Are old manuscripts gathering dust in your archives?
by Ruth Harris.
Every writer has (at least) one and probably more. They’re the old manuscripts we—most certainly including Anne and me—started but didn’t finish or did finish but somehow went off track. They’re our false starts, our duds and misfires, our first novels, our practice novels, our orphans, our cast-offs.
Abandoned, neglected, shunted aside, started but never finished, they’re the old manuscripts collecting dust somewhere in the distant reaches of our hard drives.
They also include books we finished that were never published, or else were published so badly they never found their audience.
1. Books we finished but…
- There’s the perfectly good book that was rejected by publishers. My post on rejection lays out the reasons why publishable manuscripts get turned down.
- Rejected by the agent who was once upon a time so enthusiastic.
- Turned down by the editor who “loved” it—but not enough to make an offer.
- Ghosted—agents or publishers never even bothered to send a rejection note.
- Dumped—the option book your publisher turned down.
- Published? Technically, yes, but your publisher kept it a deep, dark secret. No ads, no promo, the book ended up spine out on a bottom shelf next to the utility closet on the second floor at Barnes & Noble.
- Published! But. Wrong cover. Lousy title. Your publisher put a steam punk cover on your tender coming-of-age story and/or titled your hot, steamy romance Really Boring, Don’t Read. (In tiny, illegible font). What!? You think stuff like this doesn’t happen????
2. Books we started but didn’t finish.
We had reasons for abandoning the old manuscripts:
- The brilliant idea that turned out to be not so brilliant.
- The plot that meandered into a vast swamp of dead ends.
- And speaking of swamps, what about unused or underused settings? The haunted house that doesn’t scare anyone. The gold-plated McMansion whose status-conscious occupants never feel the sting of envy or confront the threat of Losing It All. The pleasant-on-the-surface small town that doesn’t harbor deep, dark secrets. Really?
- Poorly conceived or ineptly drawn characters. Arc? What arc? Noah’s arc? They’re unmotivated and so were you.
- Villains so horribly, vomitously, irredeemably, slime-drippingly evil even a four-year-old would just giggle.
- Protags so goody-goody the unwary reader risks diabetic shock.
- Turgid info dumps that bored even us because we didn’t know how to skillfully handle backstory.
- We lost our focus when we had a bigger, better, more fabulous idea and couldn’t resist the lure of the bright, shiny object of our new desire.
3. Not all value can be counted in dollars and cents.
Everything we write has value even if in our darkest moods we don’t think so. For writers, creative value counts as does the value accrued from experience, even the efforts that seemed to fail.
To use a sports analogy, think of your old manuscripts as bench players, ready to come in to save the day or relief pitchers who can save the game.
Or, to use a banking analogy, old manuscripts are a savings account of ideas/characters/plots from which we can draw.
To venture into real estate-speak, they’re fixer-uppers.
They’re the books we wrote when we still needed training wheels (but didn’t know it). Anne points the way to writing a publishable first novel.
4. A well-executed rescue mission of old manuscripts can turn a fizzle into sizzle.
Lots of times our false starts are not (nearly) as bad as we think.
If they’re kinda, sorta halfway there, we can perform makeover magic without too much anguish.
If your book was published into the wasteland of remaindered books, you can (and should) revert the rights and take over the publishing chores yourself.
Even if our early tries actually do stink on ice, no need to abandon all hope. We can certainly learn from them and even “borrow”—let’s be honest here, steal—from them.
- A half-forgotten character here, an ancient plot twist there, can be just what you need right now today to bust a block, shore up a floundering middle or transform a nothingburger ending.
- The plot twist that fell flat on first attempt can be corrected when viewed from different perspective the second time around.
- A clichéd villain/hero/sidekick might need just a few tweaks.
- The genre-confused plot. Half horror, half romance? (Not that that ever happens in real life. Oy.) Seriously, think like a pro and revise/rewrite with the relevant genre tropes in mind.
- Delete clichés along with the spongy, weasely, weak words that don’t get to the point, the ones that aren’t crisp and precise, the ones that drag out a description without adding anything except length or indicate an emotion without bringing it to life.
