For the last week I’ve been writing 2000 words a day, with the goal of finishing a novel by the 24th. I spent an equal amount of time writing today and wound up with an overall wordcount 90 words shorter than yesterdays. Mind you,today wasn’t a day designated for editing, I just couldn’t get the tail end of the chapter to go where I needed it to and finally realized that it was because the beginning of the chapter had an unnecessary complication.
Interesting twists are all well and good, but this one would have created a plot hole the size of Yankee Stadium. I was wasting time in the tail end of the chapter trying to patch something that I shouldn’t have introduced in the first place. There are times when I’m going along and I realize that I’m writing for wordcount, rather than plot. So, cut! Rewrite.
As a result I have a tighter, tenser scene and no gaping holes. Best of all, a finished chapter.
Now I just need to write the next 2000 words.
That could rightly be called
your “SHEAR” genious, Mary.
Groan!
That never feels good– seeing your word count go up one or two percent, then having to take it back down again. Good luck with your goal!
No, it’s cranky making, but I’m glad I caught it before I wasted more time. I’m getting better at paying attention to my writer’s block. When I’m having trouble with a scene it is inevitably because I’ve taken a wrong turn and/or don’t know where I’m going.