Find consistency in midst of chaos
There is no more important part of the writing process than revisions. It's nice to have a basic story line that shines through on the first draft. That won't carry the freight. What a good novel becomes is based on the amount of hammering you do to subject matter and characters, and how honest you are with your work in pursuit of your goals. Be ruthless. Have no pet ideas. Don't fear those times you know you must tear up chapters.
There is a caveat. Make sure your characters' reactions make sense as you lead them through the development of the character arc. Keep them real amid the chaos.
The best piece of advice I got from my first-draft beta readers was that one character's reaction to a major plot point didn't make sense. My main female character just had an event of shattering importance, but I had her sharing a laugh with her partner a short time later. Sorry, but that didn't fit the events, and I didn't write it as if it happened simply as an outlet for her pain and concern. It was shoddy writing and review on my part.
I am ripping into parts of my novel with bad intent. I am sharpening characters. I am tossing incidents that I tacked on near the end of the novel toward the front because the change adds a delicious richness to the story line. I have tossed out an entire chapter or two, and blended two into one in order to repair story-flow potholes. However, I strive to keep emotional consistency in the process. A character going through life needs anger, sorrow, joy, hope, setback. He or she might even find a bit of redemption, or not. But lead them in a way that makes sense.
One tactic to achieve that is to immerse yourself in the character. Put away preconceived notions based on your own life and settle into the life and reactions of your character. Hurt when he or she hurts. Laugh when he or she does. Feel the need to cover real feelings when those are too difficult to handle, if that's part of your character's makeup. Such a method is tough on an author, and sometimes to those around them. I tend to get focused as I approach AIC (Ass In Chair) time. I don't like to have my focus interrupted, but my wife inadvertently does it. I don't react well, and I need to apologize each time.
Hmmm, maybe I can work that into a character's reaction if their focus is interrupted. Happy I came up with that option. Now, in which section of my work will that fit, and how can I inject that and keep emotional consistency? Ay, there's the rub.
There is a caveat. Make sure your characters' reactions make sense as you lead them through the development of the character arc. Keep them real amid the chaos.
The best piece of advice I got from my first-draft beta readers was that one character's reaction to a major plot point didn't make sense. My main female character just had an event of shattering importance, but I had her sharing a laugh with her partner a short time later. Sorry, but that didn't fit the events, and I didn't write it as if it happened simply as an outlet for her pain and concern. It was shoddy writing and review on my part.
I am ripping into parts of my novel with bad intent. I am sharpening characters. I am tossing incidents that I tacked on near the end of the novel toward the front because the change adds a delicious richness to the story line. I have tossed out an entire chapter or two, and blended two into one in order to repair story-flow potholes. However, I strive to keep emotional consistency in the process. A character going through life needs anger, sorrow, joy, hope, setback. He or she might even find a bit of redemption, or not. But lead them in a way that makes sense.
One tactic to achieve that is to immerse yourself in the character. Put away preconceived notions based on your own life and settle into the life and reactions of your character. Hurt when he or she hurts. Laugh when he or she does. Feel the need to cover real feelings when those are too difficult to handle, if that's part of your character's makeup. Such a method is tough on an author, and sometimes to those around them. I tend to get focused as I approach AIC (Ass In Chair) time. I don't like to have my focus interrupted, but my wife inadvertently does it. I don't react well, and I need to apologize each time.
Hmmm, maybe I can work that into a character's reaction if their focus is interrupted. Happy I came up with that option. Now, in which section of my work will that fit, and how can I inject that and keep emotional consistency? Ay, there's the rub.
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