Hello!
News:
Well, it’s awkward to say it, but I failed to meet my goal this week. I wrote the last completely original scene and finished editing seven of the scenes that needed to be altered to fit my improved outline, but I got really stuck on the 8th and 9th scenes (which combine into a single big scene that is being incredibly frustrating).
Basically, younger me thought that it wanted to have a super cool fight scene without thinking too much about the logistics needed for it to make sense…and to be fair, back then the worldbuilding was simpler to the point where a lot of the glaring issues with it weren’t obvious, only now I’m trying to do better about having the logic behind everything actually make sense, and that makes this scene very difficult to pull off, and I don’t want to just toss it. For starters, older me still very much likes the spectacle of a cool fight scene. Even worse, a lot of later plot points are built off of this scene happening, so I can’t change too much without a major overhaul of the remaining ¾ of the book, which I’ve written twice already and I’d very much prefer if I could just beat logic into submission and make this scene work the way I want it to… I’m probably going to figure out something workable soon, but right now the solution escapes me.
At least I’ve got a weekend to take a break from writing and maybe by the time I get started on Monday the answer will just hit me. If not… Well, I’ll keep trying until something works.
At least I’m blessed to be able to write at all. I have the wonderful opportunity to stare at the screen and wonder why my brain isn’t working for hours… without a movie or television show to blame. Writers are problem-solvers, so I guess it’s good to have a steady stream of problems to solve. Some days you write almost 4000 words, and other times you spend three or more days trying to fix a single stupid scene that will hopefully not be stupid by the time I’m done with it. After all this effort, I hope it becomes awesome, though I might settle for “not terrible.”
Still, I had a cool idea for a magical creature, oddly enough influenced by something that annoys me about Doctor Who, which comes with the seeds of a potential magic system and story, so I guess frustrating weeks come with their own silver lining.
My goal for next week is to finish this scene, along with six others. Much more modest, and hopefully something I can exceed, but if that is all I accomplish next week I’ll be satisfied.
May the force be with you!
Writing Tip:
When you want characters or groups to appear competent and intelligent, it helps to take the time to figure out what each side’s plan is, and then come up with the opposing team’s plan in response to the first team’s plan, or in response to what they know about the opposing team’s plan, and then as circumstances change, figure out the new plans for each side. This can take a lot longer, but can help both sides make intelligent choices and create a more interesting story. Brainstorming several possible ideas can help you to find the best options.
Have a good week,
Timothy Kuhn