Thursday, July 21, 2005

I'm Afraid We Had to Amputate

The book I'm working on just isn't coming together. The story isn't moving. I made small changes, but that just threw things even further out of whack.

So I just ripped two very long (for me) scenes, about 6,000 words, out of the early sections.

So now there's this gaping wound in the narrative that I have to sew up before the book can go forward. It's not an insurmountable problem. I think I know how to do it. It'll make the book leaner and faster-paced.

But instead of being half finished, it's now more like 1/3.

Damn it.

6 comments:

Anonymous said...

That means your book now has enough room for a dynamic new character. She should be small with red hair, and a foul temper. The main character could have biological yearnings for her, as all men do. She sadly dies in a suicide bomber attack on Free Bird and Angus' love shack.

Come on, send me the book, I'll finish the rest for you.

JD Rhoades said...

Okay, but I'm not splitting the advance.

Anonymous said...

1/3 of something good is better than 1/2 of something not-as-good.

And...

"The first draft of anything is shit"

and

"Writing is rewriting"

and

"Honk if you love Jesus"

and all those other bumper sticker psychology up-with-people inspirational phrases we use to pretend to get our butts in gear, when really all it would take is a cold beer, a warm woman, and expensive socks.

Can't say enough about how writing is directly tied to the comfort of our socks.

Get with the program, Rhoades.

JD Rhoades said...

I'm a Southerner, I don't wear socks in the summer.

Anonymous said...

You mean my look of bright white socks and flip-flops is no good?

Aw, crap.

This writing thing is a hard, hard mother.

Unknown said...

Man, do I feel your anguish. Someday, over a couple of bottles of Lone Star beer, I'll tell you all about the half-finished novels I had to abandon during the pat year...