I’ve been plugging away at my novels, up to 16k words on the new novel, a Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon-style adventure that uses Tai Chi Chu’an (Taijiquan) as a central element.
I’ve also been getting a reader to plow through my Great Depression-Era Range War/Western novel; when feedback is in from that, I will send it to an agent.
Writing-wise I am consistently, if slowly, scrimshawing out words. Submission- and agent-wise I am in the doldrums, drifting about the ocean sails-up with no wind in sight.
I don’t think there’s such a thing as a writer without self-doubt gnawing at his/her bones. The current, devouring ones for me:
1) If I sell both books, can I really get away with jumping genres so wildly?
2) I don’t seem to write as cleanly or as muscularly as I used to. Will I ever be as skilled again with words?
3) The current novel looks like it will be huge, and the themes are very scattered. Am I skilled enough to pull it off? Will I have to go back and do a rewrite, mid-draft, to keep making forward progress?
4) Will I ever successfully write a sequel to anything?
Your doubts are the same as mine, and so many others out there. There’s comfort in knowing we’re not alone 🙂 Like you say, there’s really no way to get rid of our uncertainties – I’ve tried! I’ve come to accept it as something that makes us better writers, if we’re able to moderate them. I switch off some doubts and let more relevant ones take the front stage while I labour. Terrible logic but sometimes works.
All the best with your writing! You will be closer to where you want to be just by hanging in there and pushing on. Your new novel idea sounds very interesting! Please keep writing to bring the story to the rest of the world 🙂
Thanks very much 🙂 It’s good to know there’s other people out there with the same/similar uncertainties.
Yes, I know pushing forward is a better solution. I have been sidelined with a short story, but I will get back to the novel very soon.
I think I understand everything now