Drawing from the Well
Nada. A whole week of nada. After I post this, I’m going to dive into a query and then hopefully map a few scenes. I’ve got to crack this dry spell, but work has been draining the best parts of my energy this week. I’m happy about it, but it’s been a tough week.
Filling the Well
1984: 89%
Bloodwitch: 17%
The Raven Boys: 39%
I may not have gotten any writing in, but I’m still plugging away at the reading. I’m getting close to finishing 1984 and I REALLY want to. It all takes time. More of it sure would be nice.
Polishing the Well
Last night was catch up night on the sleep front. I woke up refreshed and ready for the day…well, not the day I ended up having, but I certainly feel more like myself than I have in a couple of days.
Well Chat
Making Your Story Make Sense
It was hard to find a topic today, but I started thinking about the thinking I’d been doing about Book Two and the series at large. I was thinking over the series ending. You might be thinking that’s putting the cart pretty far ahead of the horse, but I’ve said before that I start with the ending. My favorite endings are built around a big confrontation, typically a fight scene. Spoiler: the Tidestone Cycle is no different.
However, as I’ve also stated, I am persistent in asking why. I’ve rehearsed, adjusted, and reworked that scene so many times. It’s like watching a movie over and over again. The more I think about it, though, the more I dig into the mindset of everyone involved. Where are they at this point? What have they been through? What do they want at this point? What do they know?
And that’s when I realized I had a glaring plot hole that didn’t make sense. There was something significant lacking that, if identified, would unraveled not just that scene, but the entire series. It would have become one of those “Oh, come on!” kind of moments.
These are things you have to look out for. Either through planning or editing, issues like this have to be found and fixed. This is easiest with beta readers, but you have to think about this stuff on your own too. Think about what could go wrong, what could go awry, what doesn’t make sense. Then find ways around it. The more you can close these plot holes, the better your story.
And that takes a lot of thought. So get thinking, let your mind wander, and see what you come up with.
May the tide carry you to safer shores.
BSG