I’m kicking off this month's theme: Backward and Forward. We writers forge boldly forward on our manuscript in the morning, then cringe and take steps
backwards that afternoon. Some days we cut out whole
scenes; other days,
we add a brand new character, a villain, perhaps, and we have to revisit and
revise the first half of the novel to properly weave the turkey into our ever-changing
plot.
I suspect that part of my problem might be in my nature: a
pantser. But even you linear,
ultra-outliners probably suffer the backwards/forwards problem when you find
your pacing isn’t quite right, or your growth arc for a certain character
turned out too flat.
Sitting on my desk right now is a novel I thought was finished…needed
polishing, but not much more. Was I ever
wrong, according to my editor. She wants
me to collapse two villains into ONE!
Tear your hair out with me, please!
This means major plot and character changes from page one to the final
scene. If I didn’t believe in my editor
and the tiny voice coming from my head that says: ‘The editor is right…the story
would be tighter and the heroine would look stronger if she faced this one
terrible villain.’
Heavy sigh here. Writing
is ALL about backwards and forwards.
Commitment time: I’m starting on
page one on Jan. 1 and moving forward on that ding-dang manuscript.
Happy 'Moving Forward' New Year to you all! Rolynn
SUSPENSE SPIKED WITH
ROMANCE
LAST RESORT * FADEOUT * SWOON
FADEOUT won a RONE award!
LIE CATCHERS is out on KDP right now!
Web: http://www.rolynnanderson.com
12 comments:
Rolynn. We have all been there. In fact, I'm pretty much at the same place you are. (heavy sigh!) Page one it is. (Nice to have the company!)
I'm with you, Margo! That we're in this together is such a relief! Happy New Year to you!
Oh, I feel for you, Rolynn! I've been there, too, having to revise what ended being half the plot. Fingers crossed for the revisions. Just keep reminding yourself how fabulous the book will be once it's done! Because once I was finished, I *was* impressed with how much better the book was. Good luck!!
When plotting, I always know the beginning and the end. It's the middle that often gives me brain-freeze. Best wishes for 2014!!
In my current WIP, I'm really worried about where it's going and feeling like I'm just writing random scenes. So, in order to avoid the whole forward-backward dilemma, I'll probably open the year taking a hard look at what I have. And do my best to get it on a forward track! Apparently we've all been there!
Thanks for your upbeat comments, Joanne, Angela and Jannine. It's easy to go backward when all we have to do is change a name or a day of the week or something like that, but a major change takes looking at every scene and making adjustments. I love critique, really I do, but the kind that makes me 'start all over' is confounding. I'm girding my loins here...thanks for propping me up. I can do it....I can do it....so....go do it!
Good luck with those edits. It will be worth it
An editor once had be rewrite an entire chapter, changing the pov from the heroine's to the hero's. I fussed and fumed, but the story was so much stronger for that change. Your story will be more powerful, too. But that doesn't make the work involved any less daunting, does it. Like Thomas, the little engine, you can do it.
Definitely the story of our lives, isn't it? :-)
Thanks, Barbara. Need all the luck I can get. Vonnie, I'm going to chug along...thanks for the encouragement. Liz...it IS THE STORY OF OUR LIVES! THANKS FOR STOPPING BY!
You are 'on the nose' with the backward and forward observations for a writer. It's amazing how that works. Sometimes my backward is bigger than my forward, but I keep plugging along.
Best of luck with the rewrites. How awesome that you have an editor you trust that much, and who is so instinctive as to what your story needs. Happy New Year!
Um...yikes! Wishing you much luck with the rewrites!
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