Decisions, decisions …

• Posted in About Books, On Writing

So I finished my rough draft of my young adult fantasy, Quiver — it’s right at 50,000 words. And it’s pretty much all crap at this point (more like a long outline than anything else). I’ve got some good scenes, especially the big fight scene at the end. But the problem is that the beginning sucks and I have no idea how to fix it at this point.

I’ve rewritten the first four chapters three times now. But every time, I feel like the setup for the story is totally cheesy. So I think I’m going to put it aside for a while and work on revising my Spy book , while I noodle on the beginning.

Or I might try one more crack at rewriting the beginning of Quiver. What can I say? I’m a glutton for punishment … :rolleyes:

What about you guys? What do you do when you get stuck on something? Share in the comments.

2 Responses to “Decisions, decisions …”

  1. Susan Helene Gottfried says:

    Hmm. That’s a tough one. Usually when I get stuck on something, I rip out the paragraph or two above where I’m stuck. That fixes it; those paragraphs were sending me on a wrong tangent.

    But the beginning?

    Well, that calls for serious meditation. Plug in the headphones, hop on a bike (stationary or otherwise) and let your brain wander until you can envision the scene like a movie. Then, write it.

  2. Jennifer Estep says:

    Yeah, I think I’m going to put it aside for a while and work on something else. I just don’t have enough distance from it right now to see if it’s any good or not.

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