The Devil in the Details
You may notice writing progress on DLB is not, well, progressing. Part of that is because of back to school, and part is because of the critique I got back this past weekend. There were some plausibility questions that I have to iron out, and while I know how to fix them, I’m having a heck of a time making the next scene flow from the changes.
For example, I made a big deal about the h/h not being able to take weapons over the border into the made-up African country. So, what do I do? Have them get the weapons in the neighboring country. Guess what? They still have to get the weapons over the border.
Well, hell.
So I swapped some stuff around, and now I’m stuck on how to get the h/h in the same truck (which they’d done in a hurry in the scene’s previous incarnation.)
The next bit will have to be rewritten as well, because the hero came off as unheroic. That’s not good. So I’ll change the bribery to theft and all will be well motivated.
Meanwhile, sweating these details is getting me a net gain of a page a day. I said this book would be done, oh, next weekend. ARGH! And I've denied myself the two DVDs sitting on my counter, all for a page a day!
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10 comments:
You can do it, Mary! Keep going!
And yet, despite all the details you're sweating, you're still making progress! WTG! Sounds like you've got most of the problems you've mentioned well in hand.
Hang in there, Mary! They're just details. It's all about the story.
Hang in there. You can do it. That page a day is great! And the story will be stronger for it.
Thanks, guys! I know it will be better, tighter and more of a romance, but I swear, everything I change has ripple effects throughout the story, and catching all those will be a PITA. I don't even want to go out to eat tonight because I need to work on this! And now I have THREE Blockbuster DVDs waiting.
I hate when that happens! Hang in there!
But all this extra work is going to be SO worth it. Think of it as an investment in a manuscript that's going to SELL! :)
Off to work on my own revisions...
Cut 9 pages, wrote 6, cut 9 (not any of the 6, though.) I'm back to 220 pages.
I'm going to be controversial, Mar, and suggest...that you take one day off and watch those videos. Eat something evil and delicious. THINK about your story, but don't do anything more than make notes on ideas. THEN re-attack it on Sunday with renewed vigor, and see if the things that are bothering you now have somehow found an escape route. At times we are so close to what we are doing, we need to take a wee bit of a breather and recharge in another way. When we come back, it all looks better...like a good night's sleep on a problem. Give it a try if you really get stuck.
Hugs,
JoAnn
You mean - DON'T write on my day off?? But...but...
Okay, maybe I'll watch one movie today. Or two.
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