Guest Blogger, Jackie Kessler, Scheduled for Saturday January 27, 2007!
We’ve gotten some great questions so far. If you haven’t sent yours in yet, don’t miss out. Just email it to author [at] Barkevich [dot] com. Unfortunately, you will have to type the address into your email client by hand. My husband tells me there is a way to put a link that will not be stolen by the spam-bandits. Of course, he doesn’t know how to do that. So, I’m afraid you’ll have to enter the email address by hand for now. If there are any techies reading this blog, feel free to comment if you’ve got a solution to this small dilemma. Thanks!
On to other news…
You know how my little directory blurb says something about the Trials, tribulations, and exciting goings on of…Well, I think this next can fall under the trials and tribulations portion of that description. For the last few months, I’ve been stuck. Soul Reavers: Tori has not flowed from my fingertips as is the case with many of my other creations.
Honestly, this has been driving me crazy. I mean, it was fully plotted, right down to the last scene. All I had to do was write the thing. Yet, despite having every scene worked out in my mind, I could not, for the life of me, get past chapter 4. Oh, I sat at the keyboard, all but banging my head against my desk in an effort to move the story forward. I took the advice of my friend to try the scene from a different POV. (This usually works, by the way. It’s what got me past a bout of writer’s block with the manuscript that is currently being reviewed by HarperCollins-Avon.) I even tried some writing exercises. Nothing worked. Nothing! I’d write—uh, drag, kicking and screaming—a couple of words from my writer’s consciousness, then proceed to hit the delete key until I was back at the last sentence I’d typed before the whole block thing happened. Grrrr!
Then, one day it hit me. I hated the current story I was writing. It wasn’t something I would read. The plot, I mean. It was…weak. The hero didn’t have a good enough reason to stay away from the heroin. And, it actually threatened to read something like a soap opera. Gah! Ok, so, nothing against soaps. I just don’t like them. At all. I need a story with some meat. I need true conflict. None of this, if-the-Hero-&-heroine-had-just-communicated-this-whole-mess-could-have-been-avoided-crap. Excuse the language. I just hate, HATE, lame conflicts in a story. And, sorry to say, my current wip had the mother of all lame conflicts.
So, now that I realized the story I was trying to write, was total and utter crapola, I took a long hard look at what should be done to fix it. As much as I tried to avoid the clear-cut solution—who wants to throw away more than 5,000 words—I came to the only conclusion possible. Re-plot the story. As in, start from scratch. As in this story is not working, I-would-not-read-it-therefore-I-cannot-write-it. And, guess what? The flood gates are open, baby! Woooooo Hoooooo! My hero is darker and sexier, no longer the lame-ass who couldn’t see the heroine for the treasure she is just because she doesn’t fit the mold of the future duchess. My heroine is stronger, more self-confident. She has a secret she will guard with her life, and she doesn’t take crap from anyone, least of all darker-sexier-hero. I now have secondary characters that I have already fallen in love with and this story I have going on in my head freakin’ rocks! I can’t wait to get it on paper. Heck! I can’t wait to read it. LOL. That said, I’m off to write a new synopsis and get this story moving. Finally.
Sandy :-)
On to other news…
You know how my little directory blurb says something about the Trials, tribulations, and exciting goings on of…Well, I think this next can fall under the trials and tribulations portion of that description. For the last few months, I’ve been stuck. Soul Reavers: Tori has not flowed from my fingertips as is the case with many of my other creations.
Honestly, this has been driving me crazy. I mean, it was fully plotted, right down to the last scene. All I had to do was write the thing. Yet, despite having every scene worked out in my mind, I could not, for the life of me, get past chapter 4. Oh, I sat at the keyboard, all but banging my head against my desk in an effort to move the story forward. I took the advice of my friend to try the scene from a different POV. (This usually works, by the way. It’s what got me past a bout of writer’s block with the manuscript that is currently being reviewed by HarperCollins-Avon.) I even tried some writing exercises. Nothing worked. Nothing! I’d write—uh, drag, kicking and screaming—a couple of words from my writer’s consciousness, then proceed to hit the delete key until I was back at the last sentence I’d typed before the whole block thing happened. Grrrr!
Then, one day it hit me. I hated the current story I was writing. It wasn’t something I would read. The plot, I mean. It was…weak. The hero didn’t have a good enough reason to stay away from the heroin. And, it actually threatened to read something like a soap opera. Gah! Ok, so, nothing against soaps. I just don’t like them. At all. I need a story with some meat. I need true conflict. None of this, if-the-Hero-&-heroine-had-just-communicated-this-whole-mess-could-have-been-avoided-crap. Excuse the language. I just hate, HATE, lame conflicts in a story. And, sorry to say, my current wip had the mother of all lame conflicts.
So, now that I realized the story I was trying to write, was total and utter crapola, I took a long hard look at what should be done to fix it. As much as I tried to avoid the clear-cut solution—who wants to throw away more than 5,000 words—I came to the only conclusion possible. Re-plot the story. As in, start from scratch. As in this story is not working, I-would-not-read-it-therefore-I-cannot-write-it. And, guess what? The flood gates are open, baby! Woooooo Hoooooo! My hero is darker and sexier, no longer the lame-ass who couldn’t see the heroine for the treasure she is just because she doesn’t fit the mold of the future duchess. My heroine is stronger, more self-confident. She has a secret she will guard with her life, and she doesn’t take crap from anyone, least of all darker-sexier-hero. I now have secondary characters that I have already fallen in love with and this story I have going on in my head freakin’ rocks! I can’t wait to get it on paper. Heck! I can’t wait to read it. LOL. That said, I’m off to write a new synopsis and get this story moving. Finally.
Sandy :-)
Labels: Author, Avon, Harper Collins, Hell's Belles, Jackie Kessler, Romance, Romance Novels, Writing
posted by Sandra Barkevich at 1/21/2007 10:25:00 AM
7 Comments:
I can't wait to read the new story, Sandy! I know what you mean about weak plots. And soap operas, too. LOL
Oooh, Sandy, sounds exciting and interesting! Changing pov's helps me too when I get stuck.
Way to go! Sounds like the deep psyche was stamping her foot and you figured her out!
Thanks, Elisa. I really am excited about this new version. Our tastes run along the same lines, though. You know I love your stuff. :-)
Sandy :-)
Sharon,
Changing POVs has helped me often. In fact, it was Ursula who gave me that little bit of advice. And, wouldn't you know, I held off from using it as long as possible. I so wanted that particular scene to be from Evelyn's POV. But, noOOOOoo, Alistair had more to say. LOL. The thing is, once I gave in, the words flowed like water. It was amazing.
Sandy :-)
Ursula! :-)
Have I thanked you yet, for clueing me in on that POV switcheroo thing? If not, thank you, Thank You, THANK YOU! *bg*
And, I wouldn't say my deep psyche was stamping her foot so much as crossing her arms and clamping her mouth shut. I was getting nothing, NOTHING, from her until I admitted my plot...well, sucked. LOL.
I love your blog, by the way. I totally blogrolled you, babe.
Sandy :-)
Sweet! I'm blog rolled. I need to update mine, and put in everyone that I visit like you and Jordan and Chari, et al.
I just got an email last night re: release date.
Digital: June 5th.
Hard copy: shortly there after I think.
And you're welcome, I had no idea I was the POV switcher culprit. It's funny, though, it can really do the trick when you're stuck sometimes. Glad to help.
See you in a few weeks.
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