I figured it out.
I've been puzzling over the missing piece in my current novel in progress, making very little progress actually.
It wasn't exactly a sagging middle.
And it wasn't only the lack of kick ass action from my main cop character.
Until, in a quiet moment when I was thinking about something else totally unrelated, maybe what to fix for supper that day....
...boom, the door opened! There it was! The missing piece.
A scene that could have been interesting and tense had been watered down....because it happened in the wrong setting and was narrated by the wrong character.
It has taken a few weeks to sort it out, and I've already done most of the writing in my head. Now I'm getting it on paper and revising all the stuff around it so it fits.
Many times I've said I don't get writer's block. That's sort of true, because I always have new ideas for the next project. What I do get, I guess, is plot block on the current manuscript. I can see something is wrong (sometimes with the gentle help of my critique group), but it takes time to discover the fix.
And then it happens.
And then I fix it.
And then I'm done....until the next time.
7 comments:
I don't have a critique group, but I realize it's definitely a benefit if you get the right mix of writers and readers.
Awesome! Now you know what to do.
It's SUCH a good feeling when the fix-it presents itself! It's taken a few years of ruminating for me to know what's wrong with an old ms. Now I've figured it out, I'm looking forward to the rewrite! Have fun with yours :)
Oh, Pat, I am so happy for you. Isn't that a great feeling?! Can't wait to read your finished product.
Hey, I just discovered my breakthrough moment too: I wrote the damn thing! Glad to hear you figured yours out for a different reason.
I love that phrase "plot block" because it totally describes what happens to me during the course of WiP. Good for you for breaking through your block. :)
"Plot block." Yes. This happens to me with almost every project, and like you, I've denied I have writer's block because I can always write something. I just have to wait it out until inspiration strikes. Glad you found the answer to your latest one. Good luck finishing now.
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