AM I FINISHED YET?
There was a time when I thought I could write a story, polish the prose, do a few line edits and be done. Lately that has all changed. I’ve been getting massive rewrites. What is with that? Have I slipped in my skills as a storyteller? Or have I told all the easy stories stored in my brain and now the stories are getting more complex and hence, open to more forks in the road? And I seem to be taking the wrong forks too often. (If anyone has suggestions, I am more than open to hear them—I’m desperate).
On the positive side, I have learned several valuable lessons (with more to go, I’m sure).
First: I write pure romance so it’s all about the romance. Forget the personal goals and the overwhelming problems UNLESS they impact the romantic development. You’d think I’d know that but with each book I seem to have to learn it yet again. Sometimes I wonder if I even know what a romance story is. I suppose in its simplest form it could be described in this steps:
- Meeting
- First Sign Of Conflict
- First Sign Of Romance
- First Kiss No Turning Back
- Betrayal
- Proposal Scene
Or at least that’s how I heard someone describe it once upon a time. But somehow it never seems that cut and dried nor that simple when I put two specific characters together and give them something to do.
Second hard lesson not yet learned: If each scene doesn’t grow out of the one before, the story becomes episodic (I have learned to dread that word). Each scene must be a rung upward on a ladder that leads to the HEA. Again, it sounds so simple; it proves somewhat more difficult.
Third lesson that only someone with one eye closed and sitting here half asleep needs to hear over and over (that would be me J ): The characters must be engaging. No boring, stable, good, nice people need apply. At least, not unless they have some deep dark secret that is being forced out into the open. Now I might not be stating that in terms that speak to you but it’s what I need to learn. And apply time after time. I’m too nice to my characters. I don’t want to make them tortured people but healed people. Excuse me, but need I be told over and over that it works best if that redemption occurs on the page?
There are more difficult lessons and I’m sure the list will grow. But lest this sound like a pity party for one, I will stop. And I will point out that revisions push me to make the story all it can be and should be and for that I am grateful for the chance to fix my story. So please ignore any further whining. (Though I’m not at all opposed to huge doses of sympathy J)
It definitely doesn’t get any easier does it? Actually I think it’s the reverse-you reach a level of competency which means you can write a fairly decent book and sometimes its easier to sit on that and not make yourself dig deeper and grow as a writer (when I say ‘you’ I mean me of course)
A writer friend likened progress in writing to learning to drive a car. First we start off with the basic driving in a straight line, then we progress to corners, then we have to do a three point turn, until finally we master what to do in a skid. That sort of made sense to me. Baby steps along the way until we master our craft.
I agree with you both, Kate and Tricia. I think it gets harder as we push harder for more in-depth stories. Which is not to say the earlier stories weren’t solid. But somehow it’s different. I’m glad to know I’m not alone in my struggle/growth.
Excellent points, Linda. Sometimes we just forget the basics and have to relearn (and relearn, and relearn) them.