Where are you? (in your novel)

[WriteMinded]

2. I don't have a definite conclusion in mind. It always gets off course when that happens. Outlining tends to resolve this.

Tempted to find something else and finish this later. Already written a short set in this same era in another place.

I did that once — the skipping out to work on something else — and ended up writing a more than 100k novel. Still didn't have a solution for the one I'd set aside.

At the moment I am having an issue with the mid-section. Middles are my nemesis. I always know the end before I ever start writing. In fact it's conclusions that creep into my mind and tell me to write the story leading up to them. I've tried outlining, but then never stick to it.

 

[lidlone15]

I went to a workshop on character development and story arc, where I learned that the MC has to have a "dark night of the soul" somewhere in the book so that there's an opportunity to learn and grow. I promptly went back and ripped the prize my MC was so proud of winning out of her hands and am dumping self-doubt and despair on her instead. She hates me now. But I think it's going to be a stronger novel for that and I'm actually enjoying the drastic rewrite that's resulting from that plot change.

 

[lidlone15]

I did that once — the skipping out to work on something else — and ended up writing a more than 100k novel. Still didn't have a solution for the one I'd set aside.

At the moment I am having an issue with the mid-section. Middles are my nemesis. I always know the end before I ever start writing. In fact it's conclusions that creep into my mind and tell me to write the story leading up to them. I've tried outlining, but then never stick to it.

So do you do what I do? Write bits here and there that you know are going to appear in the novel and then go back later and fill in the gaps with all the stuff that wasn't as much fun to write? I've done a beginning, an ending, and a few pivotal scenes before I ever have sat down to write it all in sequence.

 

[WriteMinded]

So do you do what I do? Write bits here and there that you know are going to appear in the novel and then go back later and fill in the gaps with all the stuff that wasn't as much fun to write? I've done a beginning, an ending, and a few pivotal scenes before I ever have sat down to write it all in sequence.

Like the outines, any bits I write here and there tend to disappear.

 

[starrystorm]

I went to a workshop on character development and story arc, where I learned that the MC has to have a "dark night of the soul" somewhere in the book so that there's an opportunity to learn and grow. I promptly went back and ripped the prize my MC was so proud of winning out of her hands and am dumping self-doubt and despair on her instead. She hates me now. But I think it's going to be a stronger novel for that and I'm actually enjoying the drastic rewrite that's resulting from that plot change.

The dark night of the soul or "the point of no return" as I've also heard it called is my absolute favorite point to write. Usually it comes right before the part where someone saves the hero. Like in mine my character gets thrown in jail and the person she thought was her enemy rescues her. I love writing my character at the pit of despair knowing that eventually it will turn out fine. It usually shows the character at their lowest and really allows me to connect with them and see who they are when everything is not going their way.

 

[starrystorm]

I'm almost halfway through my final edits! Yay!

 

[MJG_Write]

I can't say much without spoiling my series, but I'm working on the final book in my trilogy, and something very interesting just happened.

Very very interesting.

Yeah, that's pretty vague.

But it's interesting, I assure you.

 

[DorianFrost]

I'm about two-thirds of the way through my first round of revisions on my urban fantasy. My MC is just about to figure out who cursed his brother.

Also, very much getting sucked down the world-building rabbit hole for my fantasy set in a different world - creating pantheons and strange, hazardous landscapes is way too much fun.

 

[insolentlad]

I've just finished a novel (completed a final proofread of the formatted book) and just starting a new one (mostly arranging notes and ideas).

 

[jhe1valu]

I'm now writing Chapter Five of my new book HOP. The Cunninghams: A Legacy of Memphis was released in January and I have the manuscript for Cunninghams II ready to go in for editing to begin the publication process. Book Three is about 3/4 done, but I'm holding on finishing it while I'm writing the new one on a completely different subject.

 

[Varthikes]

I'm about to start the climatic battle. My main character and his son have what will be their last moment together.

