What should I write?

July 23, 2016 5:07 PM

I have two book-length works I've been working on sort of equally over the past couple of months, and I feel like I need to commit to one of them fully and table the other one, so I can just go ahead and finish something.

One is a non-fiction account of living in Russia right after the fall of the USSR, the other is a fictionalized story about what happens when climate-change refugees from Miami are forced to resettle in a small, North-Georgia town. It seems like both of them are fairly relevant and topical these days (since Russia will invade as soon as Trump is elected, and Miami will soon be underwater).

I'm pretty excited about both of them, so answers like "Which one are you most passionate about?" confuse me.

I guess I'm asking 2 things: Which would you rather read, and, which do you think would have the best hope of selling?

If you want to get a sense of what they're like, links are on my profile page.

But if you don't want to look at them, I'd still appreciate Mefi's quick-take. Which is more interesting, non-fiction Russian past or fiction climate-change future?

Many thanks for your opinions.

posted by staggering termagant to Writing & Language (12 answers total)

I love reading first-hand accounts of real people in situations very different from my own, so I vote the first one.
posted by xingcat at 5:16 PM on July 23, 2016

Best answer: Both books may be slightly benefited by writing them closer to their subject matter time period rather than further.

So that aspect at least would suggest that the one written about the past (USSR) - write sooner. And the one written about still-unfolding events (climate change) - write afterward.
posted by -harlequin- at 5:21 PM on July 23, 2016 [1 favorite]

Before looking at the samples, I would have been another strong vote for doing the Russian book first - it seems like the better opportunity to tell a story only you can tell and, like xingcat, I am intrigued by how other people live (especially when tells me more about events of my lifetime). I also tend to avoid apocalyptic disasters - I have enough things to worry about in my real life, I don't need my fiction to add to my sense of dread. That said, Moscow sample was interesting but the Apocalypse was the one that made want to turn the page and read more.
posted by metahawk at 5:40 PM on July 23, 2016

Best answer: I'm with xingcat, both sound interesting, but the nonfiction book about living in post-USSR Russia is the one I'd pick up first. In terms of sales, I agree that both are timely, but the climate-change future book may (unfortunately) alienate some people while the post-USSR book might have a wider audience? I just read Barbara Kingsolver's "Flight Behavior," which is a climate-change novel -- you might check how that sold. (Taking into account, of course, that she's Barbara Kingsolver.)

I looked at both of the sample chapters that you posted, and I found the Moscow chapter more compelling. I like that it's nonfiction and gives me a glimpse into recent history.
posted by chickenmagazine at 5:42 PM on July 23, 2016

Best answer: I would pay money to read the book about your experiences in Russia. I like the writing style, and I think it has a better chance of standing out from the crowd.
posted by mikek at 5:46 PM on July 23, 2016

Best answer: Although I love me some (post-)apocalyptic fiction, that Russian chapter is delightfully unique and has the makings of a drolly hilarious account from which I'd repeat endless anecdotes while telling all my friends to read it before someone went and made it into a movie.
posted by teremala at 6:44 PM on July 23, 2016 [3 favorites]

Best answer: I would totally read your first-person account of living in Russia after the fall of the USSR.

There is a lot of fiction out there right now that has climate change as a background. There's always room for another good work of fiction, but your Russia book gets me really excited and I am already looking forward to it.
posted by not that girl at 7:46 PM on July 23, 2016 [1 favorite]

Best answer: I would read the climate-change fiction first, because I love post-apoc as a genre and am indifferent to biographical nonfic - but I recommend writing the other first, for reasons other people have mentioned. Right now, it's on-topic; in another three years, it may not be, and just be a historical account of an era that has little connection to current events.

The other will remain relevant for quite some time, and the market for climate-change post/semi-apoc books isn't likely to shrink anytime soon - and if it suddenly grows by a lot, you'll still have the opportunity to hurry to catch that wave.

If you're looking at self-publishing, I recommend thebookdesigner.com; if you're looking even a little at traditional/legacy publishing, I recommend reviewing The Business Rusch before signing any contracts. Good luck!
posted by ErisLordFreedom at 10:44 PM on July 23, 2016

Best answer: Jenny Crusie recently wrote a post on this topic--she has several WIP's--and I think her answer might help.
posted by jenfullmoon at 11:47 PM on July 23, 2016 [1 favorite]

Best answer: I'll add a vote for the russian book. Slightly different genre but you may want to look at what Charlie Stross discusses about the difficulty of near future science fiction.
posted by sammyo at 4:04 AM on July 24, 2016

Response by poster: Holy cats, Jenfullmoon, Jenny Cruise's piece was really interesting and comforting. She wrote this: "Make a soundtrack for the book you want to concentrate on and play it while you write."

The book I just finished, the Cocteau Twins was the soundtrack. I'd put that on and BE in the story. The music just sounded like the characters, and the setting. I've thought several times that the problem with the climate-change book is that there are no songs that make sense with it. This confused me a lot. I'm making a book, not a mix tape! I thought I was the only one who'd ever thought about this, but it was the number-one suggestion on the very helpful list.

Also, the suggestion to do something repetitive? When I was writing the book I just finished, I would go in the garden and pull weeds. And 10 minutes into it, the weeds would disappear and Tabitha and the old hotel would fade in and do things in my head, and then I'd get up and go copy down what they did. Thank you so much for this! It was really, really something I needed to read and helped me answer the question.

Thanks also to the people who commented on timeliness and relevance. I think you are all exactly correct, and I hadn't thought about these things, either.

And also, thanks for reading, and for the encouragement. I didn't think I'[d really get an answer for this question, just a bunch of opinions, which would still have been helpful. But I have my answer now.

I'm going to go put on some Steely Dan now and shuck corn while Russia sneaks up on me. All the best to all of you!
posted by staggering termagant at 6:18 AM on July 24, 2016 [8 favorites]

Another thing to consider (assuming you are not going the self publishing route) -

You can sell non-fiction on the basis of a proposal alone.

First time fiction - not so much.

Were I you, I would prepare a proposal on the non-fiction and shop that and see if anyone bites.

Which is I suppose another way of saying that non-fiction is, all other things being equal, easier to sell.
posted by BWA at 1:06 PM on July 24, 2016