Today I am asking myself "why a trilogy?" Was it not enough to write one book without promising readers another two are on the way? Deep in the bowels of book II, I am swimming around the notion that I am in over my head.
Not that I can't do it. It's getting done. It's just that right now the pressure I'm putting on myself is annoying. And, I think it's having an impact on my creativity. That Editor in my head is now joined by the Critic. The Critic says things like "there were so many components in 'Flung', how are you going to top that?" or "Remember what so and so said about such and such character--maybe you should change things to make so and so happy." It's enough to make me, myself and I close down Word and open up Netflix instead.
Octavia Butler, RIP, said herself that the hardest thing about writing a series is the second and third book. With the first book there is so much hope, so much excitement, so much possibility that gets squashed by the second book and the sheer e-f-f-o-r-t of writing anything that's good enough to keep the tale spinning and readers reading.
Then again, maybe there's my answer right there to "why a trilogy?" It's a challenge that keeps me accountable. I really don't want to have to look folks in the eye a year from now still promising "Flicker" is on its way. Nope. Because then not only would there be the Editor and the Critic, but they would be eagerly joined by the Doubter.
Not that I can't do it. It's getting done. It's just that right now the pressure I'm putting on myself is annoying. And, I think it's having an impact on my creativity. That Editor in my head is now joined by the Critic. The Critic says things like "there were so many components in 'Flung', how are you going to top that?" or "Remember what so and so said about such and such character--maybe you should change things to make so and so happy." It's enough to make me, myself and I close down Word and open up Netflix instead.
Octavia Butler, RIP, said herself that the hardest thing about writing a series is the second and third book. With the first book there is so much hope, so much excitement, so much possibility that gets squashed by the second book and the sheer e-f-f-o-r-t of writing anything that's good enough to keep the tale spinning and readers reading.
Then again, maybe there's my answer right there to "why a trilogy?" It's a challenge that keeps me accountable. I really don't want to have to look folks in the eye a year from now still promising "Flicker" is on its way. Nope. Because then not only would there be the Editor and the Critic, but they would be eagerly joined by the Doubter.
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