I’ve got a novel I’ve been working on for a few years. Yeah, it’s the first novel I wrote. You know, the one that you show to family and a few friends and they love it, and you think by next year at the latest you’ll see this thing in print because ignorance is bliss and you know nothing about how publishing works. All you know is that you just wrote a freaking novel and you had a blast doing it.
Then you show it to a few writers and they congratulate you for finishing a novel.
Then they politely point out that should you choose to continue writing you’ve only just begun. Then you start to learn about the publishing industry and the few paths available to access it.
Maybe you’ve had this experience, maybe you haven’t. I’ve come back to my first novel a few times over the years. I love the premise and actually had a bunch of requests when I queried it, but I know it can be a double edged sword to engage with it now.
One little voice says: Just burn it and be done. Work on something new.
Another little voice says: Keep working on it. You know the premise is sound, and you’re drawn to it, and now that you’ve improved as a writer you just need to properly execute this sucker.
You’ve got friends, published authors who’ve sold earlier books, so why can’t you?
What do you do with your early attempts? Do you chuck them into the woodstove or dust them off and keep working on them?
Never, never throw anything that you’ve written away. It just ain’t done. Keep it and work on it. But never chuck it in the woodstove. You might add part of it to another story or revise it all together. 🙂
Thanks, Robyn. The idea of burning it is more figurative than literal.
Paul, step away from the woodstove. If something about the novel still sings to you, rewrite it with all you’ve learned. I did this and it got me my agent.
Roz, I like the ending to your first novel story!!
I sold my first novella. It was interesting. It’s an embarrassment now. I lost my computer copy. I could buy it, but I don’t dare. Actually, until a month ago, I never had a print copy of any of my works. Not in nine years, lol. Now I have one. 🙂
That’s great, Natasha. And you are so detached, in a good way!!
I’m still trying to make a go of my first novel. Although I suspect that by the time the rewrites are done it will be a mere shadow of the original. The woodstove is a great temptation… but I’d hang onto it, just in case!
I sold my first novel and then before it was published, pulled out for a variety of contract reasons. (whole nother story:)) anyways, now when I look at it I think, ugh. That was probably the only publisher who would ever want it.
But never destroy all that work. SOmeday you might want to go back and fix it up when you are an awesome published writer! That;s my hope anyways:)
This is a really great question. The novel that just sold was my third. My agent asked to see my second, and we’re in the revision process getting ready to submit it. My first novel is another story. I wrote it as a gift to my daughter without ever even considering publication. So it sits on my hard drive and I’ve never brought it up with my agent. I’m in the same boat as you–love the story and the characters. I could probably make it into something–maybe–but I have so many other things I’m working on. So it will probably continue to sit on my hard drive.
My first novel was SO BAD I’ve never even considered revisiting it. I have thought of using some of the themes though, and I might someday. But I have so many shiny new ideas I doubt I’ll go back any time soon.
Oh, don’t do anything drastic! I have a first novel that I would love to resurrect someday–but it would probably need to be re-written completely. And, when you’re rich and famous, you won’t even need to rework your drawer novel–someone would pay big bucks for your “lost novel” on e-bay. 😉
I LOVE the pic of you at the fire!
If you think the premise is good and accept that it needs work then at least you’re being realistic about the situation. At the end of the day, if the story still draws you then there is nothing to lose from working on it.
Now my first novel is another story but then I wrote a fantasy story without first coming up with the plot and the world. I just made it up as I went along! What fun.
Deb–good luck with your rewrite. You never know where it might lead.
Terri–Wow, you sold your first novel!! I’m sorry the deal didn’t work out in the end.
Lisa–If I can rewrite my first novel to my satisfaction I won’t hesitate to show it to my agent. And, congrats again on your book deal!!
Natalie–having lots of new, shiny ideas is like having a goldmine. That’s great!
Heather–to attempt to get my first novel in shape will require a total rewrite. I’m experimenting w/a POV shift.
Jade, I’m glad you liked the photo. It was fun taking it.
