Monday 30 January 2012

Sleeping On It...

The last few days I've been trying to resolve a couple of issues.

I've been pondering how I can resolve the start of my Dorset novel without losing the elements I have that work and are needed- immediate setting and character elements. But those I don't want to lose, if I can absolutely avoid it, for getting that opening impact...

The deadline for the Good Housekeeping Novel Competition is the end of March, so I must get on with the changes I know I need, but as often happens another piece of writing is getting in the way...

So as I've settled down to sleep the last three or four nights I've told my mind to concentrate on the first chapter problem and forget anything else- repeating it two or three times as I relax.

And yes, my sub-conscious has sorted it out. I now know where I'm going...

Then strangely enough this afternoon as I sat looking at my computer screen just wondering if I could work out why I couldn't find the final 70 words for solving Jason's problem (this was the other piece of writing that I was supposed to forget).

It suddenly struck me that it was because Jason was in the wrong place. Yes the cabin had a bed in it, but there was no room for anyone to hide. But, if it was just a bedroom then I could add a dressing room and the problem could be resolved within my word limit.

Now you've probably guessed, that as I solved that issue and completed the 'story' in the 200 words allowed, I realised it's actually another 'inspiration scene' that will have to go into my story ideas folder for future development...

Just proves what happens when you sleep on it...

6 comments:

Teresa Ashby said...

I am a great believer in letting the sub conscious work problems out :-)
Glad yours has sorted the first chapter problem out x

Rosemary Gemmell said...

I love letting my mind get on with problem solving when I'm half asleep in the morning, though it doesn't always work!

Carolb said...

I've always found my sub conscious will solve the problem, Teresa, but sometimes it doesn't give me an answer for months...:-)


Rosemary, if I'm still half asleep in the morning my sub conscious goes for a nap. :-)

Diane Fordham said...

Sometimes I do find problems sort themselves out when I go on a completely different tangent/do something else/write something else. Mmmm I did say 'sometimes'. :-)

Rosalie Warren said...

I agree completely about the need to sleep on things. The ending of 'Charity's Child' was actually inspired by a dream and made so much more sense (to me, anyway!) than all the alternatives I'd thought up while awake.

Good luck with your rewrites, by the way.

Carolb said...

Diane, sometimes getting away from the project is the only thing that works.

Rosalie, I think it works better because we're not consciously using our logic as we do while awake.