Why Am I Writing Content When I Dream of Writing Fiction?

 Writing novels is hard. I have a finished manuscript, and I'm trying to find an agent. I've had a few people ask me why I don't just publish online instead. But my dream has always been to be a traditionally published author. With another manuscript's first draft almost done and an outline for a third, I am still hopeful that I can get a book deal.

So why am I writing content when what I really want is to write is fiction?

Like many of us, the answer is simple: I need to pay my bills. I am just grateful that I found a way to do that while still doing something I genuinely love. Whether I'm writing for my clients or telling my own stories, I am always so happy when I sit down in front of the computer to write.

One of the things you have to do when writing fiction is create pitches – short descriptions intended to get the reader's attention. Here's a little bit about my three projects.

 

Book One

Sisters Daphne and Alice Ann stand on different paths at the same crossroads to face life as childless women in a world that sees them as selfish and incomplete. They struggle as their lives fall apart around them and find more in common than they thought.    

This book has been completed and revised several times. I'm currently working on query letters to try to find an agent.

 

Book Two

Bridget never imagined moving back to her hometown, especially to take care of her father after an Alzheimer's diagnosis. Hannah is a successful restauranteur but struggles with generalized anxiety disorder in the wake of a contentious divorce. Deep family secrets are uncovered, and the women struggle to understand the past, present, and future.

This book is nearly complete but will need multiple revisions before it's ready.

 

Book Three

It's a multi-generational story set in the same house. Olive struggles in the wake of the Great Depression when her widowed sister shows up on her doorstep with three children. After the Korean war, Charles returns to his hometown and struggles with his identity. In the present, Tamsen and Simon buy the home of their dreams only to have their lives upended, and they have to save the home they love.

This book has been outlined, and I will start working on it this fall, probably taking advantage of National Novel Writing Month.

 

What I love about all of these projects is how they will grow and evolve. Book two may look very different once it's been through a few revisions. Book three is still germinating, and who knows what will happen when it's on the page. I believe in these projects; I need to find an agent who believes in them, too.