Tuesday, October 02, 2007

Humpty Dumpty's Wall

Recently I hit a huge wall. It smacked me hard. I didn't get a concussion, but instead faced major reconstructive surgery. No plastic surgeon could assist me. I had to perform the operation.

What happened? It's a long sad story, but deserves telling...

I had a perfectly wonderful and exciting plot for a new book. The hero and heroine were perfectly suited and their goals were totally opposite. Getting them together would be a roller coaster ride of emotions. I dove into the novel and churned out the pages. They flowed seamlessly until I hit page 156 and that brick wall.

I found myself forcing pages, writing too much introspection, dragging the manuscript along. I finally stopped, stepped back, and held my head in horror. I would never finish this manuscript!

What did I do?

I gave myself a break from writing. The timing was perfect. My RWA chapter conference was approaching and I had volunteered to help out with stuffing goody bags, attending a booksigning, and picking up an editor at the airport. For a week I didn't even think about those pages impaled on that impassable wall. I enjoyed the conference, made new friends, sold some books, and attended lots of workshops.

At some point during that fabulous weekend, the answer to my problem came to me like a bright light from a dark void. I had started the story at the wrong point. I needed to write what I had considered the backstory. Everything fell into place. I have the new beginning outlined and I'm ready to start pounding the keyboard once again. I know the story will be much stronger now.

If you ever find yourself at a loss for words, if you are struggling to get from one point to the next, step back and take a look at your beginning. Starting the story in the right place is crucial to the success of your manuscript.

Thanks for reading!

FOXFIRE, Romantic Suspense
HIT AND RUN, Romantic Suspense

3 comments:

  1. So glad your time away solved your writing issue. Good for you! :)

    That's exactly the way I deal with hitting a wall, too. I walk away for a bit, just find something else to occupy my mind and hands. The solution shows itself eventually, and then I move forward.

    Have fun writing! I'm sure the new angle will make for a wonderful read.

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  2. TOP PORTUGUESE UNIVERSAL WRITER: CRISTOVAO DE AGUIAR

    (PASSANGER IN TRANSIT)

    BOOKS:

    “PASAGEIRO EM TRÂNSITO” ; “RAIZ COMOVIDA”; “RELAÇÃO DE
    BORDO”; “MARILHA”; “A TABUADA DO TEMPO”; BRAÇO TATUADO”; “MIGUEL TORGA O LAVRADOR DAS LETRAS”

    He has, also, translated into Portuguese the Wealth of Nations by Adam Smith.

    He has been awarded several prizes.

    Don't forget the name of this great author, you'll be hearing of him soon.

    Thank you for spending time in Universal Culture.

    Thanks for visiting.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Great advice...thanks for the reminder!

    ReplyDelete