I had a story idea that collapsed. It just wasn't what I wanted to write anymore, so I scrapped it. However, an idea came to me that could save it, so I started working on it again. And I haven't stopped since. It's been created, outlined, and I'm about 30k words in writing it. My problem is... I don't want this to be the first book I publish. I have another story in mind (outlined and ready to write), and I want that one to be the first I publish. I don't really have a good reason as to why. It's just what I want. So I don't know what to do at this point. Should I finish writing my current WIP, edit it, finish it, then start the next one? Or should I just pause my current WIP (I take very good notes, so I won't forget anything when I go back to it later) and start writing the other? What would you do?
Go with the story you feel most driven to write, because that's the one that holds the best chance of making it to the finish line, the one that will most likely be the more engaging. Good luck.
You're already 30k in and you have a history of dropping projects. You should absolutely finish this one. Break the bad habit now.
Definitely don't let the momentum drop. Once you're finished with this one you can certainly put it aside to edit later, and work on the one you'd rather publish first. But don't stop writing your first draft when you're on a roll. And congratulations on reviving what you thought was a 'dead' story. I've always maintained that writers should never dump a story just because it's not working at the moment. The trick is to find a way to make it work. You're just done that. Good for you.
Finish the one you're writing. Why abandon momentum over a project that will never be a guarantee? I battled the same idea - I wanted a very specific project to be the ONE, the first novel, the best novel. I worked on that project for years. And I have to admit I wasn't up to handling the subject. Didn't waste the time just found out four ways of how not to write it. Now, I'm kinda like screw it. I just want to get something out there and I'm more relaxed writing because I don't have to act like the project has to be the ONE.
I have a slightly different answer than most folks up-thread, which is to work on and finish your "first" novel first. But, I think this may be because I'm coming from a different assumption--I know that my best ideas, I'm probably not up to writing at this point in my life. Similar, I suppose to @peachalulu 's story. So the idea that I feel most strongly about, I am holding off on. I have a few other ideas which I'm trying to write out in the meantime as practice, if you will. This is all assuming you can't work on both at the same time. And of course, if you're sequencing these novels for a different reason (not having to do with which one you like best or feel most strongly about), this reasoning may not work for you.
This is a point. One of the things you need to consider is why this new idea suddenly seems so much more compelling than the project you've already started. You say you want it to be the one you publish first (didn't you already know that when you started the WIP?), but don't know why you want that. And the truth is, if you are looking to be traditionally published, you have no guarantee that either will be published, while if you are looking to self-published, there is no guarantee that either will be well-received. Hence my answer above.
In your position I would absolutely, without any doubt, finish the first draft, or whatever draft gets you to the point that makes you feel that the story is out and written. Whether I would then go on to do final editing and polishing, I'm less sure about.
I am an amateur so maybe this doesn't apply to you but in my case the first book I wrote was in no way something that should be published. Not to say it sucked but rather I sucked. The experience of writing a book, polishing it, and all the little things that go with that. That experience prepared me to write the next story better. Not to say that one is perfect either, just rather that with each one I write I find myself making less mistakes and doing an overall better job with less effort. So in that sense I think you should work hard on your current story first. I think doing that will be one of the things that makes you ready to write the story you want to publish first. But, as I said. I am amateur, so maybe that is just me.
I suppose you all are right. I should just keep on with my current WIP, then see how I feel when I'm done writing. If I want to edit it, I will. If not, I'll work on the other. I did really sit and think about why I wanted the second project to be my first published piece though. It's a simpler story, so it's easier to write. I basically have everything figured out, so it'll be quick to write and edit. My current wip is complex. As I'm writing it, I'm coming up with more ideas and backstory to incorporate. I'm not even halfway through writing it, and I have nearly an entire page of scenes that need to be added and edits that need to be made. Also, the second project can stand alone better. I'm not planning to write a sequel, though I have an idea for one should the desire really arise. My current wip is a trilogy. Sure, the first book can stand alone. I made very sure of that. But I know that as soon as I finish it completely, I'm going to want to start on the sequel. And I really really want to finish my second project quickly. It's different. I feel it has a unique element to it that people will enjoy. Of course, my current wip is unique as well, but it holds a lot of classic fantasy elements that can be seen as cliched or overused. Who knows... One project at a time. Now that I've moved into my new house, I'm going to start writing again tomorrow. Hopefully I can finish this wip in a couple months and be working on my second project by the new year.
Whatever story you finish first, there's nothing that says that is the one that must be submitted first/selfpublished or whatever. Yo can still publish them in whatever order you like. So I go with the others and say finish what you're currently writing
Is writing both of them now a possibility? I have two on the go at the moment. When I get stuck with one of them I move onto the other, two very different stories. I also throw in a short story now and then just to try and keep the creative juices flowing. I would most definitely recommend finishing the first novel though, if only for the satisfaction that you HAVE finished an entire novel.
