Closure (and OMG, update for the first time in how many years?)
No matter how long it's been, I still feel guilty for abandoning the Metamorphosis series ten years ago. I loved the idea, and people still ask me about it, so every couple of years I take it out and try one more time to finish it. And every time, I refresh my memory on the fandoms involved (which gets harder the longer they're off the air), reread what I'd already written, and finally abandon it again, untouched, because I have no idea what to do next, despite the plot summary at the bottom.
I always thought it was because there were too many balls in the air, too many characters who had to be there but who, once introduced, needed to be kept in the story and given something to do.
This morning I took it out again, admiringly read what I'd already written (including the scene where twelve characters from three of the four different fandoms have plenty to do and act in character the whole time), sighed heavily, and prepared close the document once more.
Then I looked at the plot summary at the bottom. And realized that the problem isn't the characters. It's never been the characters. It's that the "plot" was a series of unconnected events: information that's withheld and then conveniently dropped in the characters' laps when needed, conversations that needed to happen but weren't connected to action, etc. Twenty minutes of revision and I have an actual, viable plan that moves the story forward.
Of course, this happened at the worst possible time for me to sit down and write, so it may be a few weeks until I'm confident that the problem is solved and I'm ready to show you guys stuff. And I need to review episodes of a couple of the fandoms to make sure I have the characters' voices right. But I'm hopeful for the first time in ages that I can actually bring this baby in for a landing.
I always thought it was because there were too many balls in the air, too many characters who had to be there but who, once introduced, needed to be kept in the story and given something to do.
This morning I took it out again, admiringly read what I'd already written (including the scene where twelve characters from three of the four different fandoms have plenty to do and act in character the whole time), sighed heavily, and prepared close the document once more.
Then I looked at the plot summary at the bottom. And realized that the problem isn't the characters. It's never been the characters. It's that the "plot" was a series of unconnected events: information that's withheld and then conveniently dropped in the characters' laps when needed, conversations that needed to happen but weren't connected to action, etc. Twenty minutes of revision and I have an actual, viable plan that moves the story forward.
Of course, this happened at the worst possible time for me to sit down and write, so it may be a few weeks until I'm confident that the problem is solved and I'm ready to show you guys stuff. And I need to review episodes of a couple of the fandoms to make sure I have the characters' voices right. But I'm hopeful for the first time in ages that I can actually bring this baby in for a landing.