Should I keep writing in 'my world' or move on

[jasoninchina]

So I just completed my first story of any substantial length. Please have a look at it here and let me know what you think. It's a 35k word novella.

My question now is whether I should continue writing in this world or move on. Originally, I intended for this story to be a writing exercise which would help me to get to know the characters and the world. If fact, I have at least four or five ideas for subsequent stories. However, I am now wondering if I should simply move on to something new. I have heard from experienced writers that as you become a more proficient writer, you should allow yourself to move on to better stories.

So what do you all think? Keep writing in 'my world' or move on. Again, please give feedback on my story if you have the time. Thanks

Jasoninchina

[tmso]

Hey Jason,

Don't feel too bad if no one reads your novella and offers feedback. Please know that something of that length is a substantial commitment to ask others to take on. Especially if you have not reciprocated the effort (i.e. read and commented on the work of others).

You may want to consider joining an online critique group such as Critters (at critters.org). There are others out there, so you may want to do some searching for one that is right for you, but that's the one I've used in the past.

FYI - I checked out the first few paragraphs of your first chapter and it seemed fine. Whether you want to continue writing in this world is entirely up to you. Do you feel like writing your other ideas for this world?

If you are just starting out writing, I think anything you write is good practice.

[Michael B]

My question now is whether I should continue writing in this world or move on. Originally, I intended for this story to be a writing exercise which would help me to get to know the characters and the world. If fact, I have at least four or five ideas for subsequent stories. However, I am now wondering if I should simply move on to something new. I have heard from experienced writers that as you become a more proficient writer, you should allow yourself to move on to better stories.

My answer would be that it depends where the idea work. Most of my writing is fantasy, but last year I wrote a steam punk story that would not work in fantasy because part of the plot involved Napoleonic like Article of War. In fact originally the background of British India in the 19th century, but I could not find any ezines in that genre. A few strokes of a metaphorical pen and the story took place on Mars with its canals and deserted cities.

So, if the ideas work in the world Hytheria then write them there. If not, then write them in their own world rather than feel you must bend them to fit.

On The Tales of Hytheria, your writing is rather repetitive in places. for example in "Malise was indeed heading toward Deven’s table. Deven suddenly found his porridge of appropriate taste and brought his head down to the bowl. With one spoon full after another, Deven inhaled the salty creation. The spoon hit the bowl with every shoveling. Deven couldn’t see where Malise had gone until her legs entered his peripheral vision. She slowed next to the table. She lingered for a moment, perhaps wondering if she should say." you have two sentences close together starting about the spoon and two more starting with She.

That is not is say that you can't repeat yourself. However, I got pulled up on this is a submission of a novel that I made last year.

[EricaW]

There's a fantasy writers group called fantasy writers.org (FWO) where you can get people to do chapter by chapter reviews, though of course, you'll need to do some reading and reviewing of other writers works on the site as well.

As for sticking in your world...that really depends on how you feel about it. Do you feel like you have a lot of stories you can tell in that setting? One advantage is that all the world building you've already done is there, waiting for you. You don't have to re-invent the wheel again.

A disadvantage is that if you want to tell a story with a very different kind of setting, culture, magic system or fantastical ecology, it can be harder to do so in the 'same world.' There are lots of fun ways you can approach it, though. For instance, there is no reason why fantasy worlds have to be 'frozen in time' any more than our own world has been. You can have a story take place in the same world decades, or even centuries earlier or later...or in a different country or continent. This would certainly allow you to change things about the culture, ecology, religions, or magic while keeping it in the same 'world.'

[RedMage]

Congratulations on finishing Jason! I haven't read your novella yet, but I'll try to get around to it soon. Especially as another novella writer, I'll have to hit it up!

I think you should write what you want to write. Don't let others tell you what to write or what not to write. Especially right now. You don't have an agent or publisher breathing down your neck for you to deliver the next book you promised me them in you best selling series, do you? The opening line of your post says you don't. So I would write what you want at this time. When you sell something and they ask for more of those characters and that world, then you can worry about people telling you what to write.

[ericksje]

Jason,

First off, congratulations on finishing a work. in my opinion, if there is one thing harder than 'finishing' a story, it's starting one.

As far as 'writing within your world' is concerned, that's completely up to you. Our contemporary world (as a setting) has already produced countless stories; and you have a world with the potential to be as rich this one (and other fictional ones, too).

Again, whether or not you want to explore the world you've created is completely up to you. If you keep with the world you have, you can continue to explore and build. If you don't, you can create something completely new, but keep the option of returning to your original world.

There is sometimes a misconception among young writers that there is a right or wrong (or popular) method or way to write something. There's not. Tell the story you want to tell.

Joe Campbell repeated, "Follow your bliss," ad nauseum. Write what you love, man.

Again, congrats. Every finished work is a milestone.

[jasoninchina]

Thanks you to everyone. I was so glad to read all of the encouraging comments. I feel very happy to have finished my story and I'm eagerly planning the next chapter.

What I have decided to do is to choose a different style of story for each subsequent novella. For #2, I have chosen to throw my characters into a murder mystery. I've been doing a lot of research and have loads of ideas I can't wait to explore. I have also developed an overall story that would traverse all the novels and connect them.

I have really grown fold of the novella format. It's short enough to write in a couple months, while being long enough to have a fleshed out story.

Again, thank you to everyone who comments. By the way, I am always free and willing to read novella's written by others, so please pm me if anyone wants to trade.