By: Janice Hardy
Every time I debate what idea to write next, I go through a
bit of an evaluation process. Is this idea good enough to spend time with? Will
anyone but me like it? Is it sellable? Should I bother with it?
Writing a novel is a commitment, and before I commit to the next six months to a year of my life (or more for those hard-to-write books), I want to be sure that I have the right book.
Writing a novel is a commitment, and before I commit to the next six months to a year of my life (or more for those hard-to-write books), I want to be sure that I have the right book.
Not that I ever can be 100% sure, of course. No one can, but I do my best to look at all the angles and possibilities and make the best judge if this idea is worth my time to write it.
Sometimes I get a yes, others a no. I have ideas I love, but I know I’m not ready to write them yet and I’m still looking for a missing piece to make it work. Some ideas are good to go, but they explore a subject matter that’s been done to death and I don’t feel it’s the best time for that story to thrive.
And then there’s the idea that gets me jazzed to write and I can’t wait to dive in.
If you’re facing this dilemma, here are some of the questions I use when evaluating an idea:
1. Do you love it?
If I don’t love an idea, odds are I’ll get tired of it or will be distracted by a Shiny New Idea halfway through. The ideas I can’t stop thinking about are always the ones that keep me coming back to the keyboard day after day, especially if the writing hits a rough patch.
An idea that you want to write more than any other is one that usually has the oompf needed to be a good novel.
2. Do other people get excited when they hear about it?
. . .
To read the rest of the post, click here:
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If you missed my
latest writing and marketing tweets, here they are again:
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- How to Become a Freelance Editor - Rachelle Gardner http://ow.ly/yGJk300XJQ7
- Looking to expand your #bookmarketing efforts? 10 ways to make the most of audio to sell more books! https://t.co/EP03ixeIIV via @Bookgal
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