My new challenge (+ winner)
I’ve been thinking about the fact that I seem incapable of writing a book that takes place over a period of more than a week, even though I’ve seen it done by other authors hundreds of times. I’ve been trying to figure out what my problem is. And I think I’ve figured it out.
If a story took place over a greater period of time, that would mean there were large blocks of time I’d have to skip over. And the only reason I’d skip over large blocks of time is if nothing important happened during those blocks. But…why would my characters do nothing important for days/weeks/months on end, when someone’s life is in danger, or someone’s been kidnapped, or someone’s trying to open a door between our world and the Netherworld?
They wouldn’t.
That understanding of my own story-telling process has led me to wonder if my books are, in fact, plot-driven. Not just plot-driven, but actiony-plot-driven. Before today, if someone had asked me, I would have said they were character-driven. But surely if they were character-driven, I wouldn’t have any trouble summarizing the times between self-realizations and relationship breakthroughs, like I currently summarize the sleeping and bathroom (and sometimes classroom lesson) portions of the story, which are the only times my characters aren’t doing something you need to see.
Which may explain why writing the romance elements is so hard for me. Because, on the surface, when they’re falling in love, they’re not doing anything. Which is why they have to fall in love in the middle of the action. But…the action shortens the time span of the story, which means they have to fall in love really fast. Which may be why both Faythe & Marc and Liv & Cam were exes-the background chemistry was already there. They were falling back in love, which is much easier to write than when the characters have to go from strangers to lovers in a matter of days.
It’s so much easier for my characters to kill each other than to fall in love with each other. (And it’s easier for me to write them killing each other than falling in love with each other.) Which is probably why most of them seem to fall in love with someone they-at one point-wanted to kill, just a little bit.
So, obviously, I have a new challenge. I now have to write a book that spans more than a week in time, just to prove to myself that I can. At the moment, I’m not sure how to lengthen the time span without slowing things down, which I don’t really want to do. When things slow down, many readers put the book down. (I know, some of you will say you like some “down time” in a book, but the vast majority of reader-reviews I’ve read indicate that most readers will, in fact, put a book down if the plot/action slows. Or if it doesn’t begin immediately. I blame video games and violent television. ;) )
But! I will figure it out! And when I do, you’ll hear about it!
For now, you’re going to hear about this week’s International Edition winner. And that is…
Caleigh, whose comment began: "Can’t say I have. But I plan to change that in the near future."
Caleigh, please email me (rachelkvincentATgmailDOTcom) with your choice of prize from the list of books found here, and we’ll put your prizes in the mail.
Thanks so much to everyone who entered, and don't forget to check back next week for the new giveaway. And, check in next Wednesday, April 4th for:
If a story took place over a greater period of time, that would mean there were large blocks of time I’d have to skip over. And the only reason I’d skip over large blocks of time is if nothing important happened during those blocks. But…why would my characters do nothing important for days/weeks/months on end, when someone’s life is in danger, or someone’s been kidnapped, or someone’s trying to open a door between our world and the Netherworld?
They wouldn’t.
That understanding of my own story-telling process has led me to wonder if my books are, in fact, plot-driven. Not just plot-driven, but actiony-plot-driven. Before today, if someone had asked me, I would have said they were character-driven. But surely if they were character-driven, I wouldn’t have any trouble summarizing the times between self-realizations and relationship breakthroughs, like I currently summarize the sleeping and bathroom (and sometimes classroom lesson) portions of the story, which are the only times my characters aren’t doing something you need to see.
Which may explain why writing the romance elements is so hard for me. Because, on the surface, when they’re falling in love, they’re not doing anything. Which is why they have to fall in love in the middle of the action. But…the action shortens the time span of the story, which means they have to fall in love really fast. Which may be why both Faythe & Marc and Liv & Cam were exes-the background chemistry was already there. They were falling back in love, which is much easier to write than when the characters have to go from strangers to lovers in a matter of days.
It’s so much easier for my characters to kill each other than to fall in love with each other. (And it’s easier for me to write them killing each other than falling in love with each other.) Which is probably why most of them seem to fall in love with someone they-at one point-wanted to kill, just a little bit.
So, obviously, I have a new challenge. I now have to write a book that spans more than a week in time, just to prove to myself that I can. At the moment, I’m not sure how to lengthen the time span without slowing things down, which I don’t really want to do. When things slow down, many readers put the book down. (I know, some of you will say you like some “down time” in a book, but the vast majority of reader-reviews I’ve read indicate that most readers will, in fact, put a book down if the plot/action slows. Or if it doesn’t begin immediately. I blame video games and violent television. ;) )
But! I will figure it out! And when I do, you’ll hear about it!
For now, you’re going to hear about this week’s International Edition winner. And that is…
Caleigh, whose comment began: "Can’t say I have. But I plan to change that in the near future."
Caleigh, please email me (rachelkvincentATgmailDOTcom) with your choice of prize from the list of books found here, and we’ll put your prizes in the mail.
Thanks so much to everyone who entered, and don't forget to check back next week for the new giveaway. And, check in next Wednesday, April 4th for:
