Stick a fork in it, it's done. Unexpected that is. I have finished it, done the synopsis, and sent it off to my editor. And this time I vow I will not stalk my emails! She might not even have it read by the time I leave for my vacation anyway.
So next up is my story I am calling "Trust" right now. That won't be the final title but I am not sure what their book will be called be right now. I'd like to try and make this my first novel length gay romance. We'll see if I can manage it.
So my recent mindset begs the question:
Do I continue to write medievals? I still love the time period, but do I have the ability, the voice to write them? I used to think so. I am not so sure any longer. And the truth is many of the print publishers are still not buying them. That may change of course. But see the thing is, I have thought my medieval, Redemption, was good. It's only a first draft so I knew it was far from perfect, but I thought it was decent work. Among some of the best I've done lately and yet in the one and only contest I decided to enter it in all three judges trashed it. I mean the scores were appallingly bad. I thought at first mine was last place but I think it was actually second-to-last which is not much comfort frankly. Okay, it was THAT bad? I mean one judge gave me a 94 out of 150 points. That is really, really pathetic. I judged the same contest and even the entry I thought needed the most work didn't get that low of a score from me. Did I really suck that much to deserve an almost 60 point deduction? I guess maybe I am just clueless about what a medieval should be. I mean that had been through a critique group and no one there thought it sucked. I just don't get it. And is that the problem? I just don't get what these women who read that time period want?
I don't know. And that is what worries me. Okay five people in the critique group like it but three judges hate it. Which do I believe? Can I in all conscience just dismiss those three people? I do have two medievals about to be published, but one is a gay romance and I don't think you can truthfully view those in the same light as what these contests judges are looking for. I am fairly certain these judges would be disgusted by the love shared by William and Duncan no matter the time. I don't think A Man Not Her Own my other medieval coming out is terrible.
On the other hand, one of my own dear friends who writes medievals couldn't get through even a few chapters of Sinful. She kept giving me excuses as to why she hadn't gotten the crit done so finally I just told her not to bother. It had gotten to the point where it was painful to both of us. She meant well, but it was clear she didn't want to do it. I know part of that is she just hates paranormals and Sinful is definitely paranormal.
So does that leave me with abandoning historicals altogether? I've written some Regency-set historicals and of course had them published but many of my partially written historicals will just not work, I know that now, and I am not entirely certain I could change them to work. Not and keep the plots the way I had intended.
I certainly never intended to write contemporaries, although that is what I have been delving into lately. I don't know the answer but I know I am discouraged.
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