Another curious question - how many novels have you trunked?

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charlotte49ers
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Another curious question - how many novels have you trunked?

Post by charlotte49ers » June 9th, 2010, 8:26 pm

I had to say goodbye to my first attempt at a novel because I just couldn't get the world right.

I'm pretty happy with the ones I'm working on now because I know where they are headed, but it makes me curious. How many novels have you trunked? How far along were you and were they your first attempt ever?

I'm a nosey little thing, aren't I?

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Re: Another curious question - how many novels have you trunked?

Post by Aimée » June 9th, 2010, 9:41 pm

Well, I'm a newbee to the serious side of the writing thing. I have one that's on hold after noticing a complete lack of conflict and character, which is kind of a problem. It was about 35,000 words, probably a third of the way done. I'm thinking that after a while, like maybe a year or two, I'll look back on it because it was actually a pretty good idea for a novel. Besides the one, I've had a few ideas that started out as novels, but then sort of morphed into short stories because I just couldn't take them any further. I guess these aren't really "trunked," but it's not like I can do much with them. I think there were three of those...

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Re: Another curious question - how many novels have you trunked?

Post by polymath » June 9th, 2010, 11:19 pm

I have a full trunk stacked under boxes full, file boxes and chest of drawers full of notebooks, journals, drafts, inspirations, revisions, rewrites, and sketches. My several hard drives have gigabytes of outlines, sketches, drafts, inspirations, and unfinished works. There's one or two novels in there, one or two. I'm focused on one. It's the oldest one. The rest came along since and have been as much practice as preserving ideas.
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Re: Another curious question - how many novels have you trunked?

Post by heyimkt » June 10th, 2010, 12:08 am

I'd say I've "trunked" only two for sure. One was my first novel (that wasn't seen by eyes other than mine until three years into writing it) (of course, then, I never thought I could try--in any way--for some sort of career in writing) hahah. The other was my second novel, where I thought hey, I finished one--let's try it again! Yeah, fail. It was plain, dry, and I quit before I wasted anymore time on it.

Since then I've written three others (and have one WIP now) and I think one of these would be my best shot! I've learned a heck of a lot more, and looking back on that first novel...oh, boy. Good try. Hahah

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Re: Another curious question - how many novels have you trunked?

Post by wildheart » June 10th, 2010, 6:08 am

The first one that got "trunked" was from when I was ten. It was written in a college bound notebook. I finished the complete first draft only to realize...I hated what I had written and had no desire to try and revise it. It was more than 35K but less than 50K.

After that I wrote a lot of poems and short stories that never went anywhere, not because they sucked really, but because I just didn't love them enough to work on them. That was throughout highschool.

And every time I tried to write a "novel" I never made it past page twenty. So I don't really count those as novels. I never even made outlines for them!

Then, last year I wrote a novel for Nano. It didn't get "trunked" really...I actually lost all the work I had done on it! But looking back that was probably a good idea because now I am working on a WIP I really love.

And the one I am working on? Not sure if it will end up "trunked" or not, but whatever happens I still plan on submitting to agents to find out.
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Re: Another curious question - how many novels have you trunked?

Post by Margo » June 10th, 2010, 10:40 am

Five. They're not coming back out, either. No, make that seven (adding two novellas my agent couldn't sell).
Last edited by Margo on June 10th, 2010, 2:13 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: Another curious question - how many novels have you trunked?

Post by Ermo » June 10th, 2010, 11:33 am

One. Didn't even finish it. Perhaps I'll go back to it someday. Good character study, I think, but essentially plot less.

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Re: Another curious question - how many novels have you trunked?

Post by mojo25 » June 10th, 2010, 2:01 pm

I've trunked 2 1/2 novels. No regrets...I learned a lot writing those novels...

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Re: Another curious question - how many novels have you trunked?

Post by Down the well » June 10th, 2010, 6:53 pm

I have one completed novel and three or four partials stuffed in a desk (or taking up space on my computer). I tried getting the completed novel published, but it really wasn't good enough. One or two of the partials may get a second look some day, but for now I'm busy revising and tweaking the ending of my latest WIP, which will be my second completed novel.

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Re: Another curious question - how many novels have you trunked?

Post by wilderness » June 10th, 2010, 7:29 pm

I have one completed novel trunked. It went around the query block and didn't do too badly, considering. But it had some major flaws, and ultimately I decided that I wasn't passionate enough about the novel to fix it or the genre (YA romance) to continue writing in it. Mostly, it was a learning experience for me. It also gave me confidence that I can, in fact, finish a novel -- although I've also got several first pages, first chapters, and one seventy-five pager in the trunk as well. Oh yeah, and a first draft of a paranormal romance novella. I also co-wrote a screenplay but I don't have much faith in the Hollywood system (if you think literary agents are brutal...).

My WIP is a YA sci fi, and I have way more ideas in this genre. I figure if I'm serious about trying to make a career out of writing, I should work in a genre I can envision future books in.

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Sam Hranac
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Re: Another curious question - how many novels have you trunked?

Post by Sam Hranac » June 11th, 2010, 7:06 pm

Do I include the three I wrote as a kid? That would make 6, but I'm still thinking about resurrecting one of them. Maybe I'll cannibalize it instead...


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Re: Another curious question - how many novels have you trunked?

Post by izanobu » June 11th, 2010, 8:17 pm

Technically, one. But it isn't really trunked, since I am re-drafting it. The first attempt was my first novel ever, and it taught me valuable things about writing a novel. I love the characters and basic plot idea, so I've yoinked them from the original work and am writing the whole thing over from scratch again.

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Re: Another curious question - how many novels have you trunked?

Post by Anobile1 » June 12th, 2010, 2:03 am

I think one for me, but I'm not really sure if I should even count that one. I started it when I was 9 or 10 and only got about 17 pages into it. That was my first real attempt at writing a novel.

Then there's the series I was working on for most of my teen years. I started when I was 11 I think and was working on it until I was 16. I realized at that point that I had to fix nearly everything, and I was too close to the novel to do it then. So, I've put it in the drawer (or the hidden folders of my computer) to wait until I'm un-biased enough to tear it to shreds and fix it. That will probably take another 5-10 years, but someday I'll get back to it.

I tend to only write a book I've been brooding over for several years. It if lasts in my head that long, I'll write it, and I doubt I'd ever put something in the drawer permanently if I liked it enough to start writing it in the first place.
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Re: Another curious question - how many novels have you trunked?

Post by patlaff » June 12th, 2010, 3:59 pm

Trunked? One. I've got two others on the back burner and a fourth, my latest, getting fine-tuned.

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