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| I've been thinking- seriously... |
It's not that I've lost my enthusiasm, or lack ideas- still too many to get through- but I've realised that I'm a flexible planner; just writing the story as I go along doesn't work for me. I need thinking time...
While the current work in progress (the contemporary romance) has been evolving, I've learnt more about my characters, but they're still a bit too two dimensional at times.
It's okay when they're having an emotional scene, they come alive, but between times they flatten out because I don't know enough about them. While they talk to me I know they're holding important information back, and it's that deep down stuff I need to get to to round them out.
Also secondary characters and incidental ones have turned up as part of the plot, and while it's not essential I know a lot about the latter, I do need to know a bit more about the former.
At the moment I feel like bits of the border of the jigsaw puzzle are missing, and it's making it harder to complete the whole picture.
I also know there are important areas of research I need to clarify.
Usually I research as much as I feel I need to start with, based on the characters and my general plot outline, before I begin writing. But because I only had a few basics to start with, and a lot more questions have arisen as I've gone along, and I've had to note in the manuscript that info is needed on x.
Yes, I need to find out other information as I go along on my planned stories, but never in as much depth as I need with this current story.
I roughly know where I'm going with it, but I need a better plan, and more thorough character bios than I have at the minute.
And my historical novella is demanding attention too, the second draft has been on hold too long and I need to get back to it.
So I've decided that I'm going to spend the next week creating those detailed bios, and chapter outlines- they're not set in stone, elements can be moved around if need-be. And the really important research items will help.
I feel certain that once those are done I will make better progress, and hopefully get the first draft completed.
I now know the writing system that works for me. I just need to build on it to get the most words out of it.
Nothing is wasted, because the story will get written...
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