by Marnee | July 2nd, 2009
Sorry I’m a little late today, ladies. Busy week. This cat above is what I feel like these days.
I’ve been a bit stalled up these past couple weeks. Renee Lynn Scott tells me that she gets stalled at the 60K mark too. And though I don’t enjoy when others share my struggles, it is nice sometimes to know I’m not alone.
So, anyway, because I’m stalled, I’ve been trying to read back over what I’ve written and see what’s not quite “right.”
I’m a plotter. I’d planned things out; I had my entire story blueprint. But, though I had the story, something about my characters wasn’t fitting into my blueprint very well.
And of course I had that moment where I thought, “Why do I plot when I’m just going to have to adjust it all later anyway?” Here’s what I decided:
First, I think adjustment is inevitable. At least for most of us, plotters or pantsers alike. (If not, you’re way way more lucky than me.) Any time you put more than two characters together on paper, you have to consider how they all feel and how they all react. So, when you are dealing with, say, 5 or 7 important characters, as I am, I have to see how they overlap. Which causes me to have to probe the motivations of 5-7 (albeit fake) people. It’s emotionally exhausting. Why would they do that? Would they do that? How do they feel when this happens? It’s all so tiresome sometimes.
Second of all, though I thought the story worked on the offset with the characters I’d devised, now that I’m 2/3 through their story, I’ve gotten to know them better through actually writing them. And since that’s how I get to know them better, it’s not really strange that what they’re really like is different than what I saw initially. Why should fake people be any different than real people, after all? I just have to decide how that’s going to change my overall story.
This whole exercise has made me revisit the whole plotting/pantsing issue. Here I am, firmly into my second half, and now I have to essentially “replot.” Yet, I know if I were to just write, my plot would go nowhere, I would be discouraged and throw my figurative hands up. I’d decide I suck at this whole writing gig and give up for a month, only to throw out what I have and start again with some new storyline and go through the entire ordeal again. Talk about exhausting. (I’m a bit dramatic that way.)
That’s why I’ve decided to just continue with my plotting. Even though it makes me batty sometimes.
How do you deal when you stall out? Hal put a 20 questions method to get going again on her blog this week and I thought that was great. Any other suggestions? Some commiseration? Is this process different for pantsers?
Jane Austen didn’t write historicals. She wrote contemporary novels. Dominic also reads a contemporary/contemporary novel. Hell, they could all be reading from the damned phone book…
I would love for any of those guys to read my novel aloud. I bet they’d do a kick ass job with my Adam & Eve one.
I know she didn’t write Historicals, but if you wanted to write something TODAY like what he’s reading, it would have to be an Historical. *sticks out tongue*
Marn – Hellie messes with me enough. Don’t you start too. LOL!
Hal – Told ya.
Sabrina – He’s an *actor*. They emote, darling.
emote. *snort* boy was he emotiong.
Can you imagine if they get Matthew McFaddyen on there?! I would die a thousand deaths.
or daniel craig? *swoon*
Oh, oh, James McAvoy in his full on Scottish accent. Which is sometimes hard to understand. LOL! I’ll take it!
Daniel Craig. James McAvoy. *swoon*
I’m in on the James McAvoy request…
Personally though – If ever was a man to read to me…it’s forever and always Sam Elliot.
Johnny Depp.
Sam Elliot has the BEST voice.
Actually, I’d take Alan Rickman reading just about anything as well. *LOL*
He could read Renee’s Western! LOL!
*sigh*
We sort of lost track again didn’t we?
You mentioned Johnny and I had to go watch clips of Public Enemies again. I need to stop doing that.
Yer all nuts, ya know!? I’ll have to check out the audio site when I got’s earphones…or be at home. The drawbacks a’ writin’ at Starbucks…
Marn…me heroine don’t age. Hasn’t in 28 years…her daughter is suddenly aging at an excellerated rate. But Mom can take on those years…it’s risky… That’s the risk Mom takes, which pisses off the hero… convoluted? Uh huh…
ps – Ter, you started the off-topic. You had know when you directed us all to a site where a hot British man reads P&P that we’d never come back.
I’m going to Public Enemies tonight, I’m going to Public Enemies tonight…
*LOL* Yeah, that is funny that Terri is reprimanding us for going off subject, when she brought the subject into the room…
True. But I’ve sent you to worse places. LOL!
