Finish the other two books? Or start another one?

So I’ve got Project #1 finished, but it was clearly my first attempt and I made (am making) all the rookie mistakes.

• Only proofed and re-read, didn’t really “revise” anything.
• Didn’t go through every plotline, every character, and make sure they were handled properly.
• Kept lots of words because it was Hard Work writing them! #sentimental
• Sent my manuscript to ONE Beta Reader, then entered it in contests and sent it to agents. Fuck’s sake, *I* would have rejected it, no lie.

So it needs lots of work. Okay, no worries, I can do that. Just need to roll up my sleeves and… wait, what? Whoa. It needs A LOT OF WORK. Fuck it, I’ll just rewrite the damn thing.

But then I get in there and I end up really liking what I’ve written in some spots. In others, DELETE. But still. It’s slow going.

On top of that, I’ve finished Project #2 – The Sequel, and got knee-deep in revising that one. So I’m halfway through 2nd edit on that one and 1/4 of the way through with 1st rewrite/5th revision on Project #1 and BAMMO, I’m reading one of my favourite authors and I get an idea too good to quell.

So I start writing Project #3, a standalone or part of a new series, don’t know. But I really like it, and I blow through Act 1. Then I solidly outline Act 2. Then I bog out. Stuck. How to end it? Experience has taught me that I’ll learn on the way, half plotter/half pantser, but still. I’m SUPPOSED to be working on the other two books to get them ready to publish by the end of this year.

On top of all that, I really like reading, so I don’t write as much as I want to be doing because I’m loving what I’m reading.

Anyway, that’s just a brief li’l update. I suppose it’s a good problem to have, two finished manuscripts vying for my attention, with a third coming up.