Writing Your Second Novel
The idea for this blog post came from one of my readers, Tracy M., who always wondered why some writers talk about how difficult it was to get their second novel down on paper. She went on to say that she had put a list together of her favorite 25 books and noticed that more than half were written by authors who never wrote a good book again.
Wow!
OK, well this is a difficult question for me because my second novel, The Dead Room, was really my first book in terms of it being the first book I wanted to write, and the first book that was conceived as a book from start to finish. Access to Power began as a screenplay. As it evolved into a novel, it became a way into publishing for me because of the subject. Prior to writing novels, I was a filmmaker. My work in advertising as a director and producer gave the story an authenticity that opened a lot of doors.
That being said, I did experience the feeling Tracy is talking about, and that is, the difficult, or should I say odd, experience I had when beginning work on my second novel. This is only my opinion, of course, but it’s something of a shock as you begin writing a second story. And what I’m trying to get at is a writer’s voice. There’s only one aspect of writing that can’t be learned, can’t be modified, or changed. It’s a writer voice. It’s something that we are all born with. It’s also the key identifier that you are the writer of any given work. When you’re reading an author whom you suspect might have cashed in and isn’t writing their own work anymore, it’s the change in voice that’s the big tell.
But back to that second novel. I had no idea about this aspect of writing. No one had ever mentioned the subject to me. Here I am facing a different story with a new cast of characters, and my voice from my first novel has carried over to the new work. I have to admit that I was stunned by the realization. It’s something you get over pretty quickly once you confront it. Still, it was a real head-shaker for me. I can remember writing and rewriting the first 30 pages of The Dead Room, throwing them out and starting from scratch, over and over again. It was my voice that was distracting me, and working through it was the only way to clear the air for a new novel.
As for your second question, Tracy. I agree with you that there are a lot of really good writers who only had one book in them. In my opinion, some of the best writers who ever lived only had that one story to tell. And then there are others who can keep going to such an extent that they seem to actually get better with every new work that comes out. But that’s what makes writing so wonderful as an art form. Everyone’s approach, background and purpose, is as unique as their voice.
Tracy, I hope I’ve shed at least a bit of light on your questions. Glad you liked City of Stones so much and hope you’ll hang around for what’s coming next!
All best,
Robert
ROBERT ELLIS WRITERS BLOG
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