Stick it in the bottom of the filing cabinet. Even if it never gets published – so what? You wrote for your own enjoyment right?
But it sounds like it still calls to you and that’s the best kind of premise – passion. Remember Stephen King threw out Carrie and his wife saved it from the trash.
I’m saving mine, because I’m sure they’ll look good in the museum which will eventually be built to honor my contributions to society.
I still have hope that the premise of my first novel is good… Maybe someday I’ll rewrite it, but if I do, I won’t look back at the first draft. I’ll start over from scratch.
I think it’s worth holding onto those first novels, though. They represent an enormous amount of time and growth. Keep it!
Funny that you bring this up. I was just thinking I should throw my earliest partial novels away. I haven’t even looked at them in years and have many more exciting things to work on. I suppose if there is anything usable in them I could put those parts in an idea file.
Total rewrite is so formidable. I’m thinking some of my early stuff should be viewed as exercise. But after saying this, I’m not suggesting that yours is. You might just need to let it rest and revisit it someday. No woodstoves, please.
Don’t burn it! I think sometimes that I work on my too much. I’m just hoping that I’m not beating it to death.
I love your summation of how it is with your first novel. I’m still working on mine. I’ve written it, but I know it’s bad, so I’m rewriting it. If the premise is sound, I say go back and execute!
Thanks, Jessie. I really enjoyed writing this post and putting the photos and illustrations in. Good luck with your rewrite!!
Don’t throw it away! My opinion: if you’re drawn to it, see if you can tweak it with your more experienced eyes/hands. Otherwise, you may be able to cannibalize your favorite parts for future books. It may be just a “learning novel”, but who knows? You put sooo much work into it. I think you should keep it, just in case.
Funny pic by the woodstove! Hee!
i shelved my first manuscript.
Paul, that picture is hilarious! My first five novels are shoved into my closet and will NEVER see the light of day. I haven’t burned them, but I do use my paper copies of my current novels as fire place fodder! I could shred them, but that would take too much effort. So instead of tossing them in the trash, I burn them!
I’m the hold onto it forever and occasionally work on making it better person. Then again, the first novel I completed and played with is eventaully going to be published – though the resemblance to the original is questionable. The second novel I completed the draft of is most likely destined to sit in the back up hardrive of my computer forever because I have no idea how to make it a workable draft.
Oh, man. I shelved my first MS. It was so bad. I actually love the characters and think the premise has promise. (Say that five times fast!) I just need to rewrite it and make something happen, I think.
Or maybe not. I’m not really thinking about it right now.
I wrote for ten years before writing my first novel, including some of the early chapters for HATSHEPSUT. All that early stuff is shelved, but I think Novel #1 is almost publishable. Two more edits to go!
I still have my first novel. I still like it, too.
Oh, love this! I keep all of my old books, but I don’t go back to them. I’m proud of them because they were the best I could do at that point in my life, but I realize I’m a much better writer now! Don’t burn them!
I’m glad you liked it. I had fun writing and illustrating this post.
This post came at just the right time for me…My first novel has been sitting in a drawer, deliberately, for almost a year, after 5 years of work and many, many re-visionings and rewrites. I pulled it out this week and rewrote the first chapter because a potential match with a conference editor tempted me. A part of my heart is in this story, but I no longer feel it will be my only novel (I think that was part of my five-year insistence that I continue rewriting it), so it’s a freer feeling to work on it…or leave it in the drawer, if it comes to that. Thanks for blogging about this!
Oh,yes, that first novel. I remember it fondly. In fact, I took it out the other day because, as you know from your visits to my blog, I’m going on and on about revising. So what better way to get the revising gears oiled than to read that first self-indulging, prosaic, over the top, summarizing pile of papers?
I read to chapter 3, then I stopped reading. Thank goodness I never sent this thing out. As to revising? Maybe not now, but I’m not burning it. I’m keeping it to make myself feel good. I’ve learned so much and my writing has come a long way. I’d never realize it without that novel to consult.