So, last night I finally got to page 100 in my current work-in-progress. Exciting, right? Well ... except this is like, the most slow-paced story I've ever written (and for me, that is saying something). I haven't even gotten into the main plot yet. Heck, the main characters haven't even met each other. (WHAT IS WRONG WITH ME?) And judging by the ridiculously slow pace, and the fact that it has taken me about two years to get to this point in the manuscript, I predict I will finish it when I'm around 70 years old.
The other problem is, page 100 is always where I get really stuck. I don't really know why it is, but it always happens. Always.
I guess that whole "shiny new story" feeling has totally worn off by that point, and that makes it harder to be excited about writing it. And it's like, the point where I'm done with all the introductory stuff and then it's hard to transition into the real "meat" of the story.
OM NOM NOM.
Yeah I'm like, still in the top bun part right now. Or maybe I've gotten as far as the ketchup/mustard. Just not the hamburger part yet. And ... yeah. You know what? Forget this metaphor.
So, how about everyone else? Is there a certain point you always get stuck in a story? And how do you get past that part (if you ever get past it)?
yup, there's always a point; writing is a love-hate-love-hate-kinda like-despise-love again relationship. But it's kind of like a marriage. If you puhs through those off times, you do fall in love again. Sometimes it's a matter of trying something new. To go with your metaphor (and not my marriage one), maybe add some special spicy sauce to the burger. And by this, I mean, jump ahead. I know you do outlines, so if you're bored where you are, write one of the more interesting scenes further along and then go back to where you were. That works a lot for me. And don't forget, slow-paced is not always unusual in first draft so don't psych yourself out about that. Right now, your goal is getting the story out there. The "real" novel emerges sometime around edit 3. Good luck!
ReplyDeleteYes, totally. Haha. I mean, I know I'll pull through it, but it's always hard. Hmm, I'm always uneasy about skipping ahead. (And by that I mean, I've never tried it because it intimidates me.) But, maybe I should give it a shot.
DeleteAnd oh yes, I know. My rough drafts always tend to be enormous and then I have to cut out about a third of them. ;) Haha.
Thanks for the advice!
I'm not sure if I have a specific place in the draft where I get stuck. I do, however, consistently panic right before I get my plan together for the next round of revising/drafting/whatever. (I accidentally typed "planic" and I think that would be a great word for it.)
ReplyDeleteGood luck reaching the meat! ;)
Planic ... I like it. lol! :D And thank you!
DeleteAbsolutely! (No, I do not stock you just because you are a Chaos Walking fan and you write the most epic reviews on goodreads) There's always a point somewhere in my story where the magic starts to fade and I'm less enthusiastic about finishing my work. Probably because I get tired waiting fro the fun and action that comes later. What I usually do is either write from the end, and work my way to the beginning... if that makes any sense, or I just until I start to miss writing about my characters. Or if that doesn't work, I just add something extravaganza to get the gears moving again.
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