When you lose interest in the work...

For over a year I have been working on a mainstream fiction novel I've been calling "The Piano Man." When I pitched the idea to an agent, she loved it, so I set out to write this novel. The trouble is, I'm not excited about it any more. I don't want to do the research or the work, I'm not visualizing scenes like I usually do, so I am struggling with the quandary of continue with what I know is marketable or write what I really want to write.

I know every writer struggles with this at some point in their career. Tips, thoughts? I keep leaning towards investing more time in my fantasy novel, which I like so much more, but agents have kind of shaken their heads and said they were not sure if they could sell it. "Too different," which you would think would be a good thing in the fantasy genre, means death to an editor. They don't know if they can sell your work if it is too unique. Maybe I should self-publish it, garner support for the series, and then pitch it to an editor.

Here are my rambling thoughts.
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Published on September 30, 2009 08:03 Tags: fantasy, man, piano, writing
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message 1: by [deleted user] (new)

Hi Letitia

I stumbled upon this page, and not knowing you or your work, feel more than a little presumptuous commenting. But hey, what's the internet without ill-informed and unsolicited comments? So, I say - go with what you "really want to write" (in fact, haven't you answered your own question in the way you've phrased it).

Three reasons why:

If you publish a book you didn't want to write, your readers will see through you. They might persevere to the end of The Piano Man but they won't pick up your next one (you know, the one you actually wanted to write).

Absence makes the heart grow fonder - leave The Piano Man in a drawer for a while while you refresh your batteries on something else and if the idea had any merit in the first place, you will be drawn back to it when the time is right.

Apologies if you have a big and loyal fan-base but you can never predict a best-seller. So The Piano Man might feel "marketable" now but when you've struggled through several re-writes and published just when that market has moved elsewhere (to unique science fiction fantasy perhaps), how sick are you going to feel?

Write to enjoy it, write because you can't live without it, but if you just want the money there are easier ways to earn it.

Hope you don't mind my tuppence worth. Get back to what you love.

Regards
Thelonious









message 2: by Letitia (new)

Letitia Thelonious wrote: "Hi Letitia

I stumbled upon this page, and not knowing you or your work, feel more than a little presumptuous commenting. But hey, what's the internet without ill-informed and unsolicited comments?..."


Not ill-informed at all. Thank you for your kind reply. You spoke to exactly what I was expressing. And yes, as I well know, having spent the past year marketing my first novel, writing is not the way to riches. You are entirely correct in your advice, and I have taken it to heart!




message 3: by [deleted user] (new)

I'm glad you thought the advice was appropriate. Good luck with your writing and I hope many people get to enjoy it in the years ahead.


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