Realisation about second draft

vfury · May 20, 2008

For the past few months I've been rewriting a fantasy novel. I had discarded about 80% of the first draft and was working anew. Things were ticking along, and I had managed to work out some kinks and problems I'd put aside during the first draft. But the writing was going a little too slow for my liking and in the last few weeks, I realised there was an underlying problem that I hadn't put my finger on.

I figured it out this morning: the limited third person just wasn't working. The book will probably work better in first person.

So I'm going to set aside what I have, start a new file in first person, and see how it goes and whether my hunch is right. This is going to hurt, but if it makes the book better, I'm just going to have to suck it up and get a move on.

alleycat · May 20, 2008

Well, it's probably better to start anew than to try to slug your way through a book when you feel the POV is just not right.

Good luck with it.

Kalyke · May 20, 2008

What I don't understand is why a tense change would make you eliminate 80% of your novel. So, only 20% of what you wrote was viable? First person would allow you add quite a lot, in the form of MC inner thoughts, but I don't think a tense shift is the main problem if you had to cut all that out. Perhaps you could go into more detail here.

Garpy · May 20, 2008

there isn't a tense shift is there? Or did I read it wrong?....errmm...nope....it's just a pov shift.

vfury · May 20, 2008

Use Her Name said:
What I don't understand is why a tense change would make you eliminate 80% of your novel. So, only 20% of what you wrote was viable? First person would allow you add quite a lot, in the form of MC inner thoughts, but I don't think a tense shift is the main problem if you had to cut all that out. Perhaps you could go into more detail here.

I'm not changing the tense, I'm changing the POV. My first drafts tend to be trial runs, so to speak, where I get to know the characters and such. I tend to cut a lot when I go through it, start a new draft, and figure out where I'm going. This is the method that suits me, so I'm not bothered by that.

ErylRavenwell · May 20, 2008

Don't discard everything yet. I started my latest novel in FPN but changed to TPN (limited) after realising FPN isn't versatile enough to achieve what I wanted to do. It's always easier to improve on what you already have than nothing. Also just starting over again from scratch doesn't help understanding the mechanism of the writing.

steveg144 · May 20, 2008

Yeah, it hurts. I re-did my first novel from first-person to third person in my second draft. It was hard, inglorious, unpleasant work. The sad thing is, after I was done I can't say the story works any better because of the change. My current theory is that the novel's story just plain sux, regardless of "who" is telling the story.

alleycat · May 20, 2008

steveg144 said:
Yeah, it hurts. I re-did my first novel from first-person to third person in my second draft. It was hard, inglorious, unpleasant work. The sad thing is, after I was done I can't say the story works any better because of the change. My current theory is that the novel's story just plain sux, regardless of "who" is telling the story.

I'm sorry to hear it didn't work out. Hey, it takes a big man to admit something doesn't work.

You can always talk it over somewhere here on AW and see if there's any comment or suggestion that might help you to find the spark, or see the fatal flaw.

Stew21 · May 20, 2008

I did a POV shift in my last novel. It made a world of difference in the novel as a whole and was definitely the right thing to do. I hope it turns out that way for you as well. Don't be afraid of the work, the POV change will breathe new life into the work and make it exciting if you see it coming together the way you envisioned it.

Madison · May 20, 2008

Just DON'T use the find/replace function in Word! It'll replace EVERY she/her or he/him with I/my... rushed becomes ruId and there becomes tmye... speaking from experience, it's a huge headache!

But POV change can make a HUGE difference! A while back I changed from 3rd to first in my current WIP and it completely changed the voice (in a very positive way). So if you think it will help, go for it!

Kalyke · May 20, 2008

vfury said:
I'm not changing the tense, I'm changing the POV. My first drafts tend to be trial runs, so to speak, where I get to know the characters and such. I tend to cut a lot when I go through it, start a new draft, and figure out where I'm going. This is the method that suits me, so I'm not bothered by that.

I meant --- but its all cool. Happy days. 80% seems like a lot.

wayndom · May 20, 2008

Madison said:
Just DON'T use the find/replace function in Word! It'll replace EVERY she/her or he/him with I/my... rushed becomes ruId and there becomes tmye... speaking from experience, it's a huge headache!

There's a lot more to changing POV than changing "she" to "I." Everything has to be rewritten.

But if you need to simply change words, in my experience, the problem you cite can be avoided by putting a space before and after "she," in the search window.

You can also set search/replace so it asks for your permission before making every change. It's tiring, but IMO, less tiring than going through the whole novel without...

Mumut · May 20, 2008

No matter what POV you use in the end, vfury, but doesn't it take a huge weight off your mind to realise what is going wrong with your work? I've just found a weak characterisation in a secondary character in the third book of a series. I've been messing about with other stories, not wanting to look at the book. I've been making excuses not to write at all. Then I saw what was wrong and - what a relief!

So best of luck and I hope you get it all right this time.

steveg144 · May 21, 2008

alleycat said:
I'm sorry to hear it didn't work out. Hey, it takes a big man to admit something doesn't work.

You can always talk it over somewhere here on AW and see if there's any comment or suggestion that might help you to find the spark, or see the fatal flaw.

I think at the end of the day it was just that the subject was too dark and gloomy to really be viable. They say all first novels are autobiographical; in my case intensely autobiographical, and it just wasn't working as a novel. But I learned a lot from it and did an enormous amount of bad writing (got to do a lot of bad writing before you can begin to do any good writing, eh?

so it was a worthwhile effort. I've moved on to other projects, and the past 12 months (since I basically decided to abandon my novel) have been good to me: 3 essays and 2 short stories picked up for publication, plus a stage play won a contest and will be staged in the fall. So I view it as an important learning experience, but I'm good with letting it go and am forging ahead.

ACEnders · May 21, 2008

Isn't it crazy how we can write so much, and FEEL that something's wrong, and then all of the sudden, we figure out what it was that was wrong? Yeah, it hurts because sometimes it means rewriting the whole thing. With my second book, I had the MC all wrong. I was trying to make her into something she wasn't, and when I figured out who it is she was, I had to rewrite everything.

But in the end, it's sooo worth it!

Talkatoast · May 21, 2008

It's a good thing that you realized that now. I only had that problem with my prologue. Of course, it wasn't difficult to switch from third to first. Now, my prologue is perfect and it doesn't need any improvements at all. Of course, if I pull it out, I just need to change. . .No! Keep it in that drawer, Skye! It's good the way it is. Don't obsess. Bad girl!
Yes, Mistress.
Anyway, my prologue is the only good thing about my novel so far. The rest of it is being edited by a godsend woman whom I don't have to pay. . .thank goodness! I wouldn't want to waste thousands of dollars on an editor who cannot guarantee me a published novel.

Realisation about second draft

vfury

Hearts the furrily challenged.

alleycat

Still around

Kalyke

Garpy

keyboard monkey

vfury

Hearts the furrily challenged.

ErylRavenwell

steveg144

Crusty Polemicist

alleycat

Still around

Stew21

Madison

summertime...

Kalyke

wayndom

Mumut

Well begun is half done...

steveg144

Crusty Polemicist

ACEnders

Self-Banned

Talkatoast