Kill Winter! (also known as a CHEERLEADING post!)

[scifishipper]

Hello writerly friends! Several of us, including me, have been feeling a little uninspired and down about writing and other life things. I would love for us to rally around and give each other support

Comments

[kdbleu]

I've actually been having a really, really rough time of it in real life lately and writing has been my salvation. I've been editing which I do enjoy but I must admit that where I am in editing is also a bit nerve wracking in that I finished my murder mystery and gave it over to cold readers and now I'm 'fixing' it. But I'm not always sure that I'm making it better at all. :/ Even worse, I know I'm improving elements but consumed with worry that I'm destroying others. Kinda not fun

[plaid_slytherin]

That's a wonderful realization, though - if it's important, you need to make it important. I admire your sticking to your guns like that!

[kdbleu]

It was a wonderful realization because it was so simple when I got down to it. And not just because I have a plot point that involves the couple being on a date. Although that was part of my initial rationalization. ;)

[kdbleu]

But you should also know that editing is a way of not finishing, not having to push my baby out into the world, which is not my best editing quality. The one single thing that I needed to get out of fandom writing was the ability to finish something, put it out into the world and then leave it the fuck alone. ;)

I am really struggling with the snowball of more radical changes I'm working on. I know it's the right call, but it feels like a lot more faith than the draft I sent to readers.

[embolalia]

I though the romance in your story was wonderful! The trust between those two characters was the central relationship of the book to me.

Unrelated, I saw this the other day and really liked it for future rounds of cold readers: http://www.examiner.com/article/ten-questions-to-ask-a-friend-who-just-read-your-novel

[kdbleu]

Thank you. I love H and T. *squishes*

Those are great questions. I will have to remember those for next time, especially for non-writer friends who I felt were left with really open directions.

[scifishipper]

I'm really happy that you are shoring up the romance and making it important. I've always loved their story and knowing that there will be more and better makes me really happy! <3

And so awesome that you were brave enough to ask the question! GO KATE GO!!

[millari]

It's great to find refuge in writing. Cherish the feeling! :)

It's so cool that you believe so much in an element of your story to not let outsiders (who after all don't know the story in your head) dissuade you from thinking it's important. I admire that resilience. I was once a journalist, and they teach that kind of resilience out you sometimes, especially when you're on deadline.

Also, I really need to start new scenes in the action. I think this is why I try to use old scenes where ever I can. hee.

Hey, whatever works, right? ;)

[kdbleu]

Both times the question was posed it was innocent and intended as support. That goes a long way for me. I knew that the romance wasn't on the chopping block that it was getting pulled into another issue in the structure of the novel. So, really it was all about be figuring out how to pace it better in the whole of the story.

I have a hard time writing the very first draft... It's kind of hard to explain but I intro over and over again, almost stalling completely. I discovered while I was writing this novel that if I jumped right to the action of the scene I could avoid all of that awkward introduction and frustration (because I can literally see the scene going nowhere). Then if I need to I can go back and add transition as I need it.

[lanalucy]

I'm so sorry things have been rough lately. I'm glad writing has been helping.

Even if the romance isn't central to this book, if you're planning to spend more time with this character, and the romance might be a bigger part of her story, laying the foundation is important. Personally, I liked the added conflict she had with her feelings. (It's been a while, and my memory's not great, so if I got it wrong, mea culpa.) It gave her more depth, and it will make the resolution of her relationship more satisfying to me as a reader, than if it was introduced and she got her HEA by the end of the same book. Nothing wrong with a same-book HEA - I read a LOT of romance, and that's a staple - but with a different genre, where the focus on the romance is secondary or even tertiary, I like to see it play out over time/over a series of stories.

[kdbleu]

thanks.

Part of what I realized was that this case is what makes H seek T out so the beginning of the romance can't be shifted to another story - which was actually the first question - could the romance be moved to book2? But it wasn't until I had to defend its presence at all that I saw that was I was missing was its weight as character development for H, that it reveals a part of her that her work does not and that revelation is important.

I do like the idea of developing and/or strengthening the relationship over the course of many parts. That feels much more real to me.

[ecstaticdance]

I love this whole post. Thank you for sharing it.

[kdbleu]

Thank you. And you are very welcome. :)