- Eliminate everything that doesn’t advance your story, define your characters or make optimum use of the setting. See if the resulting clarity doesn’t vastly improve your book. TIP: Duplicate your document (or in Scrivener, take a snapshot) before you embark on major surgery just in case you get too enthusiastic.
- Sharpen dialogue. Just as you leave out the um’s and ah’s of real life, leave out chitchat about the weather, the local gossip, the “warming up” before you get to the point.
5. Calling Dr. Kildare.
Don’t give up on books that went off track/ended in a ditch. Let them rest for a month—or a year if needed. Revisit earlier work with a clear eye and analyze flaws. Since you’ve upped your game in the intervening time (you have, haven’t you????), you’ve now have tools to correct the flaws of the past.
- Maybe the book really starts on Chapter Three. Happens. Anne and Ruth both chimed in on first chapters.
- Bad opener. Maybe you need to come up with a kick ass first line.
- A saggy middle? Here are some good ideas for the needed fix.
- A blah or confused or are-you-effing-kidding-me? ending can be sharpened, tightened, expanded or otherwise shaped up.
- Good guys who are too good and bad guys who are too bad. (Yes, it’s possible.) Characters require shades of grey to be believable.
- Too many sub-plots? The ones that go nowhere, wander off and disappear or result in a dead end? Decide if they should be combined and streamlined or even done away with.
- Too many characters? Do they get in each other’s way? Do they perform the same function in your book? Cut and combine is the answer.
- Plot holes and pot holes? Ruth’s post on plot holes can get you moving again.
- Wrong length? Maybe what looks like a shapeless mess is not a novel but a short story or a novella. Short is in. Mara Purl’s post on novellas, novelettes, and serial fiction lays out the details. And Paul Alan Fahey tells how to write a novella in a step-by-step guide.
- Blah, blah, blah. The boring, go-nowhere hi-how-are-you dialogue dump. Anne praises the value of indirect dialogue and how and when to use it.
You know, the usual suspects. ID them. Hunt them down. Fix them. There’s plenty of help out there.
6. The book doesn’t work and you still can’t figure out why.
Now what? Don’t despair and don’t give up. At least not yet.
- Write a synopsis. Boiling the book down to essentials can help provide a clearer path to problem-solving. Anne’s hacks will help.
- Try a reverse outline for organization and clarity and to uncover plotting oopsies.
- Write the blurb. A focus on the sizzle might lead the way to figuring out if the book you meant to write is actually the book you did write.
- First person or third? Perhaps the story needs to be told from a different POV than the one you originally chose.
- Review your earlier drafts. Sometimes an earlier draft is better than the one you worked so hard to “improve.” I’m not kidding. Happened to me last week. Here’s where Scrivener’s snapshot function makes the job easier and will also even let you compare drafts.
- Read bestsellers in your genre. The way other authors solved the issues you might be facing can nudge you in the right direction when you are lost.
- Read blogs. Read books about craft. Other writers are your best friends.
- Sometimes…though, when you’ve tried everything and nothing works, when you’re spinning your wheels and getting nowhere, giving up is the best revenge. Anne tells when and why abandoning a WiP is the right choice.
Blogiversary!
The end of July marks the seventh year since I joined Anne’s blog. She’s put up with me so far and, for my part, I’ve enjoyed every moment working with her.
More important, both of us love and appreciate our wonderful readers and the savvy commenters who’ve cheered us on—and kept us on our toes.
Can’t you hear the pop of the champagne we just opened to toast your indispensable contributions? The blog wouldn’t be the warm, friendly place it is without you! 🙂
by Ruth Harris (@RuthHarrisBooks) July 29, 2018
What about you, scriveners? Do you have any musty old manuscripts languishing in your archives? When was the last time you dusted one off and looked at it with new eyes? How about old books that were rejected again and again? Ever think they might not be as bad as you thought? Maybe their time hadn’t come? Have you ever revived an abandoned book?
Meanwhile Anne is poisoning people again over at her book blog. She’s examining sleeping pills as a murder weapon. Turns out they don’t work as well as they used to. Sleeping Pills: Poisoning People for Fun and Profit #36.
