novel update

Novel updates are becoming quite a feature of this blog. I'm pretty sure that's not a good thing. I suspect I'm writing this more for my benefit than anyone elses. There's not a lot to learn about writing from me!

I've crossed the 100,000 word line and can see that I only need to write about five more scenes before the first draft is finished. Rather than beat myself up over it, I'm taking a more placid view. The thing will be finished soon. However, I am thinking about what to do next. The book is nowhere near good enough to get published. I see it as a purely learning experience. With that in mind, is is even worth pushing it beyond a first draft into a second, let alone all the other drafts it might need before it becomes anything approaching a publishable piece of work?

I'm thinking it's not. I've been working (and learning) on this novel for the last few years and it's way past time to put it to one side and move on to something new, something that I can energised about. There's a temptation to pick up the story at the end of the last one - the major players are conveniently going to live with a situation that can easily be continued. But, if I do that, I'm bothered that it will seem that I haven't moved on enough. Maybe a whole raft of new characters and situations is what's needed for my second attempt. If Ray Bradbury did say that the first million words don't count, then I've got another nine novels to write before I have anything of any value. I may as well spend that time playing around in different sandpits.

If I put this one to bed in the next couple of weeks, and pushed myself to finish another novel before Nanowrimo, and then did nanowrimo, that could be another two novels this year. I know these are lofty ambitions but it might be worth it.

What would you do?