Do I Dare?

So this question all starts when I had someone close to me tell me this wondrous dream that sparked so much creativity into me that I felt like I was about to burst. It is a story that would be a post apocalyptic world where science looks to new ways to try to save the dying earth by unconventional methods, magic. At least to me this sounds like an amazing story and one that I could have a lot of fun pushing myself to write since it is unlike my normal story style. And because of this I have been really itching to start it. However then I fear that my current project I have been so diligently working on will get left in the dust and become yet another story that I have never finished. Which I will be honest; it is a pretty lengthy list. I don’t want to be one of those people that constantly start writing projects but then abandon them due to another story. I have wanted to actually complete the whole process, from start to finish again instead pushing stories aside for different things.

This is my dilemma of do I dare? I love the currently story I am working on. It has so much potential, so much greatness and real character development and I feel the first real strong piece I have written so far. Or at least that is what I believe, but the problem is so do most of the stories I write. I always tell myself oh I just writing my ideas out and I will come back to that original story I was working on but never seem to do. It isn’t that I really truly don’t mean to go back to them, because from the bottom of my heart I do. I have this more than one project in mind when I say that too. And maybe someday I will. However, I haven’t yet. And that is now the biggest problem I have.

So now bringing us back to the original question that I asked: Do I dare? Do I dare start another project? At least writing some scenes down as they pop into my head and work my very hardest to stay on target to my current project. And to be clear the current project I am working on is more than half way finished at this point. Or do I just have the idea in my little notebook I carry around with me where ever I go and hope to goodness sake that I don’t forget all the wonderful ideas that pop into my head and when I finish my current project begin diving into the story that awaits me?

I know the correct answer. I really do but it is one of those stages where I am afraid of not completing yet another thing that I am prepared to do something drastic. This is my problem and this is my question. Do I dare?

The Joys of Editing

I may be an odd ball but I just have to admit. I love editing. I love it almost as much as I love writing. I love editing my own work especially, it gets my creative juices flowing even more so than before, about great new ideas and character development as I plug away at making what I am working as perfect as I can get it. It makes me what to write more and more and more. I usually edit a lot slower than I write of course, rereading the same paragraph sometimes a hundred times or more just to get the wording to say exactly what I want it to say. I am currently editing my Work In Progress and I was really good about waiting until I had 36 page (double spaces so say what you will) before even beginning to edit and man was that a challenge. I did it mostly because I had hit a road block in my writing. I mean I was chugging along writing the story per the detailed outline I made but the passion just was not there to stay up to the late hours of the night, needing to finish the next scene as I had been before. I find even though I have only really edited the first few pages (roughly on the 4th page as I write this blog) I find my passion growing again. The fire in my gut of inspiration and the overwhelming need to just write and write all day is coming back upon me. (Thank you muse!)

I know some writers say you should not edit until the very end of writing your first draft, because it is just that the first draft. It is going to be rough, it is going to be edgy it is going to be honestly somewhat bad. And I do get that, and that is why I was pushing myself to wait to edit for so long, but with my writing style and how my inspiration works I see something I wrote days or weeks ago again and it is witty and perfect and go AHA! I can do this. I am a good writer, and it sparks more confidence in myself and makes me want to continue.

So I guess what I am saying is that it is okay to stop and edit. It is okay to sit back and admire your own work and add upon it. I think for me editing helps me remember small details to add in the story later. Example, yesterday I was editing the very first page of my current project and I was reminded that I needed to put in why she was even away from her horse in the forest to begin with. Why was she traipsing alone in a dark forest without even the companion of her horse. The reader does not know and if it made me think of the question I am sure some future reader (if I only get so lucky) would probably ask the same question. It makes sure that you cover your loose ends before you have so many loose ends that your book isn’t flushed out, doesn’t have the round-ness of completion.

Well these are my thoughts, I would love to hear what you all have to say. So until next time, have a wonderful day!