I've been having a down day on my writing.
You know those times when you think your writing is awful and you can never improve it? Well that was me today.
Having had some time away from my Nottinghamshire story I can see so many possibilities just in the first chapter.
Should I start with dialogue or leave it with the current opening description and narrative? I've started to wonder if actually shifting the position of some elements would work better...
With other stories I've written it's been a 50/50 split, though I know that on one project I'll be changing the start.
Once I get into rewriting the chapter I don't feel as bad, but now that nagging feeling that the start is wrong won't go. I have to seriously consider that may be right...
It's been some time since I've had one of these down spells, and I know it will pass, but I think having a deadline is making it worse.
Such are the trials and tribulations of the writer...
Carol Bevitt's blog on her writing and inspirations, along with occasional literature related news...
In my experience that nagging feeling is usually right. Hope you get it sorted.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Ana. :)
DeleteI don't feel like that about my writing in general, but I sometimes feel that way about a particular piece when it's not going well.
ReplyDeleteThe doubts may be well founded, but that's OK as we can make changes. How about writing the rest and then coming back to it? Once you know exactly where the story is going it might be clear how it should start.
This is the first revision of the first draft, Patsy.
DeleteI know where everything is going and I know the scene is the right place to start, I just suspect that I need to mix up the position of the current contents of the chapter...
Having slept on it, I'm more convinced that's the right way to go.
And thank you. :-)
DeleteI was going to say the same as Patsy. Don't fret over the beginning, carry on and then look at it as a whole. You might find your beginning works after all.
ReplyDeleteThanks Wendy.
DeleteAs mentioned in reply to Patsy, it's the right place to start, I think it's just a case of shifting elements of the scene. So there's work to do.
Hope you are feeling better today, Carol and that first chapter has found its way. I can't tell you how many times I played with my opening chapter. It came to a point where I had to stop myself or go crazy. But that opening is the one that captures the immediate attention and so I fully understand the dilemma. In the end, I asked a good writing friend to have a read and give some feedback. That helped. Another thing I do when I'm frustrated is to stop and delve into some cleaning or gardening. Helps clear the mind. The problem seems to grow worse, the more we think about it.Wishing you a productive rest of the week.
ReplyDeleteYes, much better thanks, Nicola. I'm more confident about what I need to do with the first two pages to grab the attention and the keep reading effect.
DeleteHaving worked on the chapter regularly now, I'm back into the start of my characters relationship and can rewrite/flesh out the weak spots. :-)
I definitely have days like that occasionally, Carol, but it doesn't usually last. Opening chapters are often difficult to get right until the book is written - thank goodness we can always change things around when necessary!
ReplyDeleteThanks, Rosemary. I'm fairly certain now that I just need to mix up the order of the first two pages to resolve my issues with the start.
DeleteThe rewriting of chapter one is going well- once I decided to finish the rest of chapter one and go back to rearrange the opening.:-)
You'll get through this, Carol. Do what Nicola says if you have time - try and clear your mind before you go back to it.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Keith, a few nights of reasonable sleep and allowing my brain to work on it, I'm fairly sure I know which bits to shift and something that needs to be added. :-)
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