The Second Book

This may seem like an odd title for an article, but it has come to my attention after talking to other authors. We have a problem.

How to write a second book when the first book has received such great ratings and reviews. It doesn't matter if its a best seller, the fact you have read your reviews and heard from others, "I couldn't put it down." Now what?
I'm in that spot. My first novel came with a muse that drove me to write this story. It began with the 2012 Nano and I furiously wrote my fifty thousand words and completed the challenge. Whew! I was done.
No I wasn't. I read it over and fifty thousand words does not a make a good novel. Maybe a novella, but there were things missing in my story; conflict, emotion, tension and a deeper storyline.
I had foot surgery and had to sit the month of January. While watching the Jodie Arias trial I began writing the book over. Filling in character and beefing up the storyline.
That book was published by an Indie publisher and that is a whole different article.
What now? I had two novels in the folder and a couple I had written and dumped. What to write?

Back in the 80's I had written a story that seemed to catch everyone's interest. A fiction based on fact. Those who read my beginner's novel have pushed to have me rewrite it.

Now the dilemma. This story isn't pushing me the way the other story did. I've done all the research and now its the task of sitting down and writing. It feels like I have keyboard fright. I make excuses why I don't write: "I have a contest to write an article for."
"I've been invited to join Game of Thrones." "I work odd hours and don't feel like writing when I get home."
"I'm busy?"
They all sound like great reasons, but underneath it all its FEAR!!
I didn't find much help on the internet. Most of the articles are about the fear writing PERIOD. The Blank page or computer screen is daunting. That isn't my problem. I'm being asked over and over, "When is your next book coming out? I can't wait to read it."
I mutter something about "I'm working on it," and shuffle away hoping that will suffice.
It doesn't suffice me. The story is sitting there like the elephant in the room. I can't ignore it. Its not a fully developed elephant. A skeleton with an ear, part of a trunk, some muscle and tissue, but its BIG!
What if I can't write this story and make it as good as the last one? What if I'm a one hit wonder?
I did find this on a blog:

Think about WHY, HOW and WHAT do you write Maybe if I answer these questions it will jump start me writing again.
WHY?
At one time I'd have to say the plots poured into my brain and I couldn't write them down fast enough. Gradually over the last few years I find the plots aren't as easily captured. They seem to be just out of my reach. This also may be because I have lost the drive to read. I used to read voraciously, now not so much. The stories don't grab my interest. I found three local authors at a Bookfest, I volunteered at, and have finished one so far. Then found another today. A local woman who volunteers at a library. We exchanged info and I promised I would read and review her book. I hope she does the same for me.

HOW?
I'm not a clean freak, I love order on my desk when I worked, but no so much at home. The clutter is familiar and I just ignore it. As long as the keyboard is clear and I have a coffee/tea, I'm good. My notebooks are right beside me. I'd love a laptop. I have used a Surface but don't find it as easy to write on as I thought. I'll give it another try.
I have notebooks all stashed all over with notes from how-to books. I have notes about things I thought about at some time to add to the story. All there waiting to be integrated on to the page.

WHAT?
I don't write in one genre. I write stories. Its probably why I have a big portfolio here in Writing.com. I enter contests and such. Sometimes I don't actually enter the contest because I found it too late or I took too long to write it. Still the story came to me and I wrote it down. Almost everything is twentieth century. A few are in the 1800s.
I like stories about people. Incidents in their lives that can be developed. WHAT IF? is my favorite question. I read the backs of books or the fly leaf and think; What if this happened instead?
What if the story I'm writing never got told? What if someone out there read it and was inspired to write? What if I just put my rear end in the chair and started writing the story and stuffed the worry into a trash can under my desk? What if I just said, "I'm a good writer and if there is anything wrong with the story, I have those who aren't afraid to tell me so."

I guess I have no excuse any more. I have no reason why not to just write the story. I guess this ends this article. I hope you found the courage to sit down and write the story that's been buried in a notebook since you published your book. Its time to do the work.



WC 960