Starting All Over Again . . .
The big problem with rewriting a late draft is that you’ve looked at it so many times, you’re not even sure it makes sense. When one of those scenes suddenly becomes a turning point, you have to look at it again, have to find fresh eyes.
For me, that’s going back to the core of the scene. Who’s the protagonist, who’s the antagonist, what are their goals, how do they cross and escalate? What are the characters at the beginning of the scene and how have they changed by the end of the scene? How has the story changed? I teach this stuff over and over and then I look at a scene like the one I’m working on now and think, “How could I not have see that there is NO CONFLICT in this sucker? No character change? What was I doing?”
Thank God for rewrites. Now Shar comes into the scene demanding a rational explanation for what’s happening from Sam and ends the scene knowing that not only is there not a rational explanation, she’s a goddess.
And Sam starts the scene assuming he pretty much owns the world since he’s a god and ends the scene realizing things are different in this world and in fact, he may be in entirely the wrong place and time.
So Shar wants an explanation and Sam wants directions to Kammani. And they fight it out in beats:
Shar refuses to tell Sam where Kammani is until he gives her a rational explanation.
Once they’ve worked out a semi-rational explanation together–Shar’s grandmother was four thousand years old–they’re both confused because that fact doesn’t make sense with either of their world views.
As they both pursue their own answers, they uncover startling news about themselves: Shar’s a goddess and Sam’s a god in a world that doesn’t believe in him.
Then they leave each other to go to their respective allies, confused but closer to each other because they’ve worked together.
Looks good on paper. Unfortunately the scene that’s actually on the paper doesn’t read like that. So that’s my job for tomorrow: Fix that damn turning point.
Brain hurts.
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You can do it! It’s going to be fab.
Thank you for putting your thinking process right out there for those of us who are trying to write. It not only helps to have an example, but it is also reassuring that even seasoned authors still struggle, and overlook, and have to rewrite. Love to hear about the whole process. Thanks again.Keep digging for gold - it’s in there and you always find it!
I’m sure it’ll be terrific. I can see how it can be difficult to see everything with fresh eyes. I sometimes forget what I’ve put in and what I’ve taken out, so I usually end up putting certain things in multiple times. It gives me a mess to clean up at the end, but at least I didn’t leave it out! (I hope.)
I just read an essay from the Charmed book you edited (on why the Elders are obnoxious prats) and the author made a point that “conflict” isn’t necessary so much as having something unresolved that needs resolving. I’m so in line with the “conflict” storytelling method, I don’t quite know how to wrap my mind around how to have resolution of something that isn’t necessarily conflict. But it seems like what’s going on in this scene, or should be. I don’t suppose anyone else can say what is progress forward without conflict?
I agree with looking at something so closely for so long that you can’t see the forest for the trees. Or even the trees. There are days when I look at something I just wrote and think, “l.e.f.t… I’m sure that’s a word, I think. I just don’t know what word.”
Looking forward to the book, even if you think it’s a mess. I think I like your messes.
I don’t know if in the 4000th rewrite if Abby is still baking vegan stuff, but I just ran across this cookbook called “Vegan Cupcakes Take Over the World” claiming to have a chai latte cupcake. mmm. I’m rather a fan of eggs, but knowing how to cook without could be cool too.
And the link would be
http://www.modcloth.com/store//Modcloth/Apartment/Vegan+Cupcakes+Take+Over+The+World
Thank you, Cranky Otter.
The vegan cupcakes are, thankfully, gone.
Actually, a whole hell of a lot of stuff changed. But we’re happy.
On the needs resolved instead of conflict: No surprise I don’t agree. That’s trouble instead of conflict and the reason I don’t like it is that it there’s no push-pull between a protag and an antag so the protag has no impact on escalation. That is a fire can get out of hand, but the fire isn’t fighting back against the protag, it’s just doing what fire does.
But I could be wrong. I often am.
A wonderful vegan forum created by the author of
“Vegan Cupcakes Take Over the World 
http://www.postpunkkitchen.com/forum/index.php
Wouldn’t that be the old ‘Man against Nature’ thingy? Oh, never mind.
Jenny, how thick is that chapter on conflict going to wind up being in the HW/SW book? You mean it doesn’t get easier with practice??
Cranky, I loved that Mod site but wow! when did clothes get so expensive? Goodwill has me spoiled.
It gets harder, Lori.
Fortunately it also gets more satisfying.
You’ve probably seen the British Museum’s Mesopotamian pages, but I just discovered them. I love the Queen of the Night with talons for feet!
http://www.britishmuseum.org/explore/galleries/middle_east/room_56_mesopotamia.aspx
I realize that D&G is essentially written already, but I wanted to share this website. It’s not just for fictional goddesses.
http://www.goddess.com.au/goddesses/
So, any chance of an update? How’s progress?
Coming right up . . .