Julie - I need to find that article because your experience with re-viving an old idea sounds like mine. I do think the key is to start over and not try to re-write something that didn’t work before. Use the idea, try again and see if it works. If not, be smart enough to move on. The idea worked for you - huge congrats on the three-book deal!!! I love hearing stories like that.

Kim - Thank you, and thank you for all of your support throughout the year!

I wrote an article a while ago called “To All The Manuscripts I’ve Loved Before” that tackles this very topic.

The book I have coming out in April is an old book. In fact, it was the book I came closest to selling back in, oh, 1992-3…right before I quit writing for a year after receiving going through a revision process with an editor and then having the line fold before she could buy the book. I took a year off, then started writing again in a whole different genre. I sold the next book. And another one after that. And then I decided to try and sell the old book to my new editor…she said no. I sent it off to SIM…no. When Blaze launched, I tried to sell it. No go. In the meantime, I wrote 20+ books for Harlequin and Pocket.

Then two years ago, I realized that the characters and situation of that old book had stayed with me after all those years. I did not drag out the old manuscript, but started fresh. My new skills and abilities, learned through years of writing other stories, finally gave me the ability to pull off that story that I simply didn’t have the skill to tell all those years ago. I wrote up something new and sold it as a three-book series to NAL. It’s been a long road, but I learned early on that some stories just aren’t ready to be told yet and we need to move on and keep learning. Maybe, just maybe, you’ll be able to go back.

And maybe you won’t. Trust me, my first two books will never see the light of day.

Anyway, great advice and thank you so much for coming to Plotmonkeys today!!

Gwen - Thank you for the fabulous review of RIGHT HERE, RIGHT NOW at TGTBTU. Unfortunately I can’t get on the site to read it. My internet service provider and TGTBTU seem to be fighting. It’s the strangest thing.

Beth - I’ve heard Nora say that too. Further proof that woman can do anything. She’s amazing.

Leslie - I forgot to congratulate you on the romantic suspense sale!!! That is great news. I absolutely love romantic suspense and am excited to pick it up.

Off to dinner. Thanks again to the Plotmonkeys ladies for letting me stop by today. Your new releases look terrific. I’m off to B&N tomorrow to do some shopping for your books!

Darlene - Ah, yes. We all have that filing cabinet drawer. It’s a tough one to shut and equally hard to open sometimes. Say hello to Mr. Wonderful for me! I hope to see you both on my blog one day soon.

Donna - I hope you enjoy YOUR MOUTH DRIVES ME CRAZY! It was fun to write.

Diana - I agree that moving forward is the answer. Sometimes you can do that with an old idea, completely rewritten and refined. Other times starting fresh is the answer. And there’s nothing better than when you write something, know it’s good and have an editor agree. What a fabulous thing.

Estella - Thank you!! I hope you enjoy RIGHT HERE, RIGHT NOW too!

Susan - Thanks!

Pat - It’s part of the job, unfortunately. It can break your heart but it makes getting it “right” and selling all the better.

azteclady - No vamps for me - but you know that! I leave those stories to the people who tell them so well. I would stink at it.

Robin - Thank you for your kind words about YOUR MOUTH DRIVES ME CRAZY. I hope you enjoy RIGHT HERE, RIGHT NOW. I am so sorry about the rejection. It’s part of the process, but it’s the tough part. Write what works for you - category, single title, novellas or whatever. On resubmitting, I think editors who want you to revise and send manuscripts back usually tell you that. I’m not an expert on this, but without that open door to re-submit that same project I think you might want to try someone else and send that editor who rejected your work something else.

Kimberly - I love your books!!! Thank you so much for trying mine. Hope that helps with the reading funk.

Jill - Excellent advice!

Leslie - Thanks for inviting me!! The sophomore slump is a killer. Your comments are a good reminder that the first sale is not a ticket to the perfect writing life. Everyone gets rejections. Two years ago Jayne Ann Krentz spoke and said that an editor had recently rejected one of her ideas. Jayne Ann Krentz!!!! She’s a bestseller. Just goes to show that it’s a process without guarantees.