A few writer friends and I are starting a website together. It's not ready for sharing yet, but we're working on our first stories for it. It's a five chapter story, which is very different from the novels I usually write. I keep having to stop myself from adding multiple layers to things I won't have time to hash out in this length of story.
But it's great fun! I'm really enjoying the writing and the folks doing this with me are as enthusiastic about the idea as I am. It's great to find people who are as excited about a new venture as you are, and who are working just as hard as you to get it done.
But the joy of writing the story! Since I've finished my first novel and have been querying it, I have attempted to write two different stories. I admitted defeat for the first one and have been trying to get far enough into this second one to really feel involved in it.
I've restarted it once, hoping that writing those first few chapters might help me get invested in it. It hasn't worked.
I don't like giving up on a story once I start writing it. There are all kinds of quotes from writers telling you that you can't just write when it's fun, or when inspiration hits, but you have to write even when you don't want to. Walking away from a story seems like giving up on my dream of being a published writer.
But I think I need to walk away a second time. I think that when the book is not calling to me to the extent that this one has been, I need to find one that will.
I have one in mind. And I'm excited about it. It's more young adult than I like to write, but it's fantasy like the book I've completed so I'm hoping having it again in a world of my creation will help me keep with it. I haven't started it yet, although I have adjusted the title and genre of my book for Camp NaNoWriMo this July.
I need to get caught up with the chapters due for my website. I was traveling home from vacation on the day the third was due, and then I've been busy with other things yesterday. So I need to catch up with those before getting into my new story.
But I am extremely excited about both ventures!
And, of course, I will continue to query my first novel as I go.
