Now that everything is back to normal (or as normal as things get around here), I'm back into my revisions. And I've reached a point where things have become difficult.
When I first wrote this section I kind of floundered around, trying to get my characters from point A to point B and nothing seemed to work. I thought I'd come up with a solution for the revision, but it still doesn't work. I've rewritten the same 5 chapters three or four times now, and I'm still not getting it. Any way I write it, one of the characters isn't behaving in a way that character would.
I've never been this floored by a plotting problem before. It is absolutely critical that Sacha gets to the city, but I cannot for the life of me figure out how. If she doesn't get there, the whole rest of the book can't happen. And that's another 22 chapters.
I have on last idea that might work, but it's going to involve changing several very major plot points that have already happened and moving various events around in time. I'm not 100% convinced it's going to work, but I'll make this last ditch effort. If this one doesn't get her there, I think I'm going to have to abandon this book. And I really don't want to!
Have you ever become completely roadblocked like this? How did you fix it?
I struggle with the intricate details that get characters out of trouble. I need to come up with a way for my character to get into a locked room that isn't obvious enough that someone else should have thought of it already. I'm not as smart as my characters and this makes it hard sometimes.
ReplyDeleteMaybe through a concealed heating vent? Or from underneath, if the floor is wooden?
DeleteI've rewritten the same book from scratch four times. It was worth it though because it finally got to where I needed it to be and I got a book deal for it too. (My MG series) I think sometimes when you have a lot to fix and move around, it's really overwhelming, and as crazy as it sounds, sometimes opening a fresh document and starting over is the easier thing to do. Moving things can create gaps and problems with flow. Starting over will make sure the story is flowing the way it should. So don't be afraid to open a blank document. No writing is ever wasted. It's a learning experience. Try the rewrite before you scrap the project. Good luck!
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