Writing Yourself Into a Corner
Posted by annastan on January 8th, 2013. Filed under: Revision, WIP.(If you have a minute, check out an interview with yours truly over at the GroggSpot.)
I’m happy to report that I sent UnFairy 3 to my editor yesterday. Woohoo! Even though this was supposed to be a “first draft,” the publishing schedule is pretty tight, so I wanted to get the initial draft nice and polished since I won’t have much time to revise later on.
Luckily, I have some awesome critique partners, as well as an agent with a fantastic eye, so I was able to get the manuscript to a point where I was pretty happy with it. Yesterday, however, as I was doing one last pass, I realized I’d written myself into a corner. I’d cut out a magical element in the story because it felt overly complicated, and now the ending didn’t quite work. Oops.
Normally, when I write myself into a corner, I step away from the project and let my brain sort it out. But in this case, I didn’t have the luxury of taking time away. I must admit I kind of went into panic mode. Thanks goodness Husband Ray, with his logical programmer brain, was able to come up with a pretty easy fix. As Heather said, “It’s awesome when you live with your beta reader.”
It’s funny how often I’m reminded that writing is a collaborative process. When you’re hunched over your laptop, mumbling under your breath, it can feel like you’re in it all alone. But that’s really not the case. That whole “it takes a village” thing is absolutely true.
What do you do when you write yourself into a corner?
January 8th, 2013 at 11:10 am
Maybe, if you wrote yourself into a corner, you can *write* yourself out?
Love that Lo-o-o-ong Kitty!
January 8th, 2013 at 12:55 pm
My husband is a great resource also–with a similar logical brain, which really helps when I write myself into a corner (just did this recently!). He’s also great in letting me know plot elements that work, and which don’t. You’re right that writing doesn’t have to be an isolated activity–it’s better when we can collaborate with others!
January 8th, 2013 at 12:58 pm
It is my new goal in life to be quoted here once a week.
That may be my loftiest goal so far.
Thanks for being part of my village, Anna!!
January 9th, 2013 at 8:46 am
Take a shower or do the dishes: the sound of running water helps immeasurably. Luckily there’s always lots of dishes to be done! My weekly writing group is also a great help with problems like this, even though I have a very hard time asking for help!
January 9th, 2013 at 10:38 pm
Aw the poor kitty. No one puts kitty in a corner. Ha ha. Actually I just wrote myself out of corner. Feel so much better!