Contemplating a restart

Now that "Touch" is finished, I am required by law (Bylaw BFF#1Promise-To-Tonia) to complete my novel "The Bog" before editing or beginning any other projects.

This is perfectly fine with me, as it is a project I believe in and hope to get published someday.

It's been four or five years since I started working on The Bog. Nowadays, I can usually pinpoint the exact day I first had the idea for a novel, thanks to my new habit of writing those ideas down in my Evernote account. For instance, the idea for Touch first came to me on August 28, 2010. In bed, I think. (Pretty amazing, when you consider the first draft was finished, three months less five days later!!)

But I have no idea when The Bog (the novel) first occurred to me. It was inspired by two supernatural erotic short stories I wrote in 1998, I know that for sure. They were called Foxfire I and Foxfire II. The events in the second story form one of the pivotal (albeit in backstory) events of the novel.

Anyway, now that Touch is done and I'm trying to inspire myself to return to The Bog, I'm finding it a little difficult, because, well...I've been trying to re-read what I've written so far to get myself back in the swing...and...I'm not really liking it much! At least, not the beginning. A bit too melodramatic. There are events and possibly even a character I don't think I even need anymore.

So, I'm seriously considering starting over again. I had so much success using the Snowflake method on Touch that I'm thinking it might be worthwhile to go back and follow the same process with The Bog. I won't have to rewrite EVERYTHING. But I suspect I'd probably cut a bunch of stuff. Rearrange some stuff. And, hopefully, tighten everything up and give it some direction. I think it's mostly the beginning two or three chapters that aren't turning me on. Plus, I need to solidify my characters more right off the bat. Oliver and Gabby, as the two main characters, both need work.

I should probably do it. If I don't, it will just keep bothering me and slowing me down as I move forward.

I wonder if it would even be worthwhile to do the mailing list thing again? Now I have about 22 people who might be interested in reading along. It sure is a huge incentive to write, and I'll probably have more time on my hands than usual for the next month or so. Hmmm.

Any feedback on that?