I finished my manuscript with the 90 Day Novel Challenge, and now that I’m attempting to edit it, I hate it. I know that’s pretty strong, but I have this wonderful idea for a new novel that I like so much better, and I’m even going to attempt to pull back on the dialogue a bit more. Would it be terribly bad of me to give up on my other novel altogether and finish this better one? Or will I feel the same about this one after I’m done with it? The 90Day challenge was incredibly helpful for me, and I will carry all that knowledge with me forever, but I didn’t have any experience when I started it, so what came out was what I had in me in the beginning, and now I have something so much better because I finished it! This new story could just relate so much more to the reader, and the main character is actually me in sci-fi form, so I can just ask myself questions and make the story incredibly relatable!
I feel so discouraged with my other book that I don’t know if I’ll be able to stick through the the end and actually get it edited. There is so much pressure and I don’t work well with pressure! LOL!
So yeah… should I give up or not? Is this just the feeling everyone feels? As I read the book I’m editing I can see straight through the plot, and it is so simple. There is way too much dialogue, and not enough strong description, and the story is just complete garbage. That’s what I feel about it anyhow. I just wish I had a little encouragement. 😛 I could technically fix it, but as I contemplate that it feels insurmountable. I’ve never edited a novel before, and it is extremely foreboding!
Thanks for sticking me out!
-Colleen
Hey Colleen,
I’m so glad you asked this question! Even now, I find myself struggling with it in my current manuscripts.
I agree a lot with Brad, especially what he said last about not every manuscript being published. It’s a hard lesson to learn, but so so important. Not everything you write should be published.
I just had a manuscript that I wrote, edited, and then, after a developmental edit, decided it was going to take way too much work to improve. I either needed to completely rework the plot or become a different writer.
My one bit of advice would be this: Don’t toss the manuscript completely! Make sure you save the Word file somewhere so that, in the future, if you ever DO want to work on it, you can find it. It’s also great to keep your old writing so you can see how much you’ve improved!
🙂 Great work on completing your manuscript!
This was very helpful, Allie. I’m going to take your advice and set it aside, but not delete it. I really love it, just not with the love that is going to get it published. 😉 I really want to finish and publish a novel someday, and I’ve made it my goal to do so and not give up. Thanks for your encouragement in the process, I know I wouldn’t have got this far without your help in the cohort! Thank you soooooo much!