Okay. I need a bitch-slap, fast. Get your arms ready, girlfriends.
The writing is going well--you know this. I blather on about it every day. I'm less than 10k from the end, and it's fast and furious. I wrote another 1200 words or so yesterday; turned down lunch with hubby to spend more time with my girl today. Am drawn to her every minute. But.
Apparently my brain is not happy unless it's worrying about something. So in the past couple of days, even while I'm writing like a maniac, I've been obsessed with the following:
1. Is anyone going to want to read this book but me? I know, I know. Now is NOT the time to even think about this. But let's say this--Jenna will be a good book, I think. A compelling story. But it's not exactly fit-into-a-mold. {cough} There are things in there, fairly serious issues, that turned out to be bigger within the story than I thought. It's not lighthearted fantasy YA, at all. I'm picturing myself trying to pitch it, and panicking...
(Why do I care about this? Why am I even thinking about this? SLAP ME!)
2. Even worse. I'm freaking out about what I'm going to write next.
Dudes, I know! But I'd had the idea that I would be able to write, if not a sequel, then another book in the same world. I'm not absolutely positively sure, but I don't think so anymore. I think Jenna is a stand-alone, and anything else I tried to write about this situation/world would be repetitive or derivative. {sigh} This has just become clear. So now my little brain is spinning: if you're not going to write that next, what are you going to write? Huh? Huh? What's next, write your passion girl?
What if I only have one book that I'm this passionate about? What if I can't do this again? (What am I talking about, I haven't even done it once, I'm not done.) Eeeeeeeekk!
Welcome to my mind. Is this just fear of finishing? What the hell?
I'm gonna go read the last bit of Jenna and try to kick some sense back into myself, but any help would be appreciated.
Susan,
ReplyDeleteOkay, one bitch slap coming your way. (g)
Dude...relax...breathe.
Concentrate on finishing this book. If it's a stand alone, then so be it. However, if you get an agent, perhaps he/she will sit down for a brainstorming session to see if you can extend it into another book or even a series. Even if that doesn't happen, you're going to come up with another idea. You KNOW you will. LOL.
I went through this right before finishing FI -- What if I don't sell this book -- what if no one likes it but me -- what if, what if, what if. (g) I think it's that end of the road anxiety -- the time you know you're faced with going all the way and will be querying agents soon. It's ALL good. :) You've done this before and survived. You can do it again!
Hope that helped even a little.. :)
Jen
Jen:
ReplyDeleteLOL. You're right--I'm just freaking out with end-of-book fears. Breathing is good. :)
Thanks!
Hi Susan!
ReplyDeleteStep away from the coffee....(S)
I'm late to the conversation, but I know, I know! I ask myself all kinds of these questions too, and I'm not even nearly finished. But this isn't your first novel, you've done it twice now. When you're done, you'll have another great idea that you'll be excited about!
Anyhoo, I see you're over this already. I just wanted to chip in anyway with a little understanding and a "GO SUZE!"
Thank you, Cindy!!!
ReplyDeleteWithout y'all, I'd be a little puddle of doubts--and I seriously doubt I'd be this far.
I'll take all the GO SUZE cheers I can get. :)
(almost there, almost there, almost there)