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OPPORTUNITY ALERTS
ARTS AND LETTERS UNCLASSIFIABLES CONTEST Have a piece that doesn’t fit in a genre? Or it’s not quite poetry OR prose? This the contest for you! $8 ENTRY FEE. This contest is for unclassifiable works: works that blur, bend, blend, erase, or obliterate genre and other labels. Works of up to 5,000 words considered. $500 prize. Deadline July 31, 2018.
ORISON BOOKS ANTHOLOGY $15 ENTRY FEE. They’re looking for spiritual/literary poetry, fiction and essays for their next anthology. $500 cash prize as well as publication in The Orison Anthology. Submit up to three poems, one work of fiction or nonfiction up to 8,000 words. Deadline August 1, 2018
UNO PRESS PUBLISHING LAB PRIZE For book-length fiction. Any genre. $18 ENTRY FEE. The University of New Orleans Press is looking for full-length fiction manuscripts, either novels or short story collections, for the fourth annual Publishing Lab Prize. The selected author will receive a $1,000 advance on royalties and a contract to publish their winning manuscript with UNO Press. Deadline August 15, 2018.
Stories That Need to be Told Contest from Tulip Tree press. $20 entry fee.. $1,000 prize for a poem, a short story, or an essay that “tells a story.” Also publication in the anthology, Stories That Need to Be Told. Up to 10,000 words. Categories: Passion, Depth, Humor, Love. Deadline August 26.
Glimmer Train Fiction Open. $3000 prize for a short story. Second prize $1000. Entry fee $21. Any subject or theme. From 3000 to 20,000 words Deadline August 31
13 Imprints of Big 5 publishers who take unagented submissions. From the good people at Authors Publish Magazine.
48 Small Presses looking for children’s books. Collated and vetted by Authors Publish magazine. (Great resource!)
Happy blogiversary, Ruth and Anne, and thanks for the info, Ruth.
Oh–and happy memories to everyone who got your Dr. Kildare reference!
Great tips. Now how do we protect all the unfinished stuff on our hard drive from being published by our heirs after we’re gone?
Thanks, Kathy. To answer your question: who cares? You’ll be dead and they’ll have to live with the consequences. 😉
Super post, Ruth! Sending my students to this one. I love the ‘hope’ this inspires, and particularly the tip about writing the synopsis to guide a clearer path to problem solving.
Melodie, Thanks. There are lots of ways we can rescue ourselves, we just have to learn to use them.
Wow. Thanks for this steaming heap of fabulous ideas for considering Lost Tales. Brava once more.
CS—Thanks!
CS–Ruth didn’t write this at my request, but it sure could apply to some of your “practice novels.” 🙂 Some good writing there! You might have a bunch of short stories!
This post is right up my alley. Two years ago, I decided to re-write a vanity published chapbook. Four chapters later, a Captain Obvious-style epiphany hit as I remembered ye olden slushie written oh, about 11 years ago that sort of functioned as a prequel. It was about 55% completed (main story about 85%, secondary about 25%). I dusted off the one hundred or so dust bunnies, re-read it, split both plots apart, and PRESTO!, created two brand new books that comprise two-thirds of a trilogy that ultimately will finally retire a very favorite character name (have used it in about 6 stories). Volume one was just published last month, and volume two has had three rounds of edits before being put on the shelf so that I can concentrate on book #3.
I have about one dozen others in various stages of completion that I should have no problem in fixing and re-using.
G.B.—Brilliant! My point exactly! Going through our old mss is like a treasure hunt…never know what gold we’ll find!
Hey ladies, happy blogaversary – you’re a great team, so I hope you never have to figure out how to split up the silverware and furniture. 😉
I definitely hang on to old stuff. In fact, my current series has recycled characters and themes from a previous ‘half-done’ book, and I’ve recently resurrected a few short stories by upgrading them and rethinking them.
While some people have stock and bonds to fall back on, writers have old manuscripts (intellectual property), to mine and repurpose. And there is gold in those hills sometimes.
Also too, I think we sometimes try to write a story we aren’t ready to write yet. Maybe we need to sharpen the writer chops or our IRL experience needs to catch up, or some other reason came up to put it aside. It can be amazing to come across an old manuscript and realize that. It’s like finding a lotto ticket under the sofa cushions.
Great post, Ruth.
