I had planned to write a page a day of one or both of my current stories. I had planned to pump out a chapter a week, but, writing is an unpredictable craft and sometimes, what you plan on writing just doesn’t work out.
The first chapters of both my stories (the rewrite and the rough draft) were going very well. I was excited, enthusiastic, but things took a turn.
Plot holes.
Gaps.
Unanswered “why’s” connecting “what’s”.
I’ve learned from past experience, it’s not a good a idea for me to continue in a story with sketchy filler just to get from point A to point B. The rewriting and editing becomes an extremely painful headache when I do and it takes forever to figure out. So now when that happens, I have to stop, answer those questions, figure out the probabilities, fill in the gaps, follow a logical plot path, and then move on.
I have reach this point with BOTH my stories.
Heart of Hope is a mess, and that’s putting it lightly. It was my first book and I used every DO NOT and cliche in existence. There are a lot of holes. The plot looks like Swiss cheese. It’s come a long way, but I still have several unanswered questions and events that don’t quite make sense. So it’s back to the drawing board.
My second (or fourth book…) book (WIP title Wren Fletcher), I’m beginning to think I rushed into writing it too soon. Again, plot holes, gaps, more messes I don’t want to fix in editing.
This can be beyond frustrating, not to mention discouraging. But it happens, and I’m trying to reconcile myself to it. I’m still learning as a writer. I’m still learning how I write, what works for me and what doesn’t. It’s a long and hard process. (I’m beginning to wonder if I will ever have a book to set before a publisher…)
So, what am I going to do about it? I’m going to keep filling up pages of my notebook with plot hole fillings, outlines, and “what happens next” notes. I am also going to lose myself in a new fantasy trilogy* (well, new to me) that my husband highly recommended I read. (He told me it’s very inspiring, here’s hoping it will pull an idea out.)
Even though I really just want to have a publishable book done, this experience has not been without it’s lessons. It’s shown me my weaknesses in development, what I need to focus more on before I start writing a rough draft. I’ve learned what doesn’t work for me. It’s proven my tendency to be scatter brained and not think something through in enough detail. I am not a seat of pants writer, I need to have all the important details mapped out before I start writing.
It’s long, tedious, and at times I feel like tossing the pages to the wind, but I know all this will pay off in the end. All I can do is keep writing.
What projects are you working on that feel like they’re never going to be finished? What have they taught you? Any lessons of your own to share?
Heid
/ February 26, 2014I know exactly what you mean by rushing into the writing process. I did that with my third book The Wind of Midnight. I plotted it in a month.
It was still so messed up after the second draft, that I put it aside.
Right now I am focusing on a fantasy trilogy. This time I gave myself time, and plotted for about four months. I can definitely seen a difference! 🙂
This post really encouraged me. Sometimes I feel like the published writers never have any trouble (I know, I know), and it helps to know that all writers, not just inexperienced ones, have it. 🙂
~Heidi