Friday, June 16, 2006

A Writer's Dilemma

I have reached the final stages of "New World" Re-reading, polishing, correcting typos and the simple mistakes caused the length of time I've worked on it and faulty memory. Generally speaking, I'm satisfied with it, except...

That's a dreadful word, isn't it.

Midway though the story there's a two chapter diversion which explains something of the past and sets up the third book of the series and I've realized this is its only function. It provides no psychological or emotional development of either the heroine or the hero and I probably wrote it with the 60,000 word target in the back of my mind. It's survived two major rewrites, but this last one has marginalized it even more by shifting events to where they belonged rather than as asides to link the diversion to the main story.

There's one more shift I would have to make to complete the process and I am sitting in front of the computer steeling myself to make it and cut the diversion entirely.

It wouldn't be lost, just shifted to the third book - where it really belongs.

Damn!

2 comments:

Shelley Munro said...

I hate it when something like that happens. Generally it's best to go with your gut instinct. At least that's what I've found - if I feel something is slightly off and don't change it, a reviewer points it out later on for sure!

Good luck :)

Unknown said...

Hi Shelley,
I did. I just had to talk myself into it because I have a mental target of 60,000 words and out trip to the UK/Europe is too close for me to meet it.
I guess fifty thousand will have to do for this one, unless NCP reject it and I can revisit the story on our return.
Amy