I've been working on a novel for a long time, it's a epic fantasy but set in a secondary world technologically equivalent to our 1920s-30s. I like it and am enjoying writing it, however.... I got about half way through and got side tracked. I had another idea for a novel, this time more of a literary piece. It's been simmering in my head for a long time until recently it has taken over from my other novel. I gave in and started writing it, it flows quite easily and again I'm enjoying it. The trouble is I am worried it will be boring. It does have a plot, but normally I write more action-y stuff and by comparison this is very slow. A lot of it is about the characters and how they develop. So, what should I do? Shall I continue with the fantasy novel, or the literary one? ARGH!
As long as you're actually sitting down and writing something, it doesn't matter which one you continue to write. A lot of writers juggle multiple projects, so work on whatever you feel like working on. Only you can make this decision.
^^this, basically. If you're under some kind of deadline it might be different, but if you're just starting out I don't see any reason to rush things. Get a good start on both, and when you need to finish one then you might have to make a push.
This makes sense, however I'm not good at doing two projects at once. I need to get really into them. I may put up the opening chapter of each once my probationary period is past and see which people would rather read.
Why not finish the one you're working on before starting the next? You'll get to both of them sooner or later - and I feel that it might be a more productive path than worrying about which one people might or might not want to read.
I've been thinking long and hard about this. It makes sense to finish the story I've half written, and if I'm honest this one excites me more. I got to thinking about why it was languishing on a memory stick and letting my mind wander in the first place. I came to the conclusion it was because, although I knew where my characters were, and where they were heading at the end of this section, I had no clear idea in my head of how they would get there. A lot of people say they just write and see what happens, and this is what I thought I would do. However I really don't think this works for me. It feels like my characters have been treading water for the last few chapters, with out any real direction. I've planned things out a bit more in my head, and bang, suddenly I'm excited about writing it again.
Write the one that you want to write. I know this is a silly answer, but it is true. The one you enjoying writing more, have the most passion for, is likely to be the one that finds a reader. You should, however, be some what concerned if you jump onto another new project down the line, and have two unfinished works. If this is a repeating pattern, it is not the story that is the problem.
From my own experience: Finish what you have started. If this would be me this would not be a question what will sell better, but fundamentally if I have the stamina to fight through to the end. There was a time in my life (quite long actually) where I never finished what I started and that included stories, poems and a whole lot of other stuff. I am rapidly finding that finally sitting down and finishing all that takes a whole lot of work, but it is really satisfying! @thirdwind says that a lot of writer handle multiple projects and I suppose that is true. Possibly you are more suited to multiple projects but please don't go down the "unfinished business"-road
