Comments on: Stuck

By: Suzanne Jones

Suzanne Jones — Thu, 23 Sep 2010 17:39:44 +0000

Hugs, Jackie. But we all LOVE your chapter.

XX

By: Jackie Ashenden

Jackie Ashenden — Thu, 23 Sep 2010 00:13:57 +0000

Amy – thanks m’dear! How are you getting on??

Margie – lol! I’ve written chapter 2 and I’ll be subbing it whatever happens. 🙂

By: margie s

margie s — Wed, 22 Sep 2010 23:58:20 +0000

NV-everything crossed for you, Jackie! Looking forward to chap 2!! ms

By: Amy

Amy — Wed, 22 Sep 2010 23:36:22 +0000

Still thinking of you :)

Amy

By: Jackie Ashenden

Jackie Ashenden — Tue, 21 Sep 2010 19:47:00 +0000

Sally – yeah, you’re probably right re revs, though it’s mainly a mind thing for me. Revs with a draft tend to be easier because the story isn’t ‘set’ in my mind yet. But maybe I just need to get over that. Totally with you on the suckopsis!
Thanks for the shout out – you’re a doll!

Jane – lol! Yeah, I should do more re planning. Hey, I do already in many ways. I plan the conflict first and the backstory which is waaaay more than I ever used to. But I do find that even if I do a synopsis first, after writing half of it, the story changes completely as a better idea occurs to me. Makes things difficult. 🙂

Cat – yes, indeed, that sounds exactly the way I work nowadays. I have got into the habit of working out the conflict first which is a huge help. However that did not seem to help with the last R. Even with the conflict (which the ed liked), the book didn’t work. Or should I say, the 3 chapters didn’t work. Yes, still smarting. 😉

By: Cat Schield

Cat Schield — Tue, 21 Sep 2010 18:19:11 +0000

Just keep reminding yourself that each book is a learning experience. You're developing as a writer. Give yourself a pat on the back for how much you've learned in a short amount of time.

I was a devoted pantser for years. I'd start something, finish something, all in the rosy fog of creative energy.

And then I'd rewrite. And rewrite. And rewrite.

These days, I get an idea and write a blurb. Nothing like condensing an idea into less than 50 words to see if you've got something.

I still pants the rest of the of the book, but I know the H/H core conflict and what's keeping them apart. Sometimes the reason changes as I get to know them, but the driving conflict sees me through.

I'm not saying I'm revision free. Hardly, but I'm not throwing out half the book either.

By: Jane Holland

Jane Holland — Tue, 21 Sep 2010 18:12:59 +0000

I'm not a pantser, though I was once, in the days before I discovered how much easier it was to get the book right by sitting down and actually planning it in advance. Seven published novels later, I can still recommend the slightly dull and methodical 'plan your book before starting to write it' approach above the more creatively free but prone to sudden inspiration-failure 'okay that was fun, but what happens next?' approach.

We're all different, of course, but if you have to produce a synopsis early on, why not go all the way and plan your book in depth? It might be worth trying at least once, if only to see whether it might work better for you than the pantser approach.

By: Sally Clements

Sally Clements — Tue, 21 Sep 2010 13:19:18 +0000

Hi Jackie, I’m primarily a pantster too, and I think that doing revisions on a polished ms is no more difficult than doing revisions on a draft. In both cases you have to go back through the story and work out what works and what doesn’t and alter accordingly. The thing I hate is having to do the synopsis before you’ve written the story. This for me is major suckdom, and I try to avoid it by writing the story first then attacking the synopsis!
You’re still doing FAB over at NV I see, and I’ve given you a hurrah over on my blog today, where I’m cheerleading for the minxes.

By: Jackie Ashenden

Jackie Ashenden — Tue, 21 Sep 2010 09:56:38 +0000

Angie – yeah, I know! Nerve-wracking. 🙂 Well, I think that’s the way I’m going to have to work – write the whole thing first. Have to curb my impatience though – I hate waiting!

By: Angie Peters

Angie Peters — Tue, 21 Sep 2010 08:55:50 +0000

The self doubt sucks. As writers, I think we all go through it. I'm a pantser too, so I can feel your frustration. But we just have to work with our process like Maisey pointed out. IMHO, it might take a bit longer to sub your partial, but I agree that the best way sounds like editing your whole ms first since it changes when you get to the end anyway. I'm also not as experienced with writing as you, so this is just my opinion of course :)

Like the others, I think IT girl is a winner. Not long for the outcome now *big gulp*