Last year was much easier. My story was nice and tight. I had minimal characters and the story followed a moment in a family's history. Albeit a quite bizarre moment that most families don't ever experience, involving shovels and bludgeoning. And a cover-up by local officials, specifically a small town sheriff. Plus it was based in part on two local crimes from way back before the turn of the twentieth century.
I had a formula that I made up on my own. I'd start each writing session with a blank document and an idea from the night before where the story was suppose to go. I was writing the story chapter by chapter. (I would make a note at the bottom of the main document before I quit writing for the night.) Then I'd write the next days section (chapter) and attach it to the main document when I was done.
This worked out for me on a much better level. I don't really know why. I think it made me more aware of where I was at in the story and the natural progression/flow of where the story was going. I needed to keep my characters straight and the story straight in my mind because I was starting out clean every day. Plus it gave me a starting point and I could think on it all day as I lived my life.
This year I've just added onto the end of the document as I've written. There is no clarity for me. I've lost the characters, the direction, I have an unformed plot twist I can't seem to solve, the whole story seems a little murky.
Also, this year, I'm dealing with more characters, the plot is more sophisticated, and it is revolving around a current real life event that may or may not take place in 2012. This event has been O-Kay'd by the United States government but Canadian officials are having a hard time deciding if they want in on it. If they don't vote "yes", it won't happen. I came across this by accident during some research.
Still plugging along. . .
© Lydia Lowe 11/2011
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