Recently I took a chance. I took something I had been working on with greater or lesser success, and I made the commitment to finalize it. Now those of you who know me well know of the many unfinished stories I have cluttering up my computers, unfinished knitting projects that I abandoned when they weren’t quite what I wanted, my crewel piece that I started in the 70’s and still haven’t finished.
So making a commitment was a difficult thing for me. Worst of all, this was a romance story, my least favorite genre just cos I am such a total cynic about love and all it’s guises.
But. Wotthehell, as Mehitabel would say, why not try it on, take the leap, close my eyes and leap.
As with most of my foolish don’t look and leap decisions, it was doomed from the start.
What had been a series of short stories didn’t hold together well for novel format. The longer- term focus didn’t end any better than the short stories, which all ended in romantic disaster.
Always the flawed characters involved ended up with conflicts that were too deep to resolve.
So, the submission failed.
For a while I know I’ll take it personally, as a failure of me as a writer of stories. Eventually I’ll realize that this story just was never going to work, no matter who the author. I know I gave it a good honest try, in as many formats as I could manage. It’s time to give up on it and start over on a new story.
Don’t think I’ll try another romance just yet. Maybe I’ll aim for a “coming of age” story, or maybe an everyday life one. God knows I can’t write romance!
As for my co-author, Mr.T, best of luck with your next romance. You’re better at it than