I’ve referenced it only briefly on the blog, but I finished revising SHARDS a week ago. While I’ve been playing around with the sequel, OPAQUE, I’ve also redoubled my efforts to finish a draft of FIRE because I don’t want to put all my eggs in one basket.
As it turns out, working on something that’s not SHARDS is terrifying.
I’ve been in the same world with the same characters for the past five years. Nilea is home and Calanthe, Vantandal, Ethan, and the rest are all my friends by now. I know these characters. I know how Nilea works. And now I’m starting something completely different with completely different characters I don’t know anything about, in an entirely different world I’m discovering alongside the characters. I guess the best way to describe it is it’s like my first day at a new school and everyone’s staring at me like I’m the new girl.
But all of the things that are terrifying about writing something completely new? Those are also the things that make it exciting.
Stephanie Allen 
Wow! Five years. That would be challenging. I’m kind of in the opposite boat. I finished a story, started querying it, and started working full force on another project. But now that I’m working on an R&R, I had to try and jump right back into that first story. Definitely challenging. I think I’m managing it though. I’m kind of envious of that experience of plunging into new and terrifying territory with a new story. Maybe soon… 🙂
I’m hoping my next one doesn’t take five years. But I was in college for four of those years, so I guess there’s that…
New projects are really exciting and terrifying! I’m working on a first revision of a WIP, and I’m alternately thrilled and nervous. Have fun with the discovery process!