We like to think we’re intelligent. Even though we only use 10% of our brain, and even though we still can’t spell ‘weird’ without looking it up for the sixteenth time, we human beings like to think that we’re smart, and that we learn from our mistakes.
It’s all a bunch of hooey, however. We don’t learn from our mistakes. When it comes down to it, pain, suffering, insomnia and other forms of torture don’t really have an effect on us.
Yeah, that’s right. I started writing Book II today.
Not really writing it, per se. Rather, I started laying out the plot, setting down some key scenes that need to be in there, and generally figuring out where I’m going with it. But I think I can call it Begun.
It’s not how I did the last one. After several false starts (okay, about seven false starts) I sat down and just wrote it from beginning to end. But after reading authors’ blogs and agents’ blogs and author-in-progress blogs and numerous book on writing novels, I think I’m going to try outlining it first and see if this one is any easier to write that way. I might try Simon Haynes’ software program for novel writing and see how that works for me, too.
I’m kind of kicking myself that it’s a sequel to the first book, because from everything I’ve read, agents and publishers aren’t crazy about looking at a possible trilogy from a first-time author. They want to see if the first book goes anywhere before they commit to a second or third. But unfortunately, that’s what the finished product came to be in my mind, and I have to remain faithful to that. I think that if absolutely necessary, I could rework the ending to the first book so that it could stand on its own, but I’m going to leave that suggestion unspoken unless it comes up in negotiations, because I’m happy with the ending as it is.
So wish me luck. I didn’t learn anything from the first adventure, and I’m going to embark on another one. This time, though, I’m going in better prepared.
August 1st, 2007 at 12:14 pm
Well, wolf, there’s something in your psyche that’s telling you that you should do this and therefore it’s certain to be worthwhile. I do wish you good luck if you need that too.
August 1st, 2007 at 1:43 pm
Thanks for the well-wishing. You’re right, of course - something is telling me this needs to be written, so I have little choice in the matter. Whether or not it’s worthwhile, well… only time and posterity will tell, I suppose.
August 2nd, 2007 at 4:23 am
I’m envious. For those of us who suffer severe blocks while simply writing a note to put on the fridge, just finishing the first book would be considered a world class feat.
Hope you find a publisher who feels as strongly about the concept as you.
August 2nd, 2007 at 10:11 am
Thanks, Pinhole. Speaking of books, I was wondering: are you going to do some more with that story about Aristotle? That was a good read, and I want to read more.
August 2nd, 2007 at 6:19 pm
Regarding publishing trilogies: Egyptian Nobel laureate Naguib Mahfouz was initially unable to publish his ‘Cairo Trilogy’ as a complete set, for the same reason. The first book ended up being serialized in a Cairo newspaper, and only after much critical acclaim did he find a publisher. The massive collection (1400 pages in my English edition) is now considered his masterpiece.
If you think your work requires a trilogy format, I think by all means you should stick with that.
August 3rd, 2007 at 12:54 am
Although I in no way would consider comparing my work to that of a Nobel laureate, I thank you for the encouragement. It’s not that the work requires a trilogy, it’s just that the story(ies) need to be told, and they won’t fit in one book unless it’s 1400 pages long, which is something that agents and publishers like to see even less than trilogies.
August 5th, 2007 at 5:00 pm
But then again, a friend of mine almost killed his career by writing a completely different kind of book between books 1 and 2 of his trilogy: his agent and publisher told him that the market demanded continuity and trilogies were in demand. Of course, it probably depends on genre…
At any rate, never mind “what agents and publishers want” — because it will change from season to season. More importantly, you’ve got to write what you’ve got to write: more power to you!
August 5th, 2007 at 7:42 pm
Thanks, Jen. It’s good to read about the flip side of the argument, and it’s encouraging that maybe a trilogy isn’t the kiss of death after all. What’s really starting to get to me is that I have a better idea how the third book goes than I do the second. Bleah.
August 8th, 2007 at 8:37 pm
Hey- have you tried Simon’s writing program? I just downloaded it… took me a while to figure out how to use it, but once I got it set up… coooooool. I may write a post on it later. Lotsa neat gadgets.
August 9th, 2007 at 5:07 pm
I’ve downloaded it and played around with it a little, but at the time I was playing I didn’t have enough solid plot information to load into it. It’s definitely on my to-do list, though, once I get more details for Book II ironed out.