I think I'm onto something...

So, in my craft of writing class, we end with people reading aloud from what they've been working on. I haven't gotten to read in awhile, but last class, I handed in three scenes I had written over the weekend. I was really wondering what my teacher would think because she doesn't strike me as a science fiction person.

Well, she asked me to read first today, and I was really happy because I take that as she wants to hear more! I explained the concept to the class, and then read the scene I wrote during the 30 minute freewriting that class.

And... I got a substantially noisy round of applause! Not one of those polite "that was nice" round of applause, but a real one... like "Wow! That was cool!"

I was concerned before I read aloud because no one else is writing any sort of dark / science fiction type stuff. But they liked the eerie tone and they thought I did a great job of creating suspense. They also said the idea was very original (something that's never been done before), and they could see how I might have been inspired by The Giver.

A few posts ago, I wrote about how I felt like I was in a dilemma because I have so many projects that I keep hopping around to. I've been thinking about this project non-stop (the dystopian sci-fi one I'm working on in class) and I've come to a conclusion after a lot of soul searching.

I think a first book is critical for a new author. It can make or break you. I think this book is a more advanced idea than some of my other projects, and I think it has a lot more to say about the world. So to contradict my earlier post, I'm going to switch projects. I am going to focus on this book because I would really like this book to be my first. I think it's very marketable, fits with what a lot of companies are publishing, and is the kind of thing that would show I'm serious about writing. It's not just a pretty little fun story.

I've also been reading blogs of authors and hearing authors speak. One recurring topic with them is that they say their early writing wasn't good enough to be published. Some even went on to say that they threw out everything they wrote before the age of 21.

And looking back at my original project, there are some things I'd really have to redo and consider. I've developed a lot since I started that project 4-5 years ago. It doesn't mean that I don't love the characters or want to finish it. But maybe it's not the right time for it, and I can come back to it when I have the experience to know HOW to fix it.

I feel like I'm rambling, but I'm happy with where things are going. Today has been a good day. I mean, how often do beginning writers get a round of applause? I'd say today was pretty FANTASTIC. :)