Throughthe Big+ I have been working with a young man who needed help with his writing. Turned out it was really just punctuation. He wanted to be a writer and rather than use worksheets, used his own writing to sort out the problems. He finished his first draft, we tried to correct it and make improvemnets, realised the ending would have to be changed, and he seemed to lose heart, and moved on to his second novel. Shouls I just let the first one languish? Also young man is severely disable, has written a great crime story but not much style in the writing
Thanks Tony and Cathy. I just felt that the first novel had great potential and did not need much more to finish it. His second novel is the first in a series. Sci-Fi which is not my favourite but he is working hard at it and I must admit that I am wondering what will happen next.
To encourage him when I felt he was not trying in the early days, I started my first novel, wrote 1500 words to his 200 and left it. Now back working on it. You are never too old. I'm 72!
I would have to agree with Tony.
This young man must find his own way. It's fantastic that he's finished a first draft - a lot of people don't even get that far. I firmly believe our first novels are a learning curve, nothing more (unless you are incredibly lucky, or incredibly talented)
Kudos to you for helping him improve his work and doing it a way that inspired him to keep going rather than crush his dreams - no mean feat.
Hi Alistair,
As hard as it is for you, I would let your young man follow his writing path. I can appreciate how hard this is for you, after all your support, but you'll have to trust his instinct.
The first novel is part of the process that has allowed him to begin his second novel. Try not to think of the first novel languishing. It has been written and will always be there. Remind him about it when he finds blocked on the second novel. He could work between the two.
The main thing is to keep him writing and support his passion. Who knows, you may come back to this story after the second novel is completed. I went to a Writers and Artists conference last November, and one of the agents talked about how they had published their clients second novel first.
Hope this helps.
Good luck with your work together.