Projects, projects everywhere.
I've been working on a lot of different things in the last few years, trying to re-find my writing footing. I went through my WIPs last year (basically, any been-started manuscript that I have Actual Ideas for, and any follow-up books), and I came up with a whopping 30. Granted, most are sequels-- it's actually half that for individual worlds.
Obviously the story I've been working on the most is DARLINGTON which is part of the Dominions series. I'm currently thinking 2-3 books there, though originally it was planned as a stand-alone. Yet every time I bump up against the ending now, I see that there's more to it. So it gets at least one more, at least in my own mind. What happens when it meets the Real World is probably not up to me!
I've not touched the Mordagrin books lately. Like DARLINGTON they're going to involve massive rewrites, and I'm finding the way into the opening difficult. I have the original trilogy set up, along with a "prequel" of sorts (mostly short stories), the story arc for a novella sequel, and a super-sequel idea (set a few hundred years later). But those will all have to wait.
The only manuscript I currently think is done (save for needing a bit of revision on the epilogue), is ACCURSED, which I rewrote in December/ January. My debate with that one is if I should self-publish, or hold onto it for later work. I'm trying to learn more about self-publishing before I make the final decision, but without a base readership, I'm not sure I want to attempt it (the marketing thing seems a bit overwhelming). I also would then have to write the next two books fairly quickly, and I'm not entirely sure that's where I'm at, mentally, now.
I have a few first drafts I'm really having fun with that I want to be my next project, and I'm having trouble picking one. One is the Alt-World Futuristic Historical Mystery with Bonus!Magic (+ Kissing), currently with the working title of NAT & WILL. As you can probably tell, explaining the setting has eluded me. Think the Shindig episode of Firefly. I'm still working on world-building here, and running into issues where I need to know something about the world to keep going, but I can't figure out the world without writing more. Argh.
An "easier" world to figure out is my contemporary fantastic, working title of MAISY MEDIUM, which is about a girl whose after-school job is assisting her older sister, a psychic medium. It's a lot of fun, but I've had some issues with the characters not quite working for me, mainly the love interest. I can't figure out if he's got the wrong name, or just I'm not quite capturing his actual personality.
And last but not least is the story I started this past summer, while in the midst of moving. Working title of READ MY MIND (which I don't love, but it fits), it's a contemporary setting, a bit of a paranormal thriller, heavy on the romance. I think. The characters are so intertwined I'm having trouble sorting them out (if you've read anything of mine, this is much more along the lines of Wings & Fangs than any others). They're alternating narration very rapidly, somnetimes overlapping a little, and giving me information in random little jumbles. But they're the characters that currently really feel right to me, if that makes sense.
Anyway, those are my "top of the list" projects right now (yeah, I have to leave Mordagrin on there or I get irritated at myself, even though it's lower priority at the moment!). I'm hoping that the more I talk about my projects and what I'm working on lately the more I'll actually push myself to get done. It makes sense in my head, so we'll see!
What projects are you guys working on? Anything new and fun? Anything simmering in your mind, just waiting for you to be able to find the time to get back to work?
Obviously the story I've been working on the most is DARLINGTON which is part of the Dominions series. I'm currently thinking 2-3 books there, though originally it was planned as a stand-alone. Yet every time I bump up against the ending now, I see that there's more to it. So it gets at least one more, at least in my own mind. What happens when it meets the Real World is probably not up to me!
I've not touched the Mordagrin books lately. Like DARLINGTON they're going to involve massive rewrites, and I'm finding the way into the opening difficult. I have the original trilogy set up, along with a "prequel" of sorts (mostly short stories), the story arc for a novella sequel, and a super-sequel idea (set a few hundred years later). But those will all have to wait.
The only manuscript I currently think is done (save for needing a bit of revision on the epilogue), is ACCURSED, which I rewrote in December/ January. My debate with that one is if I should self-publish, or hold onto it for later work. I'm trying to learn more about self-publishing before I make the final decision, but without a base readership, I'm not sure I want to attempt it (the marketing thing seems a bit overwhelming). I also would then have to write the next two books fairly quickly, and I'm not entirely sure that's where I'm at, mentally, now.
I have a few first drafts I'm really having fun with that I want to be my next project, and I'm having trouble picking one. One is the Alt-World Futuristic Historical Mystery with Bonus!Magic (+ Kissing), currently with the working title of NAT & WILL. As you can probably tell, explaining the setting has eluded me. Think the Shindig episode of Firefly. I'm still working on world-building here, and running into issues where I need to know something about the world to keep going, but I can't figure out the world without writing more. Argh.
An "easier" world to figure out is my contemporary fantastic, working title of MAISY MEDIUM, which is about a girl whose after-school job is assisting her older sister, a psychic medium. It's a lot of fun, but I've had some issues with the characters not quite working for me, mainly the love interest. I can't figure out if he's got the wrong name, or just I'm not quite capturing his actual personality.
And last but not least is the story I started this past summer, while in the midst of moving. Working title of READ MY MIND (which I don't love, but it fits), it's a contemporary setting, a bit of a paranormal thriller, heavy on the romance. I think. The characters are so intertwined I'm having trouble sorting them out (if you've read anything of mine, this is much more along the lines of Wings & Fangs than any others). They're alternating narration very rapidly, somnetimes overlapping a little, and giving me information in random little jumbles. But they're the characters that currently really feel right to me, if that makes sense.
Anyway, those are my "top of the list" projects right now (yeah, I have to leave Mordagrin on there or I get irritated at myself, even though it's lower priority at the moment!). I'm hoping that the more I talk about my projects and what I'm working on lately the more I'll actually push myself to get done. It makes sense in my head, so we'll see!
What projects are you guys working on? Anything new and fun? Anything simmering in your mind, just waiting for you to be able to find the time to get back to work?