When to Move On

I was thinking the other day about all the various projects left abandoned in various stages on my computer hard drive, back up discs, or in the form of scattered notes stuffed in a box somewhere.

I think it can break down about like this:

One completed novel that will never be revised
One MG novel left in the germination notes stage
Three YA novels left in the world-building, germination notes stage
One film screenplay in the development stages
One script for a television show I watch, started but not finished
Five short stories left unfinished
Four poetry collections left unfinished
Two completed adult novels that will never be revised
One NA novel left unfinished
One adult novel queried but never going further than that
One novella completed but I'm on the fence about revising

It's all part of the process, I guess, learning to recognize when to move on from something. Learning how to recognize when a story isn't in your heart enough to justify continuing on with it.

Apparently it's a lesson I've learned pretty well. And I think that's true, of me, at least. I don't write something unless it absolutely has grabbed me by the throat. Like my next book idea.

Yes, I'm coming off writing hiatus in April and will be drafting a new book. I love this book idea and will definitely be seeing it through.

This idea, though, of needing to have a story firmly in my heart to see it to completion has me worried about all the book ideas I have planned for the world of Heirs of the Seven Realms. (The series name for Woven, which is out on query right now.) Most of them have slight crossovers with other books, and most take place after Heirs with direct consequences stemming from the events of both Heirs and Curse of Life. (The book I have in revisions right now.)

I'm tempted to write the first draft of all of them, just so I know they get finished. But at the same time that feels like a bad use of my time, considering they can't get published unless Heirs does.