26 March 2009

Where did the week go?

I can't believe it's been a week since I last posted. Where's the time gone??? Not lost in the depths of creativity, that's for sure. I got bored with rewriting the same scene over and over again, so have plumped for writing a string of standalone scenes in the hope that I can link them together later. As someone once wisely said, you can't edit a blank page. On the other hand you can't have a decreasing word count with a blank page.

The thing is, I'm not really that into my characters and the plot hinges on complications that I haven't even begun to work out. I realise (hope) this will pass. I've been looking over the drafts of my last book, and the end result was nothing like the earlier versions. But I can't help wanting this one to be perfect first time. Hmm, I guess there's nothing for it but to plough on through.

7 comments:

Michelle Styles said...

Figure out the main conflict and keep asking how you can make it worse. WHy is the relationship going to become more valuable to the both of them?
Also if you are not into your characters. Figure out why they are keeping things from you. What secrets and desires are they hiding? Why are they protecting that inner core?

Lucy King said...

Thanks for the advice, Michelle. You're so right.(Actually I just read over the stream of stuff I produced yesterday and it's not quite as bad as I thought!)

Rachael Johns said...

Hey Lucy

I hear you on not being into your characters. I felt a little like that with one of the proposals I sent to M&B, which is why I haven't started it yet. Liked the concept but wasn't in love with the hero or that enamored by the heroine.

In my current mss, I've written myself into a hole. The conflict is so huge, so huge that it may be too depressing for editors! Whoops!!! This one isn't aimed at MH mind you.

Lorraine said...

I have a weird suggestion for you - try interviewing your characters on paper! I did it once and the answers they came back with were really illuminating and I started to get an idea of their individual voices.

I'm sure the ms is better than you think anyway and it is just your first draft...

Lucy King said...

Agh, am with you on the writing into a hole, Rach!!

Funnily enough, Lorraine, just after I posted this this morning I decided I'd sit down and interview my characters. I did it with my last ms and it was really helpful. Ha, they don't know what they're in for!

Lucy King said...

Or maybe it's me who doesn't know what she's in for ;)

Jackie Ashenden said...

Starting something new is always hard. You have to wait to get to know your characters etc, etc. Michelle's right re the 'what are they hiding from you' thing. Took me ages to work out what was going on with my heroine but once I did, I was away.