The difficult “next” book

I have completed my first book (I refer to it as “Ivy”, after the MC, although its official and provisional title is “Taken”) and am currently working on my second. Well, I say “currently working on”, when in fact I’m still tinkering with it.

My first book was afflicted with many problems, mainly because I was still in the learning phase. I didn’t think about plot before I started, resulting in at least fifteen re-writes before it was in fit enough shape to be edited. Half my subplots ended up on the cutting-room floor, some of my favorite scenes got deleted, new characters developed, clues discarded and new ones dreamt up etc.

Then I asked a friend to read it and do a first cautious edit. Now, don’t get me wrong. This friend of mine had a lot to teach me about show, don’t tell, even though she wasn’t actually a writer (not back then, although she’s caught the bug now).  She, too, became incredibly involved in Ivy and started re-writing it, living it as much as I had been. In many places her choice of language was snappier and the descriptions more vivid, but by the time the book was returned to me, I hardly recognized it. So I re-wrote it again, keeping some of the elements my friend had introduced, while applying every technique I’d learnt from her and from the many books I’d read.

Only then did I begin editing for style. When I thought it was good enough (cringe !!!), I sent Ivy out to willing beta readers. Some liked it, some didn’t, but all believed that my world building sucked. [At this point a huge thank-you to Amanda Bonilla, who critiqued my MS (her book’s coming out this December), and Tara Kollas, a fantastic writer who deserves a contract RIGHT NOW. Both gave sage advice about how and where to make changes. A shout of gratitude also to Sarah, Morgan and Kate, who helped me tremendously with plot-related points].

Ironically, whenever my beta readers demanded an explanation, it related to a scene or flashback that I’d cut out earlier. So of course I put them back in – my word count jumped from 86,000 to 93,000 – and did another edit.  It was the beta reading stage when I realized that “good enough” wasn’t a standard a writer should settle for. Any phrase or sentence, where I’d had doubts as to clarity or precision, instantly became the target of my eagle-eyed readers’ attention.

The third round of edits focused on the nitty stuff, like a phrase here, a joke that wasn’t funny, and so on. All the while, I learnt more about writing, world-building, show don’t tell, and all the other tools a good writer make.

Now that I have coarsely plotted my second book, a story I truly believe in, I find myself too afraid to start. Instead I go back to Ivy again and again, changing things here and there, trying to suck the last ounce of wisdom from it. I’m scared, almost paralysed, that I’m going to mess up this fantastic idea with poor technique. Have I learnt enough from Ivy? Should I go back and do one more edit?

I have written around 10,000 words of Angel (the provisional title of my second book, again named after the MC), and I quite like the first half. I’m now going back and forth between playing with my plot and editing what I already have. Anything to prevent me from actually carrying on.

Right, I’ve had my rant now, and a cup of coffee, black as the night (cliché alert), and I’d better go back to work. Another thing I’ve learnt from Ivy: the book won’t write itself.