 

[DorianFrost]

I finished the second draft of my urban fantasy (yay! This is the first time I've actually completely more than one draft on a novel/novella length work).

Now I'm working on sorting a few more details (world, character, and story related) I absolutely need before starting the first draft for my fantasy set in a separate world.

 

[jhe1valu]

I just finished Chapter Five of my new novel HOP (my fourth) and I cruised right on into Chapter Six.

 

[CMBright]

Mired in the muddy middle while sick. It'll be a few days to a week before I get back to prodding my protagonist alone.

 

[Sonsofthepharaohs]

So do you do what I do? Write bits here and there that you know are going to appear in the novel and then go back later and fill in the gaps with all the stuff that wasn't as much fun to write? I've done a beginning, an ending, and a few pivotal scenes before I ever have sat down to write it all in sequence.

This is exactly what I'm doing with book 3. I outline, then just write the scenes I'm inspired by, wherever in the story they occur, and eventually they start to link up. The finishing off is then just a matter of filling in the necessary connecting scenes. Not very linear at all.

I'm doing a bit of a hybrid on book 2. I've got the outline and some scattered scenes in acts 2 and 3, but I'm also trying to write act 1 in linear. I'm currently at chapter 5 and have lost momentum, so I've gone back back to cherry picking the fun stuff for a while

 

[Varthikes]

Starting the epilogue and the closing scene with my main character's son contemplating his father's sacrifice.

 

[dirtlinkd]

This is exactly what I'm doing with book 3. I outline, then just write the scenes I'm inspired by, wherever in the story they occur, and eventually they start to link up. The finishing off is then just a matter of filling in the necessary connecting scenes. Not very linear at all.

I tried something similar and had a great time until I got to the end and realized I hadn't paid enough attention to my outline and nothing linked up. Total mess So then the next project I tried the opposite: wrote all in order, got to the end, and realized the story was really boring because I hadn't been inspired for large swaths of it. So now I'm aiming for (hopefully) a happy medium: chapter by chapter in order, but the scenes within the chapter or parts within a scene I bounce around.

 

[CMBright]

In a safe spot in the middle, wondering what I need to make them move on. Right now my protagonist is letting others talk her into procrastinating by preparing to leave instead of just leaving.

 

[jhe1valu]

I just finished Chapter Six of Hop, and I'm now about 1,300 words deep into Chapter Seven. 30K+ thus far.

 

[Mango Habanero]

Satyrs are talking about the dead gods and microstorms, even though they know very little about either topic.

 

[Brigid Barry]

In a safe spot in the middle, wondering what I need to make them move on. Right now my protagonist is letting others talk her into procrastinating by preparing to leave instead of just leaving.

I have a scene like this.

 

[KPeepsWrites]

My novel, What Emily Wants, has gone through numerous drafts already, and now I'm trying to polish each scene so that it shines. Trying to get the structure nailed for each one, making sure it's got the right amount of tension, narrative drive, etc., as well as getting the wording perfect.

I'll be hiring a beta reading service soon, and I hope to begin querying by September.

 

[Pterofan]

Currently typing my way through the second draft (first draft was longhand). I'm up to Chapter 5. This part of the book needs to be heavily rewritten because I'm a pantser and had no idea where the story was going when I started it. Now that I know the ending, I have to go back and make everything work. They're called "rough drafts" for a reason.

 

[CMBright]

Procrastinating on writing by organizing scenes by adding tags in my writing software. Editing out a few of my protagonists terms and doing some light editing for the same reason. Seeing where I need to shuffle sceens, add sceens, break sceens and add or delete part, again for the same reason.

My (self imposed) first draft due date is in October, so even if I don't write anything new today, I only need to average around 500 words/day to make it. I've got plenty of time.

 

[Clovitide]

I read GMC by Debra Dixon and revised my outline of Mostly Dead. Jammed the plot to fit within a month's time and peppered in some more sleuthing. I'm reading through it now and adding in those extra scenes. Also received some SPaG correction from a 50 pages developmental edit/copy editing services that I need to look over