The woods are lovely, dark and deep,
But I have promises to keep,
And miles to go before I sleep,
And miles to go before I sleep.
-- Robert Frost, "Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening"
Although I'm this close to finishing TOPAZ, it feels like I might as well be half a book away. I can see the proverbial light at the end of the tunnel, but, as Frost says, I have miles to go.
I've been working on Chapter 28 for a few days now. It seems to be a pattern for me: the chapter after a section with lots of action is extremely tough to get onto paper (or screen). I've written one version already, but it didn't seem to be tough enough on Faith and Jason. (Yes, I'm a mean author.)
Part of the problem is that I want to go in one direction—and I think Faith is tugging in another. I hate fighting with my characters. It's annoying. I'm not convinced that the direction she wants is the correct one for the story, though. Grr.
Maybe I'll listen to her and write a few pages in that direction and see if it works. It probably will. One thing I've learned is that, as much as I fight with my characters sometimes, they're usually right.
6 comments:
I completely understand how you feel right now.
About this time last year, I'd written eight full chapters of Web in ONE week...then a few weeks later, it took me almost a month to write ONE chapter, because it was right at the climax of the story. Can't explain it. I just tend to slow down as I near the end.
Hang in there, Jenn. :)
Ditto with Lydia. It always gets harder toward the end. My problem is that I don't want to let the characters GO, so I have trouble finding an ending.
Good luck and keep writing! You can do it.
Thanks for the encouragement, guys. :)
Characters can be stubborn blighters. Sometimes you just have to give in and see what happens.
It is true that quieter scenes, like in the aftermath of action, are hard to write. You have to maintain tension while giving the reader a bit of a break at the same time. You have to grit your teeth and just get it done. Don't forget to pat yourself on the back when it's over.
Jai
The good news is I managed to get Chapter 28 done last night and I'm pretty happy with it. I was able to show Faith kind of taking charge since Jason is out of it...and still managed to end with a bit of a cliffhanger, even though the chapter itself isn't all that tension-filled.
Chapter 29 is the goal for tonight!
Ditto with those above me.
The last few chapters of a novel, or last few scenes of a short, are sooo difficult. It's annoying.
And as to the very end of your post--you should hold to my motto. ;)
Never argue with your characters--they always win. ^_^ lol
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