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Setting a book aside

This book I'm working on just isn't coming together. The plot is OK, but the ending is weak. More importantly, while I have plenty of bad things happen to my MC - whipsaw events that make the action rise and fall - I'm not sure I've really given the reader any reason to care about him. This book has me stuck, scratching my head. Who is this guy, anyway? And why are these things happening to him?

I have lots of notes for revisions to put into this first draft, but my enthusiasm to do so is low. I'm not sure what I want this book to say, so I'm questioning myself at every page.  This tells me that I need to quickly whack these changes in, then set this text aside for a while and work on something else.

The suspect that the working on something else is going to be critical. Merely taking more time isn't working; I'm spinning my wheels on this book, not making any progress. Maybe when I come back to it, the fresh eyes will let me see more clearly what needs to be changed.



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Posted

4 comments:

  1. Katherine HajerAug 20, 2014, 9:49:00 AM

    Sounds eminently sensible.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Janet Lingel AldrichAug 20, 2014, 10:24:00 AM

    It's amazing how stepping away from a project (and not just writing) can really help you see the issues more clearly. And if you get to the point where you think outside eyes might help, please remember me -- I'm available.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Cat RussellAug 23, 2014, 10:11:00 AM

    That seems sensible. Maybe in the meantime you could post some #fridayflash? You know, as a side project... *hint hint*

    ReplyDelete
  4. John WiswellSep 5, 2014, 12:48:00 PM

    That's totally respectable. Even Stephen King, our most prolific bestseller madman, has trunked novels. Moving to another project may even help fix this one, but if not, it could free you up for something even richer.

    ReplyDelete

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