Well, it is Check-in time with ROW80 once again. This is both an exciting time for me and a
hard time for me. It is always hard to practice what you preach, but that’s
what I have been up to lately. I will explain.
In recent months sales of my books have been slowly falling
off. That is not so unexpected; it happens to every book and every writer. The
thing is, as writers, we always question what we’re doing. “Why don’t they love
me anymore?” we wail. “What am I doing wrong?” “Why have the gods of book sales
abandoned me?” These are the questions
we wail to the Universe.
However, I have always said, “If you aren't getting the
answers you need, ask a different question.” So I did. I contacted one of my
more avid readers and asked her what was going on. That sparked a very
enlightening conversation which gave me new insights, changed my focus, and got
me excited about writing again. The results? I’m going back to my roots,
writing what I started writing many years ago. I pushed a 46K manuscript to the
back burner and started a brand new book. I’m having fun once again.
Goals:
1.
Write 5000
words per week until first draft of WIP is complete.
3500 words written
this week so far. I am right on track here.
2. Accept more requests for interviews.
(Currently I only do about one in five. Bad me! I’m told I need to open up and
get over my shyness.)
Didn’t get a
request this time. (sad! Lonely! Feeling unloved!) tee hee
3. Read and comment on at least one blog per
day.
Actually managing
three or four per day so far. There are so many great blogs out there I could
spend hours every day reading them and never get bored.
Okay, that’s it for
me today folks. So tell me, fellow writers, have you ever dropped a WIP after
months of work just to start off in a new direction? How did that work out for
you?
Posts
Always be true to your self and write what brings you joy. Glad you are excited again!
ReplyDeleteThanks Sis. This one will rock.
Delete"I'm having fun once again."
ReplyDelete**That's what it's all about! That fun and joy will come through your words, characters, and stories!
Yes ma'am, that's the key. Thanks for stopping by.
DeleteI'm doing something similar - instead of writing one of the two books I've had planned for 2-3 years, I' m working on a new one that sneaked up on me a couple of weeks ago. And I'm writing it just for me - don't even know if I'll publish it. I'll work on it as long as I'm having fun!
ReplyDeleteIsn't it funny how things always go sideways as soon as we have a perfect plan in place? Got to tell you, makes me crazy some days, but other times it really rocks. This time it rocks.
DeletePrudence, I'm so happy to hear that you've got a renewal of passion! Sometimes ditching our well-crafted plans is what we need to kick us into gear. :P
ReplyDeleteHave a great rest of the week!
Hi Lena. Yes indeed. Sometimes a change is better than a rest. Sometimes a complete change puts the fun back into life. :)
DeleteWow, Prudence. I love that you reached out to a reader and are flying on renewed inspiration. I dropped—well paused, with the possibility of dropping ;)—a WIP when I realized it's like a YA novel. I don't read YA, and never have. My heart was pulling me to a new book, so I switched. I can always go back or shift gears, but I could tell within minutes of typing away at my current WIP that it was the right move.
ReplyDeleteCongrats. :)
Thanks August. It is funny how hard it is to let go sometimes, but once you do set it aside and start again, you just know you're on the right track. Good luck on your new WIP.
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