Holy smoke! I just edited one of the major characters right out of my novel.

[janetbellinger]

Moon in Gemini again. Wouldn't you know it. I just deleted Maggie, one of the antagonists, right out of my novel. Got to keep rewriting. The alternative is not pleasant for my novel.

[Scrawler]

I've done something like that, too. I cut a couple of minor characters, and developed secondary characters more fully instead. It's better.

[ccarver30]

http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u117/moontower07/doc.gif

[Stew21]

I did it too. I took out a character and attributed her influence through two others. It streamlined things, and worked.

[eliflauta]

Did you replace her with anything, or just cut her right out?

[scarletpeaches]

I did that once. Edited out someone called Marcus. He was the MC's boyfriend. Then I brought him back in a later draft as someone else's brother. Huh.

[DeborahM]

Don't you back up your work? OR you could not have saved it and any deleations wouldn't have taken affect.

But...good luck with a newer and better character!

[janetbellinger]

I have at least five different saved versions of the manuscript. I only changed one of them. The problem is, the novel started out being about this character so almost every page refers to her in some way or another. But I am giving her traits to other characters. I am also deleting a bunch of other stuff which will lead me with a skeleton of an outline I can work with. Fifty or so agents can't be wrong, right? Thanks for the support, all.

[Prawn]

Fifty or so agents can't be wrong, right? Thanks for the support, all.

Fifty agents rejected your ms? Bummer. I have only sent mine to 14 so far, but 50 is my stopping point. By then, I hope to have another novel to market if this one hasn't gotten any action.

[janetbellinger]

Well, the thing is that I figure if I can't get this novel right, how am I going to be able to make the next one successful. There is a mystery I need to solve and I may as well do it with my first novel. Once I have it figured out how to write an effective story, then I will write another one. I don't like wasting my time and effort. If I can't make this one fly then I'm unlikely to be able to do it with the next one. I don't care if I have to scrap the whole thing and rewrite it from scratch, I just don't want to say goodbye to five years of my life without a really good fight. I need to find out whether I do have it in me to write a compelling story capable of catching the imagination of an agent. If not, why the heck am I writing, anyway? Maybe I'll take up something else, instead.
Fifty agents rejected your ms? Bummer. I have only sent mine to 14 so far, but 50 is my stopping point. By then, I hope to have another novel to market if this one hasn't gotten any action.

[Layla Nahar]

wow.

I put a post up the other day about the state of my novel, and I am perhaps coming to terms with making some major changes (eg changes to what I though the novel was about...) to my book. I feel ya. You're very brave.

[Azure Skye]

I'm also in the process of making a few changes to my ms. Yesterday, I deleted chapter 8 which left a gaping hole in my word count and only affected the story a smidge. Doing this can only make the story stronger, yes?

Good luck janet.

[Willowmound]

If I can't make this one fly then I'm unlikely to be able to do it with the next one.

Sure about that?

I worked on the one novel for almost four years. I told myself the same things you do. Then I scrapped it. Began something different. Some characters from the failed one wanted to be in the new project. Some didn't.

Anyway, all the practice I'd got tearing my hair out with the old project was suddenly paying off. I couldn't believe it. Everything was fresh, crisp. More importantly, it all worked. I am still writing it, and I have the end in sight.

I am so relieved I scrapped the old project when I did. No writing is ever wasted, but some books will never fly. Put the practice to use on one that will.

[OverTheHills&FarAway]

I worked on a historical for five years, researched the time period until I realized I was reading more Latin than English, flew to Wales and tromped about in the muck in the rain in the middle of nowhere, then finally realized thirty restarts meant I should give it a rest.

Now I'm almost finished with another, completely different novel.

The first one taught me how to write, and how to let go. The second one helped me find my voice. Someday I may finish the first, but if I don't (I've got about five others burning holes in my brain to be dealt with first) it's okay.
It was the experience that mattered, and the fact i probably spent all one million words of my apprenticeship one one novel.

And yeah, I almost just got rid of an important character. The triplets were about to become the twins. But then I just went back and added certain plotlines that made the character more than just a placeholder. I was too chicken to really cut, though. So he stays.

Good luck! I feel for you.

[JoNightshade]

Well, the thing is that I figure if I can't get this novel right, how am I going to be able to make the next one successful. There is a mystery I need to solve and I may as well do it with my first novel. Once I have it figured out how to write an effective story, then I will write another one. I don't like wasting my time and effort. If I can't make this one fly then I'm unlikely to be able to do it with the next one. I don't care if I have to scrap the whole thing and rewrite it from scratch, I just don't want to say goodbye to five years of my life without a really good fight. I need to find out whether I do have it in me to write a compelling story capable of catching the imagination of an agent. If not, why the heck am I writing, anyway? Maybe I'll take up something else, instead.

Janet, I think you have the right attitude here. If you're not burnt out on it and you still want to go forward, by all means go for it! But if you do get burnt out at some point, don't be afraid to move on to something new. I think just the effort of doing what you're doing will teach you a great deal.

Also, one thing I always struggle with: I always feel like I have some sort of time limit. Like, "I need to get a novel published SOON!" Then I stop and make myself calm down-- tell myself that it will take as much time as it takes. I have the rest of my life to perfect my craft.

[WildScribe]

I'm staring at some scary edits right now, and I'm not sure how I'm going to manage them. Good luck!!!!

[BlueBadger]

I already know one of my major characters is going for a long walk in my second draft. Makes me a little sad because I really enjoy writing her, but she's just not contributing to the plot.

[Michael Dracon]

I switched two personailities quite recently, because it fitted better with what I wanted.

I completely threw away a draft because of the and started anew.

Such a thing can happen.

[loiterer]

I don't care if I have to scrap the whole thing and rewrite it from scratch, I just don't want to say goodbye to five years of my life without a really good fight.

In my experience I believe you are taking the correct path. Sometimes the direst decisions can have the best outcomes.

I started a novel in late 2002. I ended up with 55,000 or so words in the next 2 or 3 years but no matter how often I tried to go further, I couldn't. I liked what I had, but something blocked me.

Put it away for a long long time. Worked on other things, here and there.

Recently decided to make a final tilt at the novel. Re-read it. Ran into the same problem. I knew the ending, but there was a big block before getting there. I guessed it was time for the permanent scrap-heap.

Only I couldn't bear to junk it. I swore to myself I'd try anything, sacrifice any of my 'darlings' in order to not trash so much hard work.

After making this affirmation, I began finally to admit that one of my two beloved main characters was the black hole of the novel, sucking out all momentum and meaning. To save the novel, this character really had to go.

I resisted for a little longer. But I've now begun re-outlining the story, completely removing this character from the narrative. And it's working. I'm developing fresh ideas and a much tighter focus.

So I say go for it. You have nothing to lose (as long as you keep your backups!)

[Lotheus]

Kill your darlings!!

[Novelist in Paradise]

The character might very well come back in a different incarnation.

Once I realized that I was most happy when unhappily writing, it took me four completed learning curve novels and maybe a half million other assorted words to finally get the hang of things, but much of that early material--scenes, characters, ideas--is getting recycled in one way or another.