How Come I'm Never Content?

These last few days have seen me spending some time reflecting on my writing. Where do I go from here, I've asked myself. Aquasapien is launching on the 20th May at Canterbury Library (I can hear your groans!Not another shameless plug ? But yes, as the say, needs must when the devil drives)

I've been re-visiting past works and wondering where, or rather how, to move forwards. I can't afford to publish any more novels until I sell some, but I'm looking towards the future. Initially, after WOTW came out, I thought, I'll complete the second, follow-up novel Gristle's Revenge, but despite completing 55,000 words, it isn't driving me the other 32,000 to complete it.  I've looked at the follow-up for Aquasapien too. I've briefly begun, Aquasapien - Prodigy which continues 17 years after the first. I've done about 12,000 words on that and was thinking I'd make a dent into it doing NaNoWriMo this year (National Novel Writing Novel - its in November every year and you have to write 50,000 words in 30 days.) I've managed to meet the deadline to two times I've entered and I reckon this year should be no different.

​Then I started perusing my other written pieces. I've got  a story called What If? and another one called Between Worlds. Each of these are around 45 - 50,000 words so far. Then I have around 6 more pieces at several thousand. None are pulling me in any one direction and I'd rather write the one which calls to me.

If you're not sure what I mean, it's where a story gets snagged in your head, a bit like a song. I was very happy to get Ed Sheeran's album for my birthday this year and I've listened to it in the car endlessly. Now, it's playing relentlessly in my head when I wake each morning and out of nowhere I'll strike up snippets of lyrics without realising it. A story is like that to me. It invades my peace and smothers my waking hours until I write it out of my head. Aquasapien was definitely one of those. I know it bores my husband to death, like my singing, but its who I am, almost like an obsession until I've shaken it out and stamped on it too on occasion.

​Then, on top of this, I get information on a poetry competition and I think, 'I've written some ok poems.' So, I click poetry file. I didn't realise how many I'd written - starting when I was 10 years old - the majority highlighting something in my life its like a timeline in verse. It's got me wondering whether my next publication should be an anthology of poems I have so many. First, though I think I'll enter the competition, maybe the anthology, but only if my poems are a hit. 

​This musing hasn't helped me decide on my writing direction, it's follow-on versus new work. Perhaps doing NaNo will help.

​See you all Saturday - regards Carol