Annie Jones: Careful What You Wish For

Ugh. How many times have I wished I could go back to old books and make them better? Too many.
There isn't a thing I've written that couldn't be improved upon and on some level deep in the 'I make up my own reality all the time and I like it that way' recesses of my mind, I WANT to do just that.

I bet the writer of this sign would change it if given the chance.

Cut to a decade later when I have the rights back to many books and a shot to repub in ebook form. Whaaaa? Edit? Polish? Update? I don't wanna.

I'm the writer. I don't have to do anything I don't want to, including wear clothes or edit that book! So there.

Who knew it would be so hard to make yourself do the things you always thought you'd jump at the chance to do! In part it's because I've moved on, as a writer and as a reader. If I were writing this series today, I'd have done a lot of things differently - so differently that it would mean a complete rewrite to accomplish that. Not possible. So what to do?

YOU better get to work, lady!

My family owns a construction company. Today we are struggling with some folks who are upset that we can't make their 120 year old structure like new. We can't tear it down and rebuild it. We can only work with what we have. That's the lesson I am trying to embrace with my backlist. Not to be stopped by the idea that "I can't rewrite this" but to focus on what I can do.

I can make my own dreams come true -- if I dream of doing lots of hard work.

I can make it the best it can be given what I have to work with.
I can make sure the finished book reflects my voice and vision even if it isn't exactly what I'd do today.
I can keep writing new material as I grow as a persona and writer.
I can be proud of what I have done, of having written these books, having created these characters and having something ready to step into a new kind of publishing experience.