ABANDON SHIP!!!
“Where does she park? Do you see her car?” Sydney craned her neck, then bobbed and weaved as though dodging an invisible line of sight.
“There’s a small lot around back, but her designated spot is right there at the foot of the stairs.” I pointed to the empty space, yawning like a cavity between two other cars. It was almost midnight, and though I held no illusions my daughter was always tucked in bed by ten, I was starting to wonder what, exactly, she was doing out so late. Was she safe? Did she have it out with the mystery guy? Was she laughing and joking and carrying on with him like nothing happened?
“Wait, I see something.” Sydney peered through the darkness.
“What?” I followed her gaze toward the front door.
“Here, hand me the binoculars.”
“You carry binoculars?”
Sydney reached across me and fished around in the glove compartment, allowing receipts and wrappers and tissues to fall out in the process. Then she yanked out a small pair of binoculars, peeled off a packet of ketchup, and threw said packet on my foot.
“You never know when these will come in handy.” She brought the lenses to her eyes and adjusted the focus. “Every woman needs a pair.”
***
The above is from one of my favorite scenes in my NANO novel, where the heroine is spying on her young adult daughter. I'm almost sorry the story going to the backburner--so far on the backburner, in fact, that the fumes from the trash are wafting dangerously close.
You see, while I've enjoyed working in 1st person, and indulging in long-winded passages and far-out characterization, the truth is I don't think it'll have a place in the market. At least not yet, coming from an unknown. This is one time where it hurts me more than it hurts my characters, as 60,000 words are now just loitering on my hard drive.
It's time for a fond farewell. Hopefully someday we shall meet again, and in the meantime I'm developing a story that I think has more potential in the here and now. I'm a little sad, but I know that I may hang out with these characters from time to time when I'm in the mood to pick on someone. (Oh, if the heroine only knew what I know!)
My question to you is, have you ever abandoned a novel? How far into it were you? How'd you feel about dumping it?
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Weekend Memories
3 hours ago
8 comments:
I've abandoned most of my novels before I finish them for a phase, but I always come back within a few months to type in those final scenes. It's haunts me until I do.
We writers have to go with our gut sometimes and abandon ship. Sometimes that's exactly what the story needs to be revived later on, I think.
Awww your nano novel? Your outside of the box one??? I wanna read it!! So not fair. I was looking forward to it - such a unique plot you told me about!! Why are you giving up? I thought it was done?
NOPE. I've never been led to abandon one. But I rarely stop a book, either. However, my crit. partner Sara shelves hers for awhile. They can always be pulled out, you know. Just like books...
Perhaps not abandoned, Georgiana. Perhaps just in timeout for awhile.
E-mail's always open if you wanna write.
patti@pattilacy.com
www.pattilacy.com/blog
What a shame to have to abandon ship. I hope I'll be brave enough to stop and do an about face after writing 60,000 words. I think I'd stay in a constant state of denial until someone pulled me--kicking and screaming--into the light of the truth.
No one else has abandoned one forever? That's amazing! You all really know how to stick it out. Maybe I will come back to this someday because I do so love the premise. Only time will tell. Until then, I have this idea....
Nice scene, Georgiana! Abandoned, but not forgotten.
Thank you, Carla!
A few months ago I returned to a WIP after a few years of abandonment and what I thought was brilliant plotting and writing made me gag and turn a shade of red...knowing it had made the cba rounds. Though I still haven't given up hope on it. Someday when I'm ready, I'd like to return to the scene of the crime!
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