Novel Watch #42: back on the mechanical bull
So, I’ve totally reinvisioned this story, and it’s starting to make more sense again. (This makes what, the third time this has happened? How many more times can I do this before I start losing credibility here?) I’ve had this issue where I have multiple plotlines all intersecting but none that really seem to drive the story — the main conflict always seemed to lack an antagonist, and while a better writer than I might be able to work it out, I think this story really needs a primary conflict to tie it all together. I think I have that now, and it will show up in the very first paragraph, which is also important given that it takes a while for other stuff to start.
I’ve also been thinking about my characters, and I’m really starting to get a handle on Bandolor and Iggsle more, while Adrianna recently came into stark relief for the first time (praise Apollo and all the muses). I think I finally understand her trauma and where she’s coming from — and why she ends up doing what she does. I see her driving force, and that’s huge.
Currently I have those same 107.5 pages of my second draft, plus 2 new pages of a 3rd draft that actually seems like it might work. Tonight I worked on character notes and plotted out all the scenes that I have written already. It’s a long list, and my plan is to go through them and reorder some things while really looking at what happens in each scene — what’s the conflict, and where are the characters coming from at this given point (by which I mean emotionally or in terms of trying to get what they want)?
So that’s where I am. It’s the beginning of November and I still feel like I’m just starting. I guess it’s not too surprising — the last novel I wrote took 9 months and that was just for one draft. Also, it isn’t really any good. So, all in all, I’ve made lots of progress so far on this one!
November 2nd, 2007 at 6:37 am
What isn’t good? Your new novel? Your old novel? That it feels like you’re just starting? That it took nine months for the previous one?
November 2nd, 2007 at 2:57 pm
Jacob:
The last novel was bad. It was kind of like being pregnant with a deformed, tentacled, soul-sucking frogmoose — after nine months, you pop out something you expect to be beautiful (in a red-faced screamy way) only it’s absolutely hideous. And then it eats your face.
The point is that I’m currently in a much better place than that. But it’s becoming clear that I might be a one-novel-every-two-years kind of author. Or maybe I just didn’t choose my battle as wisely as I could have. But hey, what can you do, right?