I have this problem, where I keep getting sucked into boring novels with good voices. You know the type. The narrator has an awesome voice and there are lots of really funny scenes. So you start reading, thinking the story is going to be fabulous. Then you get to the end and realize that the story line was way overdone, incredibly predicable, and now you feel like an idiot for wasting an entire Saturday reading this drivil.
Here is the really sad thing though. The book I’ve been working on for the past two months is totally one of those stories. I like the characters, I have some fun scenes. I think I might even be able to suck in some readers with a funny enough opening. But in the end, my story is a total waste of time. I don’t want to piss off my future readers. But I can’t force an interesting plot into the world I’ve created without rewriting EVERYTHING.
So that’s what I’m doing. I’m starting over and changing everything. I am keeping three of the characters from the story that I’ve been writing. But I’m making them seniors in high school instead of freshman in college. And I am throwing crap at them that wouldn’t make any sence in the story I already wrote, but will hopefully not waste my readers time.
I haven’t actually started writing this new story yet. But I’m hoping that it will be worth reading when I’m done. I guess it’s good that I realized the book I’ve been writing is boring 50k words into the rough draft and not after I’d hashed out 8 or 9 more drafts.
Joke of the Day
Punctuation Parable
Dear John,
I want a man who knows what love is all about. You are generous, kind, thoughtful. People who are not like you admit to being useless and inferior.You have ruined me for other men. I yearn for you. I have no feelings whatsoever when we're apart. I can be forever happy - will you let me be yours?
Gloria
I want a man who knows what love is all about. You are generous, kind, thoughtful. People who are not like you admit to being useless and inferior.You have ruined me for other men. I yearn for you. I have no feelings whatsoever when we're apart. I can be forever happy - will you let me be yours?
Gloria
Dear John,
I want a man who knows what love is. All about you are generous, kind, thoughtful people, who are not like you. Admit to being useless and inferior.You have ruined me. For other men, I yearn. For you, I have no feelings whatsoever. When we're apart, I can be forever happy. Will you let me be?
Yours, Gloria
2 comments:
I have been doing exactly what you described. I started from scratch. It's scary (and hard) at first. Your mind will keep going back to the story as it currently exists. But once you get past that, wait and see the great new story that emerges. You won't recognize it. Good luck!
I'm doing the same right now. The worst part about writing is second guessing what you've already written. the best part is that anything can happen because you make it all up in your head. I am trying to decide whether to eliminate Bethany's perspective and just chalk the multiple perspectives up to a writing exercise. But I think she's interesting, so I want to keep going with it. I feel like maybe I'm wasting time and being inefficient.
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