How many writers have stories and even complete novels sitting on a shelf or on a zip drive somewhere? Probably all of us. We left them behind because they weren't good enough or another project took us away from them. But when we created them, their characters or their plot caught our imagination.
Last year around this time, I had just signed a contract for my latest fantasy novel with Crescent Moon Press. I always clean up my writing area when I finish a project and there it was. My next project. An old manuscript, perhaps five years old, that I'd finished and set aside. I decided I would polish it, fix the weak points and see what I could do with it. I'd always like the main characters but for some reason I had set it aside.
Viola! The Marine's Queen, my bestselling novel ever, was picked up by my romance publisher. Perhaps it was the timing, genetic engineering, near the same time Star Trek Into Darkness came out. But if I hadn't dusted off that old story...
Do you have a neglected work of art waiting to be rediscovered? Did you read Alex's story over on Lynda's blog?
8 comments:
Very cool - another old manuscript success story! We are both glad we tackled those old stories.
Nothing like a good success story.
That is so awesome! Congrats, Susan!!!
My first novel needs to be re-tweaked. I know it will GO once I go through it again.
Timing is everything. Now that I can type two-handed again, I will be able to work...
Have a wonderful weekend, Susan....
Timing is everything, as Michael said. Congrats!
That's so awesome!!
I've got 3 or 4 novels on my hard drive that I wrote totally for fun with ZERO intention of ever trying for publication. Maybe one of these days I'll dust one of them off :)
I have quite a few short short stories, and a slew of flash fic pieces, in various stages of production...
Writer In Transit
Very cool Susan! It's great to come across those oldies. I have notebooks and notebooks of ideas and half-started stories.
I enjoyed reading Alex's posts and learning more about how he got back into writing.
Good luck with the project. You're giving me hope that I may be able to pull mine back out one day.
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