Drawing from the Well
The last week saw some serious progress on character profiles. I’m now past halfway on the side character profiles which gets me that much closer to returning to drafting. That said, creating these brief pictures into even the side characters is revealing that I have some work to do on what I’ve already drafted. Too many characters tend to, well, not have faces or anything that defines them physically. I’ve added that to the editing checklist, but that’s for WAY later. For now, I keep plodding forward.
22/22 Major Character Profiles Complete
47/90 Side Character Profiles Complete
Filling the Well
I caught up! Last week I was woefully behind, but with some concerted effort, shorter audiobooks, and finally finishing The Vortex Chronicles, I’m all caught up. Now I just have to keep on it with this kind of intensity to stay on pace. Fortunately, I’ve got some breathing room for longer audiobooks and finishing books I’ve started now.
So, let’s see, I listened to From the Earth to the Moon by Jules Verne, which was as dull and humorous as his work usually is. I know that’s a contradiction, but it’s true. I listened to the Wonderful Wizard of Oz which was a bit different from the movie (Gasp! I know.), but was good. Then there was River of Teeth and Taste of Marrow which were outstanding followed by the Binti Trilogy which was equally good in a different way.
As for Vortex Chronicles, I laughed, I cried (no, really, I tweeted the author about it), and I marveled at this complicated thrill ride. I loved it and Book 5, Crystal Caged, is already in the running for 6-Star Book of the Year. I know it’s only February but I don’t care. That book made me FEEL. Now, onward to more feels.
11/100 for #ProjectBookworm2022
Well Chat
And now we return to your regularly-scheduled programming.
It’s been almost two months since we talked about overwriting so let me refresh you. The perils there include losing the context for your writing, having meandering plot points (sometimes apparent in saggy middles), and a requirement for extensive, surgical editing in many rounds. That said, there’s nothing wrong with overwriting as long as you know it for what it is and fix it in post.
The other side of the spectrum would be underwriting. You get in, get the plot down, and get out. Logic might say that if overwriting is a problem, this is the solution. That would be an extreme assumption, though. Underwriting, like overwriting, has its own problems.
First of all, your pace can feel very fast and action-packed. That’s good if that’s what you’re going for, but you can end up losing your readers because the plot ran away from them. Not only that, your characters won’t have time to have believable reactions before they run off to the next thing. That strains credibility which also risks losing your readers. Not only that, you can lack character development, necessary character and setting descriptions, and, worst of all, depth. There’s no room for world-building, subtext, or allegory.
The obvious solution here is, you guessed it, appropriate editing. I find myself falling into this category with Book III. There’s A LOT going on and it’s leading me to write less than I probably should. So, when I get to editing, all the things I mentioned above have to be added. The fear is that they’ll feel obvious, obtrusive, and shoehorned. I don’t want that. It takes a deft hand to bring everything together like a puzzle rather than an overturned Lego bin. I’ll let you know how my journey goes on this.
Hope remains, though, for hitting the elusive Sweet Spot. We’ll talk about that next week. Have a great one!
May the tide carry you to safer shores.
BSG