Okay, the writing is going really well now, i'm really pleased. Last night i wrote close to 1,000 words the most i have written in a sitting for a while now, mostly due to time. I'm getting to the point where my Hero is going to reveal his proposal/demand of my heroine which is totally going to floor her, but for her own convoluted reasons she is going to accept it, with a few demands of her own of course!
My only problem now is that i find myself revealing way too much of their inner conflicts too soon. I'm only part way through the second chapter and i found myself reveal ALL of Billie's conflicts. In all of the Moderns/Heats that i've read conflicts were revealed gradually throughout the entire book sometimes not being completely revealed until the black moment. I'm so impatient and way too descriptive i find myself explaining everything, so i've had to cut and paste or just keep writing and then put huge page breaks between for use at a later date - i hate wasting what i've written (unless it is utter crap!).
Does anyone else suffer from early information overload or impatience like me, and how do you overcome this? Obviously with practice! But what else would you suggest?
Ah, the dreaded info dump - yes, absolutely guilty as charged. But I think it's okay for a first draft. You're eager to get everything on the page and you can juggle everything around in the re-writes.
ReplyDelete1,000 words at one sitting is great. Well done.
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Wow, you're making great progress. I have to fight the instinct to tell all. I'm also eager to get to the end, but we have to remember that the reader doesn't want it all thrust at them. They want to uncover and discover for themselves. Although I don't outline the entire story before I begin, I do usually figure out 'reveal' moments and the 'how' it happens. I figure out roughly how far into the book these things should happen and try to write to that. I try to make it some action that uncovers a layer of the onion, rather than an info dump or introspection alone. It is hard. It's one of those things I think you get a hold of as your craft gets better!
ReplyDeletethanks for that guys. I think Billie had to get it off her chest so i just let her vent at the time but i'll use it later, tease it the appropriate moment. It is hard to know when is the right time but i think i am getting there.
ReplyDeleteEveryone's help is great though, i love blogs!
Kerrin, it's tricky. I think it depends on the book and the character. But I reckon you reveal the conflict when it has the greatest emotional impact for both characters. Don't know if that helps any! Great going though.
ReplyDeleteHi Kerrin,
ReplyDeleteIn the same way writing the darn 1st draft is a bit of a rollercoaster, so too the conflict between characters can take a "rollercoaster ride" = everything seemingly going great thrills until "one little emotional cog comes loose". What went before suddenly looks unlikely as hell looms fast in downward spiral of emotional overload, until of course, you or they (characters) decide enough is enough and set to with resolving the issue that is preventing them from getting on track again.
I think your plan of putting "things/scenes" aside is good, but why not let the story run in the 1st draft? You might be surprised with what you (they) conjure as an underlying issue, one perhaps that hasn't come to light yet, and "it" being a twist scenario that adds to previous plot reveals. Think deep secrets, character imaginings or otherwise!!
best
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Yeah i think that works Jackie, thanks for that, that's so true.
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