Thursday, January 31, 2008

First Revisions

Now that I've done about 100 pages, it's time for me to stop, print, read, revise, reread the synopsis and plan the next few stops along the road map of the plot.

See, I've gotten to a certain point in the synopsis where everything was quite clear in terms of timing. Heroine arrives, proposal is proposed, hero agrees, wedding happens and thus, wedding night. (On that final subject, I do believe I have just written my longest love scene ever. Who'da thunk?)

Now I've come to the part in the synopsis where things get...a little vague. I have a whole lot that has to happen before the end -- indeed, I think this book has one of the "bigger" plots I've ever written -- but I've got things like, "Over the next several days..." and "the heroine learns...." In other words, I know what has to happen, but I'm not exactly sure when, or how.

So it's time to take a good look at what I've got; figure out what, if anything, I need to add to those first chapters (for instance, I have a feeling I need at least one more female secondary character); and in what manner, and where, some of things that have to happen next are going to occur.

I'm giving myself until Monday to do that. Then I'll either carry on where I left off, or I'll start what will be called the second draft, revising and then continuing on until (and if) I get to another point where I feel the need to take stock of what I've got and decide what needs to be done next.

One thing I won't be doing is watching Lost. That show lost me in the second season.

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

This blog came at a great time!
I am at the same point-100 pages into my novel.
It's interesting to see how you work things out in terms of planning your plot and revising your novels.
I love seeing how everyone works. I think what's interesting is everyone's methods are so different in terms of what works for them.
I promised myself I would not do any revising at ALL until I'm totally done the rough draft. (Since it's my first attempt at a novel, im too scared to go back and revise-don't want to lose momentum.)

Margaret Moore said...

I hear you on keeping the momentum going. That's the best argument I know for writing every day. I tend to go in "chunks" -- like 100 or so pages, then take a break and evaluate. Then revise and keep going, to maintain the new momentum.

But yep, everybody works in different ways. Ain't no one right way, that's fer sure!