My word count for this folktale-based story is currently sitting at 2,914. It’s scary to realize that is 500 more words than my first draft of Revealed, which laid out an entire plot line.
The past couple days felt like I was pulling teeth again for each word. I think I finally figured out why I couldn’t get into the story. The opening pages were very dense. No white space. The words “was” and “had” could have propped the pages up on their own. My characters were isolated in many ways. They might not have always been alone, but there were no conversational openings in their current situations.
This should have been setting off warning bells in my head. Did I notice? No way, I was too busy trying to get any kind of word count in before the timer was up in the challenges. What a painful way to go about it. I spent much of today fiddling with what I’d already written. Tightening up phrasing and looking closely at the pacing. It was still dense and very quiet when I left it to pick up the kids from school.
When I came back, I decided I needed to pick up where I’d left off. Fortunately, that point was the first line of dialogue between the hero and heroine.
“Easy, Miss. Put that away before someone gets hurt. Namely me.”
Yeah. She surprised the hell out of me too, pulling a pistol on him like that. But you know what it provided? Instant chemistry and sparks!
After that point, my word count quickly jumped by another thousand words. Maybe I should go back and reread Nancy Kress’ Beginnings, Middles & Ends. Finding that sweet spot to begin and get rolling is all about experimenting.
What sets off your red flags and warning bells?
Yay you! I’m a ‘that’ abuser myself.
My biggest warning bell is if I really don’t want to work on something. That is usually a clue that something isn’t right. I’m either going in the wrong direction, or I’m trying to follow a piece of advice that really doesn’t jive with what I picture for the story.
And, I don’t mean for 1 day or even 2 days, but if a week goes by and I dread the thought of going back to that particular WIP.
Glad you’re recognizing some of yours and making good progress!!
I know you won’t be surprised at all, but I’m the opposite – pages and pages of dialogue that I need to go back and weave tags, description and action into – The clue (besides all the “”s) scenes fly by in short pages and I have to wonder why an entire meal lasted 1/2 a page.
I have to admit I was captivated by your fire thingy. What are they doing?
Oh and my heros and heroines surprising the heck out of me all the time. It’s what keeps me writing. 🙂
Hmmm, what sets off my warning bells?
Losing the creative fire.
I am SOEXCITEDICANBARELYTALK when I first get what I think is a winner (for me, not for New York or anybody else). I would do almost anything to keep that fire burning, because when it starts to flicker, I’m in trouble.
That said, I read enough and heard enough advice from other writers who said you just gotta write, good or bad. You just gotta write.
And I’m trying.
Obviously not now, though.