Incanus
Auror
Great question. I've been contemplating this issue for a while now. I'm very happy to see what others with more experience under thier belts have to say about this. I'm right now leaning towards using this approach, whatever terms may apply ('practice novel', 'simpler novel'). I'm trying to be smart about this.
I've got the BIG idea--it's large, it's complex, it's pretty original. But I've never completed a novel before, only several bads starts. I did finish a novella, even though I realized it was doomed early on, I saw it through, just to complete something(it's terrible). The big idea needs far, far more skill and experience than I currently have. I'm not even sure at this point if its one book, or a few. Even then, it suggests sequels, or a series of sequels.
So, what I have in mind, then, is to take on a simpler, smaller novel idea--an average sized novel--and set it in the same world as the first idea; probably during a different era, or otherwise far removed in time. I think this way, I could sort of address the two 'sides' of this issue reasonably: I could work on a novel that is more 'do-able', and that I cared about, and was still 'publishable' (one can hope), but if it flops, the big idea will still be there, more or less undamaged.
In the meantime, while I ponder all this, I will try to dash out a batch of short-stories.
Does this sound like a decent approach? A reasonable plan?
I've got the BIG idea--it's large, it's complex, it's pretty original. But I've never completed a novel before, only several bads starts. I did finish a novella, even though I realized it was doomed early on, I saw it through, just to complete something(it's terrible). The big idea needs far, far more skill and experience than I currently have. I'm not even sure at this point if its one book, or a few. Even then, it suggests sequels, or a series of sequels.
So, what I have in mind, then, is to take on a simpler, smaller novel idea--an average sized novel--and set it in the same world as the first idea; probably during a different era, or otherwise far removed in time. I think this way, I could sort of address the two 'sides' of this issue reasonably: I could work on a novel that is more 'do-able', and that I cared about, and was still 'publishable' (one can hope), but if it flops, the big idea will still be there, more or less undamaged.
In the meantime, while I ponder all this, I will try to dash out a batch of short-stories.
Does this sound like a decent approach? A reasonable plan?