Ah, the Work in Progress. We all have one. Or ten. Or twenty. Or maybe even more than that. But how long should it be classed as work in progress before you decide to abandon it, give it some wings, let it go?
I’ve been writing my series, The Adventures Of… since I was 18. It’s about two friends that get tangled up in the world of celebrity and is named as such because they call their time together ‘adventures’.
The idea stemmed from a (terrible) story I’d written called The War Against Technology. This piece was written as a joke between myself and a friend – we were convinced technology was out to get us, so I wrote a story where it really was.
I didn’t plan to write a sequel, but then she asked where our next adventure would be. We decided on LA (I can’t remember why), and from there I created a world of characters that I’ve come to adore and haven’t really left my head since.
I’ve written four novels/novellas, a bunch of short stories, scripts and I honestly can’t remember what else since I came up with the idea seven(!) years ago.
Since then, the characters have changed as I have. They’ve changed ages, personality traits, hobbies, careers. What hasn’t changed is their relationships. The relationships within the stories are what’s really core to them. They’re about the importance of friendship, and how having good people around you can help you get through the darkest of times.
I’ve submitted it to agents a couple of times and got nowhere. However, that was a few years ago, and in hindsight, it wasn’t ready. Now, they’re almost ready.
Some authors can write something and have it with an agent/publisher within a year. This requires a whole heap of work, patience and self-confidence. I have neither patience nor self-confidence, so it makes the prospect of publishing something really quite terrifying. However, I’m only going to get angry at myself on my deathbed if I don’t do it.
The most important thing to remember is to not rush yourself. Let the piece simmer for as long as it needs to.
I’ve decided I want to self publish their adventures, because it allows me creative freedom and to keep my babies close. If I spot anything I don’t like or that doesn’t work with future plots I can change them, and I get more control with the cover. It does, of course, mean much more work for me, but I enjoy social media and marketing, and already work in said industry.
When will the books be out?
I have no idea. I haven’t set myself a date. The aim is the end of the year, but I’m not going to rush it. On top of editing a book, I’ve been working the elections, buying a house and working a full-time job. That’s a lot for one person to do if she still wants to remain sane/have a life.
But you do have permission to nag me.
