt. Anyway, those are my plans for the rest of the year (plus reading all these crits, sorry crit partners!). What are yours?
Whoa cool! I like your technique of shading hair. Did you do that on the computer? I'm still trying to master that with colored pencils.
ReplyDeleteGreat plans. Great drawing of Corbin, too. I can only draw stick figures, so I use the internet to find the characters I'm seeing in my head. And it's so true. We do complain, then go right back at it again!
ReplyDeleteEmpress, I did do this on a computer, pretty quickly so it's not the best. But I also use prismacolor (prefer them, still).
ReplyDeleteawesome job, Natalie! I'm like you, and sometimes i'm thinking of the next project i'll work on before I'm even finished with my current. There's no hope for us!
ReplyDeleteYou go girl! Love the drawing, and I know you'll kill whatever project you choose.
ReplyDeleteI, uh, need to finish my outline (still) and then see if I can't find something else to write.
Ooo, the alien book?
ReplyDelete*chanting* Write it, write it, write it!
Haha, I am the same way with the "What next?" bit. Obviously we are deranged... But in the best possible way!
ReplyDeleteLovely drawing, and lovely name!
Well, my first thought when I sent major revisions to my editor on Tuesday was, What can I do to relax? Didn't even think about my next writing project, but now I am thinking and like you am turning to my files where my second memoir, half written, is waiting.
ReplyDeleteI like Corbin Parr. He is so cute! Have fun telling his story....
Ann
Yay! You picked one. I approve. :)
ReplyDeleteOh an alien book! Pretty cool! And I love the picture especially the determined look in his eyes.
ReplyDeletePlans for the rest of the year? Hmm, well get this draft finished of my current WiP and (hopefully) have something polished enough to enter the RWA Golden Heart. Also, I have to figure out a loose outline of what I'm doing for NaNo--I'm not allowed to skip out on it this year since I'm a co-ML for my region.
And maybe work on my new WiP idea, my story based off an ancient and rather obscure Indian legend. I kind of want to do that for NaNo but as I don't know much about Indian culture or have much of the world developed yet for this book, it'll probably just be the backstory for my current WiP, which involves a certain amount of research of its own.
Yeah I don't ever choose an easy topic to write about.
That's awesome! Sounds like a compelling story line. And I totally do the same thing.
ReplyDeleteI'm finishing the first draft (finally!) of my current WIP tomorrow, and last night when I should have been sleeping I was dreaming about the next project.
Corbin! Do I know Corbin? I think I might know Corbin...maybe. Could be wrong. I like him either way :)
ReplyDeleteI know what you mean, though I haven't been through it as many times as you have.
ReplyDeleteI should be finished with my current draft about Tuesday. Then, I'm polishing a rough picture book.
Oh, and I love the sketch. I always love the sketch.
ReplyDeleteOoh, Corbin just looks like he's up to something. :) Good luck on the "new" project! Not sure what the rest of my year will look like with writing... yet to be decided.
ReplyDeleteFunny how so many of us are at excatly the same stage in our rwriting. I finished edits yesturday and the MS will be going our to my readers next week. I plan to have a week of reading, then I'll be starting into book two. There's no rest for the wicked, as they say. I guess that means us writers are more wicked than most fols, eh?
ReplyDeleteThe new book sounds awesome. Good luck and happy writing.
I do the exact same thing. I whine and moan and tear my hair out about writing ... and then promptly forget the awfulness because *hallelujah chorus* there is a lovely book that I just wrote! But I guess it's best that way, because otherwise we'd probably write just one book and then nothing else ...
ReplyDeleteAlso, cool picture :-)
Congrats on finishing Transparent!! :D Yay! *confetti* New book sounds very awesome :o) Can't wait to be able to read your books some day :D
ReplyDeleteI'm excited about the rest of the year: I'm doing my first proper full-length novel edit, so that's terrifying but tremendously exciting, and I'm drafting a novel that's been playing in the back of mind for a long while, but that I didn't have the skill to tackle - until now. Maybe. Hopefully. O:) :D So yeah. Exciting few months :)
My current WIP is a story about expecting a real man to be Prince Charming. It's fun and light and easy, because it references Disney and Fairy Tales and is based on my high school experience.
ReplyDeleteI want to finish it by late October so I can work on Nanowrimo. I've got 3 things on the table for nano-
-a dystopian YA set mostly in Japan
-a fantasy set in a land where all the creatures humans have dreamed into being live
-a fairy tale retelling about a girl who accidentally falls into a fairy tale.
Good luck with everything. And take a minute, read a book or 6. :)
Very nice sketch!
ReplyDeleteI know what you mean about switching to the next project, instead of taking a break and doing all that.
It's that way with revisions right now. No sooner do I finish a round than I want to dig back in and try to fix more things.
My plans for the rest of the year are to learn patience, revise some more after I get input from other people, and work on the next book's first draft. (Which I'm planning on for NaNoWriMo. Just have to finish the world-building and research.)
Good luck with the new project, revisions, critting, and all the rest that's in the pipeline for you.
Corbin makes me think of the cat-boy on Fruits Basket (why can I not remember his name?!?)...
ReplyDeleteI'm in the midst of a huge rewrite of my first novel... with five more novels in the series now (roughly) planned. I hope to get it ready for beta readers by the end of September...
Then it's time to revise novels #2 and #3. I need to get SOMETHING that's actually finished enough to be sent off to agents.
Good luck with the novel!
Shakespeare, yeah, he does kind of look like Kyo! Hehe, he must have been in my subconscious.
ReplyDeleteThis made me really chuckle. The day after I finished my novel, I remember thinking all day, "Well, now what do I do?" It was like I was at loose ends without my work in progress. I'm ready, anxious even, to start my next project. Are we all just gluttons for punishment? Addicted? Should there be a Writers Anonymous to help us break free? rofl - great post!
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