Tuesday, October 14, 2008

What Should I Do?

Recently my fictional autobiography for Themistocles is going really well. I still get stuck sometimes but it's about halfway done already. That's amazing progress for me. But I still really love my original multi-character PoV of The Owl & The Eagle. Still, I really need to get my work out there (notice I haven't put up anything from my Themistocles story because I'm afraid of criticism--I really want to COMPLETE something, even if it's awful).

Yet The Owl & The Eagle tells things from different perspectives, including the Persian side which is rarely looked at.

Writing both would be covering the same exact time period so it would see odd, yet different.

Should I finish Themistocles' story? Try to do both? Don't...know...what..to..do...!

5 comments:

Carla said...

Well, you're the only one who can make that decision. For what it's worth, I'd say if the Themistocles autobiography is going well, stick with it as long as the wave lasts. Completing something is a great feeling! For one thing, it's only when a story is complete that you (and any critique partner you have) can really see what shape it is and understand how to modify it. And it may well give you new insights for the Owl and the Eagle, so the two aren't mutually exclusive except in the sense that you can't do both at once.

Scott Oden said...

Scott puts on his stern writer hat . . .

Choose one project and finish it, then finish the other. While I understand the dilemma (wanting to work on A and B at the same time), now's the time to learn the required discipline of finishing what you start -- take my word for it: it will serve you well in years' to come. So, pick the one that moves you, that speaks most to you, that seems closest to the end, what have you; put the blinders on and make for the finish line.

It boils down to this: no one buys half-finished manuscripts; from the snippets I've read you've got the chops. Now, you just need to get one finished ;)

Meghan said...

Thanks, guys! I agree I should finish Themistocles first. I should see if I can actually finish a book!

Wynn Bexton said...

My novel also tells the Persian side of the Alexander story. I was just at a writer's conference all last weekend and they keep saying how you need one particular narrator for your story. Well, mine is multiple point of view so there isn't just one singular narrator. I am now in this dilemma (again!) wondering if it will be acceptable. But then again, Mary Renault did it in "Funeral Games" and that's the exact story-line of Shadow of the Lion except I've really developed the characters.

I guess you just go with your gut feeling and write, not matter what and don't let 'doubt' get in the way.

Wynn Bexton said...

P'S, I just read Scott's comment and I must agree with him 100%. I really can't understand how people can be working on two or three major projects at one time. I find it hard enough doing travel writing (which takes little time) as well as the novel. I shelved a play I was working on and only work on the travel articles when I need to submit new stuff. Fortunately the new paid job I have writing for Planet Eye only takes up about 2 hrs of my time each week and I get good money for that so I don't find it conflicting.