Doldrums

I've begun to question the quality of my work. Yesterday when I was looking for comps for my (yet to be confirmed) LibraryThing giveaway, every premise I read was much more interesting than mine. The fact that I'm a discovery writer has no bearing on my lack of good ideas. Even if I was to outline, I still wouldn't come up with something unique. In fact, discovery writing is the only thing that's helped me develop the few interesting scenarios I've managed to write.

Too, my books are hard to pin down. They're rarely just one genre. No reader can say, "This book has all the hallmarks of ....", because it doesn't. When I began Inn Dreams it was a tale of a woman who got in over her head by purchasing a business structure that required a complete renovation. Then it morphed into the MC falling in love with her boss. Then it became either a thriller or suspense ~ I still can't get a handle on the differences between the two ~ and maybe part mystery, when MC's business began getting vandalized. The book's all over the place. So, when I have to compose a book description, I choose to focus on the "suspense" theme, which is a bit misleading, even if it is more eye-catching. Buyers (if I had any) would be expecting a thrilling opening, and instead they find a placid slice of life scene. Is that my downfall?

Publishing Inn Dreams has been the most disappointing experience of my writing career, and I've had a few disappointing experiences, such as complete rejection by literary agents. I honestly thought this book was good. Not good as in "clueless beginner" good, but simply good. I freakin' can't give the thing away.

The answer to the unspoken question is, no. No, I'm not quitting. I need something to do, after all. And damn, I need to enjoy writing my story, keep believing that what I write is good, at least good to me. The rest of the world be damned.