The Value of your Desk Drawer

My desk drawer can be a pretty scary place.

Especially my virtual one that holds all my "put to the side" manuscripts that either didn't make the cut or were snippets of an idea that I didn't have time to work on right then.

It also contains books that I've started but then got "stuck" on.

So when I turned in my latest manuscript to my agent for her to work her selling magic... (What? It IS magic right???) my desk drawer is where I turned to when I was contemplating what to work on next.

I picked out the last manuscript I'd worked on almost two years ago now.

It had about 22,000 words on it, but when I put it aside, I was super unsure about where I was headed with it. I had worked on that last chapter for WAY too long, and had gladly stuffed it in the drawer when edits came calling for my debut novel, Sandwich, With a Side of Romance.

At Starbucks one brisk afternoon, I began to read through, editing a little bit as I went. I smiled. I laughed some. I rolled my eyes some.

But overall, I liked what I had. The farther I got, the more I wondered how in the world I could have gotten stuck. Even *I* was excited to see how the story would play out.

Only... I got to chapter 13.

And the whole wonderful story took a steep nose-dive into the ground.

Crashed and burned.

When I ended at chapter 15, where I'd ended up shoving the whole thing in a file on my desktop to collect desk, I could clearly see my problem.

My last three chapters were CRAP. Forgive my blunt language, but it's the truth.

So, I backed up. I deleted a whole chapter, and reworked two more.

And I smiled. I liked my story again.

I'm now excited to write more and see where it goes.

Of course, verdict is still out. I've sent the first three chapters to my agent to get her opinion and see if she feels it is as brilliant as I thought it was. She totally might give it two thumbs down.

And that'd be fine.

But my point is...

There is value in setting aside a stalled story. There is value in taking a break and separating yourself from a story. Whether it is between writing "The End" and starting to edit, or if you've encountered the dreaded writer's block and after months of trying, can't seem to shake it. A fresh brain will help pinpoint problems much faster than one that has been spending too much time having hairs pulled from its outer covering.

Oh, and those forgotten novels you doubt will ever see the light of day?

Might be worth pulling them out once in a while... just for kicks:-)

Discussion: Do you have any discarded or unfinished manuscripts in your desk drawer?

***NEWS***

And FYI! My debut novel is on SALE!!

Well, the ebook version on Amazon.com is anyway!

From now until December 22nd, you can get Sandwich, with a Side of Romance for only $3.99 on your Kindle! 

Of course, it's still available in paperback at all the normal places online, and at most Christian bookstores near you! :-) They make GREAT Christmas presents *wink* *wink*

A Fine Balance For A WIP

I can't help it. I just love to research different cultures and pour their treasures into my manuscripts. It's the world traveler in me, and also, I have some amazing family members who have inspired me to delve into their history.

Regardless, I like to write fiction with a flare for cultural collision, whether it be an Amazonian native and a Spanish explorer, or a girl victimized by legalism and a boy impassioned by grace. 

I love it when opposites attract.

During the beginning stages of my current wip, I asked Alley Cat, Pepper, to take a peek and let me know if the culture thing was going to work in this market. Because my story starts out with the heroine and her first husband (she is widowed at the beginning of the story) Pepper asked if he was going to be the hero. I hadn't even thought of that. I was planning on killing him off *snicker* because I wanted my heroine to fall in love with an immigrant (and work out a bunch of her issues)...but then I thought,

“Hey, it might be more sellable to nix the immigrant, and have the story develop around the couple struggling in a coal town.”

I thought about it, and weighed my two ideas on the mighty scales of Market and Heart. I was impassioned by the immigrant story because my grandparents were immigrants and the story is set in my grandfather's hometown. But...I have gone down the road of an unusual story, and it ended in heartache.

Hmmm.....so what did the scales say? They tipped toward my heart and the story already forming in my mind. But I kept market in mind as my setting is America, and I have a handful of comparables already lined up. I am going ahead and writing with attention to the market without compromising my heart.

When deciding what story you should choose, it really is a matter of Market and Heart, and deciding how to find that balance that gives you a unique but sellable story.

How to consider each:

The Mighty Market:

Keep the market in mind if you want this WIP to be the one that hooks an agent or publishing contract. I semi-finaled in Genesis and placed third in a RWA contest, with a novel that bombed with agents and publishers at conference.

The unanimous answer: “It's not going to sell.”

Do I regret writing it? No way, I love the story. Do I feel like I wasted my time pitching it at conference? Eh, a little. If I had known what the market expected, I wouldn't have had a complete meltdown on the phone with my husband after my first conference appointment! ;)

So, if you have a story that you are pretty sure is way unique, and you don't have an agent or a publisher steering you in the right direction, then consider setting a goal...such as:

To develop craft...to enjoy the story...to thrive on inspiration. 

But, if you are hoping to break into the market with this WIP, then be sure to consider the market, without compromising your creative juices.

(Ok, for those of you who choose to take the challenge of writing a break-out novel, then let me tell you I am cheering you on with all my heart! :) )

Your Unique Heart:

image by qthomasbower at Flickr

After considering market, my heart begins to put its fists up. Stories that inspire me, elements that keep me up writing into the wee hours, are just not always a “typical” match in the market. So while you need to consider the market, you also need to choose a story that makes your heart speed up as you think about it, that taps into your talent and breaks the writer's block dam. If you have to tweak the story to be a better fit for the market, then so be it, but make sure you don't kill the passion, don't fall away from what makes YOU write.

It's a fine balance, isn't it?

Don't forget, you can always tuck away story ideas until you hit it big and everyone's waiting for your next novel, even if it's about a martian landing in the middle of the Sahara Desert!

So, do you have concrete examples of how you weighed the market and your inspiration to come up with your wip?
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Angie Dicken first began writing fiction as a creative outlet during the monotonous days of diapers and temper tantrums. She is passionate to impress God's love on women regardless of their background or belief. This desire serves as a catalyst for Angie's fiction, which weaves salvation and grace themes across cultures. She is an ACFW member and CEO of a family of six.