NaNoWriMo is over. I managed to write two complete stories in a month. The writing is every bit of the confused mess I predicted it would be. No, wait, this year it's even worse.
For the last two days, I've worked on accepting that the two drafts I now have are not even at a stage where I can edit them out. True, last year I would always end up rewriting half of every scenes (the beginnings were awful), but the plot was tight, at least, and held itself without needing major corrections.
This year my two outlines were incomplete on both novels. I had little idea what would happen past the halfway point, except for a few key scenes in Edingher. It caused problems in the final version, though not of the same nature.
Some characters have to be removed. Others need radical changes. Entire subplots were added in during November, and have to be better tied in. Edingher's ending has to change (somehow...) and White Echoes' beginning is, despite two complete rewrites, still clumsy. It will have to go.
So, where to go? Where to start? I have plots and characters that have matured during november, but now it means I have to start over again. It was always a risk. At least I have two weeks to think it through (finals are coming and I will not be doing a lot of writing during these).
Anyone else had massive revisions in their storyline? How do you deal with it?
Sounds like I'm in the same boat as you. I've no idea where to start, and this is like the biggest mess up ever! I've got to entirely re-plot one book because it was supposed to be in the second one! @.@
ReplyDeleteEh, wish I could give you some advice but I have no experience. . . Good luck?
At the very least all this writing must have given you lots of ideas. I only do a little writing at a time these days, but each time I do write I get more thoughts on the plot.
ReplyDeleteI'm a huge fan of the re-write. Whenever I edit I'm more apt to just re-write the scene from the beginning, making sure to add the things I liked from the last version, than try to nitpick at the words. And the more I write the scene over and over the more I get an idea for what needs to happen in the scenes following. I also don't bother about doing this in timeline order for the first re-write. If a scene comes to you, write that because it will probably change plenty of things before it! In fact, on my latest version of Fie Eoin I started pretty much near the end and worked my way forward. That way I knew what secrets were being revealed at the end and how my characters should act at the beginning so it wouldn't be a complete 180 in their character (both of my main men decided halfway through the second re-writing process to throw a big secret out there into the mix, and I had to re-write the beginning because of it).
ReplyDeleteGood luck with your edits! Just start where ever you feel like it and work from there! :)
I tend to throw the baby out with the bath water and make a new one. Keep the crib, the name, the blanket, meaning this character, that setting, this idea. Toss the plot. Bad baby! :)
ReplyDeleteOnce you've thrown a few of them out, it stops bothering you as much. Trust me. I'm a serial killer.
Margo, I am SO not surprised, and I love your sense of humour. ^^ Throw the baby out. I guess it's a good thing I create babies so fast. It must hurt less to start over.
ReplyDeletesticky: Starting backwards sounds like a weird way to work, but I can see how it works. Besides, it is somewhat what I will have to do, as I know I want to keep White Echoes ending (not the text, the idea). What I must scrap is the beginning.
Ted: Yes. Lots and logs of ideas, which is part of the difficulty. They are all written down now, but they weren't all good. XD
BookOwl: M'haha, THAT happens. It looks like we'll be learning from each other in the near future. :)