So I've finally finished the second draft of my book! Hoorah! I am actually really excited and happy about this as I feel that the story is a lot stronger and more developed than the first draft, although there are still some kinks I need to iron out and so the third draft beckons!
One aspect of writing that I've always struggled with and that has become more prominent during the writing of this book is ending a chapter or paragraph effectively. When I've come to the end of a section, like most writers, I want it to end with a punch that stays in the reader's head but I always feel that my attempts are mediocre at best. I became aware that I am falling in to a pattern of ending chapters with short, sharp sentences, which is great when you want to shock the reader or create suspense but twenty-two chapters of the same technique can get incredibly boring and predictable. I know that a lot of screenwriters live by the rule of 'end a scene with a visual' but there doesn't seem to a general train of thought when it comes to novel writing. I suppose this is a good thing as the writer has complete creativity but I have to say that I am clueless when it comes to writing a powerful ending. Another thing I struggle with is titles, I still haven't given my book a title let alone the chapters! I know I'm going to forego chapter titles otherwise I'll spend months screaming in frustration but I can't not have a book title, can I? Everything I think of seems too over the top, cheesy or dramatic and I don't want people to laugh at my book before they've even read it. I've tried looking at key themes and plot points but nothing is coming to me and I just wonder if this is a problem for a lot of writers or just me. I know that some writers have a title before they even begin writing but I always thought I'd discover mine along the way and so I'm hoping that the third draft brings with it a light bulb moment. Anyway, if anyone has any tips on how to rectify this problems I would be eternally grateful if you could send them my way. I'm more excited about this book than ever and I really want it to be as great as it can be before I begin the, no doubt, painful task of getting it out to publishers. And now I can't think of a decent sentence to end this post with.
0 Comments
As my search for a job goes on I have suddenly become my family's PA, which means that anything that needs posting, buying or collecting is now my responsibility. My mother has also been on at me to clean the house from top to bottom every twenty-four hours but we all know that's not going to happen (even if I did I would never meet her high standards, she takes house proud to new dizzying heights.) But besides my new role as Ellie Rees, Family Admin Clerk, I have tried to fill as much of my time with writing my book as possible and it's all getting quite exciting!
I'm currently writing the second draft and all the anxieties and worries I had over the first are ever so slowly disappearing as I develop plots, add new ones and change my characters. My main problem is that I tend to get a bit carried away and want to cram all of my new ideas in and, a lot of the time, I don't need them or I just need to hold back until later on in the book or series (if it ever gets that far.) Sometimes I will have a sudden brainwave and solve a plot point that has been nagging at me for days so I quickly make a note of it and before I know it this new idea has spawned another twenty that I have to include, somehow. Although I do believe in writing down every idea that pops in to my head in case I may want to use it for other projects, there does come a point when you have to be strict and critical with yourself. One of the biggest dilemmas I have been facing in writing a fantasy book is that I want this world to seem as real as it can be, which means every aspect from what food is popular to what its people do for fun has to be covered if it's going to be convincing. Therefore, I feel like I need to keep adding a plethora of information in to the book so that the reader has no doubt in their mind that this place could be real. The tricky bit is knowing what to include and what not to include, something I'm learning as I continue along the writing process. Do I really need to describe how my fantasy people live in great depth or is it best to slowly reveal this over the course of the story? Which is more natural? I suppose there is an argument for both as the reader needs to know the characters' surroundings before that part of the plot can move forward but I also think that an overload of description and information can quickly become dull and boring. In any real life situation we are not given the facts all at once and straight away, we discover them for ourselves or learn about them so I think that is the best way to approach my writing. Getting carried away with ideas is a great way to get creative and open up new possibilities but I know that I also need to try and be that person who can show some restraint and can lead my reader along with enough juicy bits to keep them interested. Here's hoping! Well, guess who's had a very exciting couple of days?! Maybe you have but I'm going to regale you with the latest events in my life for a moment!
Firstly, I discovered on Monday that I will be graduating with a 2:1 so I have been living on cloud nine for the past three days! I'm also very pleased that all of my closest friends got incredible grades and I couldn't be more proud nor pleased for them. It's such a relief to know that the last three years have finally paid off and I've now got the degree I wanted! Secondly, about ten minutes ago I finished the first draft of my book! I've never written anything of that length before and, although it needs a hell of a lot of work, I'm also very proud that I managed to plan and execute and novel length story. I'm actually quite excited now about reading through it, cutting out and adding in new parts, rewriting parts completely and generally trying to perfect it as much as I can. I have no idea how most authors go about their writing process but I've found that once I've written my plan, I try to stick to that as best I can and just get the bare bones of it down. I'm hoping that when I read over it I can add more detailed descriptions and see where I need to provide more dramatic conflict or character development. I definitely think that you discover your characters rather than create them. I've written a lot of character profiles but, sometimes, I struggle to make them any different from your average Joe on the street, and who wants to read about that? Once I've put them in to my story and give them situations to deal with I have found that I gradually understand how they would react. This means that during the (undoubtedly, numerous) redrafting stage I will have a much firmer idea of how they would behave and, of course, where they end up! So that's my bubble of happiness for this week! I hope you've had as equally a good couple of days and I'm sure you'll be checking your computer everyday to find out the progress of my book. It's okay, I understand if you have better things to do. |
Archives
January 2023
Categories
All
|