A few weeks ago, I hit a sticking point in my WIP. The first
scene in chapter one wasn’t working. I’d
have left it as is and worked on the rest of the story, except I’m down to fine
tuning and every detail counts at this point.
I was beyond frustrated.
I knew I needed to make the main character more sympathetic and show her
emotions more strongly. But even after I
achieved that, the chapter still didn’t work—and neither did my next three
attempts. Worse yet, I felt like I was now loosing my main character's voice
as well.
Then—after some massive brainstorming with CPs and my
patient agent—I realized that the changes I’d done had made it easier for a
reader to relate to the main character, but they weren’t what made her stand
out from other teens. That lack of uniqueness was what had caused her voice to
vanish and made the narrator’s voice come to the forefront.
So I began thinking about what makes her unique.
It’s not just her fondness for creating jewelry (which was one
of my beginnings that almost worked) or the infomercial job that she hates
(that was another beginning that didn’t quite make it). It’s that she makes
jewelry out of junks and antiques she finds at auctions and flea markets. Therefore, my main character’s normal world
is one where she stands out because she’d rather run into a flea market for
something she needs than head to the closest Wal-Mart.
Once I realized this, it didn’t take me more than a few
minutes to find a way to connect her love of scrounging to the best of the failed beginnings.
Maybe I have the perfect beginning. Maybe it still needs
work. But, no matter what, finding her
uniqueness restored the story’s voice and gave me a place to start that feels
grounded and real.
Phew! So happy to hear you finally nailed it. Well, maybe a few more strikes of the hammer, but you can do it!
ReplyDeleteYeah, it was driving me bananas! But at least I knew there was a problem.
DeleteFinding our MC's uniqueness and his/her voice is the absolute hardest thing. I'm so glad you found yours! Good luck :)
ReplyDeleteThe maddening thing was that, after chapter 1, the voice worked. It was weird to know what I was aiming for and not be able to recapture it.
DeleteI can relate to that MC and she would LOVE it down here, there are all kinds of consignment shops, a vast flea market... Fun STUFF :D Glad you got the groove back.
ReplyDeleteI'm going to be in NC for a retreat this Oct. I have the suspicion I might not want to leave. I'm a New Englander born and bred, but I don't love winter.
ReplyDeleteThanks on the groove thing. I'm pretty freaking glad too.
Awesome, Patty! I enjoyed reading the earlier version of your MC, so I'm sure your changes just made her better. Would love to read another sample! And I'm revising my 1st chapter and using the advice you gave me. :)
ReplyDeleteYou read #3 beginning. It's a bit disturbing how something can work but still not be right. And thank you for the offer. Once I get the first few chapters where I want them, I'll be in touch. Thankfully, I don't think the work on the rest of the story is going to be this daunting now that the beginning is working--famous last words, huh?
ReplyDeleteI like the way you solved this challenge, you thought about what makes her unique/different in comparison to other teens. That's such a good idea- I think it's something I need to think about with my own work.
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing this Pat : )
It always surprises me how things fall together once I focus on the right thing. Good luck, I hope it helps you!
ReplyDeleteNo wonder we often use people we know (including self) to flesh out characters. The times when a character is all there before we had a chance to think of how that happened, at least for me, all tie to a real person I know.
ReplyDeleteI think you're exactly right. The trick for me is to make sure the detail of character make if from my head onto the paper :)
ReplyDeleteYay for it all starting to fall into place- there's nothing quite like writing frustrations! =)
ReplyDeleteYou can say that again. It's going to be nice to get back to revising scenes I haven't looked at for awhile.
ReplyDeleteThis is something I have to keep reminding myself of as I write: what makes this character interesting and unique? If I'm really stuck, I think about people I know who have odd and unusual quirks; that usually helps inspire me. :-)
ReplyDeleteYou know, it may be a good idea if I tape a note over my desk to remind me how important this is though out the whole revision not just at the beginning and here and there where a scene purposely involves her uniqueness.
ReplyDeleteAnd as one of those CP's, you did indeed find Mallory's voice again!
ReplyDeleteIt was an amazing relief, too--and probably for you as well ;) Thank you millions!
ReplyDeleteLove, love, love this! Can't wait to hear more about this project!
ReplyDeleteYou can count on that, now that I'm unstuck and moving forward again.
ReplyDeleteThanks so much for being a part of Thursday's Children and Like a Virgin. You're posts are always fab. Hope to see you at the CriTiki lounge!
ReplyDeleteI'm just glad you asked me to take part in LV13. It was a blast. I'll be checking out the lounge for sure.
ReplyDelete