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A Novel Dilemma

samperkinssamperkins
edited March 2012 in - Writing Problems
I am toying with the idea of editing my first two novels.

They were put in a drawer, as I thought they were rubbish. Now, I think with a bit of hard work, I could perhaps get them to some sort of standard. Not sure what to do though. I know some writers have novels that won't ever see the light of day. But I am willing to put the effort in to weed out the bad and improve the good.

What would you do?

Comments

  • Baggy BooksBaggy Books
    I'd be gobsmacked to find two novels in my drawers.

    Seriously, only you know if they're worth editing. Perhaps you could recycle the plots?
  • doradora
    [quote=samperkins]What would you do? [/quote]

    I would put Orange Juice on the CD and dance around in a flurry of yellowing paper singing

    "rip it up and start again"



    Nah, not really. I'd read it through and then decide whether it were worth summat or nowt.
  • samperkinssamperkins
    They were both NaNo attempts. My first is the one I care about the most. But I am kinda rewriting that one now. Oh I dunno.

    On the one hand I think they are worth it, on the other I wonder why bother?
  • LizyLizy
    Only do it if you love the plot and the characters!
    My first efforts were godawful, but I still know every character and I think the basic plot is good, so I'm re-writing them now.
    Yes, "them" - it's a series of five!

    [quote=samperkins]On the one hand I think they are worth it, on the other I wonder why bother?[/quote]

    Have a good hard think which of your above feelings is the real one.
  • ClaudiaClaudia
    [quote=samperkins]On the one hand I think they are worth it, on the other I wonder why bother?[/quote]

    That doesn't sound like you're all fired up about either of them. Maybe they need to be returned to the drawer from whence they came?
  • Mrs BearMrs Bear
    It's the desire to see all that hard work put to some good use - but that doesn't mean the novels themselves are worth the extra work.
    Rather than edit them, why not sketch out the plots and see if they give you any warm fuzzy feelings. If they do, why not start again with one of them and see where it leads you? And if the fuzzies are lacking, ditch them.
    If you feel lukewarm about the whole idea, do the plot thing and then throw out the MSS. That way you won't be forever thinking, maybe I should...
  • RosalieRosalie
    edited March 2012
    Or maybe you can extract the characters, if they still appeal to you, and use them as the basis for something else.

    The work won't be wasted, whatever you do. You'll have learned an enormous amount from writing these novels.
  • pbwpbw
    edited March 2012
    [quote=samperkins]What would you do? [/quote]
    First get the wine in and pour yourself a large one.

    Go back to your basic premise (one liner/elevator pitch/sentence that answers 'What's your novel about?')

    If the idea still excites you, go through and pick out the skeleton of the plot (high points, mainly)
    then see what else you can salvage.

    Have another large glass of wine (you'll need the energy from the wine calories)

    and start the rewrite.

    Actually bertiebear pretty much said that (without the wine).
  • Lou TreleavenLou Treleaven
    Do it! I'm always reworking my old novels (10 at the last count but I've given up counting now)! They do get a bit better each time so I'm hoping it's worth it it in the end!
  • pbwpbw
    You're very diligent, Lou.
  • Lou TreleavenLou Treleaven
    Desperate, more like!
  • samperkinssamperkins
    [quote=bertiebear]It's the desire to see all that hard work put to some good use [/quote]

    That has hit the nail on the head!

    I don't know. Urban Myth was kind of forced, for NaNoWrimo. Shaun's Children is a story I have wanted to tell for many years. In fact the current novel is still the Shaun's Children story, just reworked. And slightly different. Okay, totally different. Maybe I will try and rework the original of Shaun's Children then and leave Urban Myth.

    No rush. Just wondered what some people thought! A good response and a lot of sound advice :)
  • pbwpbw
    Lou, if you have ten novels (wow!), have you thought about putting the best of them up on Kindle? (One at a time, of course, get each little devil launched seperately).
  • Lou TreleavenLou Treleaven
    Go for it, Samperkins!

    pbw, I may do that in the future, but I'd like to go the traditional route first if I can with at least one of them...
  • pbwpbw
    [quote=Lou Treleaven]but I'd like to go the traditional route first if I can with at least one of them... [/quote]
    I must say, so would I, with my Novel (singular...).
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