The Cup Spills Over

I've finished chapter 4. (Yay!) Apparently I had planned too much for this chapter, so it spilled over into chapter 5. Maybe someday I'll gain enough writing experience to tell in advance when I have too much for one chapter, who knows. For the meantime, I usually can't tell until I reach a naturally conclusion or end, that's the only time I'll realize, oh, that's it for this chapter, time to move on to the next.

The good news is I have a lot of material for chapter 5, so I'm hoping that means it won't take me long at all. Also, although I discovered a lot of new things while writing chapter 4, only 2 minor tweaks were needed for chapter 1 and 2. Apparently chapter 3 is fine as is. I'm definitely rolling now with this story.

When authors give the advice of 'keep writing,' what they're talking about is this creative process I've been describing since the prologue. I know a lot of aspiring authors find that statement frustrating because it's like, how do I keep writing? Where do I get started? What do I write about? What are the guidelines?

And this is why I often remind people that creative writing is not a job, it's craft. Same as taking a ball of yarn and keep knitting until you have a finished scarf. Some people like to knit while watching TV. Some like to knit in the living room during family time. Some people prefer to knit alone. It's up to the individual. And here's the best news of all. Because writing is a craft, it's up to the individual to answer all questions for themselves. You are in control. It's your writing. Do what you want.

Other than spelling and grammar, there really aren't any rules. It's creative writing. The sky's the limit. And just keep writing ;)

A Road Diverged

I had to make a difficult decision before I could even start chapter 4. It's something I've confronted before in my writing. I'll get to a point in the story where the plot could easily, and plausibly, go in two very different, distinct directions.

Choosing between these directions is not easy. And frankly, though Robert Frost was a brilliant poet, taking the road less travelled isn't always the answer. I believe in the story above all else and I'll write whatever the story needs. For me, it's not about shock value or controversy. It's about crafting a well rounded story. If the story requires shocking moments, etc, I'll write whatever is needed.

So that's what I've been thinking about. Which direction would lead this story forward to make it all nicely well rounded? This is the kind of thing that can make writing seem like a lonely profession because no else can make this decision. I could talk to friends for feedback, but sometimes feedback can be distracting. It's my responsibility as an author to make this decision.

For simplicity's sake, I'll call it Direction A and Direction B. Direction A is a fascinating idea that would be a lot of fun to explore. However, Direction A was not a part of my outline, so if I explored this direction it's possible I'll end up writing a very different book than what I intended.

Direction B is closer to my outline and explores the main character more, thus giving potential readers more they can relate to. Direction B also requires more thought towards the dynamics between the major players in this story. In essence, Direction B would take more work, the kind of work that would take a lot of brain power.

Direction A would be more fun to write, which can sometimes be more fun for the readers. Direction B would be more rewarding, and follow a logical path with the main plot line. And all of this is only for chapter 4. Yeesh.

So here's what I've decided. I've made a note of Direction A and filed it away. As a subplot it could most definitely work, but I decided to place it in Book 2 rather than Book 1. Thank god I'm writing a series. Otherwise I would seriously panic at the lack of writing space. So, I've discovered a major advantage to planning 3 books ahead of time. If I like a direction, but I'm not sure it fits for the current book, I can always save it for the next book. Nothing is lost and I can keep going.

I may not have chosen a road less travelled, but I've chosen Direction B because I've decided it's what the story needs.

Eden Fell Preview - Take 2

Alas, uploading the ARC didn't work. So I've provided the text of the first ten pages on the GoodReads author profile.

You can check it out here: http://www.goodreads.com/story/list/2934460-lily-fiction

(If anyone notices errors, let me know and I'll correct them immediately).

And back i go to working on chapter 4...