As I type this I am in the middle of re-writing my WIP#1 and am knee-deep in choices. What scenes are strong enough to keep versus those that are weak and don’t help the story along? Which dialogue is essential or that dialogue that can be edited out?
Many, many, many times I allow myself to stew on these choices and let them sit in my head for a few days. That way I can go through the various scenarios and endings and decide from there where I would like the story to go. Sometimes I can cut one line of a scene and it suddenly just clicks and I know where I am headed again. Other times it is a whole page or two and I still don’t care for the scene.
At this point I absolutely adore my characters and their story, but I am going to have to make a tough choice on which way the story goes. I had written it to end one way and the more I think about it, the more I don’t care for the ending. So I’ve decided to re-write the entire ending and see if that is more palatable to me.
Re-writes can be both exhilarating and tedious. When a scene clicks the ideas, words and thoughts just seem to flow out of my fingers and onto the screen. Other times it is a slow wade through the muck and mire to get where I need to be. I am great at writing the big picture but details tend to bore me to write. Not a great quality I know. It’s something I’m working on and getting better at. Heck, what can I say, I have to force myself not to read the last chapter of my books for the ending when I get antsy about the way the story is going. I have yet to do that, but the idea is always tempting me.
Re-writes can tend to be overwhelming at times. There are so many ideas, thoughts and scenarios that jumble around in my head and not enough space to utilize them all. When this happens, I open another file that I have labeled IDEAS FOR THE FUTURE and put them in there. I find this to be a great resource for me. Currently I have about five works in progress and I review my written notes and IDEAS folder regularly for inspiration if I feel stuck.
For me re-writes are an opportunity to throw those great memories into a story. Those little details that might stick with a reader. I love when a writer makes a character compatible to me in some way. It could be a gesture such as turning their wedding ring on their finger when impatient, or their quick tongue that unleashes sarcastic clips of speech. I add those details on my re-writes more times than not.
So I’m back to the details today…..Julia, Clint, Sarie, Amie, Cam, Micah and Danjal, here I come!
Showing posts with label work in progress. Show all posts
Showing posts with label work in progress. Show all posts
Friday, June 4, 2010
Monday, May 24, 2010
Character Love
In my work in progress #1 (shall be shortened to WIP1 from here on out) I am absolutely enthralled with my main character, Julia. She's dynamic, strong, and witty. The problem I am encountering is how to flesh her out to the reader so that all these qualities come shining through.
She's gone through struggles, had some obstacles to climb, and can be somewhat caustic about those things. I have had several re-writes of this WIP due to her qualities not being apparent enough. Dialogue,as I have found, is a great way to get more of her through.
Dialogue can be a tough road to write. Knowing when and how much to include versus letting the story unfold is a fine line. I will read the dialogue out loud to myself to hear how it sounds. Another option is to read it to my audience, also known as daughters, and get their take on it. One can always tell how good it is by quickly glancing at their faces. Squinted eyes and puckered mouths are a no-good indicator, and smiles and nods are a good job indicator.
So with Julia, while I want her to be tough, I need her to be soft at times as well without seeming weak. She's become an extension of myself at this point, with me often thinking, "Wonder how Julia would react to that situation," when I think of a new angle.
I have a main character (MC) in WIP#3 that I'm not in love with. In fact, I'd rather pull her hair at times she frustrates me so much. However, being the pacifist that I am I refrain from pulling hair or deleting her and continue to plug away. We just don't mesh. She's my antithesis in nearly every aspect and that makes her more fun to write. Cadence is making my hair go even more silver and she's not even real.
Her story is moving along more quickly at this point just because I can't anticipate how she will react to the situations I put forth, which makes it exciting and new to write.
Character love can be both good and bad. You can't be so involved in the character that you forget the story lines, and you can't be so against a character that you don't write appropriate situations that will challenge the reactions of your MC. As I said previously, what a fine line!
Now I'm off to write for WIP#4 where I have yet to decide what my character is truly like, her voice hasn't been defined yet. Oh, the fun stuff (rubbing hands eagerly here!).
She's gone through struggles, had some obstacles to climb, and can be somewhat caustic about those things. I have had several re-writes of this WIP due to her qualities not being apparent enough. Dialogue,as I have found, is a great way to get more of her through.
Dialogue can be a tough road to write. Knowing when and how much to include versus letting the story unfold is a fine line. I will read the dialogue out loud to myself to hear how it sounds. Another option is to read it to my audience, also known as daughters, and get their take on it. One can always tell how good it is by quickly glancing at their faces. Squinted eyes and puckered mouths are a no-good indicator, and smiles and nods are a good job indicator.
So with Julia, while I want her to be tough, I need her to be soft at times as well without seeming weak. She's become an extension of myself at this point, with me often thinking, "Wonder how Julia would react to that situation," when I think of a new angle.
I have a main character (MC) in WIP#3 that I'm not in love with. In fact, I'd rather pull her hair at times she frustrates me so much. However, being the pacifist that I am I refrain from pulling hair or deleting her and continue to plug away. We just don't mesh. She's my antithesis in nearly every aspect and that makes her more fun to write. Cadence is making my hair go even more silver and she's not even real.
Her story is moving along more quickly at this point just because I can't anticipate how she will react to the situations I put forth, which makes it exciting and new to write.
Character love can be both good and bad. You can't be so involved in the character that you forget the story lines, and you can't be so against a character that you don't write appropriate situations that will challenge the reactions of your MC. As I said previously, what a fine line!
Now I'm off to write for WIP#4 where I have yet to decide what my character is truly like, her voice hasn't been defined yet. Oh, the fun stuff (rubbing hands eagerly here!).
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