Chance – You’re just now figuring that out?! (The we’re nuts part, that is.) And that sounds convoluted but makes much more sense now than it did before. That’s a pretty good twist actually.
Who reprimanded?! I was just making an observation.
Maybe I’ll treat myself to that movie this weekend. Though I still need to see The Proposal AND Transformers. I’m thinking Public Enemies is the least date-like movie so I won’t look so weird going to that alone.
You worry about lookin’ strange goin’ ta movies alone? Hell, I go ta movies alone most a’ the time! I sit in a movie theater, don’t ‘ave ta share me popcorn, surrounded my munchkins and mommies…
Though I had two little old ladies next ta me when I watched “The Proposal” … They laughed and giggled a lot! Troublemakers!
I ‘member seeing’ Barbed Wire and the theater were filled with young guys…all with seats spaced between them! HA!
I beg to go to movies alone!
Oh – and I have no chance of seeing Public Enemies…husband is totally non-jealous of real men, but becomes a baby about Depp.
I haven’t seen a Johnny movie in 10 years unless its been while the hubby was out of town!
I suggest sending your hubby out of town.
I’ve gone alone before, but I prefer matinees even if I’m with someone. Cheaper, ya know. I’ll check out the times for this weekend. I’m so stoked to have three days off! (Shut up, Sin.)
3 days off! Woo hoo! We’re going to the beach for the fireworks…someone said something about a boat and going out on the water to watch. I can’t wait
And I’m not going to see Public Enemies either Sabrina. The first words out of my mouth when I saw the preview was “Johnny Depp and Christian Bale in the same movie!” My husband looked at me and said “NO!” LMAO!! But we’re going to see Transformers, which I’m excited about, so it works out *g*
How do these men not realize THEY benefit by taking you to see these guys on film?
See, I knew there was a damned good reason why I wasn’t married, and it wasn’t just because of my personality.
LOL! They totally do, too.
It’s the rational that gets my friend pissed off when men go to strip clubs and come home. (Follow me on this.)
It’s the fact that you get worked up over another person–then come home to them, the second fiddle, to get your kicks off. THEY want to be the person who works you up into a seething passion of desire. Not nancy gay-pirate guy.
Though it’s a little different. It’s not like Johnny’s giving me a lap dance, darn the luck.
They do realize it – and can’t take the competition! The whole “is she thinking about him or me” thing. LOL
I’ve never met the man who turned down sex because he wasn’t getting it for the *right* reasons. And I’m with Hellie, I’d rather stay single than have a man tell what movies I can and can’t go see.
Gah! I’d kill him.
What I don’t understand is how they think keeping you from the movie will keep you from thinking and fantasizing about Johnny Depp? It’s not like you don’t know what he looks like. It’s not like he could actually turn off your brain and keep you from fantasizing about the guy.
And if I had a husband getting this strung out about it–I’d probably fantasize about Johnny Depp just to piss him off because how ridiculous are you being! *LOL*
See, yet another reason why I can never marry. I would purposely try to enrage my husband, just because I could.
Let’s just say I know my battles and get to use my non-Depp status against him.
I’m heading off for today – Driving about 5 hours to see family in south florida and getting warmed up for Nolan Palooza!! (That’s the family’s yearly Golf Tournament – the ladies won last year!!!) I adore my husband’s family so this is my favorite trip to make!
Have a great weekend everyone!
In Rob’s (the hub’s) defense, he knows good and well he can’t stop me. He just wasn’t going to take me himself
And you’re right – I think women get way more worked up about the whole “who is he thinking about” thing than men do. If a man’s getting laid, he rarely cares why. LOL!
Hellie – I purposely try to enrage him all the time. It’s freakin hilarious! He gets all worked up, and then I start laughing, and then there’s usually pay back involved. But he’s a good sport, so I can usually turn the pay-back into more fun
Wow, we’re at 132 comments. What a busy day….
I noticed the comments be buildin’ the last week…nice! Everyone is wakin’ up, what’s I think. Hope it keeps up…
So, couldn’t find Leslie’s new book at the bookstore…not out yet? Got two of Victoria Dahl ta read…
Sabrina, btw…glad ta hear ’bout the e-reader. I wants one! RT got an interestin’ article ’bout the differences between Sony’s e-reader and the Kindle. I’d rather the open format…
DH’s worry about who the lady is thinkin’ of? Yah really think they care? LOL! There ain’t nothin’ I can’t go see, accordin’ ta me DH. Ta be Johnnyless?
*sob!