Generally, a writer is supposed to write the first draft, blocking out the basic action of the story, and then edit. But I had gotten into a muddle, and I knew it, and I couldn't write more unless I found the muddle and corrected it.
I knew the muddle originated in the chapter that was half again as long as the other chapters, but I had to decide which material drove the plot and which material was extraneous and superficial. That gave me a formula to work with.
It turned out I had tried to give too much background on my mythical beings, the Archetypes, and their half-human offspring, the Nephilim: "Here, Anna, here's everything you need to know about your ancestry."
Last night, I asked myself the following questions:
- Do people give hours of expository dialogue in real life? No.
- Is this just going to give Anna Schmidt, the protagonist, information overload? Yes.
- Have I written myself in a corner, because I've overexplained one plot line to the detriment of the other (She's in danger, the whole world's in danger?) Yes.
- Am I going to have to edit this mess to proceed? I'm afraid so.
The moral of the story is that some words harm the story as a whole, and surgical excision is necessary.
No comments:
Post a Comment
I believe that everyone here comes with good intent. If you come to spoil my assumptions by verbal abuse, excessive profanity, spam or other abuses I had not considered, I reserve the right to delete your notes or delete your participation. I am the arbiter of what violates good intent.