The Great Question

In my last post, I talked about some agent interest. However, I also gave the fun facts about publishing (easier to be struck by lighting on a sunny day).

So, the great question that I have been fussing over that last week is what path will I attempt? Should I do the work necessary to change the beginning scene to one of action simply because it might sell better or will I stick with the slow, mournful air that I prefer?

I also have toyed with the idea of writing Finley's adventures post volume two. I've always known what he is up to during that time but I never wrote the scenes because I wanted some ambiguity and a bit of quiet desperation for Amelia. However, Finley is Finley and he is very busy being naughty and devoted. I wish he weren't so fun to write.

I heard back from my latest reader (I know you have probably lost count by now). She has read some of my other work and she always gives great constructive criticism. In addition to my thoughts on Fin, she told me she wanted more of Edward as well. I told her about some of the rewrites I planned and she said she would love to read it again. I rarely say on here what my readers specifically say - they can share it - but I rarely do - but I feel blessed to have such a willing reader who will read the same story more than once for me. It can be taxing and I really appreciate it.

However, I got sidetracked. Who do I think I am? Richard Walter? Ah, back to the point. Most young adult fiction (about 80%) is written in the first person. Ms. Editor asked me why I chose third as opposed to first - since third is less popular for young adult. I told her that I wanted to show some of the other characters (specifically Edward) away from Amelia. (Ms. Editor was the only one of my appointments who had read the original and so she knew what I meant.) Also, the original was written in third (and loosely at times - the way I did it).

Now there are some writers who write the protagonist in first and the antagonist in third. That is one option. I have toyed with the idea. The major rewriting doesn't scare me. Death and Life is in first person and there is something very freeing about writing inside the character's head. However, if I do attempt to write Finley's exploits into the third volume I still think third is the most flexible - some might say too flexible the way I employ it - but since Ms. Editor didn't mind it and there are a few plot points that hinge directly on the movement of perspective, even within a scene, I think I would maintain the fluid way I tell the story and keep it in third.

But, is it worth it? Is it worth it to add scenes and rewrite the beginning?

I think I may try it to see if I can do it. After all, I wrote this adaptation on a whim to begin with - just to see if I could do it.

But, the other question, the question about whether I will ever submit any pages to anyone again is still out there. The chances of succeeding are slim and I am not truly convinced that I would want to have to change my story in a way that would make it commercially viable. Changing a few scenes here or there is one thing but altering Amelia's journey to reflect one that would be punchy enough to sell is another.

This is the question. And, right now, the answer is unknown.