James Scott Bell is my hero.
He has several books on writing novels, and I have digested two of them. His insights are tremendous. I was struggling with the arc of my story and had lost track of the theme and objective. I followed his advice--it was hard work--but it paid off. I am back on track and getting really excited about my next novel.
I let my wife, Marsha, read almost everything I write and she agrees with me 100% that my output since my last post has been more dramatic, focused, and a whole lot better. Coming from her (she reads five to six books a week, and is a professional nit-picker--SHE DRIVES ME NUTS!--) that is saying something. (That was three parentheticals in a row. Sorry!)
I think sometimes we don't get as much from a book as we might because the author's brain and the reader's brain are wired differently. I think with what I have read of Bell's work, our minds work the same. Everything just clicked.
So where am I? I lost track but I think I have wrote or fixed about 15,000 words since my last post. Over half of that was new material, and oh yes, I had to cut some out but I don't count what goes on the cutting room floor. I always save my scraps just in case I need them later. Of course, I never have, but it makes the process less tramatic.
So what's next? That's the bummer. Here I am on a roll, fully engrossed in my characters and story development, and I've got to put down my quill for the next month. Seems I have clients that need tending, and I am starting an intense one-month consulting engagement with one of them starting Monday. I literally want to cry. It took so much effort to get into the zone. Now I have to bail.
Life isn't fair. If you don't believe me, ask my protagonist.
See you soon.
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