If you read my previous post (or my Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter feeds) then you know that signing with Tina P. Schwartz of the Purcell Agency just after Christmas has changed my outlook for 2020, but what you don't know is that's only half of it.
As 2019 was drawing to a close I was prepping to self publish my adult mystery/crime novel and now instead I need to begin work on book number two in a YA series. Just about everything about the year ahead has changed - my goals, my outlook, my energy level, and my plan of attack. But that's not the only thing that has changed.
The manuscript that Tina signed me for was entitled PRICK, which I envision as a three book venture (JERK and TOOL to be the follow ups). The thing is - there are actually two versions of PRICK. Early on I worked with a prospective agent who requested MAJOR changes to the book, which I made, changing the whole arc (and subplot) of the story and pinpointing a different villain. Although I could never quite satisfy that other agent, I spent a lot of time involved in that second version and as a result its the one most fresh in my mind.
Although both versions of the story are strong and each has its strengths, I feel (and so does my wife) that the original version is more emotionally satisfying. So when it came time to sit down for my pitch session with Tina I made a gut decision and told her about version #1. That's the version she read - fell in love with - and signed me with.
Here's the rub. Because both versions of the book were so vastly different - that means the follow up will be as well. Thankfully, I was forward thinking and created two different outlines, but it also means I now need to re-calibrate my brain and re-immerse myself in my original story. That's not a problem because I'm actually looking forward to it.
You see, I'm looking forward to a lot of things these days.
