I've been writing professionally for 26+ years, and I've never had writer's block. I believe it exists; it just hasn't dropped in for a visit with me yet. I hope it never does.
There are times, though, in every book where I cannot make forward progress no matter how hard I try. It's as if the characters have just shut up, folded their arms over their chests and turned their backs to me. I write, delete, write, delete, walk, fuss, bang my head on the desk . . . then remember: the fact that the story won't move means that I've gone wrong somewhere. This was something I experienced in the first book I sold on a partial, so you'd think all these years later, I would remember it, maybe even expect it, and immediately know what to do about it.
The solution is simple: I go back thirty or forty pages and start reading, and when I see that the story's gone off on a tangent, that's where I start rewriting.
But I can't just say, "Oh, okay, this scene isn't working so I need to flip back a few chapters." It's like I have to go through the writing/deleting/writing/deleting/head-banging. It's all part of the process.
Since I'm fortunate enough to have a process that I actually (at least partly) understand, couldn't it be a simpler one?
Beginnings are like that for me. Both GNOME and TROLL had rewritten beginnings. GNOME's beginning was rewritten at least 6-7 times with the final rewrite of the first half of the book ( 15K). I knew TROLL was wrong, but it took me over 1 1/2 years to gather the courage to even rewrite the beginning. Meg helped me out of that hole to the tune of 25K words out of 66K for a new 'beginning' of the story. Right now, FIRE is being a demon--rewritten in at least 15 different variations--I think I have a grasp on this one and must actually write the darn book! I think DRAGON will come hard for me. I keep thinking of the second chapter (very pivotal) and not the first (secondary character isn't who the reader thinks he is). I need to brainstorm this one to muddle out my reasoning--are you available in the near future? There might be candy involved . . .
ReplyDeleteWhy, yes, I am available. Candy appreciated but not required. :) Just email me.
DeleteBeginnings are notoriously hard for me, I guess because that's how I figure out my plot and characters. My problem -- or maybe my blessing, I'm not sure -- is if I can't get chapter 1 right, I can't start chapter 2. I've got to be happy with the first chapter, first scene, first paragraph, first line, or I'll never get any farther.
The work on Troll was worth it. It's your best book so far.
This happens to me when I've got the character's emotions wrong. I'll spend hours trying to hear the dialogue in my head, then realize the person needs to be angry/sad/happy when I'm forcing them to do otherwise.
ReplyDeleteThe longest scene I've cut was about twelve pages. But I edit as I go, so the deleted-word count is probably approaching a half-million.
Sometimes it's emotion for me, too, but a lot of the time it's behavior. My heroine's being too snarky or rude or the hero's too smug -- some attitude that doesn't really belong in the story at that point.
DeleteBefore I settled on the right beginning to SOMEBODY'S BABY, which is still one of my most popular books, I wrote something like thirty beginnings, ranging from a couple pages to 20+ pages each. The stuff I threw away was actually higher in word count than the actual book.
I still can't bring myself to reread that book. :)
I'm like T.D., I like to edit as I go, because I really HATE editing. I can rewrite a scene a hundred times before I will move on. I'm finding with cowboy story, I'm so worried about the way it sounds I have to have some outside source say, yeah it's ok...then I can move on. It's irritating, really. It's not the only reason I'm writing so slow, but it's a good portion of it. Hate being so unsure of myself. *grumbles*
ReplyDeleteDon't hate yourself for being normal. Given the circumstances, I'm just thrilled you're writing again. Can't wait to see the new stuff.
DeleteI have to edit as I go, too. If the scene's not right, I just can't go on with the next one until I fix it.