This is why I don't do things . . .

A brief word:

This actually will be on the briefer side of brief. For realz.

A couple weeks ago, I signed up for Nanowrimo. Yay, huzzah! First-timer. I'm excited to do it because I need to pen, or type, more stories that have lived in my brain for far too long. That way I can actually work toward publishing and making money, or something. Yeah, money would be good.

But suddenly, DILEMMA.

My biggest problem when committing to a project is that, out of nowhere, a new idea, or a really old one that resurfaces like a dead body, comes to me and I get excited about it. So much I no longer feel the same drive to work on my current project. Such is the situation. I signed up on the site with an idea of what novel I was going to work on throughout November. I've had the idea since June, so it's still in its fledgling state. Which is okay--it'd be interesting to see how I handle feeling my way through a novel rather than having everything plotted out.

Unfortunately, some recent developments have sparked inspiration to revisit a book series I conceived over four years ago. A series I figured I'd never write because it was too juvenile. Looking back on it, however, I realize there's a lot of promise. It just grew too big, too weedy. Having stepped away from the universe of that story for a while, I find the most important ideas, characters and plots continue to stick, whereas the less important stuff has fallen off. Getting a new computer helped with that. I haven't transferred all my old files to the new laptop, so I don't have immediate access to everything I wrote on the series. (I could transfer the files, but I'm lazy.) That leaves me dependent on memory and new ideas, granting me a fresh look at the overall concept.

Now I'm excited by it. To the point I'm tempted to do it for Nanowrimo instead of the stand-alone novel. Obviously I'd write just the first book (originally a six-book series, I think? Got it down to five) and work on the rest later. But I like the idea of having one novel free from the restraints of sequels that I can work on refining and publishing on its own. Then again, maybe it's better to start with a series to lure in an audience that will continue to follow my work. One-off novels can achieve this, too, but it's different. A series brings readers back to sate their curiosity over where the story is headed.

Did I just talk myself into doing the series? Thoughts, advice? I'm still not sure. And Nanowrimo starts in a week. UGH.








"You must lash out with every limb, like the octopus who plays the drums." - Mystery Men