Tag Archives: Dramatic structure

Have you ever lost interest in something you were writing?

Posted on February 23, 2013 | 44 comments

I’m in a little bit of a rut. I know I can easily write 1000 words a day (I only have about an hour a day to write) but for the past few days, I just can’t seem to do it.

For some of the time, it is because my thoughts keep straying to a different story that I want to write. I KNOW that if I followed my muse I’d be spitting out 1000+ words an hour. But if I did that, I know I probably would never get back to what I’m writing.

Is there anything wrong with what I’m writing? No. It’s just not “calling to me”—You know what I mean?

The funny thing is, I am around the bend of the “rising action” and I am staring my climax in the face. Just two more scenes until I start blowing things up. Oh, Yes! This one will make the Little Blue Lady from Mars very happy! It will make me happy… but I’m just “bored” in the process of getting there.

Is my story boring? I don’t think so (of course no one has read more than the first 500 words during Sunday Snippets.)

I know, I know… set it aside for a while and follow my muse… but I can’t. I’m writing to a deadline again. I have only a few more weeks to finish, go to beta, revise and submit… and I’d like to give myself a little extra time in case they ask for a re-write before the deadline.

Ugh.

I think part of it is that I can’t motivate myself to start, and once I get the motivation, I only have about 25 minutes of writing time left… so I dump about 450 words on the page and then have to stop. If I had more time in a sitting, I would probably be able to keep going. I guess that’s the sob story of everyone with a full time job, and a part time job plus a family to take care of.

So what about you guys? Have you ever tired of something you were writing when you were so close to the “good part?”

When writing a book authors need to be their own muse (becomeanauthordotorg.wordpress.com)
Reasons Why I Write (ears333.wordpress.com)
What Do We Mean by “Writer”? (tjamesmoore.wordpress.com)
write (awriterstake.wordpress.com)
What to Write…? (25of8.wordpress.com)
11 ideal times to write (raventools.com)
Muse, where are you? Me against my writing. (brittanywesterberg.com)
Writing Wednesday – Musing on Muses (kikiwritesabout.com)

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Posted in Senseless Ranting

Tagged Arts, Book Writing, Dramatic structure, FAQs Help and Tutorials, i can't write, trouble writing, why can't I write, writer's block, Writers Resources, writing, Writing Exercises

Why doesn’t this chapter work? The rules of writing a scene.

Posted on January 21, 2013 | 21 comments

Have you ever read something you’ve written, and know that it just doesn’t “work” but you can’t figure out why?

I’m currently reading a beta that is in probably its fiftieth draft. That’s okay. People write at different speeds. For me personally, I am reading this manuscript for probably the sixth or seventh time. Each time I read it, I am pleasantly surprised by the “growth” of the story.

So, here’s where the “Why doesn’t this chapter work” comes in. I am DEVOURING this manuscript this time around. The added scenes are spot-on. The story is exciting and driven. Then BAM! I hit a roadblock.

I hit a scene that just didn’t satisfy me. Was it written well? Yes. Did it follow the plot? Yes. So what was wrong?

I went back to a writing lesson I learned probably a year ago. It said that each scene needs to be a miniature story in itself. It has to start, have a rising action, a climax, a falling action, and a resolution. Now, I am not saying that this needs to be in depth. Think of it. A falling action can be as simple as an emotional response of a character shaking their head… but a scene really DOES need to have all these elements.

The problem with this scene is that it didn’t do this. It was a scattering of information, mostly that I already knew as a reader, and it did not push the story forward. No, it was not filler. I just don’t think the author “did what they intended” to do with that scene.

Now, I’m not psychotic. I am not saying that I look at every scene I write for rising action, climax and resolution, but I think at this point I naturally write this way… as all serious writers should.

So next time a scene is bothering me, and I can’t figure out why, I’m going to dissect it. Does it have a rising action? Climax? Falling action?