Start a new project or not?

[MonkeyPJs]

I am interested in your advice!

I have written two novels, one chick lit, and one speculative fiction. Neither have been published - I got the first assessed and the feedback was that I needed to address some structural problems before it was ready for publication, and I've submitted the second twice now to publishers, and no bites (I suspect it needs another edit or two). I am also working on a dystopian fiction which I'm enjoying writing, but have no idea about how good it is.

In the meantime, I've had a short story published by a niche but well-reputed publisher, the first thing I've had published. The editors of the publishing house have told me they really liked my story, and are interested in seeing my other work. Thing is, that publishing house really is niche - I'm not in the UK and they publish books with a local flavour, whereas all of my previous works have been set in the UK.

I'm now thinking of abandoning the editing/writing of the other novels, and instead developing another idea I've had for some time that, once finished, would meet the criteria of these publishers in terms of local flavour. But, given there are no guarantees they'd publish that either, I'm worried that I'd be wasting my time and should just focus on my current projects instead.

Sorry about the tome of an OP and would love your advice!

What do you want to write? Personally I wouldn't spend a great deal of time writing something on a local theme that might be published by a very small publisher.

I don't understand what you mean by 'speculative fiction.' Please can you explain?

In terms of selling, chick lit would be your best bet. Did you address those structural problems? Sometimes it's easier to write a new story in the same genre, bearing in mind what you've been told about a previous novel. What were the structural problems?

Write the one you're most passionate about.

I agree, write the book you want to write. It's one thing to experiment with different genres until you find out what suits you best. It's another thing entirely to start writing something quite different just because there's a chance a publisher might like it.

In your place, I think I'd carry on with the dystopian fiction, but keep thinking about and jotting down notes for the niche book at the same time, so you're ready to start writing it when you've finished your current one.

Another thing to consider is, supposing you write this book and the publisher likes it, would you then be able to write more of the same type? Most publishers aren't interested in one book authors.

Another saying write the one you want to write. Writing something you're not hugely involved in purely because there's a chance a publisher might accept it, especially if that sets you off down a path of writing more of the same 'niche' book when it's really not what you want.

But I don't think projects are, or should be, mutually exclusive - as HarrietVane suggests, take notes and do your thinking about the niche project while continuing your current book. But also, you should definitely not abandon your first two novels. One you've been told needs a structural edit, the other you think needs more work - get that done!

Incidentally, you keep mentioning submitting to publishers - have you tried to get agent representation? The vast majority of publishers won't accept direct submissions, so you could be cutting yourself off from many opportunities.

Thanks for your advice I will keeping editing and enjoying writing my other novel, but will jot down ideas for another idea I have as well.

I take your advice on agents as well potato - although the publishers I have submitted to are ones that have sought direct submissions ie "Friday pitch" and the like. But, I think I'll keep editing, and see where that leads me.

By speculative fiction, I mean a story that is set in our current world but the end of the world is coming, so not quite fantasy and more real life to be sci-fi. I could have mis-labelled that, though.

Hi OP.

I always have a lot of projects on the go. Some that are 'requests' from my publisher, some that are for fun and unlikely to see the light of day.

I would not write the 'requests' if I were actively disinterested in them. However, I do write them when sometimes I'm feeling more love for other projects, because, frankly, I like to make money, I like to have a large readership and I like to keep my career bobbing along.

There's some great advice on here OP, especially regarding future expectations if you submit something you weren't that passionate about.

I would recommend getting at least one project finished and ready for submission to an agent. So many writers start and never finish, so beat the queue by getting one project done and finished really well. In the meantime, if inspiration comes, put it down in a separate notebook and keep working on the one under your nose until it's complete.

I agree - there's no point in having half a dozen unfinished manuscripts. So many people write the first few chapters then start on something else. Proving you can finish something full-length and do all the editing is a very, very important.

What happened with the chick lit? What were the structural problems?

Thanks again for the advice!

The chick-lit was criticised by the assessor as it had too much action happen "off screen" - the story alternates between two women on the different sides of an issue - one accidentally killed the other one's sister in a road accident, and it's essentially a story of grief and forgiveness.

As some key things happen that neither narrator was present at or couldn't be present at given their characters, (I had used conversations with B characters to inform the reader), the assessor suggested that I write a third "voice" to remedy that, so a totally new character that is weaved into the overall narrative. I've struggled a little with what that character's voice would be like, so need to keep working on it.

Not what you asked, Monkey, but I wondered whether you were in fact mislabelling your novel about the road accident - a fairly weighty topic like that doesn't scream 'chick-lit' to me. Women's commercial fiction? 'Book club fiction'? I don't know enough about the distinctions between sci-fi /dystopian/speculative fiction to say about the other one, only that being able to describe them accurately in genre terms can only help to sell them.

Your assessor sounds to have given useful structural advice on the first novel. Can you put some work into discovering the voice of your new narrator and get re-enthused?

You may be right potato - I think chick-lit tends to be a flawed label in any case. Women's commercial fiction sounds much better

I've been playing with ideas on my computer this morning for a voice and think I am almost there (and think I have even settled on a man!), so this thread really has helped. I wrote the novel in 2012 (my first) and had it assessed later that year so really am picking it up for the first time in a long time, and am finding it quite rewarding this morning not being scared to edit it critically, in a way I didn't feel able to do when I had first written it.

I think it sounds like women's commercial fiction, too, rather than chick lit. There's a kind of feel-good atmosphere in a chick lit novel; even if bad things happen, they're not the really bad things that would devastate you. Women's commercial fiction can deal with much darker novels.

It is hard when you've got to introduce new characters. I'm having to change my novel and it's really difficult because you change one bit and another pops out of place.

Now if I were writing that story, I'd have a massive twist at the end where the one who thinks she's guilty isn't, it's the other one who did it.

Women's contemporary fiction is a big market and lots of agents represent authors in that genre.

I wonder OP, how much writing time you get? I manage to juggle projects by timetabling different ones on different days (or parts thereof). But writing is my main job.

I don't get much writing time at all unfortunately as I have two DCs and a fairly demanding full time job - at most, three evenings a week. I'd love to make it my main job and do as you suggest though imperial! I imagine doing different things assists in it not feeling so intense.

You've got me all excited about reworking this old novel though!

Hmmm imperial that doesn't work for my book sadly (though I love the idea of that as a twist) so feel free to use it for your next project How are you having to change your novel?