This is my Insecure Writers Support Group post for February 2025.
Please stop by their blogs and say thank you.
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The short answer is no. Nothing significant about them, anyway.
The first two novels I ever wrote got put aside for years. I debuted with #3 and published #4 as my second. By the time I went back to publish the first two (under a different pen name), they had gone through countless edits, and I hadn't seen them in years. I had become a better writer by then, and thanks to them being shelved for so long, I was able to be much more objective and polish them up quite a bit. They don't get rave reviews like my westerns, but they are wayyy better than their original versions.
I'm lucky I had the self-awareness - and the good advice of my CPs! - to wait and not publish something really amateurish. Had I done that, I would go back and polish it up.
Now I'm all about moving on to what's next and improving my craft as I go.
We got some record-breaking snow down here in the south. I'll end my post with some chilly photos for your enjoyment.
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IWSG is the brainchild of Alex J. Cavanaugh. It's a monthly bloghop that offers a safe haven for writers to express their feelings and concerns without fear of appearing foolish or weak. It's also a venue for offering support, both in the form of comments and positive posts. Writers of all kinds are welcome.
We 'meet' the first Wednesday of every month. If you're interested in learning more, click on the link above. And don't be intimidated by the size of the group. We're not expected to visit everyone on the list.
I think many of us have first manuscripts that could use work. I worked on mine for over 10 years and put it away. I'm hoping to pull it out now that I'm a better writer and fix it.
ReplyDeleteThat's why I'm glad I let my first novel sit in a drawer for thirty years.
ReplyDeleteNice snow! We saw some two weeks ago.
My friend Kerri is further south from you but they got a bunch of snow, too.
ReplyDelete🥶I waited a long time to release my first novel, and I'm glad it did--for the reasons you posted!
ReplyDeleteYou got snow and in southern BC, we didn't get much until a few days ago. It's cold though. Really cold.
ReplyDeleteAnna from elements of emaginette
I wrote 4 or 5 books before I 'found' the first one I wanted to publish.
ReplyDeleteHi,
ReplyDeleteI am agreeing with you. I too am so glad that I pulled my first novel back. It won't be published until I know that it is top fit to publish by the professionals who work with me on it.
Shalom shalom
Your house looks like mine a few days ago. Brrrr.
ReplyDeleteEven though I am rewriting book 1, I have no regrets about publishing it. I met a lot of amazing people through the process who I wouldn't have if I'd waited. That experience is golden to me. I'm just glad I'm a better writer now to be able to recognize the faults of book 1.
Love the snowy photos, Melissa. We all grow as writers. Lucky you to have CP partners to tell you the stories weren't ready. We ALL need others to read our stories to be sure what we think in our minds is actually on the page. Bravo!
ReplyDeleteGood you were able to resurrect those early stories. I haven't quite dared yet, and it has been a long time so like you I would probably be a lot more objective about it. But my genres and approaches have changed so much, it might be hard to relate.
ReplyDeleteThe Cyberverse ate my comment last month. I hope that your weather has improved and that March is good to you, Melissa.
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