More About Writing

I reached a stopping point in the my current WIP. I could feel the muses luring me away. I wrote 100 pages, and the thoughts that had been navigating so well suddenly came to a halt. I don’t force the writing. At least for me, that takes all the fun out of it. When that happens it’s necessary to shift focus.

I am primarily a fantasy writer, and I’ve been missing it. Although the paranormal romance has been going so well, I’m eager to submerge myself into the uncommon. I need to step outside the box, take a wacky pill, dive into the bizarre.

I pulled out an old manuscript, one I had let sit and considered shelved because of it’s lack of clarity. It was a story I had used to learn the writing craft before I knew even how to set margins.

I flipped through it, talked to it, asked it what it needed. What could I do to make every page sing to me? Artists are allowed their dose of eccentricity. Besides, there was no one else around.

I discovered several flaws, and the fact that I can see those now means that my skill has improved considerably since I started writing.

The story itself was good. It just needed a few adjustments.

I originally wrote it in first person, and the flow wasn’t there, so I experimented. It’s the best way to learn. I took the first 30 pages and switched them to third person. The difference was notable, incredible. That familiar tingle started, erupted like a volcano and tickled me to my toes.

Writing fantasy does that to me. I discovered a sense of direction, a refocus. I decided to see how far I could get with these 30 pages. It would mean a rewrite of the story, but the skeleton was there for me to play with.
I rewrote the prologue, then decided the story worked fine without it. If anything I can offer it as optional. I allowed the tale to be told by the hero, shifting focus away from the heroine at first. I would need to enhance his struggles. Conflict is what renders a book exciting.

It was my wish to show the story instead of telling about it, which meant I added more dialogue, physical
reactions, and deep thought. Soul-searching can be a wonderful tool.

I wanted the language to be enticing. Being a poet at heart, I like writing pretty prose, but it has to make
sense and draw the reader in.

Sunday morning I finished my edit on all 30 pages and brought an entire world to life.

I’m happy to say that this is a keeper, I can’t wait to see how the rest of it looks when I’m done, or when the muses suggest I return to the paranormal romance.