How many times can you re-start a novel? I don't mean editing, adding or changing a few things to make the opening scenes more grabbing, a character more life-like or a location more atmospheric. I mean a complete overhaul of the plot. I have been working on my current historical novel for a few weeks now, and it's the fourth time I start over from scratch, with a new time frame, new opening scenes and locations and elements to the plot. So far only the hero and heroin have escaped my rewriting frenzy. Every time I feel I'm doing better, and every time it seems that I'm not. A few chapters into the new 'improved' version, I stall... and wonder where I've gone wrong again.
Being an optimist, I have today started the fourth - and I hope the final - version of 'Dancing for the Devil'. I still believe in the characters and the storyline, but it feels by far the hardest story I've written and I wonder why.
So there... This time it starts on a very stormy day in Cape Wrath in the North of Scotland...
Hi,
ReplyDeleteI feel for you. Apparently you're not alone in this...I know of a few authors in the same rocky boat...They've all walked away from their manuscripts: taking time out, hoping to return with fresh outlook and fresh input...
Thankfully, I've never had this problem. Characters evolve from portraits I've browsed in galleries: the subconscious mind playing devil's advocate during sleep and giving forth characters' stories within dream movie sequences. Just a case of moi putting their story into words... ;)
I feel sure your dilemma will fall away and things will go right for you.
best
F
Thank you for the encouragement, Francine. I think that sometimes I rush too much into stories without taking time to think them through. I wish my dreams were as productive as yours! Regards, Marie.
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