Have You Ever Scrapped a Work in Progress?

Have I ever scrapped a work in progress?  The answer is “yes.”  When I was a teen and young adult, I wrote dozens of novels I never published.  However, if you’re referring to works in progress since I started my professional career, then the answer is one.

In 2020, I made it to the beginning of chapter seven of an historical fiction novella called The Great Blizzard (a working title) before deciding to quit.  The novel told the story of the Decker family during the Great Blizzard of 1888.  It was told from different family members’ perspectives.

The blizzard hit expectantly in March 1884 after several days of unseasonably warm weather.  Modern New York City was hit the worst and 200 people died in the city.  It also caused $680 million in damages in 2018 money, according to a Weather Channel video.  Snowdrifts in some areas reached second floor roofs.  Telephone and telegraph lines snapped.  Broken gas lines caused fires.  People were stuck indoors for up to a week.  Supplies couldn’t get in, and grocers and coal suppliers raised prices.

I really enjoyed researching this story.  It was intended to be my first historical fiction novel set in the United States and was set in the city of Brooklyn, which in the 1880s, was not part of New York City.

Why Did I Scrap The Great Blizzard

You might be wondering why I stopped writing this story if I found the research so interesting.  Here’s why:

• I had originally wanted to tell the story from one point of view, that of a character named Nora. However, because things were happening in the city that she would be unaware of, I was forced to add other characters’ points of view.
• There are only so many ways to say snow is cold or the winds were strong.
• I didn’t care about these characters as much as my other historical fiction works.

If I can ever find ways to resolve the issues I have with The Great Blizzard, I’ll finish it.  For now, my notes sit in my desk drawer, and the incomplete novel is saved on a flash drive.

Learn More About My Books

I’m a multi-genre author of numerous books.  I write contemporary fiction, historical fiction and nonfiction.

Curious about The Rock Star’s Wife series?  Click here to learn more.

Curious about The Unmarriable Kind? Click here to learn more.

Curious about Rose’s Assignment?  Click here to learn more.

Curious about Journey of Hope?  Click here to learn more.

Curious about the WWI Trilogy?  Click here to learn more.

Curious about my nonfiction books?  Click here to learn more.

Not sure?  Click here for an overview of all my books.

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