Thursday, December 13, 2012

Shifting Gears

I've been writing a long time. A very long time, if you count all through high school and college. I've seen publishers' "mid-lists" disappear, along with the typewriter and the word processor. I read recently that Michael Connelly's newest Harry Bosch novel (the 18th or 19th!) is coming out soon - and it's been twenty years since the first one debuted.

I look back over those same twenty years and wonder...while Connelly was writing all those Bosch novels, what was I doing? Was I working hard enough, smart enough? Where was my energy, my effort, going? Was it misplaced, misguided? I don't know. 

What I do know is that I need to make some changes. While novels will always be my first love, I am shifting gears - at least for the beginning of the year - to stories - micro, flash, novellas. The short form has always pulled at me but I tended to push it in the background, let the novel writing bask in the spotlight. 

One of the problems with that was while the novel manuscript received the glory - the hours, the work, the majority of my creativity - it also received almost all of the pressure. Novels were going to launch my career, to find me an agent, an editor, a fan base. Hmm, not so much. What happened after awhile was that novels started to feel like work - crushing rocks, hard labor kind of work - and I missed the joy I used to feel long, long ago when I wrote them. 

So, to that end, my current Horror/YA Horror novel ms is relegated to the wings. It now moves around backstage, lurks in the shadows (which is actually appropriate for the horror genre.) And you know what? As soon as I made that decision, I felt an overwhelming sense of relief - and I felt the novel exhale, too, felt it relax and shake loose the bindings I wrapped around it so tightly it couldn't breathe. The novel and I have a new relationship now - one we're both happy and excited about. I can't wait to get back to it. And the stories will now step out, take their turn in the limelight, get a chance to shine.  

How about you all? Anyone else shifting gears? Trying something new or going back to an old way of doing things? 

13 comments:

  1. There's a huge market for short stories. Milo James Foster has sold so many this past year. Check his site for a list of publishers and magazines that accept short stories.

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  2. I switched to short stories for a while and then went back to my novel, which I finally finished the first draft of and am now editing. Short stories are a great way to get the creative juices flowing and to "cheat" on your novel with so that you can go back to it fresh. Plus, there are some nice short stiry markets out there.

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  3. Alex - Milo is an inspiration to all of us! :)

    Shell Flower - I've always written stories in addition to writing novels but since I've taken the pressure off the novel, the creative juices - for both stories and novels! - are flowing even more. :)

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  4. That's what I did this year, actually - when my mess of a novel manuscript was driving me insane, I let go of it entirely and decided to focus on just short stories for the year (or, at least, until NaNoWriMo caught me in its clutches :-P). It was definitely the right choice, though now I think I'm going to switch gears again and return to novel writing this coming year. I think your plan sounds like a good one, especially if it's making you feel relieved already. And I love your short stories, so I'm also selfishly happy about it. :-) Best of luck!

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  5. Jillian - good to hear switching gears worked for you! Good luck with the switching back. :)

    I'm learning how important it is to have structure and discipline with my writing but to also listen to what the Muse - and my gut! - are saying, too.

    I'm so glad you enjoy my stories! :)

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  6. good for you!
    and people are always looking for short stories to publish!
    christine rains just did 12 this year and several got published, she posts submission links every so often if you are interested =)

    good luck & enjoy!

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  7. Tara - thanks! I'll have to check out those links. :)

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  8. Madeline, I am such a fan of your short works and look forward to discovering more. Onward, ho! :)

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  9. Stacy - thanks so much! I'm glad you enjoy them.

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  10. Your short stuff rocks, which leads me to believe your long stuff does too -- don't stop subbing/querying the novel, but definitely keep writing your shorter stories!

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  11. Milo - thank you! And no worries - I'm still working on the novel. The difference is that now I'm just having more fun with it. :)

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  12. I'm kinda going the other way, focusing a little more on novels next year. But I'll still be writing shorter things too. It's good to aim for both...

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  13. Simon - as long as we're enjoying the writing - whatever theform - that's what counts. :)

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