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Starting Over Again

folclor

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Okay, so I have been working on this story, in various incarnations, for over 3 years now. I know it's a good story, I know my characters and world, etc, are solid. However, it's just down to how to tell the story. There are three points where I could start it. That isn't the issue as I've figured out where I think the opening is most solid. My three choices would be as follows: 1, with the series MC's parents marrying, 2, with the series MC as 8, or 3, where the series MC is an adult. I chose the last because I feel it makes the most solid story.

So here's where the issue comes in...

I've been writing the first book as a typical "hero must get from point a to point b" story up to this point, but I don't feel it serves all the themes (betrayal, redemption, idealism vs realism, ever-present hope in the face of overwhelming odds) as well as it could that way. Not a lot happens in the story up to the point I've written (completed 9 chapters of this variation). Now, I could keep going and plan for more intricate stuff later on, which wouldn't be terrible but may be presenting a bait-and-switch that is unintentional. Or, I could cut out the travel from the beginning (as there are portals) and turn it more into an intrigue/spy/gritty thing.

Part of this is that the male main would be at a different point in his life depending on what I'm doing here. (As in, he's either suffering daily or he's started running from his problems.) So do I go with the unintentional bait-and-switch or do I go with what could be very interesting? Now, all that being said, if I start over (from chapter 2) to make what could be more interesting I have to move all my self-imposed deadlines back by a month. Ugh u.u

Any advice would be heavily appreciated. Please have a great day.
 

starrystorm

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I think it all depends on what kind of story you want it to be remembered by. What would explain it the most. Is it to you, a travel story or a spy story?

The thing that really gets me though is the part where you say not a lot happens to the point you've written to. Do you think you could make the traveling into some kind of backstory? Or perhaps a prologue? Maybe have chapters in between that are the main male's travel journal?


I hope that this advice helps.
 

folclor

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Thank you, first of all.

If there's travel then the travel needs to happen while the characters get to know one another. If there's no travel then they'll get to know one another in a completely different fashion and the baseline for their personalities may be different. Hm. I don't think the traveling could be backstory. There are nuances within the characters that don't work without it. But they could be gotten out in the other way of telling as well, so I don't know whether I'm wasting my time if I try writing the other bit or if it's going to be nearly as good as it is in my mind.
 

Quinn_Inuit

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It sounds like you have several very different books here, and I think you really need to nail down what it is you want to write before you start writing it. My recommendation is to choose the one that wants to get out of your head the most and go with that.
 

BradCarsten

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Do you think it's boring, or are you simply afraid that it's not checking all the boxes? There are many types of stories, and some of my favourites don't have betrayal, redemption or even a constant struggle against overwhelming odds. Think about Harry Potter. You could argue that there is some betrayal, and some characters may find redemption, but for the most part, it's just a fun ride through a fantasy world, where, in the first book especially, you only meet the antagonist towards the end of the story.
If you want to avoid the bait and switch, is there any way to drop clues along the way that something bigger is happening. It could be a chapter from another point of view. It could be something or someone that they find along the way that can begin to prepare your readers for what's ahead.
 
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CaliforniaMelanie

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Except for the specific details of the story you've hinted at, I could have written your post, OP.

I think what was said above ^ is true. We may be trying to fit our every idea into one story.

I decided to go with one course of action for one chapter, move forward from there, choose one course of action...and so on, and leave alternative ideas I've had for other stories. I'm just going to stay the course and let the story take me where it wants to. (This is assuming you have some sort of overall plan. I do; I knew the ending before I started.)
 

folclor

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@Quinn_Inuit - Thanks for that. I haven't sat down to figure out which one wants to be told most yet. I know the second book REALLY wants to be told, but that'll happen in its time.

@BardCarsten - I'm afraid it's not checking the boxes. I don't want it to be an issue of the characters being alive and interesting but the story being... boring. I don't find it boring, but I worry others might. I don't feel like enough is *happening*. At the same time, a lot has happened and, yeah, there's lots that foreshadow stuff. My main worry is that I won't get everything done in this book that I feel needs to happen.

