So, I've whined a bit over the last couple months about being stuck. Like really stuck. First it was because I didn't know how my story was supposed to end, and when I figured that out, it still didn't feel quite right. There were actually four endings I came up with before finally settling on the one I have now. And this is the first one that hasn't felt like something was lacking. So I knew the ending about a month ago. So what's been my problem?
Action scenes.
Well, and perfectionism, but discussing that could make this post excruciatingly long.
Action scenes are the hardest for me to write, and it was that niggling fear of failure that kept me from even wanting to look at it. I kept trying to write it in my head before sitting down at the computer--which I can do with pretty much any other scene--but this one just wouldn't form.
So last week I decided that I would have to sit down at the computer and force my way through it, regardless of how awful it turned out. And then I procrastinated. My Google Reader and I have been very cozy this past week. And very unproductive. Apparently, I needed an intervention.
It came yesterday. In the form of a very long power outage. Now, I know that doesn't really seem like a good thing and (as my friend, Tere, put it so perfectly) my kids threw sticks and bones at me from the other side of the cave to stave off boredom while I huddled around the glow of my fully-charged laptop. Seriously. Power outages are so not kid friendly.
Anyway. Without the distraction of email, blogs, and all things internet, I finally wrote that dreaded scene. And it is indeed awful, but it's done! Yea! It's so nice to actually have some progress to report. :)
What about all of you? How are your projects coming? Anything exciting to report or share?
I know exactly how you feel about those action scenes. And yet, now that I look back over my WIP, those are actually some of the best scenes. Why? Because they are fast-paced, to the point, with no time for internal wishy-washy-ness on the part of the characters.
ReplyDeleteI find myself dreading the slow scenes now, where all those thoughts and feelings get in the way of what needs to happen.
I'm finally past my rewrite of the first few chapters and flying through my already revised sections. I have to get to the last part of the book and do some serious editing and rewriting there.
It's amazing, though, how much already existing material I can use when I get over my perfectionism.
Good for you for pushing through it! Sometimes I have to do that too, knowing I can always edit it later. :)
ReplyDeleteYAY for the breakthrough! Next time you get stuck...just blow up the nearest transformer! :)
ReplyDeleteGood for you! I hate those hard to write scenes, and I always procrastinate writing them. It feels so good when it's done, though, crappy or not. :)
ReplyDeleteI so know how power outages aren't kid friendly. Had too many of them here. But I'm glad you managed to still be productive.
ReplyDeleteMan, I have been so productive...
ReplyDeleteActually, I'm lying, I've been reading an old paperback trying to remember what happened before I order the newest book in the series on my nook.
So maybe nook is not helping me get any writing done, but I did realize how much slower I read a real book than an e-book. For some reason I just fly though them.
Tomorrow I plan on devoting most of the day to the WiP. I feel an action scene coming, so maybe I'll turn off all the lights and my modem and use your method. ;)
I seem to be suffering from inertia these days. Maybe I need a power outage! Congratulations on getting the scene written.
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