More than three years ago--right before I started on the manuscript that would become FREEFALL--I lamented in this journal my inability to finish anything. I kept starting projects, throwing myself into them, and then moving on to something else.
(who posted under a different user name back then) didn't think I was wasting my time; she said I was "growing a writing garden."
Now, at the time, I didn't agree. I didn't think anything would ever come from the abandoned projects. (And the truth is, that might be the case even now.)
But this weird thing has been going on lately. I don't know if it's because I'm revising and my brain is trying to sabotage me, or if this whole losing-my-health-insurance-need-to-sell-more-books! feeling is taking over, but I've been thinking a lot about some of my abandoned works and wanting very badly to get back to them.
MEOW SISTERS - I first started this in late-spring of 2005. I have worked on and abandoned this one on three different occasions, I think, for a total of over six months. I've changed the set up too many times to count. But RIGHT NOW, I feel like I finally have The Right Story for these characters.
BEFORE EIGHTEEN - This is what I'm currently calling that story that was once JAY, KAE & ELLE and was later 17 BY 17. I started this in fall of 2008 was thinking about it this past summer. Unfortunately, I still don't know exactly where I'd like to go with it--the "hook" part of the story actually complicates it for me--but I have lots of ideas.
LIVE THROUGH THIS - This is actually the project worked on during June and July. I should finish it sometime. I think it's a good story.
FADED AS MY JEANS - This was my first ever completed manuscript. I queried it for a good portion of 2006 before putting it away for what I expected to be forever. I've really been itching to get to work on this for the past few days. I don't want to revise it, though; I want to completely rewrite it. In fact, I don't even want to look at the old draft--not even that kissing scene I was so proud of back then. I just want to use most of the characters and two elements from the original story and come up with all new stuff for the rest. This story is still important to me and I'd love to get to do something cool with it. Now that I'm a better writer, maybe I can do it justice this time.
So, yes, I have been growing a writing garden. Now I just need to finish these revisions so I can get started on one of these!