@CaliforniaMelanie - I do have everything planned out! And I know the ending (and it doesn't change regardless of whether it's a more light-hearted or serious story). Maybe I'll do that same thing...
 

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It sounds like you have several very different books here, and I think you really need to nail down what it is you want to write before you start writing it. My recommendation is to choose the one that wants to get out of your head the most and go with that.

This is jolly good advice.

I had to do something like this once--a book, after some years of work, went completely out of control, and looked set to become the size of The Stand-meets-IT. Which is not "me".

So finally I just cut three quarters of it, including most themes; the majority of the arcs of secondary characters, leaving only bits where they pop in at important moments; stuff which was shown over endless chapters got compressed into two sentences during a dialogue; backstories went out of the window, as did one whole major character; the scope of the plot narrowed and things that were explored in detail and at length, became vague hints here and there; chapters dwindled and acquired streamlined structures with clear mini-plot arcs; sentences got their heads pried out of their asses. In the end, a very simplified version of a book which had been torture for years and looked set to be torture for more years, was suddenly finished in a couple of months with one hand behind my back.

It's easy for some people to fall for the folly that they are writing a book to end all books, and it's got to contain EVERYTHING. Unless one is a once a generation genius, that's b.s. and hubris. I was lucky to stop and change my ways in time:D

So, when stuff gets too entangled and too difficult, I say--don't fall for the sunken costs fallacy, don't try to appease the toddler layers of the ego by trying to make the book "even more amazingly brilliant", but rather: cut, cut, CUT, CUT, CUUUUUUT!
 
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Quinn_Inuit

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This is jolly good advice.

[...]

So, when stuff gets too entangled and too difficult, I say--don't fall for the sunken costs fallacy, don't try to appease the toddler layers of the ego by trying to make the book "even more amazingly brilliant", but rather: cut, cut, CUT, CUT, CUUUUUUT!

Thanks! Yeah, I've been there, too.
 

call-of-the-mind

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Have you thought about turning some of the other ideas you've had into a story for another character in the same world? I find a lot of the time when I have eight ideas jumping around my head for the same person, I just need to write them out. So, for the sake of getting them all out of my head and onto paper so that I have space for more, I write them. Suddenly, some of them will totally turn around. The character that I thought this story applied to doesn't exist - instead, what I've written is the backstory or current story for a new character - one just as amazing as the first. The idea is out of my head and now I have more ideas to pursue. Writing all of them out also helps me figure out which one really is the story for my original character.

I know this sounds strange, but to me the stories and the characters kind of write themselves. Yes, I am the one coming up with the ideas. But, for the most part characters start as these sort of vague blobs. The more I think of them, and try to manipulate them myself the more they slip away. But if I just let my mind wander and flow, and let them sort of dream up themselves I find so much more than I ever thought I could imagine.

Anyways, I know this is sort of hippie-dippie but I hope it kind of helps. Moral of the story - write out all three threads for a bit and see which one really sticks with you, which you can't put down or take away from that character.
 

Zoey141

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Starting the story with the MC as an adult will be so relatable for the readers.
 

Charke

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I run a LARP club (Live Action Role Play). Someone, usually myself, writes a script. I print copies for the crew, and we go out and make a game for the Players. At that point, I have to either let go, or go nuts. It's out of my hands now. I can't control what 20-40 people are doing out there. I hope the crew is running the script as I wanted but I KNOW the Players aren't reacting the way I planned. I've seen storytellers just wet themselves trying to assert control and stick to their script. Sometimes it helps but sometimes absurdity happens and the crew wisely fix things only to be told not to. No plan survives the enemy.

Writing is like that. Finish the book. Let the story come out of you. If it comes out in a way you didn't expect, I say stick with it. You can always go back and edit. You ARE going to go back and edit. I hate editing and deny it's existence all the time I'm writing but it always happens. If you let the story unfold naturally, you'll probably see yourself make good decisions that you didn't think of when you were planning the story. Plan as much as you can and then let go and write.

- Mark Charke