So I've been jumping back and forth between finishing up the rewrite of the ending of Crimson Swarm, and editing the early chapters. On Saturday I spent a couple hours editing chapters two and three. Two is nearly complete, three still has a bit of work. While editing chapter three I had one of those great experiences that writers love to have. I realized that much of the dialogue didn't make sense based on changes I had made to the first two chapters, so I cut a big chunk of it out. Then I needed to come up with something new for one of the characters, Elise, to say. So I closed my eyes, and I tried to get in her head. Something dreadful just happened to her, so I tried to feel how she would feel. Say what she would say. Then I opened my eyes and started typing what she said. It literally felt as if I was hearing her speak. For about a half hour I typed as fast as I could, trying to catch every word from her lips. When I got done, I went back and read it, and man, it was pretty darn good. All of the sudden I get a sense for who she is. Not just some two dimensional blond with a sword strapped to her hip. She had depth, she was someone I could respect.
Now if I can only get a few other characters to talk to me this way, I may just have something here. C'mon guys, tell me your stories.
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2 comments:
That's the ticket! It takes time with a story to have that happen. That's why on my first draft I don't go back and edit - I just rush right through to the end and then go back- If I get a great idea for a scene in the middle of doing this of course I write it down but generally this really gets me understanding all the characters. In LOTTERY it wasn't until my editor and I were working together that I really understood the dynamics of the family...
Yeah, that is not a bad way to go. I do tend to be a bit more detailed as I work along, but there is definitely room for improvement by the time I'm at the end. I worry that I might never finish if I tweak forever, and there is so much more I could add, but at some point I need to say, enough. Save it for the next book.
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