Maybe it’s because I’m older.
But as I’m officially in the later stages of my life, I’m not as gung-ho as I used to be about my writing. I think it’s because I’ve had to re-evaluate what’s still on my bucket list, while my health still allows me to do it.
At the time of writing this blog, I have two unpublished manuscripts at advanced stages of development. One was initially started seven years ago and is being presented to my writers’ group each week.
Their feedback is only minor, adding ideas to make a scene funnier or changing a line here and there to add to the humour.
When this project began, I was in the final year of my working life. My first retirement year came with the beginning of Covid, spending time at home with my husband. And as I need my own space to write, that project was put aside. After that, I focussed on enjoying my life, which also meant returning to that novel, and starting a new one.
So with two polished manuscripts, what next?
Two new novels! What else? One is a passion project I abandoned because there is less of a market for it. The other is the MM Romance I feel has more commercial value. And as time is spent making an older polished project better week by week, these new ones are calling me.
The one I abandoned is a Space Opera with a gay romance weaved in to a family drama. I’ve had character profiles and a killer outline ready for years, but while there are publishers interested in Sci-Fi, there are not as many as there are for Romance.
When I mentioned this dilemma to my writing group, they told me to write the Space Opera as by the time it’s finished, that genre may be popular.
Fortunately, I’m also becoming passionate about the MM Romance.
That’s the beauty of having an idea develop long before you start writing it. While I did an initial outline for the MM Romance several weeks ago, I knew I’d need to rethink the second half.
Then I had new ideas about what the story could be, and at random times, I came up with better epiphanies for each character, and a better understanding of the overall themes of this novel.
So while I have time, both works are being developed.
Not actively in a sit down and nut it out way. They are being thoughtfully realised, with revisions to their outlines and character profiles, before their initial chapters are written.
