I am still plugging away here, working on Floating on the Surface or as my husband so humorously and lovingly likes to refer to it as Pond Scum. Note to self: Come up with new title - quick. Yesterday Nathan Bransford came up with a great revision checklist which once I read it made me realize exactly why I am practically rewriting this whole puppy.
"Do you have enough conflict?" - Nada, zilch, zero. They didn't have a conflict, just a quiet disagreement and I didn't let Samantha get angry. Disappointed, but not angry. Did I give her free reign to express all those emotions that instantly came to the surface. Nope. That's all changed.
"Does the reader see both the best and worst characteristics of your main characters?" Oh, they will now.
"Is there sufficient description that your reader feels grounded in the characters' world?" Working on that now. In the first draft, there was an over abundance of description, which felt pretty dry. Now I'm making sure to see the world from Samantha's perspective. What would she notice as she walks through the town or a room or the forest.
"Do each of your scenes make dramatic sense on their own as well as move the overall plot forward." I am trying to remember this one. To make each scene matter, to carry the story forward. The story is progressing but it is slow going however. I'd plan to make the story cover a long period of time, rather than everything happen in a week. I started with an event that happened 3 years prior and now have moved forward to the present, however, I'm still on the same day with a couple scenes left to go. Part of the problem has been I haven't had the time to write every single day. I'm trying to change that. Next week, I've decided to join B.J. in have an unplugged week in order to concentrate on my writing. Wish me luck!
If you'd like to see what progress others have made or want to participate in WIP Wednesday, head on over to Kate's.
OMG that is very funny that your husband refers to your story as "Pond Scum" - although when it is published one day he may have to eat those words;)
ReplyDeleteSounds like you got a lot out of Nathan's revisions list - wasn't it so kind of him to post this for us just while we were in the middle of revising?
I really enjoyed Nathan's post as well. It should really help out when it comes time to revise. I'm kind of the opposite of you when it comes to description, I'm always a bit too light in the details.
ReplyDeleteGood luck with the unplugged week!
Lol, that whole pond scum thing is hilarious! Don't you hate it when people point stuff out like that? In one of my wips, I kept using the word "flush" like his face flushed in excitement. My crit partner said every time she saw it, it made her think of flushing the toilet. So, needless to say, I had to take it out. And yes, that whole checklist thing by Nathan Brandsford was awesome! Good luck with your revisions.
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