Thrown Into a Quandary

My Aurora Rescue novel is off to my chosen publishers for consideration which left me trying to decide what to work on next. I was so excited about finishing Armitage. But, questions and doubts snagged me and threw me into a quandary.

• Do I want all my voices in Armitage to be in first person? Or, would it be more effective if my modern characters were in third-person. (I really like my historical characters being in first-person.)

• Do I even want there to be modern characters? I started this as part of a series, with my amateur family history researcher, Jennie Graves, looking back to learn about her ancestors. I've got this love affair with book series -- love to read them and love to write them. However, I know that this book could stand on its own strength as a historical novel.

• Do I want this series, with or without Armitage as part of the series, to be about Jennie researching her family and maybe the families of a few friends, or do I want to turn this series into a "block party?" Do I want her to get involved with a small club and involve the members -- each with slightly varied interests and approaches to preserving family records and histories -- and broaden the base on which to base my series?

• Do I want to work on my own non-fiction genealogy-based how-to series, The Short Version, and see if I can find a publisher or self-publish on CDs?

So many choices -- so little time or conviction on what direction I want to go.

I did my usual trick to deal with my indecisiveness. I took a vay-cay from writing.

I set it all aside to give my sub-conscious time to work on it. Other than look at past templates, outlines, notes and sections I have written, I did not do any actual writing. Instead, I sewed and quilted. I cleaned out my garden, baked and froze food. I prepared two new PowerPoint presentations I am giving at a genealogy computerized seminar in Fresno this Saturday. I continued research in the science magazines for future books in the Aurora series. I read.

But, it started a few days ago. I suddenly got anxious to look again at my Jennie Graves series I had organized a year and a half ago. I saw where I had fit in the story that evolved into the book Armitage. I still have not completely decided on the "voice" issues. I went over my The Short Version notes and updated the outlines.

I have an overwhelming desire to start writing again. I must write!