When one has as much trouble figuring out how things work in one’s “series world” as I’ve been having, it is entirely possible one is trying to write the wrong series!
Like I said this weekend, the general premise was fine, but I couldn’t figure out HOW things worked in this “world” I was creating. I couldn’t make up my mind on what the “rules” were. I had very little sense of my characters. And the majority of the story ideas I came up with were really better suited to a middle grade (if not YA!) audience. So while my younger son was at a teen advisory board meeting at the library this afternoon, I curled up with a notebook in one of the comfy chairs by the library’s fireplace (not that one needed a fireplace today, but I LOVE fireplaces!) and tried to figure out once and for all what to do with this series.
What did I come up with? A whole new series idea!
In the hour or so that I worked on this I filled two pages, single spaced, with notes on this new series…plus I also wrote an opening paragraph for book one. I have a much better sense of the “rules” of this new series world than I ever had of my old one (and I’d been thinking about the other one for months). I have a much better sense of who my characters are. And I think I have more way story possibilities than I had before, too.
It still has all the basic elements the other series idea had, so hopefully the editor I discussed it with won’t feel like I did a bait and switch on her…we’ll see if this idea still looks as good to me tomorrow.
A whole new series idea? Yay!
And I’m still excited by this project, so that’s a good sign!
I hope it works out. 🙂
Me too! So far so good…
Good luck!!
Thanks! Hey, I LOVE that cover! I’m looking forward to your new book. I’ve got a long wait, though, don’t I? Next spring, right?
St Paddy’s Day, I think!
Oh! Another reason to celebrate! Cheers!
Congrats, Dori–that’s great news. And I like the I’m Not Who… title better, definitely. Makes the reader want to know, Who Is He? Whereas T.J.’s story doesn’t evoke any mystery or suspense or conflict, I’m Not Who… does all three!
Ha! Yeah, me too.
I was not a happy teen, either. It’s kind of sad when you think about people who believe high school was the best years of their lives. I think my life really began when I got out of high school.