Rethinking

I just finished a read through of my second draft of Slave of the Sphere. This is a different kind of project for me that I still think has a lot of potential. The problem is, it is going to take a huge amount of work to fix it. "Sphere" is a lot bigger project than any of my others. It is a darker, more epic kind of project that is nothing like the light-hearted adventures I've done thus far. Character relationships are much more complex and the world more detailed.

So, after finishing reading the draft and comments from my writing group, I'm torn between abandoning the six months work I've already put into it or if I should just knuckle down and fix it. I discovered that I so much more enjoy writing the light, middle-grade stuff and it is hard for me to want to go back into this dark world.

But at the same time, I've always wanted to write epic fantasy. And this idea is completely different than anything else I've ever seen. I hate to give up on it. That said, I've learned a lot about being a writer from this. By doing a project over my head, I've had to stretch myself as a writer. Even if this story never reaches the light of day, it should hopefully help me with my other, lighter stuff.

For now, my plan is to do a new outline for it, with comprehensive character analysis. I'll then let it sit for a while as I go back to working on Memoir of a Teenage Sidekick. I'll let my subconscious continue to work on it while I stick with the more comedic works that I love. Maybe I'll get another draft done this year to help me improve my writing even further. For now, though, I've decided to put this more complex project on a longer developmental path.