Thanks,
Annie
Annie—Yes! Sometimes we just need time to catch up with ourselves. Now that we write on computers, our earlier tries are always available and, as you say, some of them are like finding a (winning) lotto ticket!
Congratulations in your seven year blog anniversary!
You had definitely leave a footprint in your reader’s souls.
Excellent post full of lots of great advice to kick off your new blogging year.
Keep moving forward, ladies!
Here is to many years more of success.
ingmarhek—Thank you. Glad to hear our posts resonate!
Great post, Ruth! Especially #6!
As I was reading along, I remembered a story I recovered I wrote about 6 years ago, but I never sent out because it seemed, well, thin-ish. Couldn’t put my finger on it — but when I looked at it last year, I saw that I was reaching for something that was beyond my experiences at the time. I could write about the core concept — but I hadn’t turned certain corners in my own life experiences to give it the depth it needed. I simply hadn’t lived enough to portray the story in its richest form.
So — seems there are things we writers just might have the imagination to write about, but not the gritty experiences in life to really do such things justice…you know, we imagine falling face first in the mud, but until it happens to us, it’s just imagination. :o)
Raising a glass high to you and Anne — your blog is like coming to an old friend’s home, having fave beverages and foods, then firing up a rousing discussion on — well — anything about the writing world!
May you both enjoy 7 more years, and then some!
Maria D’Marco
Maria—Thanks! Clinks glasses, cooks fave recipes! Your points are right on. Some times we just need to look at something from a different perspective, especially one honed by experience. Our own, or even those of friends/family.
Happy Blogoversary ladies. Here’s to many more successes and blog posts. I have a secret stash for my old manuscripts – the State Library of New South Wales who have collected what they grandly call my papers for many years. Sometimes an idea will resurface to be reworked, a background or plot twist rather than a whole book. As my mother used to say, waste not, want not.
valerieparv—the library at New South Wales has good taste and your mom was right! Thanks for taking the time to comment!
You two are an inspiration! Happy Blogoversary! Love from us in NZ
Awww! Thanks and love back to you and NZ from California and NYC.
Fabulous post Ruth! I’ve made a great habit from inception – never throw away any writing or deleting. There is always a rich nugget in something we’ve long forgotten we’ve ever written. 🙂 I’ll be sharing this post on my next writer’s links post next week. Hi Anne. 🙂
DG—good habit, smart decision. Thanks for the kind words and share!
My pleasure Ruth. 🙂
This is a timely post for me, Ruth. Lately I’ve been going through my discarded manuscripts. What I’ve found–in some cases–is that I was trying to write a novel but it was really a short story. After taking out all the filler I’m left with a gem.
Leanne—great minds and all that! 🙂 so glad to hear you found gems!
I have two such manuscripts and thank you for your suggestions. I’m going to use them.
Patricia—Yay! You go, girl!
When going through old files I found 15 short stories written in 1965-7 for master teacher Harold Keables. Because he insisted we “write what you know” they capture the despair, shame, hope and determination of being in high school during the years Martin Luther King was marching, the draft, the beginnings of so much change. I’m being true to my teacher and my high school self, and not rewriting. I’m publishing them soon under the title “One is a Lonely Number.” I’m interested to see if today’s teens relate to the issues – I think there are strong issue parallels but a different sociological world.
lolalwilcox—Very interesting! Curious to see how people react. Also might lead to some kind of historical fiction set during that period.
Only today, I wondered if i should give up on a project that is already too long or whether I should persevere. The advice to write a reverse outline of a synopsis is a good advice for me. It might help me find the ending too.
evebarbeau—Hope the reverse outline helps you find the ending. Also, since length is an issue, is it possible you have two books and the project needs to be split?
Thank you, Ruth! And happy blogoversary, to you and Anne.
Happy blog-aversary, Ruth. I have an old series that I want to get back to someday. I never sent it out and I’ve learned so much since I wrote, I think I could make it into something good. If only I had the time….
Susan—ah, yes, finding the time. I feel you. Still, put it on the list, let your subconscious work on it, see what happens. I bet good things!
Big congrats on the blogiversary ladies! Here’s to many more!
