One of the most devastating, DEVASTATING things for me was, when I was a year and a half into a project, about 250,000 words of research and manuscript written, was clicking a goodreads contest from Twitter, only to find that the book was EXACTLY like the book I was writing. The only difference I think was choir kids vs band kids. The MC even had my dog's name.
I get that there is nothing new under the sun, but this book was so similar to what I was writing--I had to scrap the whole thing. I cried about it. I was really angry. I still, out of spite, haven't read that other book.
I wish I was a faster writer sometimes. Or a better writer. Or that my good ideas were more frequent.
I had a weird few moments where something I'd sent to a workshop that was 'unrealistic' in a sci-fi story later popped up in physics news. Black hole cosmogony isn't new, but the way it was written about looked just like dialogue I was writing. And then there were the wormholes... oh the wormholes.
Still not published the book. I'm on the fence about querying it when 80% of my fanbase says to go self-pub, but I feel the book might benefit from that longer process. We'll see. They are doing a good job of convincing me at the moment.
WWII witches who fly fighter and bombing missions is a solid idea, as the Temeraire series and Jonathan Strange were to the Napoleonic Wars. Maybe one gets shot down by an enemy witch, so a team has to go in an rescue her and others from a witch prison camp. Meanwhile, they're trying to escape. Sort of David Fisher's WAR MAGICIAN with real magic.
Wow, Kate, get out of my head! I'm in the middle of a major revise to my ms and this intrusive thought has been pushing me way beyond my usual flow. I think it's because my new dev editor gushed over how high concept my idea is and said it was right for me to keep it to myself. I got triggered, and now I just want to *finish this draft* and get it back out there before someone beats me to it! But you're right, concept notwithstanding, this is the book only *I* can write, and I have to lean into that. So happy to know this is normal and I'm not alone. Thank you!
One of the most devastating, DEVASTATING things for me was, when I was a year and a half into a project, about 250,000 words of research and manuscript written, was clicking a goodreads contest from Twitter, only to find that the book was EXACTLY like the book I was writing. The only difference I think was choir kids vs band kids. The MC even had my dog's name.
I get that there is nothing new under the sun, but this book was so similar to what I was writing--I had to scrap the whole thing. I cried about it. I was really angry. I still, out of spite, haven't read that other book.
I wish I was a faster writer sometimes. Or a better writer. Or that my good ideas were more frequent.
I had a weird few moments where something I'd sent to a workshop that was 'unrealistic' in a sci-fi story later popped up in physics news. Black hole cosmogony isn't new, but the way it was written about looked just like dialogue I was writing. And then there were the wormholes... oh the wormholes.
Still not published the book. I'm on the fence about querying it when 80% of my fanbase says to go self-pub, but I feel the book might benefit from that longer process. We'll see. They are doing a good job of convincing me at the moment.
WWII witches who fly fighter and bombing missions is a solid idea, as the Temeraire series and Jonathan Strange were to the Napoleonic Wars. Maybe one gets shot down by an enemy witch, so a team has to go in an rescue her and others from a witch prison camp. Meanwhile, they're trying to escape. Sort of David Fisher's WAR MAGICIAN with real magic.
Thanks - I needed that.
perfect words, and perfectly timed--as usual! Thank you, Kate.
Wow, Kate, get out of my head! I'm in the middle of a major revise to my ms and this intrusive thought has been pushing me way beyond my usual flow. I think it's because my new dev editor gushed over how high concept my idea is and said it was right for me to keep it to myself. I got triggered, and now I just want to *finish this draft* and get it back out there before someone beats me to it! But you're right, concept notwithstanding, this is the book only *I* can write, and I have to lean into that. So happy to know this is normal and I'm not alone. Thank you!