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Tuesday, September 9, 2008

The Next Novel

I have been a VERY good girl and I have been working dilligently on getting my manuscript ready for my beta readers (thanks, guys)! However, I have not been able to help looking foward to my next project. I had two outlines ready to go, a Hollywood romance and a Christian thriller. I tried to work on the Hollywood romance, since it is probably my most commercially viable idea.

However, my muse wouldn't let me write it. I forced it for a page or two, and then set it aside. The fire isn't there. But it wasn't with the Christian thriller either.

Until a few mornings ago. I woke up at 5 with the following line as the opening stuck in my head:

"Max never dreamed he was arguing with an angel."

I rushed to the computer and banged out about six pages.

Why a Christian novel? Several reasons:
  • Fewer people are writing Christian novels. It might be an easier sell. Of course, fewer markets are buying . . .
  • Christian novels are short. I can probably get a way with a 50,000 to 75,000 word novel.
  • I have a great plot. It's funny and tragic.
  • I have an angel named Leroy. I love that.
My plot cannot exist in any other form but a Christian novel. It's unabashedly Christian. It's partially inspired by an old Anne Murray song, that goes like this:

"I sold my soul . . . you bought it back for me."

I love it and I can't wait to write it. Just gotta get Starcaster to those beta readers . . .

2 comments:

  1. Yes, don't keep the beta readers waiting! Because they're also eager to see this baby in print - autographed copy thank you very much for when you come to the Boston area on your book signing tour!

    I love the opening line of your new novella idea, although I'll need an 'inside' scoop of the tragedy part as I'm big on happy endings.

    I agree, work on the one that calls to you. If you try to write what you think you can market you'll bang your head in the wall trying to appease and audience that you don't even know for sure if you have. Better to make yourself happy as you write - oh . . . and the beta readers :-)

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  2. Thanks for all the encouragement! I'm shooting to be able to print my novel on Monday. I'm going to see how much it would cost to print at a place like Office Max or Kinko's.

    The novella will have a bittersweet ending, but mostly happy and hopeful. This is the first novel I've come up with where I've had the plot all set up before I started writing.

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