I don’t yet have any full unpublished manuscripts languishing, but god knows I have enough novellas, memoirs, essays, and lord knows what else languishing in my hard drive. I still have stuff I’m excited to be working on, but will doubtless mine it all one day, and then I’ll return to this bookmarked post!
If you’ll indulge me, I also wanted to take a moment to thank you for this blog. I stumbled upon it a year and a half ago when I’d started querying a book and had no idea where to begin. Today, July 31st, my debut book is being published (lifeandliesofdumbledore.com). I can’t believe it’s actually happening, and your posts have definitely helped me stay sane during the process – I’m not alone! Other established writers still struggle with this stuff! So thank you.
Irvin—Congratulations! I hope your publication is everything you hope for. 🙂
Thanks, too, for the kind words. Anne and I have been writing and publishing for a long time and share our mistakes and the pitfalls and problems along the way so other writers don’t have to. Still, we would never say it’s easy: it much more a (very) long learning process.
Good luck with mining your hard drive. Always interesting to look back and perhaps find some hidden treasures!
I was cleaning out my old files and I found a 1992/200 plus pages of something resembling a book. Or at least I was trying to and probably failed in the worst way.
I should give it a good read and see if there is anything in it and if there is maybe it’s the beginning of something. I have no clue what exactly I was trying to do.
Bryan—I love the way you express this: “something resembling a book.” I think we’ve all been there, wanting/trying to write, but not really having a clue. I wouldn’t be surprised if you find something of interest, maybe even more than you anticipate. Good luck with your mining expedition! Might well be gold in them thar hills. 🙂
Happy anniversary, Ruth and Anne. It is rare to find such an enduring and creative partnership, not to mention one that has helped and encouraged so many!
As for old manuscripts, I’m in possession of 2 such books on 3.5 floppy disks. Will the technological challenge of rescuring it be worth it? I’m not sure but your post has given me a shot in the arm and the will to try 🙂
Carmen—Thanks for the good wishes and kind words! I’m no expert on tech, but two old manuscripts might be well worth rescuing. Looking at work with a fresh eye can be really valuable.
I self-published my latest book and I’m concerned it may have flopped. Other WordPress authors that I follow agreed the title and the cover work (maybe could use some help). I’ve written the description three times attempting to make it stronger. My question, how long should you wait before you pull the book and perhaps start over? The book has been out approximately 15 weeks and I’ve sold less twelve ebooks, but the paperback is about twenty. Am I being too impatient? Thank you.
Chuck–I’m going to jump in here, even though this is Ruth’s post. She’ll probably have some wise things to say.
But I’m working on a blogpost on this subject because I see this question so often. The truth is it’s impossible to get traction with a singleton self-published title in today’s market. What you should be doing is writing another book. Fast. And some short pieces. Get them published. Then worry about marketing. You’re doing just fine. Let it ride.
Chuck—Anne is right. Keep writing, keep publishing. You need to build a presence before you start selling. Publishing success comes slowly—patience and resilience are required. Don’t spend your time second-guessing yourself right now. Just keep on writing. Attend to marketing later when you have more to sell.
How fortunate that I should come across this post today. I was just wondering this morning why sometimes I think my writing is absolute drivel and other times I think it is great and wonder how I ever wrote what I just read. Helpful post.
robbiesinspiration—Thanks for the kind words. Glad to learn the post was helpful, but welcome to the crowd. Every writer I know (including Anne and me) goes through the up and down cycles of “it’s great” and “it stinks.” Our challenge is to keep a healthy perspective—not always easy but certainly worth working at!
Late to the game as always– Happy Blogoversary Ruth!! Has it really been 7 years?? Where does the time go?
As for retired manuscripts, like you, I’ve found characters, plot lines, and gems in other works to be helpful in current writing. It’s always fun to realize, I’m not really that bad a writer after all.
Anne—Thanks and backacha! Eeeek. Seven years? Passed in a flash. Scary, isn’t it?
Happy to hear you, too, found the gold in manuscripts you’d—ahem—retired. We’re all much more creative than we think at times. I guess you could call us the ultimate recyclers!
I can relate so much to your second point, Ruth. And some great tips in your third. Fantastic post. Thank you! Bookmarking.
Sarah—Thanks for stopping by! Pleased the post resonated. Much easier to start than to finish, that’s for sure. 😉